Biologique Recherche has built its business on the concept of personalisation. Can you explain how this works?
Pierre-Louis Delapalme: Everyone is talking about personalisation today, but we started focussing on personalisation 40 years ago. So for 40 years, we have slowly built a sophisticated methodology, adding new products to make sure that we cover all possible skin issues and problems. When you have 40 years + to develop personalisation, then it gives you the time to reach a certain level of sophistication.
Rupert Schmid: The Skin Instant© Lab, which we’ve had for five years, was a major breakthrough in the industry. It’s a medical device, which analyses, diagnoses and prescribes products and treatments. It’s a three-step methodology, which starts with a cosmetological evaluation of the skin by our expert therapists, which is then followed by a series of rigorous measurements using the Skin Instant© Lab. Five probes are connected to a computer, and can measure moisture content, transepidermal water loss, skin elasticity, melanin and sebum content.
The combination of all these things generates a personalised dermocosmetic file, which will recommend a selection of Biologique Recherche products and treatments specifically tailored for each client. Guests love that we give them the tools to be involved actively in their treatment. Every step, we select the right product for the right diagnosis, so the possibilities are endless. Because of that, we get results.
P-LD: The diagnosis is where we try to innovate – this year we added a visual app, which takes pictures and measures the pores, skin pigmentation, and the length and depth of wrinkles, so it’s really another angle on the skin.
Every time the guest comes to us, we assess their skin and identify how it’s changed. Your skin will change every time you come back to us, depending on stress, what you eat, hormonal cycle – there are so many reasons why your skin can change. Biologique Recherche spas keep a personalised history for each guest, monitoring the changes over time so that recommendations can be dynamically adjusted for a long-term treatment programme.
Why is it important to have such a deep level of understanding of the skin?
P-LD: Many people think the cosmetic industry is an ingredient battle – what’s new, what’s best etc. We work a bit differently, because a main source of inspiration is understanding the skin’s functioning. This is very important, because one of the mistakes that can be made is that you only select ingredients to treat the problem, but you might miss the cause of the problem. Our formulations have the highest quality active ingredients, and high concentrations – usually over 20% – of botanical, marine and biological extracts. We try to be as rigorous as possible in getting the full picture, and that’s why our formulations are so complex – because we really want to treat not only the symptoms but also the root cause. Treating the root cause is very different, and requires different actives.
What we hear from a lot of our customers is that they feel the methodology has really transformed their skin. They see the difference – they see their skin coming back to life. Once they’ve rediscovered their skin, they’re a little bit hooked.
You invest heavily in research and innovation. What are some of the newest things you’re offering your customers?
P-LD: We’re launching our own DNA testing methodology in January 2020, ‘My Beauty DNA’, which measures what you cannot see: the skin you are born with. Science used to think that 25% of your skin was controlled by DNA, and 75% by your life conditions; now, the studies suggest it’s more like 50/50, so DNA is actually a big part of skin health. ‘My Beauty DNA’ is a tool for prevention; if you can identify issues early on, then you can change the skin’s condition.
It’s a simple saliva test, and the results are sent to the spa, where the therapist can read them and be able to say exactly what the strengths and weaknesses of that person’s skin are from their DNA. The therapist combines this information with the testing on our machines and recommends products and treatments specifically for that guest.
RS: This is a programme that is devoted to people who are really involved in understanding the skin. The future of beauty will rely on knowledge and experience. And knowledge and experience is something you do not get overnight – that is why we invest heavily in training and technology. We want our therapists to have the tools and the knowledge to understand the skin and the treatment options. We really believe that we’re just at the beginning, and that our experience of the past 40 years, always developing new products and new diagnostic methodology, puts us at the forefront of innovation.
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