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The term ‘Quantified Self’ (QS) essentially relates to ‘self-knowledge through self-tracking’, i.e. the act of measuring and interpreting personal data to improve your quality of life in some way. While the desire to self-improve is hardly a new phenomenon, the introduction of powerful, mobile, digital devices into the equation has fuelled an explosion in the popularity of QS products in the fitness and wellness industries, with ‘fitbit’ style activity trackers being one obvious example. Recent statistics published by Businesswire.com found that: l 31% of US consumers use a QS device; l Growth of the QS market is predicted to exceed 40% per annum for the next 5 years;


l 90% of health and fitness QS users say using the tools has impacted their lifestyle and behavior. Given the increasing consumer familiarity with QS devices, there would seem to be a clear opportunity for the cosmetics and beauty industry to capitalize on this trend. Exploiting the potential of QS poses real challenges for the beauty industry, but fortunately there are learnings we can transfer from other industries – notably, the healthcare profession. The medical health industry is an excellent example of where devices and digital technologies have been adopted to work alongside drug formulation to holistically meet the common objective of supporting optimal patient outcomes. For example, management of diabetes has now harnessed technology to automatically measure blood glucose and dispense the correct level of insulin personalized to the patient for optimal outcome. This approach unburdens the patient, addressing behavioral factors such as poor compliance as well as automatically adapting to the real-time needs of the patient, based on data.


The message for the beauty industry is clear: as consumers become increasingly familiar with tech that tracks their health and wellbeing, they will inevitably look to beauty brands to offer products and devices that boast similar functionality and prove the efficacy of their products.


Devices, data and formulations At Cutitronics, we have developed a suite of patented device and digital technologies which use lab standard diagnostics when placed on the skin, and seamlessly connect to a smartphone app that takes further measurements of the surrounding environment. Based on this combination of data, CutiTron technologies have the ability to dispense the exact amount of skin care product required by the consumer at that moment, in that environment, for optimum results. The app also allows you to track


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changes in the skins condition and the positive impact of a formulation on your skin over time.


This combined device-and-app approach


provides the user with a far greater degree of knowledge and control in combatting the external environmental factors impacting on your skin at any given moment. In addition, it directly addresses a persistent problem for skin care providers: consumer compliance with their prescribed course of treatment. Cutitronics recently carried out a number


of research studies, the most significant of which was in conjunction with formulation specialists Croda and focused on identifying the key factors contributing to variations in consumer behavior and compliance. For the tests, different demographics


were involved, varying form factors (bottles, airless pumps, jars) were used and a range of different price points (where it could have been expected the more expensive a cream, the less would be used and vice versa). Although it was anticipated that all of these components would impact behavior, there was no significant correlation in the results. What the results did reveal was a tenfold


difference in the amount of cream used across the sample of users. This confirmed the complete confusion of the consumer around best practice for optimal results and reinforced the need for product education and direction. However, the adoption of QS solutions by the skin care industry risks being slowed due to the lack of both the quantity and quality of data available. Through automation and scientifically verified approaches, we can provide both the quantity and quality of data that will support, not just the consumer, but other stakeholders all the way through the value


chain from technical innovation through to brand and advisor.


Another significant piece of market intelligence we reviewed recently suggested that the principle reason skin care consumers do not repurchase is because they do not see the results that are claimed through clinical trial. Of course, most of these consumers have not used the product in a way that bears any similarity to a clinical trial. During a clinical trial everything is recorded in a completely controlled environment, carried out over a long period of time with direct dedication from the test user to use the products exactly as directed to gain the results. With the guidance provided by the device and app tech, the consumer can more closely replicate the conditions of a clinical trial and achieve optimum benefit from their skin care purchases.


Conclusion With traditional high street locations for beauty and skin care providers under threat of extinction, the device-and-app technologies outlined above provide an opportunity to extend the expertise of the brand in an omnichannel manner and maintain a close relationship with the consumer, whether they are in-store or on the app. In addition, the ongoing flow of data in both directions helps to continuously refine the effectiveness of the relationship in the future.


Given the consumer boom in QS devices in the fitness market, consumer- focused device and data combo technologies offer a genuine opportunity to revolutionize the skin care business forever by giving consumers greater control than ever before in challenging the effects of their external environment.


PC PERSONAL CARE NORTH AMERICA


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