L'Oreal enters wearable tech market to monitor consumers' UV exposure

Cosmetics brand L'Oreal is entering the wearable technology market for the first time, with a new discreet device, UV Sense, that is designed to monitor the wearer's exposure to UV light.

UV Sense is being marketed as the first battery-free electronic UV sensor and marks a move away from the obvious and sometimes clunky-looking wearable devices currently available, as it is less than two millimetres thick and can be worn 'hidden' on the thumbnail.

This innovative accessory is designed to measure how much UV sunlight the wearer is exposed to. They will then receive this information via an accompanying smartphone app, which will allow them to make the decision to move out of the sun or apply more protection to safeguard their health.

Speaking to Marketing Week following the unveiling of UV Sense at the 2018 Consumer Electronic Show, L'Oreal's vice-president of research and innovation technology incubator Guive Balooch explained: "If people can change their behaviour in the sun, it's good for business, but also good for their lives."