Celebrating Women Leaders for International Women’s Day 2022
In honour of International Women’s Day this year, we’re highlighting women who use their influence to empower women in the beauty industry. We asked them to answer the following questions about their experiences and inspirations so that we can all learn from the best.
Province Apothecary
Julie Clark + Natalie Sischy, Co-CEO’s
What inspires you to continue innovating the definition of clean beauty in this industry?
“Our planet, amazing and innovative ingredients that are sustainable and effective, and you and your skin. Province Apothecary doesn’t make products for the sake of making products, we formulate products that fill a need, are multi-purpose, work for multiple skin types and concerns, and are good for you and the planet.”
Check out Province Apothecary’s Moisturizing + Cleanser Makeup Remover
Babo Botanicals
Catherine D’Aragon, General Manager, North America
What do you believe about beauty now that you didn’t before?
“That as a consumer brand, we need to be more responsible and take action. Babo Botanicals is one of the founding members of the B Beauty Coalition, and we now work together with 39 other leading B Corp certified companies (spanning four continents), whose main purpose in being part of this coalition is to work towards and promote systemic & long-lasting change within the beauty sector. We want to raise the bar on sustainability standards through collective action. Besides, having competitors is overrated anyway!”
Check out Babo Botanicals’ Daily Sheer Fluid SPF50 Mineral Sunscreen
Codex Beauty Labs
Barb Paldus, Founder + CEO
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
- Support sustainable choices even if it means higher cost.
- Promoting flexibility in the workplace- less commute, less carbon footprint
- Forming Form internal cross-departmental CSR groups to allow employees to present solutions and to lead and drive change
Check out Codex Beauty’s Bia Skin Superfood
Good Clean Love
Wendy Strgar, CEO
How did COVID impact you as a women leader?
“Covid has made the Good Clean Love team all more flexible about how work gets done. Becoming more flexible is a practice that taught me to let go of many of my preferences and opinions in many areas of our business operation. This, in turn, has provided a path to become more trusting in both employee and partner relationships and more focused on seeing the most critical aspects of what will move the business forward.”
Check out Good Clean Love’s Almost Naked Personal Lubricant
NIUCOCO
Yasmine Ishmael, Chief Scientist
What’s the biggest confidence lesson you feel you’ve learned?
“You can’t fail if you’ve learned something. And with everything you learn, it’s one step closer to success. As a scientist for NIUCOCO, I am excited about the new ingredients introduced in the market and the journey of learning new developments.”
Check out NIUCOCO’s Renewing Hair Serum
LilyAna Naturals
Rebeca Abrego, Social Media Manager
What inspires you to continue innovating the definition of clean beauty in this industry?
“Knowing that every single product in the clean beauty industry is mindfully created with ingredients from nature. This is what inspires me the most and what makes LilyAna Naturals the brand that it is. My biggest wish is to transition to a non-toxic lifestyle and to keep the environment top of mind.”
Check out LilyAna Naturals’ Retinol Cream
Mad Hippie
Dana Stewart, Co-Founder
How would you like to see policy change to support women?
“COVID has shone a light on the gender inequalities that continue to plague us. I would like to see policies that support women in gaining equal representation from board rooms to government offices.”
Check out Mad Hippie’s skincare line
Plaine Products
Lindsey McCoy & Alison Webster, Co-Founders
What do you believe about beauty now that you didn’t before?
“That we can’t depend on companies to provide clean ingredients, we have to be educated and active consumers and demand them. Knowing that people are unwittingly putting chemicals on their bodies simply because they trust others to provide safe products constantly motivates us. Plaine Products offers toxin-free, quality, safe alternatives and work to raise awareness about the importance of clean ingredients for our health and the planet.”
Check out Plaine Products’ Face Moisturizer
Healthy Body Investment
Dale Ann Malone, Founder + CEO
What’s the biggest confidence lesson you feel you’ve learned?
“Listen to what your intuition tells you first before listening to what other people tell you.”
