Skinology and Shop Quiz: Crafting Personalized Skincare Journeys Online
25-10-2024 Case Studies eCommerce Shopify Apps
Santiago, Chile – Skincare, for many, is an overwhelming universe of products and ingredients. Antonia Schlesinger, the founder of Skinology, was one such person—confounded by the sheer number of options and tired of trial and error, she sought help from a dermatologist. That experience inspired her to create Skinology, a skincare brand built to eliminate the guesswork, offering consumers a personalized, dermatologically-backed journey to healthy skin.
Skinology’s story is one of simplicity and personalization, echoing Antonia’s belief in a straightforward skincare routine—using fewer, but targeted products to achieve better results. With Skinology, each customer embarks on a skincare journey that evolves along with their changing skin needs.
The Vision Behind Skinology
Antonia joined forces with Lia, an experienced dermatologist, to create a skincare line that feels as personal as a visit to a clinic. Together, they developed an interactive online quiz that mimics the questions Lia would ask her patients during consultations—questions on topics such as pregnancy, hormonal conditions, and personal lifestyle. Customers are guided through this quiz when they visit the Skinology website, which is essential to the process as it forms the basis for a bespoke skincare formulation.
The quiz responses are reviewed by Lia and the AI model named “Liam,” a name inspired by Lia and the addition of their CTO’s initials. Liam is a key component in Skinology’s personalization journey. It acts as the “brain” behind the skincare formulations, synthesizing each customer’s responses to determine the ideal ingredients and concentrations for their specific needs. After receiving the quiz data, Liam generates a personalized skincare formula, which is then reviewed by Lia to ensure accuracy and safety. Once approved, the formulas are prepared in a lab specifically for each individual customer. It’s a high-tech approach to personalization, backed by the hands-on knowledge of a dermatologist.
“We’re trying to simplify skincare, so you use fewer, more effective products. That’s why every question in the quiz matters—a different combination of answers can lead to vastly different formulations.”
“People find it difficult to understand what tailored skincare means. It’s not a one-size-fits-all; every ingredient has a purpose,” Antonia noted during our conversation. “We’re trying to simplify skincare, so you use fewer, more effective products. That’s why every question in the quiz matters—a different combination of answers can lead to vastly different formulations.”
A Personalized Routine that Evolves
What sets Skinology apart from traditional skincare brands is its evolving formulations. Starting as early as four years old, customers can begin their Skinology journey, receiving products that adapt to their skin as they grow. After the initial quiz and the first set of products, Skinology prompts customers to retake a follow-up quiz upon repurchasing. This follow-up explores the effects of previously used products, any changes in skin condition, or lifestyle changes. Every reorder means a reformulated product to match the current needs of the customer.
“For example, we had a customer experiencing menopause-related acne for the first time in her life,” Antonia recalled. “She had never struggled with acne before, but due to the hormonal changes, her skin reacted. Using Skinology, she was able to regain control of her skin, and the acne disappeared.”
Every product that Skinology delivers is freshly formulated and designed to last just long enough until it’s time for the next evolution—a new phase in skincare for a continually changing life.
Data-Driven Skincare, Made Possible by Shop Quiz and Liam
The key to Skinology’s success lies in their collaboration with the Shop Quiz: Product Recommender app by RevenueHunt, which powers the dynamic quizzes used by Skinology. The Shop Quiz not only collects the data necessary for personalized skincare formulation but also ensures that Skinology can efficiently evolve their products as per the user’s needs.
Shop Quiz works hand-in-hand with Liam, Skinology’s AI model, to personalize each formulation and continuously adapt to the customer. Liam plays a crucial role in taking the input data from the quizzes and translating it into actionable formulations, ensuring each customer gets exactly what they need.
The backbone of Skinology’s growth lies in using data efficiently while respecting privacy. “The quiz collects important data points like name, last name, and a national ID, which we need for our custom formulations. But each piece of information has a purpose—it’s all about crafting the best solution for that individual,” explained Jessica, Skinology’s Head of Marketing.
Shop Quiz, coupled with Liam, helps Skinology maintain this level of customization, making it accessible for customers to experience professional, personalized skincare without ever visiting a clinic. It also allows Skinology to adapt its marketing strategies—retargeting specific groups with promotions or reminders, based on how customers progress through their skincare journeys.
“We’re still learning and fine-tuning our approach, but as soon as we find our footing, we’re ready to scale up.”
Challenges and the Future
Skinology has faced its share of challenges, particularly in marketing a new, highly personalized skincare model. “It’s been difficult to explain our concept in the short attention spans you get online. When you’re explaining something complex like tailor-made skincare, it’s not easy to condense that into a few seconds for an ad,” Antonia admitted.
Currently, Skinology relies on a mix of word-of-mouth marketing, social media ads, attendance at beauty events, and SEO focusing on sensitive skin and allergic reactions. Approximately 50% of their customers are repeat buyers—proof that once someone understands and tries Skinology, they are likely to stay. They are also looking to expand geographically, with Latin America as their next target market.
Despite recent setbacks—attributable to changes in their paid media strategy—Antonia remains optimistic. “We’re still learning and fine-tuning our approach, but as soon as we find our footing, we’re ready to scale up.”
Skinology’s model is revolutionary: an entirely online skincare brand that customizes not just your skincare products but also the customer journey. Their partnership with Shop Quiz: Product Recommendation Quiz ensures that every interaction is meaningful, data-driven, and oriented towards better skincare outcomes. As they expand their reach, Skinology hopes to reshape how people approach skincare—simpler, smarter, and always personal.
To learn more, visit Skinology on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube or their website. For additional information about Shop Quiz: Product Recommendation Quiz and personalized quizzes, check out RevenueHunt.