Writing in its international patent, L’Oréal said the two-pronged system had been developed to be used in a clinical or retail environment, providing results on a digital device such as a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. These skin trend predictions could then either be used to blend active ingredient formulations targeting the specific needs and predictions identified or used to make recommendations on existing products to.
Certain biomarkers linked to ‘clinical signs of ageing’
Biomarker analysis, L’Oréal said, was an increasingly used “non-invasive” way to measure various protein concentrations in the skin; many of which had been identified as linked to clinical signs of ageing and responsiveness or non-responsiveness to certain active ingredients like retinol. Biomarker FLG2, for example, had been found to be correlated with clinical signs of shiny and rough skin; the IDE biomarker with eye wrinkles; the LCN1 biomarker with loss of elasticity; and the YKL40 and TG3 biomarkers shown to indicate whether a subject would be responsive to retinol to improve under-eye wrinkles – all indicated via clinical studies.
However, L’Oréal wrote in its patent: “Even though these correlations have been determined, the biomarker analysis system only provides raw protein concentration information and does not use these correlations. What is desired are systems and methods that use the biomarker concentration information to improve skin care product formulations to address predicted skin trends.”
“What is also desired are systems and methods that use the biomarker concentration information to generate skin care product recommendations and to improve such recommendations to address predicted skin trends,” it added.
L’Oréal’s two-pronged biomarker analysis and skin diagnosis system enabled both, it said, and importantly also considered additional environmental and behavioural factors like stress, climate, diet and sun exposure – obtained via a consumer survey. There was also a feedback loop designed in, enabling custom skin care products to be adjusted accordingly in the future, it said.
Personalised push at L’Oréal – inclusivity, precision and sustainability
L’Oréal had been heavily invested in the personalised beauty space for some time.
Earlier this year, the company filed a separate patent on a voice-cue smart skin care treatment device able to respond in real-time to consumer needs and provide audio feedback and guidance during use. The device, L’Oréal said, offered a range of functions including sensitive cleansing, pore cleansing and eye area massaging.
L’Oréal also recently launched its AI Perso device under the Yves Saint Laurent brand as an at-home personalised lipstick device able to blend thousands of different bespoke shades and distribute product on-demand. The skin care variant of the device was set to soon follow.
Guive Balooch, head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator, previously told CosmeticsDesign-Europe that future work around personalised beauty at L’Oréal would continue to centre on inclusivity, precision and sustainability – important aspects of this fast-advancing field.
WIPO International Patent No. WO/2021/141634
Published on: July 15, 2021. Filed on: July 14, 2020.
Title: “System and methods for using biomarker analysis for personalized skincare”
Inventor: L’Oréal – J. Lee, G. Balooch, A. Foucher and N. Cavusoglu
