Introduction
Here at Tomorrow Lab, everyone who joins our team has a sense of curiosity for consumer products, design trends and new technologies. And that includes myself – being Tomorrow Lab’s People and Finance manager – I get the pleasure of following along all of TL’s engineering projects from inception to completion.
During Covid while we were working exclusively from home I decided it was time to take my skincare routine more seriously. I had the time to research and trial new products, trending devices and note the results. My skin has always been acne prone and ebbs and flows with my workout routines (which are constantly changing!) and I was on a mission to finally nip this problem in the bud. In casual conversations with my fellow TL’ers, I reviewed several trending product categories evaluating how they work, their benefits and, ultimately, ending with product ideas of my own!
Product Exploration
I started my research looking at viral products and contemplated the why/what/how that made these products so attractive in the market. I wanted to find products that answered those questions, but also looked to actually solve a problem – and also I thought – how could this problem be solved in an even better way?
1. LED Therapy
What is it?
LED red light therapy has been used in the luxury spa space, but since being FDA approved, the market has recently been flooded with devices at all price points. Despite this, most promise the same type of results. The LEDs used in these devices produce a low wavelength ranging from 620 to 750 nanometers. As compared to white light, which has a wide array of light frequencies, red light is one of the lower frequencies of visible light (remember ROYGBIV 🌈 from grade school?). The colors of the rainbow are listed in order of lowest to highest frequency, with red being the first. Lower wavelengths allow for deeper penetration into the skin, which provides faster results. The light is absorbed by the molecules in the skin, which in turn alters the biologic activity of nearby cells increasing the energy production of those cells.
Red light therapy is used to improve the skin’s overall appearance by boosting collagen production and increasing blood circulation, which helps to firm and smooth fine lines, reduce dark circles and age spots, and can even help heal minor wounds, such as acne scarring. Blue light therapy is also used to improve the skin’s overall appearance by reducing inflammation, reducing oil production and eliminating some acne causing bacteria. One of the main reasons LED therapy is so accessible is that you only need several minutes of exposure on a semi weekly basis to see results.
What skincare tools are currently available?
One of the first truly viral products that had immediate crossover from the influencer and celebrity world into the homes of consumers was the DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro, an LED whole face mask, which combines red and blue light, with a hefty $400+ price tag.
I found all kinds of devices – small handheld wands to sweep across the skin (SolaWave – look familiar to you NYC subway riders? and the Lightstim), a body wrap (NuShape), a hairbrush (Laduroa) and even an LED bed! Even the infamous Therabody company (Theragun) came out with a comprehensive light therapy device.
I have thoughts and questions!
I had several call outs after digesting all this information. I found myself wondering what are the long term effects of using products like this on a semi daily basis? I was most curious about the whole face exposure products. Most of these devices boast ergonomic designs by way of the specific shape where the hand is holding the device for ease of use, however having to hold or move the device for several minutes could get tiring, and what about hard to reach places like the back or shoulders? I was not able to find any devices that were specifically designed to treat adolescent/teen acne or geared towards athletes and their skincare needs. Most of the quality looking devices in the market have high price tags. Finally, in order to see visible results, the user has to commit to several times per week for at least 1 month – that’s a lot of time spent holding this to your face!
I also had to ask myself: does LED therapy have staying power in the market? Yes! I believe so, and especially as new technologies emerge. Most of the devices I found had overall positive reviews, it’s a product and concept that is easy to understand, it can help solve skin issues at any age and can deliver results that users can see within weeks (of consistent use). Not to mention that these types of products have immense visual appeal for marketing and social media exposure.
For more findings on the clinical study on LED use in skincare, check out this article from the National Institute of Health.
2. Product Opportunities & Conclusion
As a potential new solution, I immediately thought of acne patches – I remember when my mom bought me my first pack at Target when I was in high school in the mid 2000s – what game changer! While these helped to ease my cystic acne temporarily, they do not help in deterring future breakouts. Side note – wouldn’t it be great if I could get a scan of my face and allow AI to tell me what my areas of concern/improvement are? And then build me a regimen to stick to?
For the acne patch device, I imagined a small reusable device that has a ring of LEDs around the perimeter, and then an acne patch is put over it to deliver the medication. Several sizes of patches to target different concerns: large for cystic acne, medium for whiteheads and medium or small for emerging acne and small or emerging acne scars.
The LEDs would pulse different colors over the course of a set time the user chose to sequence through an app. The treatment time could be as little as 5 minutes, but could also be set overnight to pulse on and off and cycle through different colors. Blue first to help kill the bacteria; yellow to reduce swelling; and end with red for healing. Each color would only pulse 1-2 min of exposure each time interval. By having the LEDs only expose the small area that is affected, the user is protecting the rest of their face from over exposure, which can lead to damage while the patch is targeting the actual areas of concern.
This also allows the user to target hard to reach areas like the shoulders and back, since its hands free. It can be worn discreetly under clothing, so you can go about your day – cooking/cleaning, running errands or just while watching tv. Having such a small device and system also allows for a much more travel friendly solution than bringing a bulky device along.
This was so much fun to research and write about – I hope this was an enjoyable and enlightening read. We at Tomorrow Lab love sharing our ideas and starting conversations around new products, emerging technologies and market trends. Stay tuned for a Part 2 of this Beauty exploration series!
Check out these two prior Tomorrow Lab client projects in the beauty space:
Exponent (we won an award!); packaging that delivers on-demand skincare Smart Cap; reminder technology for consumer goods
If you have a new beauty product or packaging idea and want to bring it to life – connect with us for a free consultation here!
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