The global beauty player describes UV Sense, available via its La Roche-Posay brand, as the world’s first battery-free wearable electronic UV sensor, and launched the product at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
It follows the company’s earlier launch, in 2016, of its stretchable skin sensor, My UV Patch.
“L’Oréal has long been dedicated to sun safety through research, product innovation, and public education campaigns, as well as funding significant research with the Melanoma Research Alliance to prevent certain skin cancers,” the company explains, saying the tech builds on the earlier My UV Patch design.
“To further encourage consumers to change their sun safety behaviors, the new UV Sense is smaller, and offers longer wear and real-time data.”
UV Sense will be available on a limited basis in the US this summer with a global launch following in 2019. In addition, in 2018 La Roche-Posay plans to release a new limited-edition of the My UV Patch.
How does it work?
UV Sense can store up to three months of data and show trends of exposure over time with instant updates. Designed to be worn on the thumbnail, it comes in at less than two millimeters thick, nine millimeters in diameter.
“By putting this technology on the thumbnail – which receives optimal sunlight - consumers can increase wear time from several days with My UV Patch to several weeks with UV Sense,” L’Oréal explains.
“The technology within UV Sense is groundbreaking and has so much potential to impact the future of technology and wearables,” said Guive Balooch, Global Vice President of L’Oréal’s Research and Innovation Technology Incubator.
“Armed with research and consumer insights from the original My UV Patch, we set out to create something that blends problem-solving technology with human-centered design, offering real-time data and longer wear in a discreet product that fits any lifestyle.”
Next step tech
L’Oéal has been working on wearable UV tech for the past few years. With the My UV Patch, the market saw the launch of the first stretchable skin sensor, the full details of which can be found here.
The global beauty player states that its consumer studies show that My UV Patch had a positive impact on the sun safety behaviors of consumers – with 34% applying sunscreen more often and 37% trying to stay in the shade more frequently.
Both UV Sense and My UV Patch are the result of L’Oréal research conducted in conjunction with MC10, Inc., a wearable technology company, and professor John Rogers at Northwestern University, through his portfolio of intellectual property (IP) and innovation around flexible, stretchable electronics.