Caring for your skin is important, and L’Oreal’s patch tells you when you’ve had too much sun and what to do in order to prevent damage. The company presented their newest product at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016, boasting a flexible and accurate way of preserving skin health.
L’Oreal is now one of the many joining the tech industry in wearable gadgets that track your health. In the case of ‘My UV Patch’, it will accurately let you know when your skin has had too much exposure to the damaging sun. It’s simple, comfortable to use, and accurate in its warnings, along with helpful advice that will assure your good health.
The smart skin patch is barely an inch in length and just 15 microns in thickness. It’s entirely flexible and can be placed anywhere on the body. The skin sensor within the innovative patch changes color with UV exposure. It ranges from white to blue, informing its wearer of what’s too much. And, possibly, serve as an announcement that it’s time to head under shade or apply sunscreen.
According to Guive Balooch from L’Oreal Technology Incubator, they wanted to design a skin patch that was actually wearable. Unlike former versions, ‘My UV Patch’ is completely flexible and can be worn up to 5 days, be it on the beach, at home, showering, or bathing. It will essentially keep track of the skin’s exposure to the sun in real time.
“thin, comfortable and virtually weightless”
The key in designing the patch was to make something that was “thin, comfortable and virtually weightless” that would be easy to use and last for several days.
However, for more accurate results, users will also be prompted to download the free ‘My UV Patch’ companion app. Like any other tracker app, it will delve into the significant details and offer the aforementioned advice. Users will have to take a picture of the patch, and then the app will tell them everything they need to know. That will range from the amount of sun exposure, which area is at most risk, and suggestions on what should be done.
This “flexible wearable” is set to launch in 16 countries this summer, including the United States and United Kingdom. It will be all ready to adorn the bodies of beachgoers who want to make sure their time in the sun does not become detrimental to their health. It may be placed anywhere on their bodies for days, and then simply tossed it in the bin, as the company states it’s perfectly environmentally safe.
Image source: bbci.co.uk
