It was as easy as 1-2-3. I refer, of course, to the so-called Clinique “computer”. Launched in 1968, the computer was actually a plastic diagnostic tool with a sliding bar — like a beauty abacus¹ — that sat on shiny white counters in department stores and swiped to reveal a personalised solution for your every skincare need. Every skincare need, that is, as long as it was one of four: normal, oily, dry or (more radical² at that time when there really weren’t any other options) combination.

一切就像是数1、2、3那样简单。我指的当然是倩碧“皮肤分析器”(Clinique computer)。1968年推出的这款皮肤分析器实际上是一台带滑杆的塑料诊断仪，看起来就像一个美妆算盘，摆放在百货商场洁白光亮的柜台上。划一下，就可以针对你的每一个护肤需求，显示出一个定制方案。每一个护肤需求，确切地说，只要属于以下四种肤质之一：中性、油性、干性或（在那个年代更具创新性，因为当时真的没有其他任何选择）混合性。

Personalised skincare has come a long way since Clinique’s pioneering skincare programme became one of the world’s best-selling “bespoke³” ranges (50 years later, a bottle of Dramatically Different Moisturiser — from ￡30 — is sold somewhere in the world every four seconds). Wander through a beauty hall today and aside from the ubiquitous monogramming, you’ll find personalised skincare programmes wherever you look.

倩碧具有开创意义的护肤方案一举成为全球最热销的“定制”产品系列之一（50年后，全球平均每4秒就能卖出一瓶售价30美元起的倩碧特效润肤露(Dramatically Different Moisturiser)）。此后，私人定制护肤品突飞猛进。如今再逛化妆品区，除了无处不在的倩碧身影，量身定制的护肤产品随处可见。

From Dior’s new Capture Totale serums⁵, which address an array of individual concerns — be it plumping, redness, lifting, mattifying or getting extra “glow” — to face masks by Fresh designed to be layered and alternated according to the day of the week, brands today are catering⁶ to a consumer who, rather than being boxed into a “type”, wants a moisturiser for every mood.

迪奥(Dior)新推出的活肤驻颜修复(Capture Totale)系列可解决多种个人需求，例如丰盈、抗敏、紧致、控油、或增加“光泽”；蕾诗(Fresh)面膜则可在一周不同日子叠搭、交替使用。现在的消费者不想再被笼统归为某类“肤质”，而是希望每一种心境都有对应的润肤产品。对于这种新趋势，各大品牌都在竭力迎合。

“It makes sense,” says Noella Gabriel, the co-founder of Elemis, whose skincare analysis relies on detailed⁷ facial mapping and lifestyle consultations⁸, as well as a choice of 10 different treatments, all of which help explain which of its 450 products are right for you. “Skin type will fluctuate throughout the month due to hormones⁹, stress and varying factors as well as age. So, although you may have a combination skin type there will be times that oiliness and breakouts are more the norm, when you feel that your skin most needs the attention.”

“这很有道理。”英国品牌艾丽美(Elemis)联合创始人诺艾拉?加布里埃尔(Noella Gabriel)表示。艾丽美为顾客出具护肤分析报告前，要进行详细的面部测绘和对生活方式的咨询，有10种不同的护理可选。所有这些手段都有助于顾客在其450种产品中选择适合自己的产品。“整个月，肤质类型每天都会随激素分泌、压力和其他因素，还有年龄的变化而不断波动。因此，尽管你或许属于混合型肤质，但有时会更偏向油性和出痘，这时你会感到自己的皮肤最需要注意。”

According to a new report by Mintel, this demand for individualised beauty is in its infancy¹⁰. It predicts a big increase in customisable beauty in the year ahead. The demand is driven by the Asian market: in the same survey, 31 per cent of Chinese consumers aged between 20 and 49 said “individuality” was the definition of luxury. “More than ever, customers are seeking experiences and products that are tailored rather than a one-size-fits-all approach,” agrees Emily Saunders, the beauty buyer for Selfridges and its Beauty Workshop. The newly opened 5,000 sq ft space offers a range of “bespoke” services, from facial massages¹¹ at FaceGym to skincare from Geneu — a British brand that sells tailor-made serums (from ￡200) based on a 15-minute DNA¹² test.

根据国际市场研究咨询公司英敏特(Mintel)新近发布的一份报告，这种对个性化定制护肤品的需求才刚刚兴起。报告预计，未来一年这种定制化美妆的需求会大量增多。需求主要来自亚洲市场：在同一份调查中，中国31%的20至49岁消费者表示，“个性化”代表着奢侈。“消费者比以往任何时候都更加关注量身定制的体验和产品，而不再是无差别的成品。”埃米莉?桑德斯(Emily Saunders)也这样认为。她是Selfridges百货公司及其美妆馆的美妆产品买手。这家新开的美妆馆占地5000平方英尺，提供一系列“定制”服务，从FaceGym的面部按摩到英国护肤品牌Geneu——该品牌提供一次15分钟的基因测试，根据测试结果量身定制护肤品（售价200英镑起）。

For stores, personalisation has the added advantage of offering a flexibility¹³ that can’t be delivered as easily via e-commerce. The Clinique “computer” (a version of which they still have for those of us nostalgic enough to miss it) is now the ubiquitous iPad, while other skincare counters offer high-tech¹⁴ equipment or hands-on mini-facials, all of which require the advice of a consultant¹⁵.

