Ludient Bets on Skin Data

The Korean clinical skincare brand, developed by lululab, a spin-off from Samsung Electronics' C-Lab, has entered the US market with an approach based on the analysis of more than five million skin profiles. Its proprietary luluTI^™ platform combines skin imaging, artificial intelligence and machine learning to classify skin into 16 distinct profiles, taking into account factors such as barrier function, pigmentation, pore condition, texture, sebum production and visible signs of ageing. These data are used not only to personalise skincare recommendations, but also to guide formulation development.

The initial range comprises three products formulated with biomimetic ingredient complexes combining PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide), peptides, ceramides, retinol, niacinamide, Centella asiatica, melatonin, collagen and exosome technologies. One product is based on the proprietary MDRN^® complex, while another combines a tannin complex with Reticoll^® (retinol + collagen) to target enlarged pores and uneven skin texture. According to lululab, all formulations were developed by analysing correlations between skin phenotypes, biomarkers and product responses identified within its proprietary dataset.

Beyond its commercial launch, Ludient illustrates the shift towards data-driven formulation, where artificial intelligence is used upstream in product development by leveraging large-scale phenotypic skin datasets, rather than solely for personalised skin diagnosis.