Building Skills Beyond Formulation

Dear Valerie: I want to develop skills that really set me apart as a cosmetic chemist. What skills outside of actually making formulas should I be learning?

—STANDOUT CHEMIST

Dear Standout,

Whether you realize it or not, working as a cosmetic chemist, especially at a larger organization that can provide some structure, gives you the opportunity to develop many skills beyond learning how to just make great products.

Project management is first and foremost. Even if you have a project manager on your team, you need to act as your own! Be responsible for ensuring your work completed on time and that all the boxes are checked for the product’s deliverables, with clear timing laid out. Do you have all the necessary regulatory documents? Is the formula organized in your software or Excel in a way that allows anyone to open it and pick up the work?

Be organized so that others can look at your work and pick it up where you left off, if need be. I was always a stickler for good file management in my lab, with a standardized naming convention for every file so the file didn’t need to be opened for someone to know what it was.

Act as your own regulatory. Not only should you be obtaining all the regulatory documentation required for compliance, but literally open the documents, read them, and understand what you’re looking at. 

I can’t tell you how many projects I’ve seen end up in reformulation before they even launched because a chemist didn’t check their regulatory documentation. It’s such an easy aspect to overlook or assume that your regulatory team will handle. If your regulatory team has caught the issue, it’s too late. The sooner you can catch an issue, the easier everyone’s life becomes, and the better you can keep your project on track.

It’s also important to stay up to speed on regulations, rather than simply checking documentation when you need it. Regulations are always changing, and you can stay on track of what changes are being discussed before they’re even implemented. No legislation is enacted into law under total surprise. Changes are usually discussed for months, if not years, in advance. Staying informed really does save future formulation headaches.

Master articulation and succinctness in communication. Spending time gaining clarity (whether in formulation direction, performance revision, and so forth) provides an understanding of what you should be doing with your time. I also find that people are quite verbose in correspondence, with sometimes dilutes clarity of the message. I try to practice that if an email requires more than 5-7 sentences, I call the person. I know this can be tough in a world where people don’t want to pick up the phone, but pick up the phone and talk about it! (And of course, I always say paper has a good memory. Memorialize key talking points and action items from the call so everyone is on the same page.)

Being able to critically analyze data is of huge value. I had to take three statistics classes in college and I never thought I would be using the information and thought processes learned from those courses. Being able to understand not just how much a formula costs, but how it fits into an overall business model was of immense value. Consider taking a course in corporate finance through a business school. This will extend well beyond just your role at work!

Lastly, leadership. Even if you’re just wanted to remain a cosmetic chemist and not move into leadership roles, you’re still a leader within your job as a formulator. Having leadership skills allows you to lead projects and work effectively and cross-collaboratively with all the other people you need to get a project across the finish line. You might not be managing those people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lead them. 

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Valerie George

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Valerie George is a cosmetic chemist, science communicator, educator, leader, and avid proponent of transparency in the beauty industry. She works on the latest research in hair color and hair care at her company, Simply Formulas, and is the co-host of The Beauty Brains podcast. You can find her on Instagram at @cosmetic_chemist or showcasing her favorite ingredients to small brands and home formulators at simply-ingredients.com