对于商场来说，个性化定制美妆可以为自己增加优势。这种灵活性是电子商务无法提供的。倩碧的“皮肤分析器”（他们仍保留了一种，怀旧之人不容错过）现在升级为无处不在的iPad，而其他护肤柜台则配备了高科技仪器，或手持迷你面部护理仪器。这些都需要美容顾问提供建议。

“The customer wants to walk away knowing they have received something that’s bespoke to their needs and haven’t just been sold the latest launch,” says Emily Soulsby, beauty buyer at Liberty, whose beauty rooms offer a pop-up facial service that delivers a detailed skin analysis. “It’s about the service rather than what’s on the bottle. We have customers who come in for a facial and go on to purchase the products recommended in their treatment.”

“顾客希望买的化妆品是专门针对自己的需求定制的，而不是被兜售了最新产品。”Liberty商场美妆买手埃米莉?索尔斯比(Emily Soulsby)说。这家商场的美妆馆提供限时面部护理服务，可以为顾客出具一份详细的皮肤分析，“关键是服务，而不是瓶子上的标签。我们有顾客来做面部护理，接着就买了护理时推荐使用的产品。”

The potential for sales is enormous. When QMS Medicosmetics took over the beauty room for a week, offering tailored consultations, its in-store sales tripled.

定制产品的销售潜力惊人。药妆品牌QMS Medicosmetics曾接手在美妆馆布展一周，提供专门的咨询服务。期间，其店内营业额增加了两倍。

Yet while the diagnostic tools are personal, are the products all that bespoke? Elixseri, a new range of serum⁴-only skincare (from ￡76), is an innovative¹⁶ line designed to work according to how your skin feels at different times of the week, month or year. You pick a serum that deals with your most pressing concern, then layer on another to address other issues as and when you feel the need. This “wardrobe” approach is definitely a step in the right direction, but Dr Liudmila Korkina, the chief scientist behind it, agrees that — like most skincare offerings — it’s far from being fully personalised yet. “In order to create a truly personalised diagnostic, we need to determine many more factors than the standard lipid or moisture levels that we do today,” she says. “From a medical and formulation perspective, personalised skincare is one of the largest challenges of modern dermatology and cosmetology.”

不过，尽管诊断工具的使用做到了个性化，但产品都做到了量身定制吗？新推出的纯乳液护肤系列Elixseri（售价76英镑起）大胆创新，会根据你的皮肤在一周、一个月或一年内不同时间的不同感受来选择配方。你选择一款针对你最迫切需求的乳液，在需要时，再叠加一层针对其他问题的乳液。这种“衣橱”式护肤的思路肯定是正确的，但该品牌首席科学家柳德米拉?科尔基纳博士(Dr Liudmila Korkina)也赞同一点，即与大多数护肤产品一样，目前该品牌还远远称不上完全个性化定制。“要想做到真正个性化的诊断，我们需要确定多得多的因素，绝不仅我们现在依据的标准脂质或含水量。”她说，“从医学和配方上讲，个性化护肤是现代皮肤科和美容业最艰巨的挑战之一。”

One brand attempting to meet that challenge is Allél, a Swiss-made skincare label created by two Swedes. Allél’s products and nutritional¹⁷ supplements are prescribed only after the customer has had DNA testing and a professional evaluation¹⁸ (available at the Cadogan Clinic in London for ￡1,500, and including three months of products). Allél looks at 16 genetic¹⁹ markers in five different categories of skin ageing, including skin’s collagen, pigmentation and how it responds to inflammation.

一个试图应对这一挑战的品牌是Allél。该品牌由两位瑞典人创建，在瑞士生产。只有在顾客经过基因测试和专业的评估后，才会配出护肤品和营养品（目前可以在伦敦的卡多根诊所(Cadogan Clinic)进行测试，收费1500英镑，含3个月用量的产品）。配方依据为5种皮肤衰老类别的16种基因标识，包括皮肤的胶原蛋白、色素沉着及抗敏性等。

“Our products have been tested in clinical tests, showing significant results within 28 days of use, with improved skin firmness and elasticity²⁰ as well as reduction of wrinkle depth and volume,” says the brand’s co-founder Dr Elisabet Hagert.

该品牌联合创始人伊丽莎白?哈格特博士(Dr Elisabet Hagert)表示：“我们的产品都经过了临床测试。测试结果显示，在连续使用28天后，皮肤会得到显著改善，更加紧致，有弹性，皱纹也会变浅和减少。”

Of course, the real test is whether having such a personalised regime will make a significant difference. “Everything about skincare is psychological,” says Elixseri chief executive Alicia Schweiger. “The placebo²¹ effect is at least 50 per cent of the entire experience.” Knowing it’s just for you might give your skincare a head start. For once in your life, perhaps you should take it personally.

当然，真正的考验在于，这样的个性化定制护肤能否为皮肤带来显著改善。“护肤完全是心理感受。”Elixseri首席执行官艾丽西亚?施魏格尔(Alicia Schweiger)如是说，“安慰剂效应至少占到整个体验的50%。”想到这些产品是专门为你定制的，可能会让你的护肤赢在了起跑线上。或许，你一生至少应该选择一次私人定制。