Cleanser, toner, moisturizer, sunscreen, serums, night creams, pore strips, exfoliants… did we miss anything? Although many consumers keep some or all of these products in their medicine cabinets, determined to look their best and maintain a youthful glow, the question of whether all this goop really works, or which versions are best for which consumer, remains uncertain. Do they actually work to provide the benefits they promise? L’Oréal claims it has a way to answer this fundamental question for skin care consumers.

Over the past 10 years or so, researchers employed by L’Oréal have studied more than 20 million biomarkers, identifying which ones are tied to visible signs of aging. On the basis of their findings, they also developed a device that promises to give each person an individual skin diagnosis, in less than 5 minutes.

The Cell BioPrint, which was developed in partnership with the Korean tech company NanoEnTek, uses a sticky face strip to extract a sample of the skin’s proteins, painlessly. The sample gets transferred to a card, inserted into the machine, and analyzed. Meanwhile, a handheld imaging device, held up to the person’s skin, provides simultaneous, detailed information from the close-up image that Cell BioPrint also includes in its analysis.

After just a few minutes, the machine produces several clear metrics, including the biological age of the consumer’s skin. When compared with each person’s actual age, this gauge offers a benchmark that reflects the efficacy of their current skincare routine.

Furthermore, the device analyzes which active ingredients would spark the desired reactions in the proteins found in each person’s skin. Some faces respond beautifully to retinols for example, while others react negatively. With measures of other key signs of aging and skin quality, Cell BioPrint creates a summary report that outlines the user’s pore size, dryness levels, extent of wrinkles, and level of skin tone. On the basis of this report, the machine creates a list of affiliate product recommendations, offered by well-loved dermatology brands such as SkinCeuticals and CeraVe.

The creation and introduction of Cell BioPrint represents a clear response to consumer demand; L’Oréal’s research indicated that 90 percent of consumers were frustrated with currently available skin treatment offerings. Many are expensive and slow acting, with little guarantee of success. Furthermore, 80 percent of customers explained that they felt they had to rely on time-consuming and uncertain trials and errors to determine what would work best for them.

Offering Cell BioPrint should help L’Oréal address this common complaint. In turn, it hopes to help usher in a new age, marked by the effective use of technology to provide personalized care and offer customized solutions.

Discussion Questions 

1. How will Cell BioPrint and similar technology transform the beauty industry?
2. What are some of the obstacles that L’Oréal might face, when attempting to making this technology accessible to customers?

Sources: Katie Intner, “This New Device Tells You If Your Skincare Is Actually Working,” Harper’s Bazaar, January 14, 2025; “L’Oréal Groupe Unveils L’Oréal Cell BioPrint, a Revolution in Consumer Skin Intelligence Rooted in the Field of Longevity Science, at CES 2025,” L’Oréal, January 6, 2025; Sharon Edelson, “Say Goodbye to Trial and Error When It Comes to Skincare with L’Oréal’s Cell BioPrint,” Forbes, January 6, 2025