Review: We tried Revea’s AI skincare technology

Over the last few years, I’ve done a deep dive into all things skincare. Turning 30 does that to you — one day, all you need for glowing skin is a splash of water and some moisturizer, and the next you’re looking dull, dry, and splotchy just because you stayed up an extra hour the night before. Without the extra income to afford regular trips to the dermatologist or an aesthetician, however, most of my skincare journey has been based on trial and error. I’ve spent countless hours scrolling through TikTok and Reddit, I’ve tried lengthy Korean beauty routines, and — while I’ve had some luck finding my own “holy grail” products — most of what I’m doing is still guessing. 

While there’s nothing wrong with guesswork, it’s an expensive and time-consuming process that isn’t always successful. Some products make a difference, sure, but others do absolutely nothing or worse, leaving my skin looking red and irritated. Not to mention the fact that — after spending hundreds of dollars on new products — it can be overwhelming to navigate the sheer volume of skincare solutions available today. 

One company, Revea(opens in a new tab), hopes to change that for everyone. 

A skincare technology company, Revea calls itself “the most advanced skincare system in the world.” Using a combination of cutting-edge technology and AI, the company was founded by a group of scientists and skincare experts on a mission to bring truly individualized skincare straight to your doorstep. And the way it works is actually pretty cool. 

What is Revea? 

Originally launched as a brick-and-mortar location in San Francisco, Revea started by using hyperspectral imaging technology (HSI) to look deep into your skin. From there, the company analyzes your skin to “map” your skin’s unique biology and create a personalized treatment plan specifically for you.

Sound cool? That’s because it is. Revea uses AI to connect the dots between your skin’s data and the perfect skincare routine for you, so instead of relying on guesswork — or oversimplified skin types like dry, normal, oily, or combination — you get a truly personalized skincare recommendation. 

However, the technology used in Revea’s San Francisco lab is expensive, and it’s not accessible to everyone around the world…even if they were to open more locations. That’s why the company decided to develop a cutting-edge mobile app that allows you to scan your skin with your smartphone — using AI to connect the dots between your phone’s camera and hyperspectral imaging data — to analyze your skin and get personalized recommendations without even leaving your house.

How does it work? 

Revea’s new skincare app(opens in a new tab) starts by using your phone’s camera to do a free “skincare diagnosis.” The process is simple and straightforward, and it takes less than a minute to follow the on-screen instructions to do the scan. All I had to do was start with clean, fresh skin and — while standing in front of a well-lit window — hold the camera straight in front of my face while slowly rotating my face to the right and to the left to complete the scan. The entire process was seamless and easy, and the app even gives you suggestions on how to improve your lighting, how close you should be to your phone, and how far you should move your face to get an accurate scan.

From there, Revea uses AI technology to search through their database, which was created by analyzing over one billion skin data points and 30,000 unique skin profiles, to scan your skin and identify any issues or areas of concern that need to be addressed before recommending a personalized skincare routine that can be delivered straight to your door. 

And overall, the process is pretty simple. It only takes a few short minutes to complete your scan, and while I was skeptical about whether or not the scientific jargon would live up to the hype, I was super impressed with the results. 

My skin data was surprisingly robust. I haven’t had great experiences with “customized online experiences” in the past, but Revea blew me away. Each page offered an in-depth look at a specific factor of my skin’s overall health and appearance. From skin radiance to dermal fibers, skin tone, energy supply, and hydration — the results of my scan were robust and data-rich without being overwhelming or too technical.

The app provides a super in-depth look at different factors in your skin’s health.
Credit: Screenshot / Revea

They also went into detail about different things that might be contributing to each factor’s overall “score,” and I liked being able to learn more about each one. Hydration, for instance, was broken down into three subcategories — surface hydration, skin barrier, and sebum production — each of which received its own individual analysis. 

The different factors get rated as compromised, fair, or excellent.
Credit: Screenshot / Revea

Revea’s Membership Program

After performing your free skin analysis, Revea’s app then recommends a customized skincare regimen designed to target the biggest issues identified in your personalized scan. Each regimen includes three products customized to your skin’s unique needs: an AM serum, a PM serum, and a moisturizer. They don’t currently offer any other types of products or additional recommendations, but the membership program does include a “personal skin concierge” where you can ask questions about your skin — including what to do if a product isn’t working for you, which additional products you should use, whether or not a retinol would work for your skin type, which SPF would work best with your other products, etc. 

The app breaks down how each skincare product is customized to you — my AM serum, for instance, was formulated to target “energy supply” while my PM serum focused on “skin milieu” — so you can see exactly which ingredients are included in your products and why. You can also customize your moisturizer’s texture, so you’re getting a truly customized and personalized skincare routine delivered straight to your door. 

You can see a breakdown of your personalized regimen in the app.
Credit: Screenshot / Revea

Priced at $250 every three months, Revea isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s also not that expensive either, especially when you compare it to luxury skincare products. Each product contains a 90-day supply of product, so you’re essentially getting three $80 products that, used correctly, will last you three months. 

What I liked about Revea

I really enjoyed using Revea to scan my skin, and I appreciated that it was a free feature available to everyone with no purchase required so I could try out the scan and see what my results are without committing to buying any products. I loved how data-rich the scan was too.

Some of the results weren’t necessarily new — I knew that I had some issues with inflammation, for instance — but others were enlightening. It helped me close the loop on some of the guesswork I’d done over the last few years: I’d recently added Vitamin C to my skincare routine with great results, and considering Vitamin C was included in both my AM and PM serums from Revea, I could now understand why it was working so well for me. 

The products themselves were silky smooth and easy to use, and I appreciated Revea’s emphasis on sustainability with their high-quality, refillable packaging. 

Each product should last around three months.
Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

What I didn’t like about Revea

While I liked trying out Revea, I don’t think I consider myself a convert…yet. I didn’t notice a significant difference or improvement in my overall skin health and appearance, but I’ve only been trying the products for two weeks, so that’s not too surprising. 

The technology behind Revea is clearly phenomenal, but the products themselves left a little bit to be desired. While Revea doesn’t use any fragrance in their products, they did have a chemical smell that wasn’t very pleasant. I also didn’t like being “stuck” with one moisturizer for three months, especially because the texture I chose ended up leaving my skin looking greasy and way too shiny. Granted, you can always swap out your moisturizer texture for a different one on your next order, but I was disappointed to be wasting what’s essentially an $80 product because it didn’t suit my skin.

Is Revea worth it? 

Honestly, it depends. If you’re someone who is finicky about what products you use on your skin, you might not want to risk spending $250 on products that may or may not work for you. Personally, I prefer trying out products myself — especially in smaller sizes, so I can decide if I like the smell and texture — so I didn’t love not having a lot of choice in the products I was receiving from Revea outside of the moisturizer.

However, if you’re someone who wants to eliminate the “guesswork” part of skincare completely — especially without visiting a dermatologist — Revea(opens in a new tab) might be the perfect solution for you. It’s simple and convenient, and while I didn’t love all of the products, what works for you might be different than what works for me. And considering Revea’s risk-free 90-day guarantee, it might be worth a try.