Subscribe
Sign in
p/ming-zhaoYou are unique, your skincare should be too.
Start new thread
Eithiriel DeMerĆØ

PROVEN - Personalized skincare powered by AI, engineered for you

byā€¢

PROVEN customizes a simplified skincare system for men and women that takes the guesswork out of caring for skin. Using our proprietary Skin Genome Project database, combined with expertise from Stanford Dermatology, we engineer your customized skincare.

Add a comment

Replies

Best
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
PROVEN was founded by two people frustrated with the skincare industryā€™s lack of innovation and decades of stagnation. My cofounder Amy Yuan is a computational physicist from Stanford, and when skincare products on the market failed to treat her atopic dermatitis time and time again, she built her own AI-powered database to analyze thousands of scientific studies and millions of consumer reviews to connect the dots between ingredients and how they affect peopleā€™s skin. This database turned into what we now call the Skin Genome Project.  The Skin Genome Project encompasses more than 20 million consumer reviews and 4000 scientific papers on skin. It also won MITā€™s AI Technology of the year award, beating out 400 other AI companies. Our database is the first time that machine learning technology of this caliber has ever been applied to skincare, and we are so proud of it! My personal rude awakening was when years at an unforgiving private equity job had me looking and feeling old and tired beyond my years. I tried all kinds of expensive skincare products to no avail. I never saw a real difference until I tried products that were tailor made for my skin.  Amy and then I set off to bring personalized, data-powered skincare to everyone. We then partnered with the head of dermatology at Stanford University and UT Austin, and gave birth to PROVEN: personalized, 3-step skincare systems thatā€™re formulated based on more than 47 factors about a person, including their gene expression, environment, external lifestyle and skin concerns. You simply take a free, 3 minute quiz to analyze your skin and get your personal skin recommendations. PROVEN is also clean, non-toxic and made in the USA and for both men and women. To celebrate us launching nation-wide, we wanted to offer the PH community a special code to get 15% off your own first set of PROVEN personalized skincare, please use the code: HUNTED for 15% off. Cheers, Ming and Amy Code: HUNTED for 15% off
Naomi Assaraf šŸ”„
@proven Ooh! Thanks for the code, Ming and Amy! I've been a user of Proven skincare for a few months now, and I look no more than 25years old! (and for those of you who could never guess, I'm actually in my 40s! šŸ˜‰) Thanks for such an awesome product that is safe to use! I love it so much! ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø GIF just for fun on #TuesdayMorning šŸ‘‡šŸ½
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@nassaraf haha, thanks so much Naomi for being an early supporter and for the lovely message and GIF! Really honored to get to care for your skin and can't wait to make PROVEN even better for you!
Kaloyan Dobrev
I like the concept of the product. The idea that everyone has different needs that needs to be met by a custom solution is spot on. I hope you succeed, because companies like this are the engine of the future.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@kokiweb Thank you Kaloyan for your comment and absolutely, we are all unique individuals, what our skin needs depends on our inherent disposition from our genetics as well as on our external factors such as the humidity level, UV level, pollution level, use of digital devices and blue light, etc.. So it only makes sense that we should receive differentiated care for our skin, our body's largest organ.
Mr Horipodo a
When I started figuring out my skincare routine, I had difficulty figuring out which products to use. It seemed that my skin was both sensitive and combination and dehydrated at the same time, and the care products were very different in these characteristics. So to finally understand, I ordered a detailed skin analysis. It was a quick procedure after which I was told what care products would be suitable for me, painted all my care in detail, and even advised adding a facial massager https://beautydraft.com. I realize now that it saved me a lot of mistakes in selecting the wrong products.
Angie
Interesting concept. If the purpose is to revitalize stagnant innovation in an industry that hasn't changed much then are you also innovating new skin care ingredients too, or is Proven solely innovating the skin care quiz/personalization?
