Future of Wearable Skincare Technology: Skin Track UV
L’Oréal’s La Roche-Posay My Skin Track UV sensor clips onto clothing and measures the wearer’s exposure to UV radiation. It is a form of radiation that is known to damage skin and, in large amounts, cause skin cancer.
The My Skin Track UV sensor and its corresponding app were designed to make wearers aware of their levels of UV exposure, as well as other skin-damaging pollutants. This gives users individualized, actionable steps to keep their exposure at a healthy level. The device is the latest development from L’Oréal’s Tech Incubator, the beauty company’s technology research and development lab. “We’re working on projects around personalized and precise beauty,” says Guive Balooch. He started the incubator nearly seven years ago and now leads its 35-member team.
A Sense for Innovation
My Skin Track UV relies neither on battery nor Bluetooth. Instead, when sunlight passes through a minuscule window in the sensor, it hits an LED detector. The UV photons are stored in a capacitor. Embedded in the sensor is a near-field communication antenna. When you bring the sensor close to your phone, the antenna transfers the photon data from the sensor to your phone.
The combination of these technologies not only makes for an ultralight sensor, but one that never needs to be removed and charged. Data can be gathered continuously and provide users with long-term feedback.
The sensor detects UVA radiation, while a patented algorithm calculates UVB exposure. Balooch points out that UVB radiation, the type of exposure related to sunburn and skin cancer risk, is easier to measure, because the wavelengths are longer. UVA radiation, associated with visible signs of skin aging and skin cancer, is harder to build a sensor for.
