L’Oréal’s newest prototype detects wearers’ skin pH levels

L’Oréal is continuing to invest in tech, and today at CES, the company introduced its newest wearable prototype that detects skin pH levels. L’Oréal says varying skin pH levels can cause inflammatory skin conditions, like eczema and dryness. The company wants dermatologists to use this new device’s data to create health plans while also empowering users to learn about their own skin.

Wearers place the device on their inner arm and leave it there for between five and 15 minutes, however long it takes for those two dots to take on color. They then have to open the My Skin Track pH app on their phone and take a picture of it. (Those dots can assess sweat biomarkers like pH, glucose, lactate, chloride, as well as local sweat loss and sweat rate.) The app will process what it sees, along with how much a user is sweating, and make a product recommendation. Right now, it’s unclear whether the sensors are reusable. L’Oréal says it’s something that will “be determined as we move My Skin Track pH beyond the prototype phase.”

While some doctors and users might want to know what’s happening on a deeper level, the reality is that skin conditions manifest themselves physically. As L’Oréal notes, skin that’s too alkaline is often dry and flaky. People will see that for themselves and could adjust their skin care accordingly, as they already do. For people with healthy skin, tracking their pH levels could make them obsessive about something the body naturally regulates on its own. Still, as is often the case with these beauty products, they’re designed to sell more skin care, which is what’s happening here.

The My Skin Track pH will launch later this year at select dermatologist offices, with the goal of eventually shipping direct to consumers. No price has been announced.