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@angie_liti hi Angie! Thanks so much for your thoughtful questions! Indeed, we can't innovate upon skincare without also innovating upon the ingredients that the products contain and how they're formulated. We first utilize only clean, non-toxic, scientific ingredients, and also take into account two elements for ingredient selection. First, our database, the Skin Genome Project, is able to tell us what ingredients are really tried-and-true to work for different individuals, in that the database has more than 20Million consumer testimonials, and 4000 scientific papers, so we've used machine learning algorithms to analyze the data to understand what ingredients are first correlated with good results for what kind of individuals. Then we partner with our dermatology advisor, Dr. Hollmig, who was the head of Dermatology at Stanford, and now the Head of Dermatology Surgery at UT Austin, who is a practicing clinician and researcher, to understand what ingredients are new and cutting edge for different skin concerns, what ingredient maybe have not yet gotten mainstream usage, but are already proven by papers and studies to have good effects. We then also incorporate those. So that allows us to formulate with both tried-and-true as well as cutting-edge, new and hot-off the presses ingredients for our customers. Not only that. As the seasons change, and as the seasons in people's lives change, a man may change the way they shave their face, or a woman may get pregnant or enter menopause, or even if neither of those things happened, and the seasons just changed, we also update our ingredients and ingredient concentrations to provide the right formulations for individuals at the right time.
Angie
@proven That sounds amazing! Really well thought out. I love the combination of clean skin care with innovative ingredients and complete personalization to every user. Good luck!
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@angie_liti Thank you Angie! Appreciate your support!
Eithiriel DeMerĆØ
Hunter
PROVEN is skincare that's tailored to more than 47 factors about you, including your gene expression, environment, lifestyle, and skin concerns. They are doing something that's never been done in the consumer space and in skincare before, by bringing AI award winning technology to create personalized skincare products for individuals, PROVEN is breaking through decades of paradigm in how our skin and body should be cared for, by providing personalized care, and in the process, improving the everyday lives of people using technology.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@nikkielizdemere Thank you so much Nichole for hunting us and for giving us the opportunity to share PROVEN's story with the PH community! Because we apply technology to improve people's everyday lives, we feel a strong affinity with the PH ethos and community, so is awesome to be here!
Michelle Diaz
Iā€™ve always used drug store brands or what I find at Whole Foods, but now Iā€™m really intrigued. Will give this a try
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@michelle_diaz2 Thanks Michelle! Absolutely, we are changing the entire skincare experience for customers, from having to pick from pre-made, one-size-fits all products that are just sitting on shelves, to getting products that fit exactly your needs! Please give us a try, use the PH special code of HUNTED to get your 15% off, and let us know how you like PROVEN!
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@michelle_diaz2 @lisaqfetterman Haha thanks! Yes! A gift to anyone who has skin!
Nancy Bonsai
I've love Proven since my first jar. Exactly what my skin needs. I've got an oily T-zone and dry cheeks. Thx PROVEN for this.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@basicbonsai Hi Nancy, thanks so much for sharing your feedback and thank you for your support! We live to hear feedback from our customers and are so happy we get to serve your skin the way it needs to be cared for!
Ken Savage
I like the idea that itā€™s very customized toward me. Do you offer this as a monthly subscription or is it a one time purchase?
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@kensavage hi Ken thanks for your question! PROVEN is available both as a 8-week subscription at a discount or as a one-time-purchase set. We want to make it easy for you to experience PROVEN and see the results that only customized offerings can provide!
Allen Asagib
How does it work?
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@asagib1 Hi Allen - thanks for your question! PROVEN's personalized skincare system work be first understanding many aspects about you, including your gene expression, external environment, lifestyle and skin concerns. And you do this by first taking our free, 3-minute Skin Genome Quiz, which you can access on our website. After that, we will be able to show you exactly what ingredients are a good fit for you, and we will compound those into your personalized set to be shipped right to you door! Then as the seasons change, we also update the formulations to fit your changing environment and skin needs.
Jai Jung Kim
Love them!
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@jai_jung_kim1 Thanks Jai! Really appreciate your support and patronage!
Lisa Q. Fetterman
I use this product every day and it is insanely amazing. I can't believe how well it works. If AI can beat us at Go it can do things for consumer products you couldn't even imagine.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@lisaqfetterman Thanks so much Lisa for your awesome feedback! It's because of customer like you that we work hard everyday to improve. Thank you for being an early supporter of PROVEN and we are eternally grateful!!
Ryan Kovach
Incredible product that's actually backed by data. There are so many brands in this space, but none attempt to truly educate their customers throughout the buying process quite like this team. I'm a big fan of the quiz functionality they have running and I'm excited to see this brand continue to make an impact in this space.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@ryan_kovach Thanks so much for your kind words Ryan and for your support! We truly believe in skin care being a science, and as a science, it needs evidence, research and data, and that's why we're doing what we're doing.
