From near-infrared hair diagnostics and augmented reality color consultation, to creating personalized on-demand hair care products: Henkel Beauty Care today announced the Schwarzkopf Professional SalonLab – a digital ecosystem for quantifying and customizing the hair care experience, propelling hair salons into the digital age. SalonLab, two-time recipient of this year's CES 2018 Innovation Awards, which celebrates outstanding product design and engineering in new consumer technology products, will debut at CES in Las Vegas this month.
"With SalonLab, we are creating a solution which allows our partners to provide truly personalized products and services with a seamless experience."
With the first end-to-end ecosystem of connected devices that measure hair condition as well as hair color and provide hyper-personalized products and services, Henkel Beauty Care and its leading salon brand Schwarzkopf Professional are reinventing the salon experience as we know it. Henkel's technology takes the guess work out of which products and services are best for each client's hair by analyzing hair at the molecular level, empowering the consultation process with data-driven insights and producing on-demand, personalized care solutions.
"At Henkel, innovation is in our DNA and leveraging the opportunities of digital technology in our business activities is an integral part of our strategy," said Marie-Eve Schroeder, Chief Marketing Officer at Henkel Beauty Care. "With SalonLab, we are reinventing hair care with a hyper-personalized solution empowered by a holistic application of connected devices."
Today's process of assessing hair condition and color is based on the hair's outer appearance, with hairdressers using their experience, individual expertise, and physical senses to diagnose a client's hair health at its surface. Until now, hairdressers had no way to analyze the inner hair condition and true color to understand the unique quality of each client's hair type, which is the basis for any consultation, service and at-home care.
"We can now gain so many more data-driven insights about the client's hair, thanks to Henkel's SalonLab technology and the concrete scientific data it gives us," said Kim Vo, International Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassador and celebrity hairdresser. "Combining it with our own expertise, we can now assess the hair on a whole new level – the perfect basis for a truly individual consultation."
SalonLab ecosystem: Holistic application of connected devices
The new SalonLab ecosystem includes two award-winning devices, the SalonLab Analyzer and SalonLab Customizer, supported by the SalonLab Consultant App.
- SalonLab Analyzer
The Schwarzkopf Professional SalonLab Analyzer is a hand-held device equipped with near-infrared and visible light sensors that measure inner hair quality, moisture level and true hair color. It can measure various points on the hair from roots to tips and thereby provide a viable, scientific hair diagnosis. These readings are then analyzed and processed by a proprietary algorithm developed by Henkel Beauty Care scientists, using a complete digitalized hair model based on thousands of reference measurements. The hair analysis data is then combined with the hairdresser's assessment to enable a truly complete personalized color and care consultation.
- SalonLab Consultant App
The SalonLab Consultant App is an integral element of the ecosystem that connects the digital devices to analysis, consultation and customization. It's an easy-to-use application that supports the hairdresser throughout the analysis, displaying the client's individual hair diagnostic results and enabling a personal color consultation with state-of-the-art augmented reality technology. This enables the client to see what a color will look like on his or her hair before it is applied, enhancing the salon experience and encouraging more daring transformation options. Last, but not least, the App steers the individual care solution recipe and real-time production via the SalonLab Customizer.
- SalonLab Customizer
Every head of hair is unique, and now hair care can be too – in the salon and at home. To provide the most personalized product based on individual hair qualities, the SalonLab Customizer produces hair care products on-site and customized for each client based on the gathered data. The Customizer uses a proprietary manufacturing process to dynamically formulate and produce a custom care solution. With the simple touch of a button, hundreds of different combinations of ingredients and fragrances can be mixed on the spot and dispensed in salon-sized portions or small bottles with a personalized label printed directly from the SalonLab Customizer.
Pioneering the salon of the future
"With the launch of the Schwarzkopf SalonLab digital ecosystem, we are redefining the way both hairdressers and their clients are experiencing beauty in the hair salon," said Dr. Nils Daecke, Head of Digital Marketing at Henkel Beauty Care. "At the same time, we are laying the foundation for disruptive, data-driven business models, which build upon consumer insights and hair properties."
"Staying ahead of the game and meeting the needs of an increasingly sophisticated client base demands total commitment to our partner, the hairdresser," said Stefan Sudhoff, Head of Hair Professional at Henkel Beauty Care. "With SalonLab, we are creating a solution which allows our partners to provide truly personalized products and services with a seamless experience."
SalonLab was developed by Henkel Beauty Care's scientists and hair specialists, infusing more than 120 years of hair expertise, research and consumer insights into the proprietary algorithms. The idea and technology were brought to life in cooperation with leading technology firm iconmobile.
"We are excited to work with one of the best partners in the industry, iconmobile, to create this ecosystem – combining their technological know-how with our expertise in hair science, analytics & formulations," said Dr. Thomas Foerster, Head of R&D at Henkel Beauty Care.
SalonLab, the new era in hair care technology, can be experienced in select Schwarzkopf Professional hair salons in the United States and Europe in 2018.
About Schwarzkopf Professional
Since its inception as a family business by Hans Schwarzkopf in 1898, Schwarzkopf Professional today holds a worldwide leading position in Beauty Care. With the customer at the center of its business model, Schwarzkopf Professional innovates, inspires, educates, connects and supports the hairdresser, adding real value to their salon business. From cutting-edge products, such as BC Bonacure, IGORA and OSiS+ and breakthrough integrated Bonding Technology, to bi-annual Essential Looks trend collections, tailored salon support programs and progressive hairdresser training from ASK Education, Schwarzkopf Professional are continuously reinventing hair in partnership with the hairdresser. Together. a passion for hair
About Henkel
Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the adhesives market – across all industry segments worldwide. In its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses, Henkel holds leading positions in many markets and categories around the world. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. In 2016, Henkel reported sales of 18.7 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of 3.2 billion euros. Combined sales of the respective top brands of the three business units – Loctite, Schwarzkopf and Persil – amounted to more than 6 billion euros. Henkel employs more than 50,000 people globally – a passionate and highly diverse team, united by a strong company culture, a common purpose to create sustainable value, and shared values. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings. Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. For more information, please visit www.henkel.com.
