Skincare and machine learning don't often cross paths - after all, robots and computers don't have faces. For MIT-spinout Atolla, machine learning and skincare is the name of the game. After a successful Kickstarter campaign last fall in which the company raised $38,000, Atolla is now running direct to consumer and now has their first issued patent.

Atolla uses machine learning to provide custom serums for each customer, recognizing that everyone's skin is unique. The company takes advantage of both self-reported skin traits and measurable data, which is updated monthly, and machine learning to provide a constantly updating serum. Ideally, data can be used to update a customer's serum before a potential skincare issue flares up.

Skin and skincare is a wide open sector in the AI Biotech space, where this is just the fourth patent to issue since January 2019. If Atolla is continuing to develop their IP, they could be taking on the big industry players like L'Oréal before we know it. 

L'Oréal is certainly aware of the threat, announcing at CES earlier this month their new AI-based skincare therapy, Perso. Perso is a device which uses AI to analyze an individual's overall skin condition, takes into account environmental conditions, and dispenses personalized foundation, lipstick, and moisturizer. L'Oréal currently has no published patent applications for this technology.