CES wrapped up on Friday, and just like in previous years, this enormous event included plenty of beauty and wellness technology.

Here are four takeaways for those in the beauty industry:

No. 1: Is it the right time to see the light?

Light-based facial therapy isn’t new at CES, but two high-profile beauty brands were in the spotlight this week with new devices.

LG H&H showcased Hyper Rejuvenating Eye Patch, an ultra-thin, stretchable LED patch that is said to analyze facial images, segment the eye area into micro-zones and evaluate skin conditions to provide optimized light protocols. Its biomimetic interface, infused with topical formulations, conforms to facial contours to improve active ingredient delivery and maximize light energy efficiency.

In addition to Light Straight, a styling device that uses LED to style hair with less risk of damage than traditional high-heat appliances, L’Oréal showcased light therapy-based eye patches and a face mask.

L’Oréal is no stranger to showing off emerging concepts at CES. The LED facial mask and eye patches on display in Las Vegas were prototypes, and L’Oréal said will continue to work on Light Straight through 2017.

Many expect the use of light therapy in mainstream beauty to heat up in the coming years.

No. 2: Say goodbye to passive packaging

Companies like Nuon Medical are forging into a wide-open frontier for beauty brands: packaging technology that provides real benefits. Nuon’s ecosystem enables brands to embed sensing, treatment and connectivity directly into packaging—think a cap turned into an intelligent delivery engine/smart applicator, a diagnostic tool that monitors skin hydration or a sensor that tracks environmental risks that impact skin health (UV light and pollution).

“The future of efficacy lies in the synergy between the formulation and the delivery method. At CES 2026, we are showing R&D teams how our ‘device-in-packaging’ architecture acts as a treatment engine, unlocking the full biological potential of their products,” Alain Dijkstra, founder and CEO of Nuon Medical, said during CES.

(You can learn more about Nuon’s offerings in this Happi webinar.)

No. 3: Hidden gems can be anywhere at CES

CES spans multiple locations in Las Vegas, so seeing it all is nearly impossible (trust me, I’ve tried). But it is important to explore the nooks and crannies.

Our advice: don’t skip Eureka Park, the space filled with start-ups of all types. It can feel somewhat chaotic walking the aisles, but time there could spark an idea or partnership. In fact, this is why reps from L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble could be found walking the aisles at CES long before their companies took part as exhibitors and keynote speakers on the main stage.

(Here’s a link to a P&G presentation from CES Eureka Park in 2023.)

This year, CES attendees who walked Eureka Park may have come across Grabity, a Korean haircare brand that was showcasing a proprietary polyphenol complex. Developed by an MIT-trained scientist, Grabity’s complex, known as LiftMax 615, is said to form a dense, uniform coating on the hair surface, enabling stable adhesion to hair proteins and allowing the coating effect to remain on the hair for a “relatively extended” period.

According to the company, that high-density layer is designed to temporarily reinforce the strength and thickness of hair weakened by aging, while also reorganizing the hair’s surface structure to improve light reflection. As a result, hair appears visibly smoother, glossier and more resilient.

Grabity debuted last month in the US on Amazon. Products incorporating LiftMax 615 are scheduled for release in March.

Another MIT connection making headlines at CES was Amorepacific‘s Skinsight. Co-developed with a research group from MIT, Skinsight analyzes real-time skin-aging signals to predict aging.

No. 4: AI is in everything everywhere all at once

I know, I know. AI is everywhere. The how (and where) beauty brands leverage artificial intelligence is what to track.

Kolmar Korea’s AI-powered Scar Beauty device won the Best of Innovation Award in the Beauty Tech category at CES 2026. The integrated solution combines scar treatment and skin coverage, so users no longer need to apply the healing ointment to a scar and then conceal it with makeup. This device reportedly dispenses treatment and aesthetic coverage simultaneously in 10 minutes using piezo-electric micro-dispensing technology (similar to ink jet printing). Through AI, the connected app classifies the scar into one of 12 types and performs “condition analysis” to create a customized treatment solution. At the same time, the device blends and sprays a powder using a combination of more than “180 skin-tone-matched” colors to mask the scar.

The company said the goal is to “complete the technology launch” in the first half of 2026 and begin full-scale customer acquisition in the second half of the year.

More AI in beauty from CES:

• Kiehl’s Derma-Reader 2.0, an in-store tool that uses proprietary AI imaging and tri-polar lighting to capture and analyze more than 11 surface and subsurface skin attributes

• Amorepacific said its AI-powered skin analysis technology is being integrated into Samsung’s AI Beauty Mirror.

CES 2027

According to Hyojung Joo, head of the digital strategy division at Amorepacific, his company will continue to deliver integrated beauty experiences to customers worldwide. It is highly likely those experiences, and others, will be on display in Las Vegas next year.

Planning to go to CES to see them in person? Mark your calendar for Jan. 6-9, 2027.