In November 2022, a notice from the National Medical Products Administration opened the gates for personalized cosmetics in China, ushering in a new business format. With new policies, new tracks, and new opportunities, more and more companies have begun to lay their groundwork in this field.
On November 28, 2023, personalized cosmetics witnessed another significant development. Beijing Moyan personalized Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Moyan”) unveiled its personalized cosmetics service experience center in Changping, Beijing. They also launched the country’s first Artificial Intelligence-based Service Personalized System (AISPS). This signifies that personalized cosmetics services based on individual skin conditions are officially available to the public, providing a new model for the personalized cosmetics industry.
New breakthrough in personalized cosmetics
With online appointments, in-store facial cleansing, personal profile establishment, professional skin analysis using specialized instruments, personalized skincare regimen creation, factory preparation, direct product delivery to homes, and full after-sales skincare management consultation, consumers can easily obtain exclusive skincare products tailored specifically to their skin needs.
CHAILEEDO has noticed that Moyan’s opening of the personalized cosmetics service experience center and the launch of the country’s first AISPS not only break the limitations between online and offline personalized cosmetics but also establish a comprehensive service system that covers the entire process from skin analysis to personalized product formulation and scientific cyclic care. Undoubtedly, this marks the opening of a new path for the development of personalized cosmetics in China.
CHAILEEDO has learned that Moyan relies on the massive facial skin data accumulated from over 1 billion online users of Meitu Inc. It has also conducted multiple exchanges, discussions, and experimental verifications with domestic universities, research institutions, and dermatological experts. They have proposed the “ASTP Crowd Typing Theory” and built a “Visual AI Skin Analysis Network Model.”
Based on the “ASTP Crowd Typing Theory,” Moyan feeds subjective questionnaire data and objective skin testing data from consumers into the AISPS data analysis backend, which is an AI-powered system. Through AI calculation and analysis, it determines the suitable ingredient combinations and provides the optimal formulation for each consumer, resulting in a personalized skincare solution.
Currently, Moyan can generate 137,088 skin solutions. As the model continues to be trained and upgraded, ingredient combinations will expand, algorithms will be optimized, and millions or even billions of skin solutions will be developed, ultimately perfecting the personalized cosmetics service AI analysis model.
Moyan’s personalized cosmetics service is highly convenient. Users can have their skin analyzed online by uploading photos through a mini-program, or they can visit the store for professional instrument-based skin analysis.
Based on the objective skin condition and subjective desires of the individual, the AISPS system provides a “skin-adapted” personalized cosmetics service plan. Utilizing a digitalized system, the intelligent factory completes inventory preparation and product delivery within 48 hours, ensuring the products are delivered to consumers’ hands.
Integration of industry, academia, and research to overcome industry challenges
While the policies regarding personalized cosmetics are gradually maturing, it is undeniable that there are still many problems and challenges in the field. Regulatory and technological barriers are the main issues faced by current personalized cosmetics enterprises, which have become invisible barriers in the personalized cosmetics industry.
Among these challenges, the first priority is undoubtedly addressing technological barriers. From the current market perspective, assessing the condition of human skin is still a complex process. Many doubts in the field of personalized cosmetics revolve around whether brands can accurately measure the real state of the skin and truly achieve “targeted” customization. In 2019, Moyan realized that to address these doubts at the technological level, it is necessary to start with basic research on the skin.
In 2020, Moyan began in-depth exchanges with domestic universities, research institutions, and dermatological experts on fundamental and applied research on the skin of Chinese people. They formed an expert team led by five dermatology doctors and three dermatology experts.
Currently, Moyan has established the Moyan Personalized Cosmetics Service Shared Laboratory in collaboration with Beijing Technology and Business University. They have also partnered with Professor Meng Hong’s team, medical doctors from Beijing Technology and Business University, to conduct in-depth research on the fundamental and applied aspects of the skin of Chinese people. They have explored the relationship between common skin problems and different active ingredients, and released the “Research Report on Skin Physiology and the Quantitative-Effect Relationship of Active Ingredients for Common Skin Problems.”
