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If you keep up with beauty news, you know that La Roche-Posay is an industry leader in advancing skin-care technology. Here's proof: In the past year and a half, the brand has furthered its foray into skin-care tech with My Skin Track/UV, a wearable UV tracker, launched in partnership with Apple, and My Skin Track pH, a wearable sensor that monitors skin pH levels (which has yet to make its way to consumers). Next on the docket is My Skin Track PoreScan, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze the skin and recommend a personalized regimen.
Additionally, and just as newsworthy, La Roche-Posay recently launched a product called Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment, which contains adapalene, a prescription-strength retinoid that has only been available through a doctor or via another brand (Differin Gel 0.1% and, most recently, AcneFree Adapalene Gel 0.1%).
For reference, prescription-strength adapalene was approved for over-the-counter sale by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016, but until now Differin and AcneFree have been the only over-the-counter adapalene-containing products on the market.
Just like other retinoids, adapalene works to "regulate [skin] cell turnover and improve acne as well as textural issues, [plus] brighten and even skin tone," explains board-certified dermatologist Sejal Shah. "It is FDA-approved for acne. However, because adapalene works similar to other retinoids, it can [also] be used for the same concerns that one would use any other retinoid for, [including] fine lines, wrinkles, and evening out skin tone."
Now, back to My Skin Track PoreScan. Where My Skin Track/UV focused on sun damage, and My Skin Track pH focused on skin's pH levels, My Skin Track PoreScan is all about — you guessed it — pores. Here's how the app works, according to Adrien Dissous, vice president of marketing at La Roche-Posay.
"It allows consumers to easily take a selfie using their phone and receive a personalized analysis of their skin, with a count of the various signs the tool is tracking as well as an overall severity score, ranging from 0 to 4+," Dissous tells Allure. "Based on the results, the consumer instantly receives tips and a skin-care regimen recommendation developed for their specific skin concerns." This app was developed to help those with "clogged pores, raised imperfections, and oily skin," Dissous says.
If you're wondering how an app can use a selfie to measure and calculate specific skin issues, you're not alone. It seems too good to be true to me too, so I asked Dissous how the technology really works.
The app uses an algorithm, which the brand developed in partnership with dermatologists, to analyze three skin concerns categories; clogged pores, raised imperfections (aka bumps of any sort), and any residual marks (such as dark spots or post-acne scars). To develop the algorithm, the brand combed through thousands of images of men and women all over the world with different skin types and concerns. After the analysis, the app generates a severity score, which it uses to put together a personalized skin-care routine (using La Roche-Posay products, naturally).
If you're curious about trying out the My Skin Track PoreScan, it's free, and super easy to use — just go to porescan.com and scan the barcode with your phone. I tried it myself, taking three selfies (one straight-on, two with my head turned to either side). My severity score was 0/4+ (YAY for a quality skin-care routine!), with one clogged pore and zero raised bumps or residual marks. If you look at the photos, though, I clearly do have some dark spots around my chin and raised imperfections on my cheeks. So the technology isn't quite perfect, but it is interesting to see what it picks up. The app addresses this, stating clearly that "results may vary depending on factors including lighting conditions, seasonality, and image quality."
Based on my photos, the app recommended that I cleanse, tone, moisturize, and wear sunscreen, in that order, which let's be honest, is pretty much just the basis for any decent skin-care routine. The coolest part of the app, though, is the Skin Diary feature, which keeps a record of your score over time. It automatically keeps track of all three categories of concern then draws up a little graph so you can see how your skin changes day to day, which I think is pretty cool. Not sure I'll be committing to using this every single day, but hey, it's free, so there's certainly nothing to lose.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment is available now at target.com for $30, and will also be rolling out in drugstores nationwide later this month. The My Skin Track PoreScan is available for download at porescan.com.
More on acne treatments:
- The Ultimate Guide to Getting Rid of Acne
- 14 Best Acne Spot Treatments to Get Rid of Pimples Fast
- How to Get Rid of Blackheads, According to Dermatologists
Now, see how acne treatments have evolved within the last 100 years:
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