Hyper Personalization in Haircare and Skincare: Redefining the Beauty Industry with Custom Solutions
The Rise of Personalized Haircare, Skincare, and Beauty
Haircare and skincare industries have traditionally relied on one-size-fits-all products. However, consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with generic products that don’t actually work. Not all curly hair is the same. Dry skin can mean different things to different people. So, today’s consumers want to be seen and heard. They want to buy products that meet their individual needs.
Responding to this customer demand has led to the popularity of hyper-personalization to provide customized beauty solutions. This is one of the biggest beauty industry growth areas the market is currently seeing.
Marie Mignon, Chief Scientific Officer at Prose says: “The shift towards hyper-personalized beauty, skin, and hair products is driven by several significant consumer demands, including:
The desire for a simple, all-in-one routine
People are tired of guesswork. They want a streamlined beauty routine that addresses all their unique needs and preferences, without the clutter of too many products that don’t work. Instead of using multiple products to target a single concern, they favor a holistic approach where each product is customized to them, their concerns, lifestyle, and environment.
The demand for “Clean-ical” products
There is growing consumer demand for products that are both ‘clean’ and effective. Customers expect high-quality products that deliver proven results but that also align with their values. This includes sustainability, transparency, and ‘clean’ formulas that use ethically sourced ingredients.
Together, these demands for simplicity, efficacy, and quality are propelling the beauty industry to develop personalized, consumer-focused solutions that cater to individual needs and values. Hyper-personalization allows brands to meet these demands by customizing formulas to use only the most effective and safe ingredients.”
The beauty industry has always invested in technology. In fact, cosmetic tech breakthroughs have driven change and growth in the industry for decades.
For example, the 1950s saw the introduction of the first at-home hair dye kits which revolutionized how people could change their hair color. Forty years later, Botox transformed cosmetic procedures by offering a non-surgical solution for reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
Today, technology has an even more important role to play. To the modern consumer, beauty is now something they get to define for themselves, not something someone else tells them. Now more than ever, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
With 76% of consumers favoring brands offering personalized experiences, it’s evident that building strong customer connections leads to loyalty. Offering customized products is key to satisfying customers, as it not only makes them feel special but also keeps them engaged. Furthermore, using hyper-personalization helps brands attract new customers and makes it easier for them to make purchases.
Imagine a range of beauty products that can be customized to suit individual needs and preferences.
This is personalized beauty. And leading the charge is Prose.
Prose has revolutionized the beauty industry by offering customized, made-to-order hair and skincare products.
Marie says: “Traditionally, the beauty industry has prioritized cost over quality by mass-producing standardized formulas at scale. However, Prose uses an entirely different process and each formula produced is unique. Prose developed an automated machine that can produce tailored, made-to-order products at scale, without sacrificing their quality.
Prose’s machine learning engineers have developed hundreds of hyper-personalization algorithms that analyze the consumer’s individual characteristics, lifestyle, and beauty needs. Then, Prose applies its cutting-edge software, powered by AI, to come up with a tailored hair, scalp, and skin diagnosis for each consumer.
This approach goes far beyond simple customization based solely on consumer-reported preferences. Prose’s AI system analyzes and processes raw data collected from consumers and is able to pinpoint exact needs that the consumers may not even be aware of themselves!
This enables Prose to go deeper than surface-level personalization and ensure that each formula is uniquely tailored to address the needs of each customer.”
This was not possible until recently but Artificial Intelligence (AI), and advanced manufacturing techniques now make this level of customization achievable.
This is how the combination of the beauty industry and technology – or beauty tech – is now driving industry and consumer change.
With permission, brands can also use the data provided by customers for strategic trend analysis. In this way, they can meet emerging and future trends. Research shows that around 80% of customers are willing to share their data in exchange for customized health and beauty products.
This strategic approach is an important aspect of beauty industry marketing, ensuring that brands remain relevant and appealing to their target audiences.
Personalization has fast become one of the strongest beauty industry trends we see today.
The beauty tech that powers Prose’s range of customized products has delighted customers around the world, with over 15 million units sold and over 500,000 5-star product reviews on Review and Refine®.
