2024.05.02

Capture Bare Skin with a Smartphone & AI Will Recommend the Appropriate Sunscreen: ALLIE AI Beauty UV

It is commonly said that ultraviolet rays begin to intensify from April onward. Nowadays, as the sunlight gets stronger, how many people can say they are taking appropriate measures against ultraviolet rays?

One method of UV protection is applying sunscreen, a measure that many people adopt. However, if not chosen correctly and applied properly, the effectiveness of the sunscreen cannot be maximized.

Attracting attention in this context is Kao's 'ALLIE AI Beauty UV' service. Just by capturing your bare skin with a smartphone, AI calculates two key metrics: the 'UV Product Skin Type' for selecting sunscreen and a 'Beauty Veil Formation Value' which quantifies the compatibility between your skin and the sunscreen, allowing you to easily choose the right sunscreen for your skin.

We spoke with Huaryong Chu, the marketing manager for ALLIE, about this ALLIE AI Beauty UV.

PROFILE

Faryeong Chu (朱和玲)

After graduating from Rikkyo University in 2019 and working at a domestic cosmetics company, they joined Kao in 2023. Since joining, they have been responsible for marketing at ALLIE, focusing on 'ALLIE AI Beauty UV' and social media management.

Understanding the Compatibility Between Sunscreen & Skin

First, could you tell us about the background for developing 'ALLIE AI Beauty UV'?

In 2020, our research lab was unable to conduct new research with people due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. While reviewing past sunscreen verification data, we noticed that even when using the same sunscreen, different people experienced different levels of adhesion.

As an experiment, we verified the effectiveness of sunscreen on both troubled and healthy skin under the same conditions. When applied and then photographed with a special camera (UV camera), it was clear there were visible differences. From this, we discovered that the state of the skin influences the adhesion of the sunscreen.

We thought that by using sunscreens that are compatible with individual skin conditions, customers could achieve a more beautiful finish, which would make them feel more tangible value in their sun protection measures. We grouped skin types and visually quantified the best performing sunscreens. This is how we introduced UV Product Skin Type and Beauty Veil Formation Value in 'ALLIE AI Beauty'.

This service allows customers to immediately understand the compatibility between their skin and the products, making it a valuable indicator when choosing a sunscreen. Selecting the right sunscreen is crucial in protecting the skin from UV rays, and we believe we can help in this selection with our service.

Please tell us about the classification criteria for 'UV Product Skin Type' and the five types.

'UV Product Skin Type' is classified by Kao's 'Kirei Skin AI' based on skin texture, moisture-oil balance, and softness.

Texture is a numerical value that represents the surface of the skin. A higher value indicates fewer irregularities and more uniform skin.

The moisture-oil balance is a measure of how well balanced the skin's moisture and oil are, affecting how well sunscreen blends into the skin. A higher value indicates a balance of moisture and oil, making the sunscreen easier to blend. Conversely, a low value can be due to various reasons such as excessive oil secretion or dryness.

Softness is a measure of the hardness or softness of the skin. The higher the value, the easier it is to spread the sunscreen on the skin.

What technologies are used in the "Beauty skin AI" for determining the "UV skin type"?

Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, specifically deep learning, a skin evaluation AI assesses and visualizes the diverse and delicate textures of skin. This technology further learns human sensibilities, combining them with precise skin analysis and human perspectives and judgments.

In ALLIE AI Beauty UV, an AI trained on the features of skin and the uniformity of the sunscreen film it creates is used to estimate the uniformity of the film based on each individual's skin characteristics.