MaskiD: U.S. Beta Launch of Neutrogena’s 3D Printed Face Mask

Neutrogena has launched a beta version of its highly-anticipated, custom 3D printed sheet mask in the United States. Every week, 100 skincare fans will get a chance to try the product before it is released and provide valuable feedback to the company. Anyone interested needs to join Neutrogena’s Facebook group “A Look Behind The Bar,” where moderators will choose eligible beta testers on a first-come-first-served basis. Once selected, the user needs to download the Neutrogena Skin360 app to 3D scan their face and further customize the mask.

Originally unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES) in Las Vegas in January 2019, this latest tech innovation from America’s top skincare brand is powered by user data to deliver a clinically efficient sheet mask. Eligible beta testers will get to personalize their Neutrogena MaskiD by first using the 3D cameras on their smartphones to snap selfies. The app then creates a precise, multi-dimensional map of the face, as well as exact measurements and the shape of the nose, space between the eyes, lips, and other unique physical characteristics. Beta testers must have an iPhone X or later, one of the downturns for many interested parties on the Facebook group. Several users commented that they wouldn’t be able to participate due to the smartphone brand limitation.

Once the scanning is complete, the Neutrogena Skin 360 system becomes the virtual equivalent of a knowledgeable dermatologist. Using the personalized data, it analyzes the skin’s needs, making a recommendation for what ingredients will be most beneficial and where. Finally, using a proprietary 3D printing process, high-efficacy ingredients are printed onto the custom-fit hydrogel mask on the mask’s precise zones where they will deliver the greatest benefit for that individual. Whether it’s dry patches on the forehead or redness on the cheeks, the Neutrogena MaskiD is designed to provide active ingredients exactly where needed.

Neutrogena’s personalized 3D printed face mask MaskiD. Image courtesy of Neutrogena.

Forming a translucent, flexible layer that conforms to every contour of the face, the hydrogel mask, created from cellulose sourced from locust beans and red seaweed, is custom 3D printed. The mask is made up of a unique combination of five powerhouse ingredients from the Neutrogena library of clinically-tested skincare solutions. Chosen based on information about each user’s individual skin needs and infused into the six zones of the mask (forehead, eye orbital, nose, cheeks, chin, and nasolabial folds), the ingredients include purified hyaluronic acid for skin hydration, vitamin B3 to boost skin condition, feverfew for reducing facial redness, stabilized glucosamine to limit the appearance of fine lines and vitamin C for overall skin radiance.

Neutrogena Global Marketing Director Logan McGill said in a LinkedIn post: “I am excited to announce the availability of Neutrogena MaskiD™, our micro 3D-printed personalized face mask, starting next week! Partnering with our A Look Behind the Bar™ Facebook group, we are recruiting the skincare faithful to join our beta study and have a chance to shape the future of skin health! Join A Look Behind the Bar for a chance to be eligible for the study and to get your own personalized face mask! “

With this innovative new product, Neutrogena presented dermatologist-grade technology delivered to the smartphone and at home. While the final price hasn’t been set just yet, Michael Southall, Global R&D BeautyTech Leader at Neutrogena’s parent company Johnson & Johnson, said that the goal is to price it consistently with Neutrogena’s product line, at “a price point that’s not out of reach.”

The personalized Neutrogena Skin 360 app helps the company determine customers’ personalized face masks. Image courtesy of Neutrogena.

To develop the tailored skin treatment, Neutrogena partnered with Johnson & Johnson’s in-house 3D Printing Center of Excellence. The Center typically works on products like custom surgical instruments, prototypes of bioprinted knee meniscus tissues, titanium alloy implants for cancer patients, and even tablets with 3D printing sensors for older patients that forget to take their pills.

In an interview, Southall described how the collaboration with the Center helped create a process to manufacture specialized masks on demand, with no two customer products being the same. The company claims that the sheet masks available are a particularly effective vehicle for skincare ingredients because they create a physical barrier that locks in nourishing ingredients and saturates the skin so the ingredients can do their work. However, people end up buying one-size-fits-all masks, which can be an imprecise fit.

During the 2019 launch event, Sebastien Guillon, Global President of Beauty at Johnson & Johnson, said women who had embraced the Neutrogena Skin 360 personal skin analysis app were happy to finally understand the unique aspects of their skin and that they wished they could find personalized skincare solutions to address their skin’s unique needs. With MaskiD, Neutrogena is giving consumers a product to satisfy exactly that unmet need.  According to a research report by Statista, although facial masks have been around for decades, the market value for face masks worldwide has been steadily increasing and is expected to grow from about $32.76 billion in 2018 to nearly $51 billion in 2025. The high popularity of sheet masks in particular combined with the tailored response from Neutrogena can turn MaskiD into a booming product, once it is commercially available.