Though women have long been the public face of the beauty industry, they have historically been kept out of decision-making behind the scenes. Times are changing, and as more females step into leadership roles, so are skincare, cosmetic, and hair care brands. Here are three women who are using their skills to give the beauty industry a long-overdue makeover.
Sharon Chuter is the founder of the wildly successful UOMA Beauty company, which brought true inclusivity to the makeup counter. She is also the driving force behind the Pull Up for Change campaign. Her targeted initiative aims to make the beauty sector more equitable by asking companies to publicly release statistical data about their employment practices. Chuter’s work has quickly made an impact on a sector that is traditionally slow to embrace change. Several corporations have pledged to make meaningful adjustments going forward, while others have already begun reworking their hiring processes in order to foster diversity.
Nikita Mehta worked with her brother, Akash, to found Fable & Mane. The beauty industry has seen the creation of thousands of new haircare brands, but none of them are quite as revolutionary as Fable & Mane. Mehta combined the traditional Indian practice of Ayurveda with sustainability to launch a brand that would give people an ethical choice for all of their haircare needs. Locally sourced packaging, environmentally friendly formulas, and vegan ingredients are all carefully chosen by Mehta in order to make Fable & Mane’s oils, shampoos, conditioners, and masks as good for the planet as they are for the hair.
Trishna Daswaney has worked hard to make maintaining a beauty routine accessible for everyone. Her Kohl Kreatives brand features a wide range of brushes and beauty tools for people often overlooked by the industry. People working with limited motor control, undergoing medical treatments, dealing with vision impairments, or who are part of the transgender community can all rely on Kohl Kreatives to have a product that will meet their unique needs. By making accessible brushes and tools, Daswaney has helped to make the beauty industry truly inclusive.
These three innovative women, along with other female trailblazers, are proof that the beauty industry is changing for good in more ways than one.