L’Oréal enters wearables market with My UV skin patch to better protect against sun damage
Showcasing it at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas under the La Roche Posay brand, the ultra-thin My UV Patch helps consumers to measure their exposure to UV radiation and is designed to help adopt the right sun protection based on individual’s skin type.
“The connected technologies can fundamentally change the way we monitor exposure of the skin to various external factors such as UV rays,” says Guive Balooch, Vice President of L’Oréal R&I’s Connected Beauty incubator.
“Earlier rigid and non-transparent technologies only indicated the amount of UV radiation received in one hour to consumers. Now for the first time, consumers can wear an ultra-thin skin patch to measure their sun exposure with more precision. We look forward to exploring the potential of this technology.”
How it works
The sensor will be launched 16 countries, coming to Europe this summer, and will be available for free, as the French firm looks to tackle sun-induced skin damage which can lead to skin cancer.
The product contains a photosensitive blue dye (a ‘dosimeter’), which changes colour when exposed to ultraviolet light, informing consumers to ensure they protect themselves with sunscreen and appropriate measures.
The sensor is also linked to an app (La Roche-Posay’s My UV Patch, available on Android and iOS), which once a photo has been uploaded to it, can measure both instant and cumulative UV doses over several hours or even days.
To make the analysis as accurate as possible, L’Oréal recommends that the waterproof patch is worn on the back of the hand for a period of up to five days.
The My UV patch, is a printed electronic circuit on a flexible film, has an area of about 2.5 cm² and a thickness of 50 micrometres; and it is also disposable.
It was developed by the L’Oréal's tech incubator department, which is a team of 25 scientists and researchers working in several cities around the world, including New York, Paris and Singapore, in partnership with flexible electronics firm MC10, which has vast experience in sensors and intelligent biometric innovations, particularly in the health field.
"This partnership with L'Oréal marks a new technological step for MC10, opening up the potential for flexible electronics in the beauty industry,” says Scott Pomerantz, President of MC10.
