Meitu marks first foray into cosmetics market with launch of AI-powered skin care device

The device will be available online exclusively in China for now.

Meitu Founder and CEO Xinhong Wu explained: “Though Meitu has always been a major provider of beauty services through photo editing, style recommendations, and virtual makeup looks, we are also working to bring Meitu's brand of beauty out of the virtual world and into the real one.”​

In addition to that, the company aims to make the ‘salon experience’ more accessible to consumers.

“With China's ongoing consumption upgrade, consumers are paying increasingly more attention to their health and wellness, including skincare. Despite this, a professional beauty salon experience is still not affordable for everyone.”​

According to Meitu, DIY skin care devices are one of the fastest growing categories on China’s major e-commerce platforms.

A holistic skin care device

MeituSpa works in tandem with MeituSkin, an app that utilises AI technology to offer users a highly personalised skincare regimen.

The MeituSkin app can accurately identify problem areas like blackheads, pimples, wrinkles, and dark spots.

The company believes the launch of MeituSpa makes it one of the first companies to offer a product that integrates AI with traditional skincare methods.

“Most cleansing brushes available in the market do not help individuals find a personalised skincare regimen that works best for their needs. Without this personalised touch, issues such as excessive cleansing and improper use can have negative effects, especially for those with sensitive skin,” ​said a Meitu spokeswoman.

She added: “Utilising AI technology, MeituSpa fills the gap to provide quality skin analysis, which generates real world results to create a personalized care plan for each user.”​

She added that the new device filled a gap in the market for an affordable yet effective device that consumers can trust.

“Products that retail for under RMB 599 ($90) comprise over 85% of the sales volume in the current market, yet no one brand among these has gained a strong reputation among customers. Priced at RMB 598 ($89), our product stands out by offering a more reliable assurance of quality and the best value for money.”​

Four-in-one device

MeituSpa uses deep cleansing sonic pulsation technology that is suitable for all skin types including sensitive, oily, normal, or combination skin.

It offers four modes: sonic cleansing, deep extraction, nourishing, and warm massage. Additionally, the devices has 12 settings of up to 7500 pulses per minute.

According to the company, it developed the skin care device with consumer insights in mind to offer a personalised touch.

It said that this would allow the device to address common consumer pain points such as excessive cleansing and improper use.

Meitu to further expansion into skin care

The spokeswoman said the company planned to continue expanding into skin care by developing more products.

“Meitu will continue to launch other smart skincare hardware products such as skin testing, firming, and anti-ageing products to satisfy numerous underserved aspects of the skincare market,” s​he said.

Additionally, Meitu plans to launch skin management services as well.

“These products are just a part of total skin management and Meitu will also launch skincare management services. These back-end services will be synched with its front-end skincare devices to offer total AI-powered skin care.”​