Day by day, the world keeps moving forward in almost every aspect of life. Technology advances have us in constant evolution and, as some might say, knowledge is power. This is where Big Data, better known as artificial intelligence, comes up. By feeding on information, Big Data is creating a technological revolution that puts us in front of the line to create and innovate.
What we thought was only science-fiction, is nowadays an important part of many sectors in the industry. Of course, the beauty and cosmetics industry could not be left out. Massive industries in the beauty sector, such as L’Oréal, are using a technological incubator, capable of calculating skin aging through a simple photo, so they can provide a treatment that’s suitable for each client.
We could also mention a sophisticated system that creates customized formulas for skincare, foundation, and lipstick through the use of real-time technology that measures things such as skin type, air quality, and even pollution.
This system is considered one of the greatest examples we can find on this artificial intelligence surge, and it is called Perso. Using a Modiface technology that expects in the simplest way to create personalized makeup and skincare creams from your home, L’Oréal is stepping forward and showing the world that technology can find its place even in the most unthinkable place of our lives.
Given the up-growing need of customers for personalization and the variety of demands that every client need, L’Oreal has decided that Perso was the gadget that was going to revolutionize the market.
Of course, we shall have no complaints about the future of the beauty industry and all of the technological advances that are coming on, so L’Oreal is just taking the lead in a market that, sooner or later, was going to appear.
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The future of perfumery is here
Another one of the most impressive beauty techs that are emerging right now is more applied to perfumery. We’re talking about Carto, an interactive, touch screen system, that allows perfumers to drag color-coded circles, which represent the olfactory notes and create a tested formula. More for expert perfumers than for the general public, Carto has been designed by Givaudan, one of the main fragrance and flavor houses based in Switzerland, and provides a faster, easier process than mixing the ingredients by human hand.
This is a creation that hopes to let perfumers explore more different combinations using a simple, visual system that can turn a boring process into a more dynamic and creative activity, with plenty of options to choose from in fragrances.
We cannot miss mentioning Philyra, a gadget created by IBM Research and Symrise, which is made to completely revolutionize the world of perfumery, doing almost the whole process, except for a few details. This tool is similar to Carto and analyzes thousands of formulations, as it is capable of identifying certain patterns or trends that most surely will lead a fragrance to success, backed on data of a specific demographic area.
Technology has come to stay
As we must imagine, all of these advances are nothing else than the beginning of a whole new era that is not limited only to cosmetic formulas and make-up; these are not the first devices that will come up in the industry of perfumery and that will forever change the course of perfumes all around the world.
If we think of one of the greatest inventions in the beauty sector of the last year, we could surely come up with one that will blow your mind: ScenTronix Algorithmic Perfumery. This is a system that was created to recognize each different person, thanks to algorithms based on artificial intelligence.
By this, it can provide a unique experience when it comes to obtain fragrances that get along with each personality and create a personalized aroma for each person in just minutes. It can even identify a person’s allergies to make the process to make the process more efficient, in a fast and simple way.
The aim for this is to become a platform, similar to YouTube, where you’re able to create, buy and share your fragrances. Right now, there is a project in Beta Version, with an experimental Living Lab, in the Netherlands, even though their networks extend to places like New York and Los Angeles.
Still, the main objective of this project is to offer an intuitive interface that allows access to the most exquisite notes of the perfume, through a sensory machine that can create unique, personalized perfumes in real-time, and soon, also online.
The process is truly simple. Thanks to this, customers can download an application to their smartphones, answer a short survey and wait while an algorithm creates several versions of what could be the scent of their dreams. Finally, the client evaluates and adjusts the fragrance until the final result is unique and just for them.
Where is the perfume industry heading?
Another great example of the upcoming moves of the perfume industry is, of course, the Catalan startup Noustique, supported by the giant Puig, and its The Alchemist Atelier. This is a project that aims to bring the universe of fragrance creation to our own homes.
This could be possible thanks to an elegant and modern device called Scent Creator. Nicknamed as “The Nespresso of perfumery”, Scent Creator allows you to create personalized aromas in a few minutes thanks to its innovative technology.
The process is simple. Through its exclusive and intuitive application, users are provided with a library of almost 100 fragrances, covering all olfactory families, and formulated by expert perfumers. The device allows the bases and notes to be mixed in the desired proportions so that the number of possible results is practically unlimited.
What happens after this technological takeover?
The truth is that the machines do not have that human ability to smell and contribute their emotional touch, so replacement is not expected. Instead, what we should expect is more complementation than substitution, which will turn the perfume-making process into a much easier and even personalized one.
With systems based on artificial intelligence, production time is greatly reduced by speeding up the work of the nose. In fact, with the help of these kinds of technology, the nose would only have to check on the final product and edit the formulation with his experience in the art of perfumery.
The reality is that, with the help of systems such as Carto or Philyra, companies could create six times more fragrances in the same time it takes them to create one, with the added value that they would be hyper-personalized, or for specific demographic groups, giving a kick to massive perfumes.
And this is just a little advance on what could come next, as we’d say, only the tip of one of the biggest icebergs in the world, and these are just the first steps into the digitalization of scents, allowing the industry to reinvent the whole future of perfume. Let’s just wait and hold on to what Artificial intelligence has to offer us, and we surely won’t be disappointed with the results.
