A new parent learns how to tend to her complexion with the help of a skin-analyzing tool.
I Tried is a series that spotlights an individual as they experience an Equinox offering. In this installment, Equinox employee Katie* tries the AI-powered skin analysis tool available at select Equinox Spas.
Equinox employee Katie has always had a minimal skincare routine. “It’s mostly because I’m overwhelmed with it all,” she says. With so many skincare products on the market, how can you truly know which ones are best for your skin? This is the exact question Equinox’s new AI-powered skincare tool, available at select Spa locations, is helping members answer.
“AI Skin Analysis is designed to help both individuals and skincare professionals gain a deeper understanding of skin health,” says Brittany Walker, a senior business development manager at Perfect Corp., the company that created the machine’s software. She explains that the goal is to provide members with a comprehensive assessment of their skin health and offer personalized skincare recommendations tailored to their unique needs and goals.
To Katie, this sounded like the perfect opportunity to learn more about her skin and what she can do to take care of it — especially since she is about to enter her 40s. What did the skin analysis teach her? Keep reading to find out.
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How AI-Powered Skin Analysis Works
Think of the skin analysis tool as a super advanced Google Lens for your face. “Our AI Skin Analysis tool uses your tablet camera to instantly capture and analyze your skin, revealing 14 key skin concerns with remarkable accuracy,” Walker explains. To this point, the tool was found to align with physician assessments 69 percent of the time in a company-funded study. “The study demonstrated a strong correlation with both physician assessments and the clinical imaging system, highlighting the software’s accuracy and precision,” Walker says.
Walker explains that the tool was trained using more than 70,000 images. Now, it’s able to detect wrinkles, redness, pores, and skin texture. Based on what it detects, it delivers personalized, detailed insights and recommendations.
While using it for a one-time recommendation can be helpful, it can be beneficial to use it every few months or so, too. “It allows users to track changes and improvements over time, offering valuable insights into their skin’s progress,” Walker says.
That said, the skin analysis tool shouldn’t make you bypass getting medical advice or seeking a diagnosis, according to Walker. It’s not a replacement for check-ins with your derm or to find out if a suspicious-looking mole or spot is cancerous or not. In those cases, you should still see a doctor.
Inside the AI-Powered Skin Analysis Experience
The skin analysis is conducted on a tablet at select Equinox Spa locations, with the help of a licensed esthetician. For best results, Walker recommends having a clean, makeup-free face and pulling back your hair when doing the scan. Katie described using the skin analysis tool as quick and simple. “A tabletop kiosk-type device prompted me to position my face correctly in front of a camera and then took a few photos,” she says.
The results came right away, and Katie was surprised at what they were. The analysis tool rated her skin health as “average,” but said her skin reflected the age of a 40-year-old — a year older than what she currently was. “I was kind of shocked with how old it read my skin to be. I guess it was a wake-up call. I had a kid a year ago and admittedly am more tired and spend less time taking care of myself,” she says.
It’s not unusual for skin to age faster than one’s biological age. “While genetics influence how we age, various external and lifestyle factors can cause the skin to appear older than one’s biological age,” Walker says. She adds that key contributors include sun damage, chronic stress, poor sleep habits, and an unbalanced diet lacking essential nutrients.
But it wasn’t all harsh criticism; Katie’s results came with actionable tips. “Based on your AI skin health analysis, your skin is healthy; however, a little extra TLC can help you achieve the glowing complexion of your dreams. Try adding a pampering moisturizer to your routine to help hydrate and smooth some areas of roughness. And don’t forget to rotate in a weekly exfoliating mask to slough away any dry flakiness and help you achieve glowy radiance,” the machine recommended.
RELATED: Your Postpartum Skin Playbook
The Final Verdict
Grateful for the guidance, Katie decided to try the recommendations and added a new moisturizer and an exfoliating powder (Epicutis' Hyvia Crème and Enzyme Exfoliating Powder, respectively) to her skincare arsenal. “The exfoliating powder is my favorite. It is such a gentle exfoliant, but my skin is so much brighter after using it,” she says.
While Katie says she noticed her skin looking more glowy than before she started using the products, she emphasized that the change didn’t happen overnight; it took two months of consistency for her to really see a difference in her skin. “I have been getting compliments that my skin looks more moisturized and dewy,” she says.
Overall, Katie says the experience was a positive one for her, and she plans on keeping up with her new skincare routine. When she tried the skincare analysis tool again four months after her first reading, the tool gave her skin a new age: 35. It turns out it is possible to age backward after all.
*Name has been changed.