Korean beauty and tech come together in the Way personal skin care gadget

22-Jun-2015 - Last updated on 24-Jun-2015 at 15:50 GMT

The internet of skin is nearly here, thanks to the Seoul-based start-up Way, which will launch a digital tool that monitors and helps manage skin this November.

Beauty innovations out of Asia, e.g., the cushion compact, pollution solution products, and original ingredients, are quite popular worldwide. "K-beauty is hot nowadays," company co-founder and CEO Jason Moon told Mashable. "I think a lot of women in the world trust Korean cosmetic brands and are interested in Korean women's beauty tips and skincare routine.” And that’s only half of the picture.

Device obsessed
Wearable culture has taught consumers that there’s more than meets the eye in regards to their own behavior and wellness. So a digital tool that gathers data about the skin and what it needs makes sense.

“On a day-to-day basis, our skin health isn't always clear. Understanding our skin condition is further complicated by environmental factors like temperature and humidity,” notes the Mashable item.

The Way gadget aims to reveal those less obvious conditions of skin using three different sensors. One measures the UV index, one humidity, and one—bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor—determines the skin’s moisture content and oil levels.

Users will get care recommendations based on information the Way gadget gathers.

Hyper-personalized skin care
Now the company is taking device pre-orders from consumers worldwide though the funding site Indiegogo. And, going forward brand partnerships will likely figure into the Way business model.

The real objective here is to do something unique with all that skin data. The company plans to formulate its own skin care products based on information the devices gather from individual consumers. “Our next mission is to introduce Korean skincare products that are customized to a user's unique skin profile," says Moon.

The race for data
Numerous beauty brands are using the latest in tech and science in an effort to outpace the competition and be first to develop next-generation skin care and beauty.

GeneU and Olay are gathering genetic information that those companies are using to inform new formulations and customized care routines.

While L’Oreal and P&G are at work on bio-printed skin that will lead to swifter more nuanced testing, which will presumably mean better products can get to market faster.