site.btaAI Helps Cosmetics Businesses Provide Customized Products

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ever more widely used in cosmetics. High technology is essential for producing the results which consumers expect from cosmetic products, Gergana Andreeva, Executive Director of the Bulgarian National Association of Essential Oils, Perfumery and Cosmetics (AEOPC), told BTA in an interview.

In her words, cosmetics companies use complex digitized processes. "Software applications which assess the condition of every person and recommend what they should have, are becoming increasingly popular. The goal is a higher quality of life" Andreeva said.

The latest technologies in the sector were presented at IN-COSMETICS Global, a leading international event for personal care ingredients, held in Paris earlier this month. Bulgarian companies were presented at the annual event for the first time. Their participation was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and State Fund Agriculture, Andreeva said.

According to her, the latest technological solutions presented at the fair seem to belong in the distant future, but in fact they are very much a reality of the present day. Digital apps are aimed at satisfying the personal needs of every client, she stressed.

The expert also pointed to a clear trend of phasing in eco-friendly production and the need to prove that the products are completely organic. "This is what we call conscious consumption. More than ever before, we expect products to be sustainable, sparing to the environment, with recyclable packaging, biodegradable, without synthetic and microplastic ingredients," she explained.

Asked whether the high-tech future and the drive for sustainability present a challenge to Bulgarian cosmetics companies, Andreeva said these standards can be achieved by adopting a long-term strategy for the development of every company, large or small. "The truth is that if you ignore the trends, the changing requirements along the supply chain, the demands of customers, you will be pushed out of the game," she commented.

"What is needed is not just investments but also due awareness among a company's leaders and every employee in it," she said.

Andreeva noted that Bulgaria's natural aromatic products set the local cosmetics industry apart from the rest of the world and make it competitive. "Bulgaria is known worldwide for its plant ingredients. These include essential oils, plant extracts and stem cells from various plant species such as Haberlea rhodopensis, Roman chamomile and mountain tea," she said, adding that Bulgarian rose and lavender oils set international standards.