Most beauty stores already collect more than they use. A quiz with twelve questions feeds a single "thanks for signing up" email, and the answers sit in a spreadsheet nobody opens. A scan and a short quiz can do better, as long as each piece of data has a job.
Key terms
- Zero-party data: information a shopper hands over intentionally, like quiz answers and preferences.
- First-party data: what you observe yourself, such as orders and site visits.
- Skin-concern tags: tags Face Age adds to a Shopify customer after a scan, based on the concerns read.
- Face Age Recommendation: the event sent to Klaviyo after a scan, used to trigger flows (Plus and above).
- Save analysis data: an optional setting that stores the full record (photos, quiz answers, routine and recommendations) with the Shopify customer.
What zero-party data does a scan and quiz collect?
It helps to split it into three groups.
What the shopper tells you. Quiz answers. In Face Age, quiz elements include Text Box, Email, Select and Multi Select, so you can ask about sensitivity, routine length, fragrance, budget or which range they're shopping.
What the scan reads. The analysis reads 13 visible concerns from one selfie, each with a severity, plus summary badges like Skin Age. It's cosmetic. Not a medical diagnosis; does not replace a dermatologist.
What happened next. The products recommended, what was added to cart, and whether an order followed. Face Age's analytics show analyses, add-to-cart and product visits, and orders placed after an analysis are tagged in Shopify. The analytics guide defines each metric.
The scan reading isn't quite zero-party in the strict sense, since the shopper didn't type it. But they chose to take the scan and they see every result, which is closer to "told you" than to background tracking. I'd give it the same care as quiz answers.
Where does the data go?
| Data | Where it lands | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz answers and scan results | Shown to the shopper on the result screen | All plans |
| Email plus skin-concern tags | Shopify Customers (with the Shopify Customers integration on) | Check your plan's integrations on the pricing page |
| Face Age Recommendation event | Klaviyo, as an API metric for flows | Plus and above |
| Results email | Mailchimp (or Face Age's Basic Email when no CRM is connected) | Mailchimp on Plus and above |
| Scan history | Browser, server, or both, per your history setting | Plus and above |
| Full record (photos, answers, routine, recommendations) | Shopify customer, if Save analysis data is on | Optional; use with Server API or Both |
Two things catch stores out. First, a scan doesn't collect an email by itself. The address comes from the Email element in your quiz, and there's one per quiz. No Email element, nothing to sync. Second, the Shopify Customers connection subscribes leads with confirmed opt-in by default. That's a sensible default; check that your Klaviyo or Mailchimp list settings match what the scan screen promised.
What should you actually ask?
Start from what you'll do with each answer. If you can't name the email, the product rule or the report that uses it, cut the question.
A short, useful set:
- "Does your skin react easily to new products?" Drives exclusion rules and a "gentle" segment.
- "How many steps do you want in your routine?" Drives routine length and the tone of follow-up emails.
- "Which range are you shopping?" Useful if you sell separate lines.
- Email. Placed just before results, where shoppers are most willing to give it.
Leave out what the scan already reads. Asking "Is your skin oily?" and then reading oiliness from the photo gives you two answers that may disagree, and you'll have to pick one. Our post on skincare quiz questions that help product matching goes deeper on this.
Avoid sensitive questions you don't need: age brackets you won't use, health conditions, medication. They add risk and rarely change a product suggestion.
How to use it
Segments that match how you sell
With skin-concern tags syncing to Klaviyo's Shopify Tags property, you can build segments like "pigment, medium or high" or "acne plus reacts easily". Then send content that fits: a sunscreen reminder for the pigment group, a gentle-routine guide for the sensitive group. The step-by-step is in our Klaviyo segmentation guide.
Product rules on site
Quiz answers feed Extra Condition rules directly. "Reacts easily = Yes" can exclude strong actives from every result, which is zero-party data doing its job at the moment it matters.
Merchandising decisions
Look at which concerns come up most in your scans and which mapped products shoppers actually add to cart. If a concern shows up often and you have only one product mapped to it, that's a gap worth discussing with your buying team. Use it as a prompt for a conversation, not a forecast.
Returning shoppers
On Plus and above, history and the Compare tab let a returning shopper see two scans side by side. Pair that with a reminder email a few weeks after purchase, and the data you collected once keeps being useful.
Three mistakes I see often
Asking for everything up front. A long quiz before the photo costs you shoppers before they ever see a result. Put the email and any optional questions after the scan, or just before results.
Collecting and never using. If a question has no rule, segment or email behind it, it's friction with no payoff. Review your quiz every quarter and cut what isn't used.
Letting tags drift. If you rename products or ranges, check that your exclusion rules and Klaviyo segments still point at the right things. Tags copied by hand from an old setup are a common reason a segment suddenly goes quiet.
Collect less, explain more
Zero-party data only works if shoppers trust you with it. A few rules I'd stick to:
- Say what you collect before the camera opens. One line, linked to the privacy policy. Face Age provides a policy template that discloses AI skin analysis; have your lawyer review the final wording.
- Don't store photos you don't need. Save analysis data is optional. Leave it off unless you need cross-device history.
- Know what happens when you leave. Cancelling your Face Age plan keeps your data. Uninstalling deletes it permanently within 48 hours, so export what you need first.
- Keep it cosmetic. Skin readings guide shopping, they don't describe health.
Our privacy guide for AI skin analysis has the sections most policies need.
Which plan do you need?
The scan and quiz work on every plan, from Start at $59 a month. Klaviyo, Mailchimp, history and PDF reports start on Plus at $129. Growth is $249 and Scale $499. See pricing.
FAQ
What is zero-party data in skincare? Information a shopper gives on purpose, such as quiz answers and preferences, plus the results of a scan they chose to take.
Where does Face Age send scan and quiz data? To Shopify Customers as skin-concern tags, and on Plus and above to Klaviyo or Mailchimp.
Does a skin scan collect an email address by itself? No. The email comes from the Email element in your quiz.
Should I store shoppers' photos? Only if you need cross-device history. If you do, say so in your privacy policy.
Is skin scan data medical data? The scan is cosmetic. Not a medical diagnosis; does not replace a dermatologist. Handle it carefully anyway.
