6 Ways How Technology is Facelifting Beauty E-Commerce

The beauty industry has always been the forerunner in terms of innovation and reinvention, and 2020 was no exception. From personalised skincare products to AI cosmetics solutions, the beauty industry is using emerging technologies to improvise and enhance the customer experience.

A significant number of beauty brands such as Procter & Gamble, Estée Lauder, and L’Oréal are embracing technology to boost sales and connect with customers. In this guide, you will learn how technology is driving growth and reshaping the future of the beauty industry. 

1. Hyper-personalised skincare: 

A recent study found that 80% of the consumers are more likely to make a purchase when a brand offers personalised experience and 90% find the idea appealing. Most customers want something which they can connect with. Personalisation helps businesses to match the diversity of customers. 

There are numerous examples where hyper-personalisation has taken businesses up by a notch.

• Kanebo, a Japanese skincare brand, launched the Smile Connect app that collects data from a skin moisture sensor to measure a user’s skin condition. It also provides experts with skincare tips according to seasonal changes.
• MaskiD by Neutrogena is a 3D-printed face mask tailored for a user’s skin’s needs, based on data collected from a selfie.
• La Roche-Posay’s stick-on My Skin Track pH patch tracks pH levels and prescribes products accordingly via a mobile app. 
• SkinCeuticals’s made-to-measure Custom Dose correction serums are formulated to optimise the existing skin routine and recommend aesthetic treatments.
• Modiface, a Toronto-based company, uses augmented reality and facial recognition tech and to apply products to help consumers visualise a realistic look on them. It allows consumers to smart purchasing decisions. 

2. Changing the traditional methods for sustainable use:

With the advancement in technology, beauty brands are taking part to protect the environment.

• L’Oreal has developed sustainable product optimisation tool (SPOT) to quantify the impact of all L’Oreal products on the environment.
• The Vichy brand revamped its skincare products with 95% improved proportion of ingredients easier for recycling.
• Ethique introduced solid bar soaps, shampoos, and conditioners which last five times longer than the liquid bottles. The company encourages plastic-free coatings and printed with vegetable inks to make the product completely compostable. 

3. Testing products online by using AI and AR:

A decade ago, did you imagine that you could buy fragrances without visiting brick-and-mortar stores? Well, none of us did. With advanced technology, it is now possible. Coty, a world-renowned beauty brand, uses AI to help shoppers choose a fragrance they want to buy.  The AI-powered Fragrance Finder uses a 7-stage questionnaire to recommend shoppers their ideal fragrance. 

With the AR Try It tool on Covergirl.com, shoppers can choose colour cosmetics. While using the device, you get to see five different views of your face after using the selected product. You also get a link to Walmart.com to make a purchase. The company is now working on developing a virtual makeup artist that will use facial recognition to make customized recommendations. 

4. Discovering new brand is now easier than ever:

Technology has not only made it easier for consumers to try on products without visiting the stores, but it has also brought the brands at a closer reach. Apart from large beauty brands, microbrands can now reach their potential customers directly – with no hassle of retailers. According to the marketing experts, previously smaller beauty brands faced serious entry barriers for selling their products online as it was beyond their budget and a time-consuming affair. But now, with APIs and other technological applications, it has become easier for brands with $10–$15 million sales to offer customer experience as compelling as the experiences offered by their competitors.

5. Reconstructing the face of Customer service:

Let’s say you are a student of programming, and you require help to complete your paper. You will look for SQL homework help experts or tutors who offer the best assignment help service. Good SQL homework helpers offer quality academic aid along with top-notch assignments. Similarly, consumers, these days want the best customer experience. 

Technology in beauty plays a significant role in terms of customer service. Diagnostic tools have revamped as online questionnaires, apps or in-store devices. Skincare diagnostic tools, DNA testing for skin analysis, YouTube videos and diagnostic applications all affect a consumer’s purchasing decision. 

• From Sephora’savskincarere IQ to Harrods’ Ioma machine and the Organic Pharmacy’s DNA test, the need for customised skin product is now in high demand. 
• Apps like OKU, L’Oréal’s Make-Up Genius and Klara offer customers a professional skincare analysis without leaving the comfort of their couch. 
• YSL incorporated Google Glass to create professional makeup tutorials to enhance a customer’s experience of using the product. 
• Panasonic’s Magic Mirror analyses consumers’ skin and suggests like “Your skin is dry; you should use a moisturiser and drink more water.” 

All these offer more significant implications for consumers’ purchasing decisions and creating a new milestone of the beauty product companies. 

6. Reshaping the payment system for beauty products:

Tech companies around the globe are expanding their operations to deliver a top-notch consumer experience by renovating the payment and delivery system. With the launch of Google Wallet and Apple Pay, there’s now an alternative payment method. Digital wallets are now widely popular in the States due to convenience and security. Sephora’s collaboration with Apple to create Sephora Wallet showcases the influence of digital wallets in the beauty line.

Technology in Beauty e-commerce: What’s next?

Brands all around the globe are using emerging technology to personalise products and services to retain and attract new customers in this highly competitive market. 

• L’Oréal is using AI to help customers find the perfect foundation shade to match their skin tone.
• Lancome uses Opens Overlay to scan the skin for finding the right colour match. At Lancome beauty counters, customers can have their foundation mixed in-store with an algorithm to make the right shade from thousands of variations. 
• ModiFace uses AR to detect changes such as dark spots, discolouration, dryness, uneven skin and rosacea, also visualises the differences before and after the use of a product to help customers understand the change.
• Estée Lauder is aiming mass customisation with its Clinique-iD serum-infused moisturizers. 
• The leading Japanese beauty brand, Shiseido, is moving into delivering beauty as a service. It launched “Optune” an app that helps to analyse the skin and chooses the best mix of a skincare product.  

With emerging technology, beauty brands are now looking to build strong personal bonds with their customers. Companies are taking the opportunity to integrate new ideas into the business to survive the competition. The competitive landscape, innovation-driven nature and consumers’ desire for more make companies “alliance” with technology a must.

Author bio:

Ricky is a digital educator, and academic counselor working on behalf of a reputable firm in Sydney, Australia. He also offers My assignment help review to students and who love to sing and organizes community concerts after every six months to promote local talent.