Marie says: “An effective hyper-personalized routine should combine the right ingredients with pleasing sensory properties such as texture and fragrance to meet the customer’s needs and goals. Prose’s personalization model offers custom products with personalized instructions and goes even further by offering opportunities for customers to refine their formula after the first use.”
Prose strongly appeals to consumers who want products that work and fit their exact needs. But hyper-personalization has other clear benefits too. It also feeds into growing consumer expectations for eco-friendly products. Using hyper-personalization inherently reduces waste because products are made to order instead of being held in mass inventory.
Research by Prose shows that hyper-personalization delivers better results compared to standard products.
That’s because Prose products are customized to meet individual customers’ needs, leading to better results over customer’s usual products.
Prose’s sponsored clinical hair study “Superior Performance of Personalized Haircare Products vs. Off-the-Shelf Alternatives Demonstrated by a Double-Blind Clinical Study,” conducted by an independent research agency, clearly proves the benefits – users reported minimal unwanted frizz, hair hydration, and less hair damages. Tests also improved users’ hair shine, hair strength, hair suppleness, and overall hair health.
How Prose stays ahead of emerging beauty trends
Marie notes: “Prose’s position at the forefront of emerging trends in the beauty industry is thanks to its consumer-centric approach and scientific innovation.
Prose closely monitors consumer trends, feedback, and data, to identify how consumer needs and preferences are changing. This helps to not only develop even more personalized solutions but also to predict future trends and demands.
Prose also leverages scientific innovations and opportunities to stay ahead, exploring things like the exposome (the cumulative effects of environmental factors on skin and hair health) and the microbiome (the balance of microorganisms on the scalp and skin).”
Benefits of Custom Haircare and Skincare Solutions
Our clinical case study strongly underscores the benefits of personalized haircare.
In a double-blind trial using Prose’s shampoo + conditioner, experts assessed the products they were using for:
- Hair shine
- Scalp regrease reduction
- Hair damage reduction
- Hair hydration
- Weigh-down reduction
- Hair strength
- Hair suppleness
- Hair health
The personalized products in the study were clinically shown to be visibly better than premium shampoos and conditioners at:
- Reducing frizz
- Hydrating hair fiber
- Reducing hair damage
Customers are more likely to be satisfied with products created specifically for them, reducing the chance of returns and increasing the likelihood of repeat orders.
Customization helps customers find products that match their unique requirements and enhances their overall shopping experience.
A standard, off-the-shelf product cannot provide the customization that customers want. While convenient and widely available, off-the-shelf hair and skincare products often fall short of addressing individuals’ unique needs. This means they are more likely to be left unhappy or dissatisfied.
This concept applies throughout the beauty industry.
Prose’s Place in the Movement
Prose is a pioneering brand in the beauty industry. It is best known for its personalized hair and skincare products.
It was founded with the mission to revolutionize the way consumers approach their haircare routines. The approach has been to move away from standard skincare and haircare products towards a skin and hair technology-driven approach. It has also added an apothecary-style concept.
Its commitment to customization, technology, and sustainability also sets it apart from traditional haircare and skincare brands.
Prose’s custom products are developed by an in-house research team of chemists and AI engineers. All Prose hair and skin care products are personalized to the customer’s hair, skin, goals, and environment.
Prose does this by offering an initial online consultation. Customers answer a comprehensive questionnaire covering factors like:
- Hair type
- Scalp condition
- Styling habits
- Diet
- Stress levels
- Environmental factors (pollution, UV exposure, etc.)
The results are then analyzed by AI which takes into account the customer’s individual needs and preferences.
Marie says: “The data is enriched by Prose’s deep understanding of hair and skin science, allowing a highly precise diagnosis of that customer’s unique hair and skin needs. A custom formulation then shows a complete view of everything impacting the scalp, hair, and skin for 100% customized care.”
Using ethically sourced ingredients, Prose’s in-house R&D team combines natural and synthetic actives in new and innovative ways to create bespoke formulas that get results. For example, for a customer with long, curly hair who is concerned about unwanted frizz due to living in a humid climate and has a very sensitive scalp, Prose’s algorithm will design an optimal formula with active ingredients to address all of their needs and goals: rich and hydrating textures, curl-promoting ingredients like Pequi oil, humidity control agents like Sea Moss extract, and soothing ingredients like licorice extract to calm the scalp.