David Herrmann
Love that you can match your skin-type to your environment as this product does. Truly a game-changer. As a man I never really think about my skin, but more and more as skin cancer is more prevalent I am. Having a data backed AI that tells me exactly what I need for where ever I am is truly a game changer!
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@david_herrmann Thanks David for your kind message! Men absolutely need to care for and maintain their skin as well, with SPFs to prevent skin cancer, as well as moisturizers to maintain the skin barrier function. Thank you for your belief in PROVEN.
Xinran Li
Really interesting idea! Love the fact that the product changes every couple weeks based on the season and environment.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@xinran_li Thanks Xinran! Yes, our lives and skin is not stagnant, but changes naturally with time and with the seasons - so this is such an overlooked element of skincare. Thanks for pointing that out more!
Jessica Clark
Excellent skincare products tailored for my skin! Loving my glowy skin! Highly recommend!
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@jessica_clark Thanks so much for your support Jessica! Really appreciate you being an early customer and evangelizing about us!!
Xepa777
I was surprised to find that my friend's wife has already been using this product for months when I first talked to her about this LOL. Her reviews convinced me to get this for my own fiance :)
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@xepa777 Haha, thanks a lot Xepa! Please thank your friend's wife for us. And let us know what your fiance think too! PROVEN is for both men and women so get some for yourself too, and take advantage of the PH special discount!
Stella Ashley Lim
I've been using Proven for the last year and my skin really cleared up. Made the mistake of switching off for the last few weeks and now I'm breaking out again. I've learned my lesson - stick with Proven.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@stella_ashley_lim Thanks so much for your feedback! We appreciate your patronage and support and couldn't be here without you!
Mandy Weaver
Similar to the individualized nature of nutrition and food intake -- skincare needs to be tailored to our unique skin, climate, activity, age, and dietary needs. As an active 41 year old female I want to look strong and have the best skin and health available to me throughout my life. Thank you Proven Skincare šŸ’œ
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@mandy_12 Thanks so much Mandy for your kind comment, and absolutely, our body and organs require individualized care. We are so excited at PROVEN to get to serve your skin!
Miyanda Nehwati
Congrats! This really sings to my inner skincare nerd :D I have mainly The Ordinary and NIOD products in my regimen and already use many of the Actives in my suggested Proven Cleanser/Moisturiser/Serum which is a positive! The Granactive Retinol sounds interesting at almost Rx grade. Would you consider modifying your formulations to exclude essential oils?
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@jacarandachick Hi Miyanda, thanks for your interest in PROVEN! Yes, our granactive retinoid, which is basically Rx grade retinoid, and other cutting edge ingredients are super exciting and yield great results for our customers. Our new sets of formulations that are coming out starting next monty do not have essential oils, but instead use natural plant extracts only for scent improvement. Thanks for asking and hope we get to take care of your skin!
Jonas M. B.
Only for U.S. customers?
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@pastelpad For now yes Jonas! Where are you based? We are keeping a list of countries we want to enter next based on customer demand.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@pastelpad ah ok, weā€™d love to serve you there soon. Thank you so much for your interest!
Satish Gaire
What exactly is "AI" here? The quiz? That's simple logic statements. Not exactly AI... Now, Here is how you take your product to NEXT level. During or after the quiz, have people get on the camera ( use Google Vision, AWS rekognition to start for now ) you can skip all the silly questions like how does your skin look in photos? This is just tip of the iceberg, there is so many things that you can do to make it "really" AI. Reach out & we can discuss more if you like.
Ming S. Zhao
Maker
@satishgaire Thanks for your question Satish! Indeed, the AI that won us MIT's AI Technology of the year award, in which we beat out 400 other AI companies is our Skin Genome Project database, which I detailed in my comment above. Computer vision recognition is unfortunately not at a level where it's able to recognize skin abnormalities - it is only ok for color cosmetics since that's easy to recognize. We know because as part of Y-Combinator and Stanford StartX programs, we've talked with some of the top computer vision experts. we are watching this space though, and once the technology is at a good enough level, we may consider it. Let me know if you have any other questions!