Skincare monitor is a portable dermatologist

WAY is a personal skincare monitor that can analyze the user's skin condition and offer personalized skincare tips.

Health-conscious consumers are increasingly able to perform health checks at home with devices such as Vitastiq and Cue, which can provide the user with vital health metrics on demand. Now, from South Korea, WAY is a personal skincare monitor that can analyze the user’s skin condition and offer personalized skincare tips.

WAY is a portable ring-shaped device which brings big data to skincare. By touching the device to their face, users can receive a reading through its companion app. WAY uses sensors to measure skin condition as well as their environment, collecting temperature and humidity data — since these factors can have a huge effect on the skin. A BIA sensor — short for bioelectrical impedance analysis — reads the moisture content and oil level of the skin tissue and all the information is transferred to the app via Bluetooth. The app then offers appropriate beauty tips — such as drinking more water, or a reminder to apply sunscreen if the UV rating is high. The system can even recommend specific branded products, opening it up to huge potential partnerships and revenue stream. Right now, brand recommendations will be based on other users’ preferences and tips.

WAY is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo, where supporters can pre-order the device at a reduced price of USD 99. The campaign has already reached its USD 50,000 goal and orders are expected to be completed in November. Could big data be used to improve other parts of people’s beauty regimes?