How one clean beauty brand uses AI to future-proof sourcing

AI is rapidly permeating every area of ​​the beauty industry, from customer experience to product sourcing. Recently, I tried Sephora’s AI-powered Color IQ Match. This is the brand’s in-store mobile experience to pinpoint the foundation that best suits my skin. The match went perfectly. One of the earliest examples of AI adoption in the beauty industry, his move at Sephora likely influenced AI experimentation across beauty, from customer experience to luxury product research and development. Although still in its early stages, small, nimble brands such as Los Angeles-based Odacite are experimenting with AI in sourcing to optimize product performance and minimize environmental impact.

Clean beauty brand odacite, one of the first botanical-focused skincare brands to leverage AI in its manufacturing, recently launched its first product created using AI-created ingredients. The brand’s new Edelweiss Extreme Intense Repair Eye Cream features the hard-to-grow Swiss wild edelweiss flower as its star ingredient. Founder Valérie Grandeury said: “In an ideal world, we would harvest plants like edelweiss at peak potency, but this risks running out of season. That’s how we came to consider sourcing. AI can control and optimize all environmental factors throughout the growth cycle, from seeding density and soil composition to light, water, temperature, and oxygen levels. This allows us to get the best plants all year round, regardless of environmental conditions. This means we can make the most of the specific active ingredients within Edelweiss Cream.”

Discovering the potential of AI in product manufacturing happened when Grandeury and the bioengineer were having a conversation about lettuce, not beauty. She says: “About four years ago, I came across a bioengineer who was leveraging AI and precision indoor farming to maximize the amount of vitamin C in lettuce. I had been researching ways to grow the maximum amount of food while optimizing the concentration of beneficial nutrients while minimizing the amount of food. I had always wanted to create a formula with Edelweiss. , we started discussing the possibility of collaborating using his food technology. It took over two years to get the results we were looking for.”

Founded in 2009, odacite has gained a following for its wild-grown organic ingredients and ability to source non-toxic clinically active substances and concentrates. Leontopodic acid, the main active ingredient in the new Edelweiss Eye Cream, is an antioxidant that has been shown to strengthen the skin barrier and reduce signs of hypersensitivity. According to Grandury, this helps the skin’s surface become more resistant to environmental aggressors, such as certain airborne pollutants. The complementary ingredient chlorogenic acid has been studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. ”

“The natural environment of edelweiss is very limited and special, so using AI makes it very easy to cultivate the edelweiss plant itself. Edelweiss flowers under extreme conditions, and exposure to ultraviolet light It is an expert in self-preservation against extreme temperature changes and prevents dehydration even in strong winds. Leontopodic acid + chlorogenic acid is the chemical by-product of this ability to withstand these conditions.”

Grandury continues. “Since our founding, we have focused on sourcing the highest quality, nutritious ingredients from nature. Plant quality can be influenced by so many factors, including weather, poor soil, and pesticides. AI is having a huge impact on our business, and I think many other beauty brands will start leveraging this technology in their manufacturing.”

odacite is just one example of how beauty companies are deploying AI to enhance their product offerings. Business Research Company predicts that the beauty and cosmetics AI market will grow from $3.27 billion in 2023 to $3.97 billion in 2024. We also predict that growth will accelerate further, reaching $8.1 billion by 2028. As well as sourcing and skin analysis, personalized recommendations and virtual try-ons are also available.

As for what’s next for odacite and AI, Grandury continued, with the success of this new AI-enabled procurement: The Intense Repair Eye Cream has just been launched, but next year they will also be adding serums and moisturizers. We are also researching other rare and protected medicinal plants and considering how our technology can be used to grow them in sufficient abundance. ”