Technology is ready to help consumers and professionals to create cosmetics by themselves with the help of applications and machines.
It sounds just like a science fiction movie detail or an anticipation of the future, but it is reality… brands are proposing machines that can actually manufacture your cosmetics.
Perso System
L’Oréal has designed a system with which is possible to produce lipsticks, foundation, and creams.
Over the last few years, L’Oréal has been studying the potential use of technology related to cosmetic products and has recently introduced a system called “Perso” (short for Personalised) that can create a wide range of cosmetics mixtures according to the client’s requirements.
The process starts with an App that can be installed on a smartphone and can analyze the face and diagnose what are the best shades of foundation or lipstick the person needs. The App will then suggest the best solution according to the characteristics of the user’s skin color, also taking into consideration elements like degrees of pollution and humidity in the surrounding environment.
Once the user has made a choice, the App will send the data to a small machine that can produce the cosmetic. Indeed, the machine has 3 different devices (one for lipsticks, one for foundation and one for cream) connected to the cartridges that provide the basic ingredient to produce the cosmetics according to the user’s desire.
L’Oréal Perso System 
L’Oréal Perso Cartridges
Mink’s 3D printer
Another big news on the customization of cosmetics comes from 3D printing technology. Minks company has announced that, later in 2020, they will be ready to market some cutting-edge technology in the form of a 3D printer able to turn digital images into ready-to-wear color cosmetics.
The printer system is made of four components: a very compact printer, an app, the brand’s proprietary makeup sheets (the paper that gets printed on), and three color ink cartridges. This printer can produce 16.7 million colors and each makeup sheet takes only 15 seconds to print. Once the entire image has been printed, it produces the cosmetic product that the consumer can apply with a brush or directly with the fingers.
Mrs. Choi, co-founder of Mink, said: “Beauty content continues to move to digital and away from traditional TV and print. Users are turning images of inspiration, creating an opportunity to leverage Image caller data and transform them into physical makeup. I am thrilled to finally be able to share the Mink’s experience with everyone and excited for the road ahead”.
It is difficult to anticipate to what extent the final consumer will be willing to embrace these kinds of technological innovations. After all, producing your own makeup or foundation is another job to do, even if it gives you unprecedented freedom. We can imagine that this kind of tailor-made cosmetic machine and 3D printers could well be adopted, at least during an initial stage, by hair and beauty salons and proposed therefore as a service that will come along with the valuable experience of the professionals. It has happened already many times in the last decades that technological innovations have found a perfect match with the existing human expertise by following a simple principle: technology can help people to enhance their abilities, but not replace them.