Moyan is actively promoting industry development and, in collaboration with Beijing Technology and Business University, has participated extensively in the research and formulation of the first domestic group standard for personalized cosmetics services, titled “Design and Operation Guidelines for Personalized Cosmetic Needs.”
Of course, regardless of the innovation in services and technology in the domestic cosmetics market, compliance is essential. The doubts about the compliance of personalized cosmetics in the industry stem from whether companies can obtain the “personalized license” smoothly and whether the entire production-to-operation process can be regulated.
Moyan’s self-developed AI-based Personalized Cosmetics Service System (AISPS) not only enables AI intelligent detection, personalized service plan output, smart store management, and refined membership management on the sales side but also incorporates a quality and safety digital management module in the system. It sets up risk monitoring points for personalized cosmetics services, facilitating supervision throughout the entire process of personalized cosmetics services.
This allows both regulatory authorities and consumers as well as brands to visually supervise the compliance and quality of products. Every production stage of each product can be traced.
At the same time, on the supply chain side, all of Moyan’s personalized products come from its Intelligent Manufacturing Center. According to information obtained from Moyan by CHAILEEDO, the Intelligent Manufacturing Center has a fully visible and integrated “transparent” factory equipped with an operating system specifically designed for personalized cosmetics. The entire process is digitized, and the hundred-thousand-level cleanroom can produce various formulations of cosmetics, such as creams, lotions, masks, and more.
Blue ocean market of personalized cosmetics poised for development
The trend of large-scale customization has swept through the cosmetics market, driven by new technologies and consumer demands. Consumers not only desire ready-made products but also expect brands to meet their personalized needs at a deeper level, reducing the cost of trial and error.
According to CHAILEEDO data, the global personalized beauty market grew from $29.25 billion in 2021 to $37.72 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.87%. It is projected to exceed $500 billion by 2028. Many internationally renowned cosmetic brands have placed a significant emphasis on intelligent skin testing and product customization.
At the same time, in the past year, there have been increasing policies and support for personalized cosmetics, indicating that the trend of personalized cosmetics is not just a passing fad.
CHAILEEDO analysis reveals that at least six government documents mentioned the development of personalized cosmetics last year. In addition to the “Notice on Carrying out Pilot Work on Personalized Cosmetic Services” issued by the National Medical Products Administration, Beijing has also released two pilot announcements. Shanghai completed the related management regulations from soliciting opinions to trial implementation in just three months. Guangzhou also explicitly encourages the development of personalized cosmetics in its implementation opinions on high-quality cosmetic development.
Moyan’s opening of the personalized cosmetics service experience center in Beijing, one of the five pilot regions, undoubtedly captures the favorable policy winds. At the event, “Moyan Customization” was also awarded the title of a technological innovation enterprise for personalized cosmetic services by the Changping District Economic and Information Bureau in Beijing.
Of course, personalized cosmetics are just the direction of industry development, and more and more companies will enter the field in the future. Even Moyan, which has built competitive barriers through the AISPS system, needs to find unique brand characteristics.
According to information from Moyan, from the perspective of full-chain services, “personalized customization” for Moyan is not just about selling products. It is more about exploring how the company, with the support of intelligent systems and big data, can provide users with more diverse, personalized, and personalized choices, as well as emotional healing.
Moyan positions its stores as “emotional businesses” where users not only customize products but also relax and enjoy life. The store is equipped with more private service spaces and one-on-one skincare consultation services, allowing consumers pursuing a high-quality life to fully relax. After the customization process, there are also staff members who provide professional guidance and follow-up on product usage, ensuring a reassuring, comfortable, and trustworthy experience for users.
It is worth mentioning that in Moyan’s plan, the experience store showcased this time is just the first step in its journey in the personalized cosmetics track. In the future, it will develop franchisees and rapidly expand, providing standardized service systems for all stores and deeply connecting users and stores through products and professional beauty services.
It can be seen that in the domestic field of personalized cosmetics, emerging companies represented by Moyan are rising, bringing consumers more refined and personalized solutions through solid basic research and cutting-edge technology. They are also pointing out a new direction for the future development of technology-based skincare.
