‘Disruptive’ Strathclyde skincare spin-out seeks partners in Paris

A University of Strathclyde spin-out backed by FTSE 100 giant Croda International is poised to unveil its prototype technology at an international trade show next week, as it seeks to raise its profile among personal care brands.

CEO David Heath said Cutitronics data is invaluable to beauty brands. Picture: Contributed

Cutitronics, which has created a device designed to enhance skin care regimes through intelligent product application, will showcase its offering to potential industry partners at the In-Cosmetics Global trade show in Paris.

Described as a “Fitbit for the skin”, the firm’s technologies analyse a customer’s skin and dispense the required amount of beauty products or cosmetics for their specific need.

Cutitronics claims its products have the potential to disrupt the industry by ushering in “an era of personalised skincare” that can add value to personal care and beauty brands.

The handheld CutiTron device and accompanying smartphone app can be tailored to suit any brand and provide skincare and cosmetic companies with the chance to create a bespoke customer package.

The technology also allows brands to receive feedback from users and measure the results on the health of their skin.

FTSE 100-listed Croda International, which creates, manufactures and sells speciality chemicals for global brands, is a minority shareholder in the East Kilbride start-up.

After making an initial investment in the Scottish company in July 2017, Croda announced a follow-on funding boost earlier this year.

Cutitronics founder and chief executive David Heath established the firm after he saw a gap in the market for personalised, adaptive skin care.

As part of his doctorate and subsequent research in biomedical engineering at the University of Strathclyde, Heath investigated how drugs could be delivered through the skin.

He said: “Our CutiTron technology is like a Fitbit for the skin – it opens the door to personalised skincare for brands and their customers.

“Our prototype can analyse the hydration of a customer’s skin and draw on a wide range of external information, such as their location, the outside temperature and the humidity in the air.

“It can then recommend and dispense the right amount of a product that the customer should use on that particular day to get the best results for their skin.”

Sandra Breene, president of personal care and North America at Croda and a non-executive director of Cutitronics, said: “This is a great opportunity for brands to partner with Cutitronics and produce white label devices and apps that will strengthen those brands’ relationships with their customers.

“The opportunities to gather feedback from customers to help in product development and build further brand loyalty are second to none.”

Heath also stressed the long-term potential that the technology could offer, adding: “This is just the tip of the personalised beauty iceberg.

“Our technology can also gather information that the customer can choose to send back to the brand. That data can be invaluable to help brands improve their formulations or learn more about their customers’ skincare routines.”