And a customer with fine, oily hair might get lightweight formula with green tea extract for oil control and peppermint extract for scalp health.
This stands in stark contrast to off-the-shelf products that tend to meet just one requirement, like frizzy or oily hair, and cannot address a combination of individual issues. The expectation for products to be able to do this has led to customization being one of the leading beauty trends today.
Prose’s proprietary algorithm makes this level of customization possible. The model learns continuously and recommends the best ingredients and formulas for customers using a database of previous results.
After customers have completed the consultation, they can view the full list of their product’s ingredients before checking out. When customers have received and tried their new customized Prose products, they can use Prose’s unique feedback feature, Review & Refine®.
Marie notes: “Using Review & Refine®, consumers fill out a questionnaire to rate the effectiveness of each product. Prose will then use this feedback to refine and improve the formula for their next order – whether the formula needs a significant change or a couple of small tweaks.
Review & Refine® also adds this consumer data to Prose’s algorithms’ portfolio to identify future optimization opportunities and test them out. The complete data includes:
- Hair and skin types and textures
- Hair and skin concerns
- Preferences and goals
- Product feedback
- Treatment history
- Styling habits
- Environmental data
- Lifestyle data
This helps Prose to compare the effectiveness of different ingredients, create more personalized product formulas, and deliver an ever-evolving experience for customers.
For example, Prose identified that scalp concerns like sensitivity and hair shedding were becoming more common. In response, it developed targeted scalp treatment products to help address these concerns. Prose also examined data for its Curl Cream formula to adjust the percentage of nourishing ingredients for specific hair types and textures.”
Technology Meets Beauty
The combination of tech and beauty really makes a difference to customers.
All this is only possible because of AI. This sophisticated and innovative technology gathers and analyzes data from customers, creating a profile that informs the formulation of each product. This process ensures that every product is uniquely suited to the customer’s needs.
AI-powered results from the online consultation provide a complete view of everything impacting the customer’s scalp, hair, and skin. This gives a 100% customized optimal combination of ingredients for each customer.
Prose’s AI-powered algorithm continuously learns and recommends the best ingredients and formulas for customers.
This process is also refined, based on user feedback, ensuring that the formulations are continuously improved.
If a formula was nearly excellent but the customer had a couple of small adjustments, Prose’s AI/I technology can make adjustments accordingly. For instance, if a customer reports that their hair mask is nourishing but not sufficiently so, Prose’s algorithm can adjust the product’s nourishing properties to deliver the ideal level of care for that individual.
A quarter of Prose customers use the Review & Refine® feature, continuously providing feedback on their product, its ingredients, and formula efficacy.
Marie says: “We also know that pollutants, water hardness, UVs, humidity, and temperature can all affect the texture of our skin and hair. For example, high humidity can cause unwanted hair frizz, while cold temperatures can cause the skin to become dehydrated. And in certain regions, environmental factors change with the seasons. Prose’s AI-powered model uses data like this to seasonally adjust individual formulas and match the climate conditions in that person’s location, creating the optimal formula.”
So, this use of technology not only enhances the accuracy of personalization but also allows for continuous improvement based on user feedback and evolving needs. Using these beauty tech trends is compelling for any beauty brand wanting to stand out and be successful.
As technology develops even further, watch out for more exciting applications of AI in the beauty industry to come in the next few years.
Sustainability in Personalized Haircare and Skincare
Sustainability is no longer a niche preference but a mainstream expectation. Consumers look for brands that prioritize eco-friendly practices. This reflects their desire to reduce their environmental impact.
Prose is committed to sustainability and is a certified B-corporation, a Public Benefit Corporation, and Climate Neutral.
Marie says: “Prose is the first and only carbon-neutral custom beauty brand. Prose measures and offsets its carbon emissions by investing in strategic global projects. It also implements reduction action plans to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and maintain its Climate Neutral certification.
Examples of this commitment include transparency across sourcing, manufacturing processes, and the environmental impact of its products. Prose prioritizes eco-conscious packaging options, opting for minimal, recyclable, or biodegradable materials. Prose’s bottles and jars are recyclable and made of 50% PCR (post-Consumer Recycled Plastic). By 2020, Prose aims to increase the PCR content in its jars and bottles to 100%.
Prose uses the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to identify the environmental impact of products throughout their life and make continual improvements. It looks at:
- Production: The raw materials, energy, and emissions involved in creating product formulas
- Use: Water usage and how Prose products are rinsed away during use
- End of Life: How packaging is discarded or recycled and its overall environmental impact
Prose is also dedicated to utilizing premium natural and man-made ingredients from suppliers committed to sustainability. Each ingredient is carefully selected to minimize its environmental footprint and all ingredients are traceable so that their impact on the environment can be tracked and monitored.
Prose promotes the use of green chemistry principles that involve minimizing the use of harmful chemicals, optimizing resource efficiency, and promoting renewable resources. These include:
- Cold pressing, a process that preserves the purity and integrity of natural compounds. It eliminates the need for heating processes, which reduces its carbon footprint.
- Biotechnology techniques such as fermentation. This creates high-quality ingredients that don’t have to rely on agricultural processes and reduces the need for land, water, and synthetic inputs.
- Upcycling, which uses materials discarded as food waste and repurposing them in beauty products.”
Personalized products, like those offered by Prose, inherently reduce waste. This is because they are tailored to individual needs, so consumers use the entire product rather than using some, and then throwing it away. This made-to-order model minimizes excess production and supports a more thoughtful supply chain, unlike mass production.
By taking steps towards continual improvement, Prose shows its customers that not only do its products exceed expectations, but its sustainability credentials do, too.
Consumers are increasingly showing support for brands that contribute to broader environmental initiatives. Statistics from beauty industry news sites report that 45% of consumers claim that responsible sourcing by the brands they use is important. 24% also want brands to use more sustainable ingredients in their products.
Other consumer demands include reducing carbon footprints, supporting reforestation projects, or committing to zero-waste goals. And, by offering products that are both effective and sustainable, Prose allows consumers to align their beauty routines with their environmental values.
The Future of Hyper Personalization in the Beauty Industry
Marie notes: “Several future technologies have the potential to push beauty personalization even further, allowing even more tailored solutions. Some of these include:
Microbiome analysis
Understanding the skin and scalp microbiome will be even more important in the future. The microbiome is the community of microorganisms that live on our skin. Technology that can analyze our unique microbiome profile will enable brands to create products that address specific microbial balances and support a healthy microbiome.
Health data from wearable devices
The implementation of health data from wearable devices, like the Apple Watch or other fitness trackers, will take beauty personalization to the next level in the future. Metrics like our heart rate, activity levels, sleep patterns, and environmental factors can help algorithms identify how lifestyle factors affect our skin and hair. Brands will then be able to provide dynamic, real-time personalization based on our daily habits and health data.
AI-Powered Personal Assistants
Similar to ChatGPT, AI tools will transform the way we interact with beauty brands online for an enhanced consumer experience. These virtual assistants can capture detailed data, such as our preferences, concerns, and goals, and ask targeted questions to provide personalized product recommendations. They can also offer ongoing support, answer specific questions about product use, and suggest new products and beauty routines for better results.
AI will also begin to revolutionize the retail experience in-store. It will analyze your skin and hair type, detect environmental factors, and recommend products on the spot. Data collected online will link closely with your in-store purchases, creating a seamless omnichannel experience!
Hyper-personalization in the beauty industry is also predicted to become much more sustainable. AI will play a key part here too, by suggesting products that best align with your sustainability preferences, guiding you toward more eco-friendly choices.”
In summary, demand for a customized product that yields results is on the rise. Today’s consumers want products that exceed their expectations, provide a great experience, and align with their personal values.
Combining technology and a strong commitment to sustainability ticks all these boxes. It leaves the customer delighted and more likely to make future purchases.
By combining technology with beauty, Prose meets the needs of today’s consumers. It’s no surprise Prose is a leader in the market for personalized hair and skincare.
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