Launch of the skin analysis e-merchant by IA Coralai for the professional category

According to Harrington, estheticians who have hit their incomes during the pandemic are adapting to changes in the way customers shop for skincare products. When the shutdowns happened, customers who purchased professional skincare products from their facialist shifted to shopping online, and Harrington said many continued to do so.

“For us to truly serve our professional market, we needed to give them a secure private space to do business, but also monetize their time to help offset some of that lost revenue. We also [wanted to] provide a retail gateway for their clients,” said Harrington, of beauticians.

Using Revieve’s AI skin analysis technology, the website allows users to scan their face on desktop or mobile and receive a “skin score” out of 100. Skin is rated on nine different skin concerns: hyperpigmentation, melasma, smoothness, uneven skin. tone, shine, radiance, dark circles, redness and dull complexion. It then lets users take a skin quiz asking them for more details about their skin, routine, lifestyle changes, and product type preferences. Users can then sign up to receive a personalized list of product recommendations for their skin concerns.

According to Jenna Blaha, co-founder of Coralai and former editor at Elle et Marie Claire, the platform is currently promoted mainly through beauticians who introduce the platform to their clients. To get the word out to beauticians, the e-tailer advertises on B2B platforms such as Lip Gloss and Aftershave, said community manager Kate Schwab.

Skin care professionals “told us these stories about when facial scanning first became a thing, and they would have these very heavy, very large, expensive machines. You had to walk in and sit down there, and a client later had to pay for their diagnosis,” she said.

With a list made up exclusively of professional brands, the platform offers beauticians an affiliate link to share with customers to receive a 15% commission on sales.

Professional spa and beauty salon brands have struggled since the start of the pandemic to adapt to the rise of online shopping. Hair care brands have also added e-commerce affiliate components to their professional sales channels: R+Co, John Paul Mitchell Systems and Olaplex have launched apps for their partner salons with features such as recommendations customized over the past two years. .

“It’s a delicate balance,” Harrington said of choosing professional brand sales channels. “We want to support independent businesses. Their income depends on providing services and retailing products.

In addition to the commission, beauticians receive 100% of the fees for digital appointments that can be booked on the platform using Clientela. Users can also use the platform to book phone, in-person, or video appointments with skincare professionals.

Among major B2C skincare brands, online skincare analytics tools have taken off during the pandemic. Clinical and Beekmann 182 are among the brands that have recently launched them, while many ELC skincare brands and the L’Oréal group now offer them.

Blaha said analyzing skincare from an e-tailer rather than an individual brand has the advantage of “brand agnosticism, so when there is a recommendation for this product versus this product, it’s actually from a very authentic place.”

“Our partnership with Clientela and Coralai empowers customers with quantitative data to sort out the optimal products and services, which are unique to their skin and personal wellness needs,” said Sampo Parkkinen, CEO of Revieve, in a statement.

Owned by Corpus Group Inc., the next phase of Coralai will include direct marketing to consumers and skincare professionals. “We want to engage with a broader consumer market,” Blaha said.

Additionally, according to Harrington, the company is growing from an exclusive focus on beauticians to dermatologists, who can also offer bookings through the platform. It also intends to internationalize.