VOA科学技术2024--S. Korean Beauty Industry Using AI to Develop New Products

South Korean beauty products company AmorePacific has a new artificial intelligence (AI) laboratory that has become popular with customers.

At the lab, robots mix face products, and the latest technology recommends the best lipstick¹ color for an individual.

Kwon You-jin is a 32-year-old customer at the company's skin cosmetics³ service.

"Everyone has their own specific skin tone, but usually they buy the most common color available over the counter," she said.

"Knowing more data about my own skin, and seeing the before-and-after firsthand, it's a very good experience," she said, after receiving an AI-created report on the condition of her skin.

A robot mixed a special makeup⁴ base, or foundation, that matched her skin color.

More cosmetics companies are using AI to increase sales. Internationally known brands such as L'Oréal and Sephora use the technology to make special products for customers.

Global beauty industry sales including cosmetics reached $625.6 billion in 2023, climbing each year since dropping in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That information comes from Statista Market Insights, a data and market research company.

AmorePacific said it uses AI to recommend the best choices for a customer from 205 different skin foundations or 366 different lip product colors.

Engineer Lee Young-jin, an adviser⁵ for AmorePacific's custom beauty business, said that developers used deep learning and machine learning methods to take the process that experts use to study data from many peoples' skins.

Experts said using AI instead of humans could speed up product development.

Yang Yong Suk, of South Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), was co-developer of a deep learning model for a cosmetic² product's texture⁶.

"No matter how professional an expert is, individual deviations⁸ can be large, and evaluating cosmetics by consulting 30 to 40 experts all the time is difficult," Yang said.

"These days, product development time has shortened, and an ever-larger amount of new products are launched faster," Yang added.

The market for using AI in the beauty and cosmetics industries is predicted to more than double from $3.27 billion in 2023 to $8.1 billion in 2028.

The market research provider Business Research Company said in January that services such as personalized beauty recommendations, skin examinations, and virtual makeup artists will likely grow.

Words in This Story

customer -n. a person or group that pays for a product or service

lipstick - n. a usually colored cosmetic in stick form for the lips

cosmetics -n. (pl.) products that are put on the body, especially the face, with the aim of increasing beauty or improving appearance

specific -adj. relating to a particular instance, condition or thing

over the counter - adj. sold without prescription⁹

match -v. to put two things together that have similar qualities

brand -n. the name under which a product is sold which can only be used by the company owning the brand name

texture - n. the visual or tactile¹⁰ surface characteristics of something

deviation⁷ - n. a departure or difference in something

evaluate - v. to determine the significance or condition of usually by careful study

1 lipstick   

n.口红，唇膏

参考例句：

• Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。
• Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。

2 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！

3 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。

4 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

7 deviation   

n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题

参考例句：

• Deviation from this rule are very rare.很少有违反这条规则的。
• Any deviation from the party's faith is seen as betrayal.任何对党的信仰的偏离被视作背叛。

8 deviations   

背离，偏离( deviation的名词复数 )； 离经叛道的行为

参考例句：

• Local deviations depend strongly on the local geometry of the solid matrix. 局部偏离严格地依赖于固体矩阵的局部几何形状。
• They were a series of tactical day-to-day deviations from White House policy. 它们是一系列策略上一天天摆脱白宫政策的偏向。

9 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

10 tactile   

adj.触觉的，有触觉的，能触知的

参考例句：

• Norris is an expert in the tactile and the tangible.诺里斯创作最精到之处便是，他描绘的人物使人看得见摸得着。
• Tactile communication uses touch rather than sight or hearing.触觉交流，是用触摸感觉，而不是用看或听来感觉。