DUOLAB startup launches personalized, preservative-free, on-demand skin care
The new tech-device-product combo hits on so many next-generation beauty trends, it can be hard to keep track: DUOLAB is personalized skin care; made fresh a single-dose at a time; it’s preservative free; microbiome friendly; warmed to skin temperature for application; and it uses AI technology, an app, and an at-home devise to create skin care that is appropriate for both changing skin and environmental conditions. And it also includes a sustainable packaging solution in partnership with TerraCycle.
How the new DUOLAB skin care system works
The new DUOLAB devise works a little bit like a Nespresso machine. Consumers put in air-tight ingredient capsules and out comes skin care. It is, of course, much more complex than that.
According to this week’s media release, “Using the DUOLAB app and a unique skin diagnostic tool, DUOLAB assesses the user's skin profile and skin priorities with two state-of-the-art forms of AI to both pre-empt skin's needs and respond to its changing environment.”
From there the system recommends a combination of available ingredient capsules. For now, there are 3 moisturizing bases available and 5 active concentrates. “The user simply loads the prescribed combination into the device and a patented emulsification process delivers a freshly blended monodose in 90 seconds.”
And now that consumers have started buying skin care refrigerators to keep sheet masks, eye creams, and facial massage tools cool, DUOLAB is offering warm skin care and the benefits thereof: “DUOLAB's thermo-cosmetic technology warms the cream to the skin's natural temperature, for a more effective absorption of the active ingredients,” explains the release.
Introducing DUOLAB technology to beauty consumers around the world
Before launch, the new technology was tested with more than 1,300 women. And “this skincare solution puts DUOLAB at the forefront of tomorrow's cosmetics industry and has the potential to be scaled up across the L'OCCITANE Group's brand portfolio and beyond,” boasts the press release.
Consumers can send their used capsules back the company (in pre-paid mailers) or drop them off at UK L’Occitane shops for recycling by TerraCycle. As an additional incentive for doing so, consumers earn loyalty points for returning the empties.
For now, the DUOLAB device is being sold in the UK and Ireland; the device costs £250. And ingredient capsules are available individually for £1.25, in monthly twice-a-day bundles of £112, and once-a-day bundles £60.
Before the end of 2020, L’Occitane Group plans to launch DUOLAB in Asia as well.
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Deanna Utroske is a leading voice in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well as in the indie beauty movement. As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily news about the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.
Deanna will be traveling next to the Personal Care Product Council’s annual meeting; if you’ll be there too and have beauty business news to share, feel free to contact her at qrnaan.hgebfxr@jeoz.pbz
