L'Oréal unveils wearable skin sensor for measuring pH levels

L'Oréal is doubling down on personalized skincare with its latest technical innovation: a wearable sensor that measures skin pH levels.

The beauty giant has unveiled a prototype of the new ‘My Skin Track pH' wearable by its brand La Roche-Posay at the L'Oréal Technology Incubator as part of the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where it has received a CES 2019 Innovation Award.

The sensor offers users a personalized measure of their skin pH levels, which can, in some cases, be responsible for conditions such as eczema, dryness or atopic dermatitis. The idea is that, by monitoring individual levels,  users would be able to adjust their skincare regimes accordingly.

The wearable, which is being billed as the first of its kind, works by using microfluidic technology to capture trace amounts of sweat from the pores on a patch of skin on the inner arm. Two dots in the center of the sensor will change color to alert the user that the measurement has been taken; readings take between 5 and 15 minutes. The wearer then needs to take a photo of the sensor using the accompanying My Skin Track pH app, which conveys the measurement and recommends suitable La Roche-Posay products.

"The scientific and medical communities have long known the link between skin pH levels and common skin concerns that millions of people experience every day," said Guive Balooch, Global Vice President of the L'Oréal Technology Incubator, an arm of L'Oréal's Research and Innovation, in a statement. "Our goal is to use this advanced technology to empower consumers with meaningful information about their skin, so that they can find the products that are right for their individual needs."

The sensor, which was designed in partnership with Epicore Biosystems, is the latest tech-driven skincare innovation to come from L'Oréal. Last November the company launched a battery-free wearable device that measures UV exposure, dubbed, ‘My Skin Track UV' by La Roche-Posay.

'My Skin Track pH' will be introduced at select US La Roche-Posay dermatologists throughout this year, with a view to potentially launching a direct-to-consumer product in the future.