A new app can tell how old your skin looks from a selfie, using artificial intelligence. The Olay Skin Advisor can analyse the user’s skin type, pinpoint their ‘visible skin age’ and recommend products based on its findings. The app is based on VizID technology which uses a ‘deep learning’ algorithm based on tens of thousands of images. According to cosmetics firm Olay, the AI has learned what a woman’s face looks like at any age to an ‘exceptionally accurate level’. When a selfie is uploaded to the app, it compares the image to information extracted from other images to reveal the age the person appears to be, based on their skin. The user is then prompted to answer a few questions to ascertain their skincare regimen and requirements. Based on this information and the selfie, the algorithm detects areas that may be driving the skin to visibly age. The app claims to pinpoint the ‘best’ and ‘improvement’ areas of the face. It then maps the analysis against more than 10,000 ‘product regime outcomes’ in order to recommend skincare products. The algorithm continues learning every time a new selfie is shared. The web-based skin analytics tool and advisor was first unveiled a few months ago, but hasn’t been available in the UK until now. Smart skincare and beauty products appear to becoming gradually more popular, with L’Oreal and Withings releasing a smart hairbrush this week. The brush – officially named the Kérastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings – features a microphone that “listens” to the sound of hair brushing in order to identify patterns that can give insights into manageability, frizziness, dryness, split ends and breakage.