As technology grows in innovation and expertise, it plays more of a role in every aspect of our lives. Yet, while we expect technology to be dominant in certain areas of life, such as on our social media platforms or when using our cell phones and computers, there are other places where we do not realize just how much tech plays a role. Two industries where technology is highly utilized are the health and beauty fields. In fact, their usage of tech has grown rapidly without much explicit attention from consumers. We probably do not have a good grasp of how important technology is to these industries, even though it affects us every day, which is why we asked top industry professionals to weigh in on the future of tech in the health and beauty spaces.
New Innovations in Skincare Are On the Rise
“Current technology trends in the health and beauty industry revolve around artificial intelligence (AI) powered products, augmented reality (AR), and 3-D user experiences that utilize user data and analysis to create a customized experience for every user.
“Moving forward, new innovations are utilizing skin microecology, cell extraction, and biological fermentation technology to produce a new category of materials and products that will allow companies to build even stronger customer connections and brand loyalty.
The integration of these new and existing cutting edge technologies will allow users to receive more personalized skincare, color cosmetics, and fragrance options from the comfort of their own homes by the world’s leading beauty brands,” says Rachel Roff, Founder and CEO of Urban Skin Rx
Technology is Transforming Beauty Along With the Demand for Natural Products
“I think the future of beauty will be more and more about technology, about quality, about formulation, about individualization, about digitalization, about responding to specific needs. We have moved very fast, transformed the company very fast. We are considered today as the most advanced, digitally advanced company in the beauty industry and we want to keep this advantage. We are even launching some new products that are, I would say, almost 100 percent natural. Natural ingredients, natural formula, have biodegradability, recycling and recycled packaging. I think that we’re entering into a new world and it’s going to be fascinating. And it’s true that at L’Oréal we really want to be the pioneers of this new age, this new world. So in terms of digital, in terms of artificial intelligence, in terms of fast prototyping, in terms of everything, we want to be leading the front,” says Jean-Paul Agon, CEO and Chairman of L’Oreal.
Apps Provide Portable Services
“A really popular and smart use of technology in both the beauty industry and health and wellness industry is through brands’ apps. While websites and e-commerce sites are still important, as well as physical store locations for brands with that capability, apps provide a unique location for customers to delve deeper into the offerings of the business. Apps allow a portable search through a beauty brand’s complete collection, and they let customers book healthcare appointments and reach out to their physician or find the answers to frequently asked questions,” says Juan Pablo Cappello, Co-Founder and CEO of Nue Life.
Services and Products Can Be Offered Solely Online
“Businesses can get by solely through e-commerce these days, so that many companies do not have physical locations, instead opt to communicate with customers and sell their products or services completely online. This has only been made possible with advanced technology that makes the digital world feel like an actual space, but it has also helped a lot of businesses stay afloat during the pandemic,” says Tirzah Shirai, CEO of Blink Bar.
‘Try Before You Buy’ Technology
“You have probably heard of the term ‘try before you buy’ technology that lets consumers trial a business’s beauty products with their personal photos or even a live feed of them looking into their camera by using augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence technology. Try-on technology is useful for customers who aren’t sure if they will like the fit of a product, or if they want to experiment with color matching to select one option from multiple choices. The deeper expansion of this is known as e-makeup, where people can change their appearance online, such as on a Zoom call, with virtual makeup that is overlaid onto their image. The purpose is again to trial a product that would then be purchased, although some people might choose to just use the technology to avoid doing their makeup before an important call, such as an online job interview,” says Stephanie Venn-Watson, CEO of Seraphina Therapeutics.
Telemedicine Aids in Convenience
“Telemedicine refers to essentially any aspect of medicine that can be conducted virtually or digitally. It has been in the works for a while now, but really picked up momentum during the Covid-19 pandemic when people still needed to meet with healthcare practitioners but offices and health centers needed to eliminate the number of people together in one space. The best part of telemedicine is how convenient it is; for example, workers can fit in a meeting with their doctor on their lunch break because they don’t need to go into an office. Those without transportation options or those with medical concerns like the immunocompromised no longer need to worry about in-person visits. And telemedicine also refers to the digital prescription of medicine, again preventing the same concerns,” says Ubaldo Perez, CEO of Hush.
