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Boots ‘Smooth Skin’ Home-use IPL unit – Hair removal device (retail)

As researcher-designer at his own company, Barron develops award-winning products for international markets. This device for CyDen was launched by Boots in February 2009. Intense Pulsed Light had been developed and patented by CyDen to remove hair and treat skin marks by directing an extremely short, intense pulse of filtered light into the skin, disabling the hair follicle and preventing hair re-growth, making chemical treatment unnecessary.

Barron worked with the CyDen team at all levels to produce a desirable, easy to use, ergonomic consumer product which took the essence of the i400 clinical device (previously designed by Barron) and brought it into the home. His engineering research expertise was crucial to the success of the design, enabling him to understand Cyden’s technical patents and to create a new kind of product, which was subsequently design-registered in Barron’s name internationally (from European application 000807748-001). Key technical breakthroughs were the miniaturisation of the power supply and development of effective cooling for the glass block through which the intense pulsed light passes, as well as the development of a safe interlock mechanism for disabling the device if it is not secured against the skin (to protect the eyes, for example).

The device won a number of awards including Winner, Pure Beauty Awards 2010 and a (European) Telva Beauty Award for 'best beauty device for in home use'. iPulse was the European version of the same device as sold in Boots as 'Smooth Skin' and which became the company's best selling electrical item as well as the top-selling product on Boots.com In April 2012, CyDen secured an international agreement for a new generation of products with Proctor and Gamble, worth an estimated £250m. This subsequently resulted in Braun and Gillette’s joint development of the next generation of products.