THE norm is to blindly buy a skincare product on the strength of its advertising or word-of-mouth recommendation, going by faith and trial-and-error. But now, one new skincare brand from Paris will eliminate that uncertainty, promising to give women and men scientific diagnoses as the basis for its recommended products. "Ioma isn't just an ingredient story," summarises Jean Michel Karam, the founder and chief executive officer of the brand which touts itself as offering "smart" skincare.

"It's completely different from what you see on the field today, and it is revolutionising how skincare is being delivered," he adds. Paris-based Ioma plans to expand in Asia from Singapore.

The brand is built on its diagnostic devices, based on microelectromechanical systems (Mems). Mems are complex electronic components that can detect physical phenomena such as pressure, acceleration and speed in a particular environment. How is Mems going to revolutionise the beauty industry?