Unilever Pilots Analytics-Powered Skincare Personalization With Pond’s
Unilever is offering consumers a skin microbiome analysis completed in just one hour along with a subsequent skincare plan. The personalization pilot taps into the company’s R&D experience and data to build individual skin profiles.
The Microbiome Analyzer examines samples through a simple skin swab to identify imbalances in the skin’s microbiome due to weather, pollution, UV exposure, cosmetics, stress, sleep, and exercise. To target problem areas, the company then provides each consumer, regardless of skin type, with a personalized skincare regime using Unilever’s Pond’s product line.
Unilever launched the pilot program through the Pond’s Skin Institute in partnership with health care and beauty care chain Watsons in the Phillippines.
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Digging Into Data
The effort comes in response to increasingly beauty-science-savvy consumers who are interested in how different ingredients benefit the skin, the company said.
“We know that highly personalized skincare, informed by science, is a fast-expanding area,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, prestige operations and strategy lead from Unilever’s R&D hub at Port Sunlight in the UK.
He said the effort applies Unilever’s data pool around skincare science to offer a point-of-care analysis tool that can help consumers select the right products. According to Unilever, imbalances in the microbiome can result in skin issues like excessive dryness, sensitivity, acne, and premature aging.
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“Invisible to the naked eye, the microbiome holds specific information about how to enhance your skin and guide your personalized skincare routine,” said Lucia Liu, R&D platform lead for Unilever.
The company is no stranger to data-powered personalization. Earlier this year, Unilever launched “Meal Reveal,” an AI experience that allows consumers to scan their fridge for ingredients that can be combined in recommended recipes.
Unilever is also testing “one-to-one” or “one-to-some” ad personalization through live sports streaming, serving advertisements with consumers’ preferred snack brands so they can order right from their homes.
