Unilever’s Head of R&D Discusses Innovations in Skin Care’s Future

The discussion with Dr. Jason Harcup from Unilever Beauty and Wellbeing highlights several key trends and innovations in the skin care industry.

1. AI and Personalization: Unilever is focusing heavily on AI to drive skin care innovation. AI, combined with advances in life sciences, is enabling a more personalized approach to skin care. Tools like Pond’s Skin AI Expert and Microbiome Analyser allow for real-time, personalized skin care recommendations based on individual microbiomes.

2. Speed of Innovation: At Unilever, speed in product development is seen as a competitive advantage. With significant investment in digital technology and AI, Unilever claims to have improved their innovation process speed significantly. Their ‘Data Lab’ initiative exemplifies this approach, incorporating AI across the entire product development process.

3. Inside-Out Approach: There’s a growing emphasis on how factors like diet and hydration impact skin health. Products such as Liquid I.V. support internal hydration, crucial for skin health. The integration of beauty and well-being suggests a holistic approach to skin care, considering both internal (diet, hydration) and external (topical treatments) factors.

4. ‘Face-ification’ of the Body: This trend involves applying high-end facial skincare ingredients, like hyaluronic acid and glutathione, to body products, democratizing these benefits beyond just facial care. This approach is being realized through products like Dove’s body serums and Vaseline Gluta-Hya.

Overall, Unilever is pushing the boundaries of skin care by combining AI, rapid innovation processes, and a holistic view of health to deliver personalized and effective skin care solutions.