How Can Technology Affect the Beauty Industry?

In the 21st century, there is simply no industry that hasn’t been affected by the rapid development of technology. While in some industries, this is more apparent, today, all aspects of our lives are penetrated by tech, and this needs to be acknowledged and leveraged if one is to make progress. Considering that last year, the beauty industry was estimated to be worth a whopping $483 billion. There is no doubt that this sector is a force to reckon with, and tech developments affecting it are worth paying attention to. Therefore, here are a few ways in which technology affects the beauty industry. 

Social media dictates trends

Today, most of us go through our days with our phones constantly in our hands, and beauty brands know how to leverage this. Trends take over social media at the speed of light, and one viral post can shoot the demand for a particular product through the ceiling. It naturally influences the direction that beauty brands need to take to cater to the wishes of their customers. At the same time, few things can stay hidden in front of the watchful eyes of hundreds of thousands of followers. Social media also forces beauty brands to keep their game top-notch since one inferior move can mean the downfall of a company in this day and age.

AI for personalization

The emergence of AI is certainly a game-changer in many industries, and naturally, there is use for it in the beauty industry. Beauty giants are leveraging this technology in unexpected ways. For instance, L’Oreal has come up with a machine that uses AI to determine the right foundation colour for anyone’s skin. What’s more, it not only tells you your shade, but it even mixes the custom colour for you from 20,000 options. The days of not having the right foundation shade are certainly over if this gets implemented on a wide scale. Technology may make it possible for everyone to have personalized cosmetics soon.

Augmented reality is here

Augmented reality means more than just fun camera apps that are so popular all over social media. AR also has a lot of practical purposes that are driving innovation in the beauty sector. You might have already heard of “smart mirrors” that brands use for virtually trying on clothes. Similarly, some apps allow you to try different makeup looks without having to do the work. With intelligent technology, these can also give recommendations and make the user’s work much easier than it used to be. Sephora is already using something like this, but there are probably a lot more to come.

LED skincare

Times are certainly more complicated now than when a 2-step skincare routine was normal and acceptable. Nowadays, a wide variety of devices are at our disposal to help us look our best. One of the more recent innovative ones is certainly LED skin therapy. By the use of light technology, conditions such as inflammation and acne can now be tackled, which was unimaginable just a short while ago. Some LED devices target wrinkles, while there are even full-face masks with a variety of settings. While these may not yet be part of everyone’s beauty kit, as technology keeps progressing, things are going to become more affordable and more widely available. What was once just for VIPs such as celebs can now be yours, too.

E-commerce at an all-time high

With the rise of e-commerce, many people now shop for beauty products online. Even starting your beauty store is a real possibility today, thanks to the availability of quality wholesale makeup in Australia. However, considering the fierce competition, businesses need to work on innovations constantly to keep their customers. Soon, online shopping for cosmetics will be even more streamlined with the help of the aforementioned technologies that allow for accurate colour picking and virtual try-on. Besides, technology now makes it much easier for businesses to determine what their customers want and provide them with the products. Just like we mentioned earlier talking about AI, today, customers can get personalized recommendations based on their purchase or search histories.

Customer service on a new level

Finally, another thing that indirectly affects the beauty industry is the general direction the development of customer service has taken over the past few years. Businesses know that with the vast selection people have nowadays, the service they provide must be flawless. That is why business owners who truly want to please their customers, work on improving their customer service constantly. Technology has brought great changes to this sector since the appearance of AI. Now, chatbots can answer your question promptly and direct you to the product you are looking for instantly.

Technology is already deeply present in the beauty industry, but we’re going to see more and more innovation as the sector keeps growing. Embracing these innovations can provide businesses with the opportunity to stand out from the crowd, so they shouldn’t allow themselves to lag.

Guest article written by: Alison Pearson is an interior design student. She is a writer and designer, but her ultimate passion is technology and business. She is also a bibliophile and her favourite book is “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner. Follow her on Twitter.