Beauty brands are combining AI and 3D-printing tech to make personalized skincare products that target your specific needs

• Personalized skincare is popular with consumers who want convenient, suitable products.
• Data-driven solutions for skin concerns can help customers see effective outcomes quicker.
• AI can also help dermatologists detect skin abnormalities earlier than normal.

Personalized skincare represents one of the fastest growing segments of the beauty and wellness industry. In fact, a February report from Grand View Research estimates that the market will be valued at $48.65 billion by 2030.

Although consumers are buying into personalized skincare — which refers to products that are tailored to individuals based on their beauty goals, skin composition, age, and other factors — many struggle to find cosmetics that actually work for them.

But emerging technologies like AI and 3D printing are helping create custom skin regimens that reduce the time spent searching for the perfect cleanser, moisturizer, or serum.

They're also bridging the accessibility gap to more easily provide personalized recommendations to consumers who can't find or afford a nearby dermatologist.

Tech can empower consumers to find effective products

Consumers typically have a basic understanding of which skincare products they should and shouldn't purchase. Someone with sensitive skin, for example, probably shies away from using something with strong fragrances. But the average person doesn't always have the expertise to know what they need without a few rounds of trial and error.

Tech-powered personalization is making this process easier.

"Personalized products for skincare are more beneficial," said Melissa Snover, the founder and CEO of Nourished, a nutrition company. She added that expecting everyone within a demographic, such as a certain age or gender, to need the same kind of skincare is "kind of crazy."

Nourished partnered with Neutrogena earlier this year to create personalized skincare supplements, called Skinstacks.

To get their personalized Skinstack, users can scan their faces using the Neutrogena Skin360 application on the company's website. The scan works by taking 100,000 skin pixels and registering over 20,000 different facial and skin attributes, Snover said.

Once the scan is complete, AI uses dermatologist-analyzed photos to apply a score to the skin, based on factors like radiance level, wrinkles, blemishes, and more. From there, customers take a short quiz about their lifestyle and the site recommends a custom 3D-printed gummy that contains seven nutrients best suited for their skin.

Snover said that 3D printers were chosen over traditional manufacturing equipment because the production of single-batch supplements requires small runs with high levels of customization.

"We want to be a companion for our consumer because it's stressful picking out the products that are right for your skin," said Logan McGill, the global director of skin tech at Kenvue, the parent company of Neutrogena. "Your skin isn't like your friend's, your mom's, your influencer's."

The Skinstacks are primarily made of pectin, a gelling agent found in fruits like apples and lemons. The pectin is combined with skin-suited nutrients like selenium, vitamin A, and silica.

McGill said consumers are increasingly receptive to data-driven solutions.

"It's the age of the internet, and data is power," said McGill. "And we're able to give them quantifiable reasons for why a product might work for them."

While Neutrogena's Skin360 analysis tool launched in 2018, new AI innovations have made the tool more accessible. The company updated the software this year to integrate skin tone, for example, to ensure consumers get the right recommendations based on their complexion.

Snover told Business Insider that this emerging technology can help create a better experience and produce better outcomes for users.

More companies are leaning into custom skincare

Companies that sell more generalized skincare products are hopping on the personalization trend. Cetaphil, a brand popular for its sensitive skincare line, launched its skincare digital-assistant tool and AI skin analysis in March.

"It's a comprehensive, holistic approach, and really personalized," said Silvina Nordenstohl, the head of Galderma US, Cetaphil's parent company. "Every consumer will go through one unique experience, and we have a unique solution."

Cetaphil's AI software works similarly by having users snap a selfie and upload their photo to the Cetaphil website. The photo is then assessed based on a database of over 70,000 images, Nordenstahl said. The AI software recommends which Cetaphil products the user should try based on their skin composition.

Nordenstahl said she believes consumers are responding positively to the emerging technology because it makes it easier for them to take care of their skin in the best way possible.

Neutrogena's Skin360 tool can also be used to find recommendations based on the brand's products. McGill said that these tools can reduce the amount of time customers spend searching for their perfect product.

"Tools like this can help you stand at that shelf and realize which products will work for your skin," McGill said.

Tech-driven skincare personalization helps dermatologists, too

AI and information technology also has the potential to help dermatologists better serve their patients.

Dermatologists are largely concentrated in urban areas and well-resourced communities, leaving people in many rural regions without access to skincare professionals. Moreover, the US is facing a shortage of dermatologists to care for an aging population.

Dr. Scott Walter, a dermatologist based in Denver with over 1 million followers on TikTok, told BI that dermatologists can leverage AI to see more patients quickly.

"AI is definitely here and came in with a bang," Walter said. "Because dermatology is such a visual field and can be very image-based, I think there's a huge potential for it."

Primary-care physicians without advanced dermatology training can input photos of their patients' skin irregularities into AI software that has been trained on a large database of benign and malignant skin lesions, Walter said. Physicians can triage which patients have an irregularity that might be a symptom of a more serious condition.

Because AI can recognize skin qualities like redness, brown spots, or pigmentation, Walter also said the technology could help dermatologists tell patients which products they should and should not be using and create a personalized routine.

Using technology in skincare comes with a caveat

Still, as the industry continues adopting new AI technologies, Walter warned against over-relying on the software, because it can still make mistakes.

For example, when a ruler is included in the picture of a skin abnormality for scale, AI might identify the lesion as malignant when it's actually benign, Walter said. The tool needs to be trained using a more expansive image database, he added.

Despite its drawbacks, experts like Snover and Walter said that information technology has the potential to help consumers become more knowledgeable about their skin and purchase products accordingly.

"All kinds of tech-empowered health solutions are trained to make that kind of expertise more accessible to the average consumer so that they can also educate themselves while getting products, which are going to result in the outcome that they're looking for faster," Snover said.

Correction: November 15, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misspelled Dr. Scott Walter's name. It is Walter, not Walker.