L'Oreal advances its commitment to promoting sun safety with La Roche-Posay UV Sense
L'Oreal, the Global Beauty Leader that developed its first commercial sunscreen product in 1935, furthered its 80-year commitment to sun safety with the unveiling of two technology products at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. UV Sense, the first battery-free wearable electonic UV sensor, and a limited-edition of the award-winning My UV Patch, both provide consumers with crucial information about their individual ultraviolet (UV) exposure levels. Both technologies will be available from the La Roche-Posay brand this year.
"L'Oreal research shows that overexposure to UV rays is a top health and beauty concern of consumers worldwide," said Guive Balooch, Global Vice President of L'Oreal's Technology Incubator. "With this knowledge, we set out to create something that blends problem-solving technology with human-centered design to reach even more consumers who require additional information about their UV exposure. Whenever we develop a new technology, our goal is to make an enormous global impact by enhancing consumers' lives."
Building on the architecture of the original patch, UV Sense allows further monitoring of UV exposure, to show trends of exposure over time with instant updates. UV Sense is the first battery-free wearable electronic sensor to measure individual UV exposure and can store up to three months of data. The wearable is less than two millimeters thick, nine millimeters in diameter and designed to be worn for up to two weeks on the thumbnail. The sensor can be reapplied to the nail with additional adhesives, which coming in the packaging.
By putting this tehcnology on the thumbnail - which receives optimal sunlight - consumers can increase wear time from several days with My UV Patch to several weeks with UV Sense. Powered by the user's mobile phone and activated by UVA and UVB rays, UV Sense is the first wearable electronic UV sensor powered without a battery. The wearable has an accompanying mobile app, available both iOS and Android, which translates and transfers data from the sensor using Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled technology. The app delivers consumer-friendly information detailing when the wearer should be mindful of UV exposure. Data is included in a profile within the app that outlines a user's exposure levels. Sun-safety habits - like spending time in the shade or reapplying sunscreen - are encouraged with facts about sune xposure and additional tips for protection.
Both UV Sense and the limited-edition of My UV Patch draw from research L'Oréal conducted in conjunction with MC10, Inc., a leading wearable technology company, and professor John Rogers at Northwestern University, through his portfolio of intellectual property (IP) and innovation around flexible, stretchable electronics. This research has provided valuable insights into the human skin, such as the calculations of personal daily safe UV doses around the skin phototype and minimal erythema dose.
