In an exciting development for the cosmetics industry, last year Potion AI emerged as the first free artificial intelligence tool designed specifically for cosmetics formulators. As we covered in our top 3 startups at In-Cos Global article last month, we chose Potion AI as our innovator to watch. Following this profile, we caught up with Co-founders Hejab Malik and Yahya Syed to discuss the inspiration, functionality, and future of Potion AI.
The Genesis of Potion AI
Potion AI was born out of a shared passion for both technology and beauty after the co-founders identified a significant gap in the industry: the lack of accessible, advanced tech tools to aid formulators in creating safe, effective, and innovative products.
Malik explained that the platform started after she and her co-founder tried to start their own skin care brand. They generated the formulas for the brand using their own AI algorithms - and when they took the formulations to a cosmetic chemist to produce the products, he advised that the workflow automation behind the formulations could have even greater industry impact. Malik and Syed heeded his advice, invested further in the technology, and brought Potion AI to market last year.
How Potion AI Works
At its core, Potion AI leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze vast datasets of ingredient properties, safety profiles, and historical formulation successes and failures. As detailed on the company's website, the platform's AI-enabled search functionality offers formulators the opportunity to find the best ingredients faster "by searching how you think - in natural language." Formulators can also reverse engineer formulations by entering an INCI list, and then the Potion AI platform will "find the matching raw materials and blends from its database" which is the largest index of trade names on the market, the company's website further details.
This combination of ingredient analysis and innovation assistance streamlines and expedites formulators processes to shorten the time to market, evaluating the compatibility and efficacy of different ingredient combinations and identifying opportunities for novel product formulations.
Empowering the Beauty Industry
Potion AI is poised to potentially have a significant impact on the beauty industry, especially for small businesses and independent formulators who often lack the resources of larger corporations. By offering this tool for free, Potion AI is ensuring that everyone, regardless of budget, has the opportunity to create cutting-edge cosmetic products.
Explained Malik, the platform is also free for formulators and product developers in an effort to "democratize access to the latest technology" to innovate industry R&D.
Moving forward, the co-founders are continuously working to enhance the platform, integrating user feedback to add new features and improve existing ones.
For a deeper dive into our conversation with the co-founders and to see Potion AI in action, be sure to watch the full video interview above.
