As artificial intelligence continues to infiltrate every industry, that of course includes the skin-care space. For EveLab Insight, a “disruptive beauty solutions provider,” the focus is on creating a precise and accessible way for people to “measure and quantify their skin,” according to Nick Howard, the company’s director of global strategy. “Our tagline is that beauty is subjective, but healthy skin is not. Ultimately what we’re looking at is: How do we give people the tools to scan their health?”
That very question is what led the company to create its Eve V Panoramic AI Skin Analysis System. There are two layers to this technology: an information-gathering device and the algorithm that supports it. I had the opportunity to test out the front-end option — the machine itself — at the company’s New York City office. The machinery (which looks straight out of a sci-fi movie) filled the counter space with its elliptical-shaped construction. Inside were five HD cameras, multiple light spectrums and 3D facial contouring and tracking technology to assess my skin.
I gently laid my chin on the built-in rest, closed my eyes and Howard started the scan. Eve V thoroughly analyzes the skin at 40 different dimensions broken into three areas: aging (wrinkles, tear troughs), general skin concerns (blackheads, pores) and face shape (facial symmetry, cheek topography).
Less than 30 seconds later, my AI skin analysis was complete. My assessment was connected to Howard’s iPad via an app, which brought up a digital 3D rendering of my face and detailed all my skin concerns (dryness and dull skin), and highlighted certain attributes (minimized pores, even texture and no dark circles). The tech also comes with a predictive feature that accounts for what my skin might look like over time should I tend to or neglect a certain area. Howard emailed me my assessment so I can have it on hand. (Access, it’s worth noting, expires after two months.)
Photo: Courtesy of EveLab Insight
Meanwhile, on the back end, there’s the AI algorithm. That, according to Howard, is where Eve V differentiates itself from the competition: Its algorithms are based on a database of more than 10 million images which span “all of your age demographics, genders, skin tones, ethnicities,” per Howard. For comparison, other tech-based skin analysis tools may rely on algorithms built on only 50,000-to-100,000 images, he says.
Since Eve V’s launch in 2023, EveLab Insight has partnered with a number of brands and retailers interested in using its technology as a marketing and product development tool. The AI Skin Analysis can also be found on counters or points of sale in beauty stores and spas where consumers can view their assessment in-store and be given personalized product recommendations. Skin-care brand Amorepacific has a device in its Los Angeles flagship. Japanese beauty giant Kosé it uses the software to create specialized face masks. In September 2023, Dr. Barbara Sturm put the device in an Airstream that the brand had transformed into a mobile pop-up space that traveled around New York City and gave customers product recommendations based on their reports.
Last November, RéVive Skincare teamed up with EveLab Insight for an event at Bergdorf Goodman. Shoppers who approached the RéVive counter received a custom skin analysis, followed by a bespoke facial and product consulting.
RéVive’s CEO Elana Drell-Szyfer speaks highly of the experience with the EveLab team, who provided hands-on training. “They were open-minded and receptive to the RéVive corporate team’s questions and requests,” she says. Customers “appreciated the combination of being able to learn more about elements of their skin ‘below the surface’ and not just visible to the eye, combined with human touch and a high level of customer service,” according to Drell-Szyfer. RéVive is already in talks about future partnerships.
Dermatologist-backed skin-care brand Dr. Idriss has an ongoing partnership with EveLab Insight, and has used fully customized Eve V devices throughout a multi-city retailer tour with Sephora.
“Initially, I was hesitant about the device,” confesses founder Dr. Shereene Idriss, also a board-certified dermatologist and owner of Idriss Dermatology in NYC. “But after experiencing it firsthand, I was truly blown away. I instantly knew it would be a game-changer for our nerds who are passionate about taking their routines to the next level.” She reports that the brand’s community has had “overwhelmingly positive reactions,” with many consumers expressing that the device has deepened their understanding of their skin-care routines.
“It’s not just about recommendations — it’s about empowering [consumers] with personalized insights to elevate their skin-care experience,” she says, adding that the partnership “opened us up to the world of AI and the possibilities that there is for AI in the beauty industry.” In the future, the brand plans to place additional devices in Sephora brick-and-mortars nationwide, as well as one its office showroom.
The technology also shows up in brands’ research and development (R&D) or clinical validation labs. “For brands to come up with their efficacy claims or their formulation, they have to go through some kind of clinical trials, but it’s typically a very manual process,” Howard explains. Usually, brands will test anywhere from 10 to 100 people to validate their formulas are up to internal regulations. They’ll confirm this by making scientific comparisons with inspection and verifying companies like SGS. However, this process is not only tedious, but increasingly costly.
EveLab’s AI algorithm offers a more efficient route: The software will go through the same comparison and validation process to confirm it’s matching brand standards, but “it also allows them to take their own internal standard that they’ve created and then turn it into an AI so it’s repeatable,” Howard explains. In other words, the AI algorithm is “not an answer” but “a tool” that can “improve efficiency drastically” when “applied to very specific outcomes.”
Photo: Courtesy of EveLab Insight
“We are trying to build a platform that is quite holistic in the sense of how many places it can touch a skin-care brand,” Howard says. But while working to explain the platform’s front- and back-end uses to brand partners (especially bigger ones), he’s noticed a “disconnect.”
On one hand, businesses invest in technological solutions that work as marketing tools to drive consumer interest. On the other hand, brands spend thousands in R&D to improve their product formulation and quality. But usually, these two sides don’t intermix.
“Once [products] get to market, that science tends to get wiped out a little bit and replaced with marketing terms,” says Howard. “What our technology is really doing is allowing a single foundation layer where all the work that you’re doing on either side can speak to each other because, not only do you have the ability to do the skin analysis and give consumers a really interesting and deep dive into their skin, but all of that information is incredibly valuable when [brands are] trying to test new formulas and create better products…This tool is allowing brands to speak their science to their consumer.”
That value is important for brands to consider, as the price is steep. Howard estimates that, depending on volume, implementing the Eve V device on a counter can cost as much as $10,000 per store. As an add-on, EveLab can also customize the entire UI “from the bottom up” to better “speak to how that brand positions itself in the market” and better tailor product recommendations based on the available offerings. This customization can increase the price tag by thousands of dollars.
But retail and brand partners are already seeing returns on their investments, according to Howard. He reports 40-to-70% increases in average basket sizes and customer conversion rates of 20-to-30% higher than before. Data has also shown that, when beauty assistants offer customers the opportunity to do the scan after closing a sale, they have a 50-to-70% chance of convincing the customer to make an immediate second purchase.
The technology doesn’t come without concerns, though. One of the most common worries is the impact on job security for beauty retail associates. According to Howard, the device is not intended to replace them, but rather to “augment their abilities. You are giving them a tool, and you’re allowing them to increase the quality of service that they can offer.”
Or what if a customer purchases a recommended a product post-scan, only for it to be ineffective (or worse, create an adverse reaction)? Howard counters that the point of the software is to monitor skin health where it is today and point out certain target areas consumers can focus on to prevent further issues. He likens it to an Apple Watch monitoring sleeping habits: “You don’t expect your Apple Watch to fix your sleep quality, but it does tell you what’s going on so that you can tackle the problems,” he says. “As consumers are becoming more savvy, it’s more about monitoring their progress, not finding the quick fix.”
Looking toward the future, EveLab Insight already knows how it plans to use its technology next: “Making this accessible to a much broader audience,” says Howard. It doesn’t plan to create its own consumer product, preferring to expand its reach through industry partners. “We want to enable [more] brands to take all of their hard work and then highlight it.”
Source: Fashionista.com