Check out Healthy Body Investment’s Beauty Line
Earth Harbor
Ali Perry-Hatch, Founder + CEO
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
“Owning a business hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows, and there are always the ebbs and flows, but it has been an incredible journey. Coming alongside the Earth Harbor team, showing compassion, and taking a walk in their shoes is all any servant leader needs to do to overcome trials and hardships.”
Check out Earth Harbor’s Mermaid Milk Moisturizer
Terrakai Skin
Aimee Engelmann, Founder
What do you believe about beauty now that you didn’t before?
“That these big companies look out for their consumers and environment, and their products are filled with the most nourishing, safe ingredients. I was shocked to learn that this was very far from the truth. This is one of the reasons why Terrakai Skin was founded. It is safe and nourishing without harming the environment.”
Check out Terrakai Skin’s Snowflake + Niacinamide Gel Cleanser
Black and Berry Living
Cindee Black, CEO
How would you like to see policy change to support women?
“I would love to see more funding just for women’s ventures. Entrepreneurship is still largely male-dominated and if we can tip these scales I know women’s equality will feel like more of a reality.”
Check out Black and Berry Living
LULAAV
Shira Tabib, Founder
How did COVID impact you as a women leader?
“As a mom and owner of LULAAV, it made me an even better multi-tasker. It also made me slow down at moments and regroup which has been a small gift.”
Check out LULAAV’s The Face Serum
Be Well Company
Natalie Shultz White, Founder + CEO
How would you like to see policy change to support women?
“Pay, recognition, promotions, and rewards should be based on accomplishments, work, and performance regardless of gender.”
Check out Be Well Company
Eyetitude
Tricia Morris, Founder
What inspires you to continue innovating the definition of clean beauty in this industry?
“It’s overwhelming and confusing to the consumer with so many products to choose from. Clean beauty is about being transparent about the ingredients and not misleading so that your consumer knows not only what’s not in the product but what is in the product. This ensures the product is non-toxic and safe for people as well as the environment. Eyetitude was founded from the lack of transparency/information there is on product effectiveness and safety within the industry.
Check out Eyetitude’s NoCrowZ Retinol Cream
Madame Lemy
Holly Eve, CEO & Creative Director
What do you believe about beauty now that you didn’t before?
“It is cliché, but beauty to me is now defined by the amount of service I do and how I show up for people in the world, not by the number I see on the scale or what size jeans I can fit into.”
Check out Madame Lemy
EpiLynx by Dr. Liia
Dr. Liia Ramachandra, CEO
What’s the biggest confidence lesson you feel you’ve learned?
“I have spent my career as an executive working in large pharmaceutical companies and when I decided to start EpiLynx 3 years ago, I was not sure whether we will be successful. But we had a mission of ‘medically clean’ beauty. Now, every day, we receive many emails and letters from the customers sharing with us how EpiLynx has changed their life. This is the biggest confidence lesson ever!”
Check out EpiLynx by Dr. Liia’s Face Primer And Moisturizer — 24k Gold Flakes For Skin — Gluten Free
OLITA
Laurie O’Hara, Founder & CEO
What do you believe about beauty now that you didn’t before?
“I believe that outward beauty comes from what we put in and on our bodies. The best beauty secrets are drinking water, eating healthy food and avoiding harsh chemicals. OLITA is on a journey to create the cleanest products sourced from nature’s bounty of minerals and botanicals to powerfully protect our skin and planet.”
Check out OLITA’s After Sun Body Serum Fragrance-Free
Miribel Naturals
Jaclyn Gil Serchuk, Owner
What’s the biggest confidence lesson you feel you’ve learned?
“I’ve learned that most people know more than they think they do in their field. Take ownership of your expertise. Beauty is diverse, I want to make it easy for everyone, Miribel Naturals does just that.”
Check out Miribel Naturals’ Powerhouse Protein Cream
Erin’s Faces
Erin Williams, Founder/CEO
In 3 sentences, how do you empower your team when facing an issue?
“We are huge fans of Brene Brown and are reading “Dare to Lead” as a group for the third year in a row. The Erin’s Faces team reads her Engaged Feedback Checklist before addressing a tough issue, we aim to communicate clearly but kindly and we attempt to put what’s best for “the ship” first.”
