I Asked Skin Care Apps to Fix My Face
New tech promises to diagnose your skin problems with selfies and AI
I have a huge pimple on my cheek when I try Olay’s skin analysis app, Skin Advisor. The app directs me to take a selfie and answer a few questions, like what worries me most about my skin — wrinkles or acne, for example — and what kinds of products I use on a daily basis.
I’m prepared for the obvious news: I’m having a breakout. But within a few seconds, the app alerts me to an issue I didn’t know I had. According to Skin Advisor, my problem area is around my mouth, likely because of my smile lines, and I’m directed to buy a $22 anti-aging cream.
This is curious, since TroveSkin, the Indonesia-based artificial intelligence app I tried before this one, analyzed my selfie and concluded that my biggest skin problem was texture, and that I should be using exfoliating, anti-aging, and brightening products.
Skin Advisor and TroveSkin are two of about a dozen apps from startups and veteran skin care companies that use artificial intelligence (A.I.) to spot your skin woes, provide personalized product recommendations, and track your skin over time. In 2018, Neutrogena released a device and app package called Skin360, which uses a magnifying lens attached to your smartphone to deliver product…
