L’Oreal introduces new mobile, AI-based haircolor tools

The world’s largest beauty brand is making over how customers and salon stylists can obtain customized haircolor shades.

L'Oréal Group is unveiling two new beauty tech solutions for the haircoloration category. Colorsonic is a lightweight, handheld device that uses a mess-free process to mix haircolor and apply it evenly, delivering consistent haircolor results for consumers at home. Coloright is an AI-connected haircolor system for salon stylists that uses virtual try-on functionality to project desired shades, and an algorithm that leads to an on-demand, customized haircolor with more than 1,500 custom shades.

Colorsonic uses a custom mixer mechanism to combine a precise amount of developer and formula to create a haircolor. The device then dispenses the right dose of haircolor and applies it to the hair via an oscillating nozzle of bristles as they move in a zigzag pattern to evenly distribute it on the hair.

In five steps, the consumer can select a haircolor out of 40 shades on the Colorsonic website, with the ammonia-free haircolor kit shipped directly to their home. The customer then loads a color cartridge into the device for on-demand color mixing, uses the oscillating nozzle brush device (attachment included for long hair), waits 30 minutes before rinsing and styling, and finally removes the cartridge from the device and stores any remaining color for touch-ups.

L'Oréal plans to launch Colorsonic to consumers in the U.S. beginning in early 2023.

Meanwhile, Coloright is an AI-connected haircolor system for salon stylists that creates on-demand, customized haircolor. The machine features a reader, which analyzes the client's hair, measuring factors that influence color's effectiveness, including haircolor, gray percentage, length, and density and a dispenser that contains dry beads consisting of hair dye, accompanied by cartridges of base creams, developers and diluters.

Together, these dispensed components create a personalized haircolor recipe. The ultra-precise machine dispenses all the components of the formula and, in total, Coloright can provide more than 1,500 custom possibilities. 

"Our century-long, deep experience and leadership in haircoloration has allowed our researchers, data scientists and tech engineers to completely revisit and reinvent the haircoloring experience for both: at home with Colorsonic, a unique user-designed re-usable device allowing a precise vibrant result of haircoloration, and for hair stylists with Coloright, the most personalized and advanced experience in hair salons to achieve desired haircolor results anywhere in the world,” said Barbara Lavernos, deputy CEO, in charge of research, innovation and technology. L'Oréal's BeautyTech leadership allows us to push the boundaries of tech multiplied by science for breakthroughs in more personalized, inclusive and sustainable beauty experiences.”

“After years of research and development, we are thrilled to unveil technologies that modernize the experience for millions of people worldwide who color their hair at home and in the salon," said Guive Balooch, global head of Research and Innovation's Tech Incubator at L'Oréal. "We aim to leverage science and technology to solve age-old problems for consumers, and Colorsonic is a great example of the power of innovating for consumers by innovating with consumers."