iluminage: Skin Smoothing Laser

The most effective anti-aging techniques usually involve the use of a medical laser which is only accessible in a clinician’s office and require a technician.

Iluminage, a Unilever brand, partnered with Continuum to bring clinical skin care into the home.

01

Challenge

It’s clear to anyone who flips through an issue of Cosmopolitan or wanders the beauty section of Nordstrom: The market for products that effectively reduce signs of aging is a burgeoning one. The most effective anti-aging techniques—those that remove unwanted hair, age spots, or facial lines and wrinkles—usually involve the use of a medical laser. Traditionally, such laser treatments were only accessible in a clinician’s office and required a trained professional to administer. Not only are these procedures expensive, but they’re also inconvenient to schedule and attend regularly. Many women find it difficult to stick with the treatments long enough to see real results.

Iluminage, a Unilever brand, partnered with Continuum to bring clinical skin care into the home. The company envisioned a handheld laser that women could use safely and effectively to treat facial lines and wrinkles. Assembling an expansive team of mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as industrial and digital designers, Continuum made this vision a reality.

02

Research & Insights

02

Research & Insights

The Goldilocks Effect: Designing Just Enough

Continuum’s team interviewed women between the ages of 35 and 55 in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York. They quickly realized that self-administering a laser therapy was something women would have to learn and maintain. To ensure success, the laser must elicit behavior change—by design. While women wanted to feel confident in the laser’s effectiveness, they didn’t want a device so technical that it was intimidating. Balancing credibility and ease-of-use in the laser’s design proved critical to ensuring its adoption.

03

Solution

FDA-approved for in-home use, the iluminage Skin Smoothing Laser has been clinically proven to reduce lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. As the world’s first connected beauty device, the Skin Smoothing Laser establishes a new market category at the intersection of consumer electronics and women’s cosmetics. It also gives women around the world access to professional-quality beauty treatments from their own home.

Continuum applied expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as software design, to miniaturize the laser technology to a safe yet user-friendly size.

The team designed a device elegant enough to keep on display in one's bathroom to encourage use.

The laser plugs into any computer via mini USB cord.

Technical illustration of iluminage skin smoothing laser

78%

of women saw improvement in their skin’s appearance after using the Skin Smoothing Laser for just two weeks.

Those who used the device for 12 consecutive weeks reported 95% improvement.

04

Results

04

Results

When it launched in the summer of 2014, the Skin Smoothing Laser garnered notable media attention for both its efficacy and design. The device has been mentioned by publications including W Magazine, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Women’s Health, Allure, and Glamour, amongst others.

The Skin Smoothing Laser is sold online, as well as at Bergdorf Goodman, Sephora, and Nordstrom.

Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulpJXAFMRfU