L'Oreal says it is working with startups and research institutions to bioprint skin that it can actually “feel.”
The real
PARIS, France – French beauty and cosmetics giant The real is working on a form of synthetically produced skin that it says will one day be able to “feel” like us.
At the Viva Technology conference in Paris last week, L'Oreal demonstrated “bioprinting” – technology that can 3D print human-like skin – in action.
The company has been using this technology for several years to test new makeup on synthetic skin in its lab instead of on animals.
L'Oreal says it stopped testing its products on animals in 1989, long before regulation required it.
Guive Balooch, director of L'Oréal's technology incubator, describes bioprinting as the “ability to use 3D printing with biology to reconstruct skin in a personalized way, conforming to a fully inclusive set of real reconstructed skin.”
“This will also be a revolution. We will do it internally but we will also work with external partners,” Balooch told CNBC at the company's booth at VivaTech.
This skin technology allows L'Oreal to mimic the diversity of real human skin, including conditions such as eczema and acne, as well as the ability to tan and heal from injuries, L'Oreal said in a statement last week.
However, L'Oréal doesn't stop there. The company said it is also working with startups and research institutions to further develop its bioprinting technology to enable skin to actually “feel.”
“We'll have this kind of idea where the sensors will allow us to not only have the ability to do testing on reconstructed skin but also have…sensory reality feedback, which is what happens when you apply products and all that, so that “we can get an evaluation not only of the efficacy but also of the sensory feedback,” Balooch said.
AI assistant for beauty tips
In addition to investing in dermatology technology, L'Oreal also showed off innovations around artificial intelligence at France's massive tech show last week.
At its booth, the company demonstrated an AI-powered beauty assistant called “BeautyGenius.” The application scans a user's face to identify her facial features.
It then provides the user with a facial analysis, followed by product recommendations that best suit their skin. It is powered by generative AI, the same technology that powers OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot.
L'Oreal also introduced an AI marketing lab called CREAITECH, which includes tools that allow you to create AI-generated marketing content that meets brand standards.
L'Oreal is incorporating AI-assisted marketing across its 37 beauty brands, including Kiehl's, Lancome and Giorgio Armani Beauty, and Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, according to the firm.
