c0rder0sa

SO. MANY. THINGS.

But most recently, we just wrote a Medium post about the skin differences between family members- that was super interesting! Even with shared genetics, lifestyle and environment had a huge impact on their skin health. We quantified the differences between each family member’s skin by measuring the % similarity in Skin Sequence (a representation of your skin across several factors that captures your specific skin goals, skin measurements and product preferences). Spoiler alert: skin of a niece and her aunt was more similar because of lifestyle reasons than the skin of two sisters.

Here’s the article:  https://medium.com/@meghanmaupin/how-different-can-skin-be-in-one-family-2afd4db60792

Thanks for this great and detailed series of questions!

In order to determine what data will be meaningful, we tested our data collection process first through in-person experience.  We didn’t want to rely on self-reported data alone (it’s biased), so we tested different physical factors to measure. After refining the in-person experience, we landed on measuring moisture, oil and pH of the skin at multiple points on the face.  We found that there was measurable differences in these factors. For example, we were able to quantify how much drier the skin gets in the winter versus the summer for people in the Northeast - average moisture levels were 36% higher in the summer.  Knowing how hydrated your skin and measuring change over time can help you understand how well your hydrating products or lifestyle changes are working.

We are collecting data to help refine and improve our algorithms for skin health - to better classify skin and recommend the right ingredients/formulations for different types of skin.  We don’t sell the data to anyone and treat it like medical data (anonymized). We want to help anyone track what works and doesn’t so also will offer our Skin Health app for free.

Regarding pH: the acid mantle, which protects your skin, should be slightly acidic - research has shown 5.5 to be ideal. If it's too alkaline, you may have more dryness and irritation. If it's too acidic, you could have more breakouts and inflammation. Info about your skin's pH, when compared to a formulation’s pH, can help connect you to the right ingredients.

We are currently in development for our personalized serums and took a data-driven approach.  From analyzing our current user database, we are developing serums based on the skin archetypes that emerged.  Since we are currently in development and are planning to launch in April 2019, we can’t talk about the specifics of the formulations, but are developing the base serums from active ingredients backed by existing scientific research (e.g. Vitamin C, AHA/BHAs, Retinols).  Each person’s base serum will be customized by adjusting the concentration of the active ingredient based on the customer’s sensitivity, as well as their skin changes and feedback. This process allows us to applying machine learning to continually adapt the formulation and measure the efficacy of ingredients on a granular level.

For allergy concerns, you will see your formulation's ingredients and amounts instantly after the initial diagnostic process. We also collect allergy information during our intake!

Hey, great question!  As with any model, we can only expect useful insights and predictions if the model is trained properly (otherwise garbage in - garbage out!)

Skin is pretty complicated and many factors affect it so we are building a longitudinal dataset that is as comprehensive as possible.  In the intake survey, we ask about environment, lifestyle (diet, sleep, stress), other products in your routine and your skin concerns.  Next, you take a selfie. Third, we incorporate objective measurements - moisture, oil, pH. Finally, we objectively understand preference by having you test ingredients with different absorption/feel profiles.  Down the line, we will integrate with other health tracking apps so as to limit self-reporting bias as much as possible.

To train the model with results, we both incorporate sentiment (ratings on the product) as well as changes in the objective measurements.  Thus, the model will get better at predicting what works and what people like. Longer-term, we are training a computer vision model to also measure changes in severity of different skin concerns (e.g. redness, pore size, wrinkles) to add additional objective results to train the recommendation algorithm on.

My favorite question! Sid and I met at MIT as grad students- his background is data science and mine is UX design/mass customization. Sid previously worked at Kurt Salmon, applying retail analytics to solve complex operational problems for top brands like Patagonia, Ralph Lauren and Tylenol. Before MIT, I was at 3D printing startup Formlabs.

When we met at MIT, Sid was at Sloan Business School and I did a dual degree in Engineering and Business called IDM.  I actually got diagnosed with autoimmune problems in grad school and started noticing itchy rashes on my forehead. I was keeping a crazy skin diary that kept track of what I ate, the weather, what products I used and couldn’t figure out what was happening. I had an a-ha! moment like, wait a sec, I’m at the best school in the world for solving this problem by applying data science and machine learning. And I went out looking for a technical person to help me build the tool I was imagining- a system to help people who were experiencing the same skin confusion as me figure out what was happening with their skin and what the right solution was.

It just so happened that not only was Sid a data scientist who had experience in retail, he also has eczema and was struggling to figure out a new routine to help his skin in the really dry winters in Boston. So it was the perfect blend of background and personal experience. Then Dr. Hirsch joined the team and we started building what was missing in the industry: a model that took into account all the different factors that impact your skin to identify the cause of a skin issue and design the right solution for you. -Meg

Is it a new issue like adult acne or has it been happening since you were younger?