Today we meet Stanislas, founder, and CEO of Wired Beauty. He shares with us his approach on beauty, data, skincare and health routines.

What is the concept behind Wired Beauty?

Wired Beauty’s mission is to contribute further to the customization of dermo-cosmetic products and routines.

Our stance is that in order to better adapt these solutions, you have to get to know your hair and skin better… We are developing the tools needed for consumers to access this information in real time, and not just in a laboratory or in a commercial or service setting…

The development of some precise measures allows us to know if our skin has been over-exposed to sun or pollution, if it’s well-hydrated, too greasy if there is an excess of sebum, etc. What’s important is to measure objectively and precisely, and not under “artificial” conditions, so that everybody can adapt their routine and eventually have access to products with increased personalization.

 

Tell us a bit about your career.

I worked with L’Oréal for a little over 10 years, and I learned a lot of things there. I’ve been self-employed for 10 years. I launched my first venture, a cosmetics company that made white-label creams and perfumes for other brands. I worked there for 5 years, before getting a little fed up with cosmetics. I focused on other fields such as connected fabrics, data, peer-to-peer, personal data control – that’s one of my obsessions!

 

Is that how you came up with the idea for Wired Beauty?

At one point, I told myself, “Maybe the future of dermocosmetics will be connected”. It could give back the tools, power, and control to the people who generate this data.

There’s a short-term impact there since we are inventing new products and technology, but above all in the mid-term and long-term, it opens a new wave of innovation. That’s what drives me.

 

So, you’re a scientist?

Not at all! I went to business school, but the team is made up almost exclusively of scientists. It’s fascinating both to understand the evolutions in science nowadays, and at the same time make them “commercial”, in the sense of having “real-life applications”, so they don’t just stay as technology on the shelf. That’s what’s intellectually exciting.

 

 

How exactly do you bring together data and cosmetics at Wired Beauty?

We have a brand, La Clinique Digitale®, which sums up rather clearly our desire to connect the consumer to the development of new products and routines, by giving them control of the product, the technology, as well as of the information and its data. We want to open up the lab and make it available to consumers, in order to create more adapted products.

In concrete terms, for example, we’re developing solar exposure monitors (Solar Mapo®) and sensors that focus on oxidative stress, i.e. the ability of the skin to protect itself against harm such as pollution.

Those who so wish are linked to these studies beforehand, and this connection can go on. Those who have purchased a Mapo® mask can, if they wish, share the information they generate over time with a laboratory, who can then create customized products for them.

La Clinique Digitale® encompasses all the processes from product development to production of the customized product. Nowadays, laboratories often develop their product using small samples of 10 to 15 people in a clinical study. We involve much larger groups of people, even prior to development, from the comfort of their homes.

We want to personalize our products, but we also know that routines play an important role: for example, some people apply sunscreen in case of increased exposure — but other people just stick to the shade. It’s up to us to include information like this when we think about dermo-cosmetics.

 

If you had to describe the “beauty routine” of 2028, what would it be?

That’s a really good question. The beauty routine I envisage makes use of hardware, tools – that’s why we’re working with those. We’ve developed a connected beauty mask: it’s an item that fits into an existing routine, with the possibility of additional functionalities. Without it taking up too much additional time or becoming too laborious and complicated, we collect more data, which can then be applied to other types of information that each and every one of us knows naturally. For example: have I drunk enough, run enough, or been too exposed to pollution… this routine, in 2028, will be both more responsible and go beyond the products themselves, but will also help us to naturally anticipate our needs better. Wired Beauty wants to make a significant contribution to advances in prevention and anticipation. We won an award for the biosensors we’re developing, which will accurately measure and anticipate the appearance of spots.

The ideal routine in 2028 would be to have products that not only solve apparent problems but also anticipate and prevent them. Cosmetics laboratories are now very familiar with skin; all they lack are the new tools to retrieve other types of information, which will make it possible to break new barriers. We’re going to open a new platform of innovation, but we cannot do it alone, we are just too small; we’ll open it in partnership with these laboratories.

 

Do you think that the beauty and cosmetics industries envisage a closer focus on health aspects? If yes, do you think it’ll lead to a new trend of non-gendered products from big brands?

Dermatology is already close to health and beauty today. I don’t think that we’ll move any further in the health direction. On the other hand, I think there will be a more holistic approach, and we’ll think more about what we eat, drink etc.

I don’t know if the industry will be more or less gendered; I would say that in a certain way, it’s more important to go for a more personalized approach. So regardless of gender, everyone knows their skin best and can adapt their routine and products.

 

Wired Beauty has joined Look Forward’s third incubation promotion. What does this year of incubation represent for you?

First of all, energy, contacts, exchanges, acquaintances…

When you launch a start-up, you have to be able to give and exchange your energy with others – especially since, in return, there is a dynamic of innovation that brings people and content together. This human aspect is one of the elements that attracted me. It’s determinant.

The second element is the vibrant cultural environment around Showroomprivé’s business. We gain exposure to business solutions and approaches that are important for us to integrate; it’s a culture.

These two elements come together in the “original” model: with Showroomprivé employees, we do not only meet skills but the people behind them.

 

We hope you enjoyed our time with Stanislas and his vision of connected beauty tools, data, and skin care!

You can catch Wired Beauty on Youtube, twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and their website!