Smart Tryons Helps Customers Make Informed Decisions
“Even just a few years ago the concept of the smart tryon was pretty implausible. Now, in 2022, it is a major factor in some customers’ purchases, since it eliminates a lot of the risk and uncertainty associated with making online purchases. A smart tryon looks like seeing how certain products would look on a photo or live image of yourself. Sephora now offers makeup tryons on their app, and some eyeglass companies use the same technology to show the fit of different pairs of glasses. I estimate that an aspect of the beauty space’s future will be increased tryon options with more companies,” says Evan Zhao, Co-Founder and CEO of Revela.
Interactions Between Businesses and Customers Happens Online
“Technology has changed the way people interact with businesses and book appointments. Rather than interact with your website first, chances are your business is being discovered by many of your customers through social media. This is why there has been a shift towards putting a lot of your energy onto your social media pages, including using the social channels to advertise. Now social media users feel closer to the brands they follow because they can reach out and receive responses in a much more informal way than engaging with typical customer service feels. Technology continues to mean that social media is the place to establish your business,” says Miles Beckett, CEO and Co-Founder of Flossy.
Smart Watches Provide Health Monitoring
“The future of the health space will continue to include smart products such as smartwatches, or wearables, that track personal health details such as your heart rate and steps for the day. This technology can also track your sleep patterns and quality of rest, your location, calories burned, and your daily active minutes score. It is pretty amazing to think that we can have access to all of this information about ourselves and use it to better inform our health and wellness journey. The technology is definitely smart already, but in 2022 I am sure it will only continue to improve,” says Michael Jankie, Founder of The Natural Patch Co.
Points Accumulation Programs Are Offered Digitally
“Technology and digital advancements help out e-commerce businesses in small but large ways every day. Businesses are wise to use their digital platforms to offer their customers points accumulation programs, where purchases, reviews, or online activity (such as following the brand on their social channels) earns points to be redeemed for discounts or free products usually. It is a smart program because it helps build brand loyalty and also keeps your brand on customer’s minds when they see your activity on their social channels now that they are following you. Also, we all understand the value of personal reviews now, so it is an incentive for satisfied customers to share their experience with interested guests to your site,” says Ann McFerran, CEO of Glamnetic.
Subscription Boxes Use Technology to Create Beauty Profiles
At Goodiebox one of our fundamental ambitions is to help our members discover new products and brands they will love. Normally in e-commerce, you can try before you buy (if you buy a new pair of jeans from Zalando, Asos or Net-a-porter, you can return them if they don’t fit), but that is not possible with beauty and cosmetics (if you buy a new lipstick online you cannot try it and return if the color is not right).
But with Goodiebox, the members get to try new beauty products and brands (based on their beauty profile and feedback in general) so they know their new favourites before they order online. We can offer this because our internal team of beauty experts is at the forefront of beauty trends, and works closely together with our internal team of data and consumer experts to track and analyse behaviours of our members. We can then use this information to predict what our members will like – thereby creating more happiness for them.
“Of course happiness is difficult to define, but there are various proxies that we at Goodiebox use to quantify it. Some are explicit, for example, we track how much customers like certain products via star ratings where the members earn Goodiepoints. We also track and analyse implicit signals, including which members end up buying the products they receive in their boxes; changes in subscription status (suspensions, pauses); and member referrals to name a few,” says Rasmus Schmiegelow, CEO of Goodiebox.
Smart AI Technology Provides Personalized Products
“We now have access to smart AI technology in the health and beauty fields that allows for facial recognition for personalized skincare or product recommendations. For instance, certain skincare brands are utilizing this tech advancement to their full advantage by collecting enough information about a consumer’s skin that they can then create a personalized routine for them to follow that addresses their unique concerns. I think it is an exciting time for health and beauty, and am pleased with the overlap we are seeing between the two fields. We all know that when you look your best you also feel your greatest, so I support every technological advancement that helps promote confidence and artistry,” says Jae Pak, Founder of Jae Pak MD Medical.
The day of not understanding how important a role technology plays in the health and beauty spaces and how it affects our daily lives is gone after reading these experts’ advice on the future of tech in these industries. It is an exciting time for the health and beauty spaces and for us too, the consumers who get to take advantage of the developments. Be sure to keep an eye on the continual evolution of technology as it impacts our lives in 2022.
