In recent years, there has been a surge in female founders at the helm of popular beauty brands. This radical shift has helped to revolutionize several aspects of the beauty industry. The industry has shifted from propagating impossible standards for women to promoting a more natural and healthy way to embrace our beauty.
Here are seven inspiring female founders who have broken the glass ceiling and successfully shifted the direction of the beauty industry:
Gloria Noto
Beauty Formulator, Makeup Artist, and Founder of NOTO Botanics
As a celebrity makeup artist with over 15 years of industry experience, Gloria Noto realized the lack of representation in the clean beauty industry. She was frustrated with seeing ads targeting only specific consumers, so she set out to make the clean beauty industry more inclusive.
“I wanted to create a line that celebrated the spectrum of authentic identities I felt I wasn’t seeing in the clean beauty industry at that time. I wanted to hear their stories and celebrate their lives through how we all connect with self-care. So I launched NOTO from my kitchen using all the skills I had learned over the years to make that happen.”
To address the lack of diversity in the clean beauty industry, she created NOTO Botanics – a clean cosmetics brand that caters to all genders, expressions, skin types, and ages. Enriched with plant-based ingredients in cruelty-free formulations, NOTO’s multi-purpose products are designed for use on the face, hair, and body.
Kendra Butler
Founder, Alpyn Beauty
Alpyn Beauty was born after Kendra moved to Jackson Hole in 2015. Here she noticed the “tired looking skin” of most of the residents, which she soon gathered was owing to their time spent outdoors and the elements at the higher elevation.
After chancing upon some flowers in the mountains glowing in full bloom, Kendra had her lightbulb moment. She wondered if the flowers that managed to thrive in such conditions could offer some relief to the residents’ skin. And indeed, they could.
Thus, Alpyn Beauty emerged, built upon the foundation of utilizing fresh nature-given ingredients from the mountains. Kendra created the PlantGenius complex using these mountain actives, which lend efficacy and potency to her brand’s products.
Hope Smith
Founder and CEO, Mutha
Nobody understands the needs of a mother better than a mother herself. Whether it’s balancing work and home life, staying trendy and polished, or finding safe products for your children – these are worries that only mothers are privy to.
And such is the story of founder and CEO Hope Smith. During her first pregnancy, she struggled to find clean products that could help prevent stretch marks. After she came up empty from her long search, Hope decided to create her own line of products for expectant mothers.
With potent but pure ingredients, Mutha’s luxurious body butters and oils champion wellness and promote self-care for mothers. Smith’s brand ensures that when mothers look after themselves, they also care for each other.
By partnering with the International Medical Corps and dedicating 5% of sales to education programs for midwives and nurses, Mutha is helping women in Asia and Africa safely deliver their children under the capable hands of trained practitioners.
Rea Ann Silva
Founder & CEO, Beautyblender
Everybody with a beauty kit today is bound to own this handy, egg-shaped sponge that has revolutionized the beauty world ever since its creation. This versatile makeup sponge and the brand that is now a household name was created by experienced makeup artist Rea Ann Silva.
This creation was revolutionary and disrupted the beauty industry in a powerful wave. Silva was cognisant of her own skill and hoped to help makeup enthusiasts around the world recreate the flawless airbrushed finish she had become known for.
Rea is an inspiration for her proud and almost defiant attitude in the face of ageism she has encountered as a woman in the beauty industry. As a member of the Forbes 50 over 50 list, Silva has proudly confessed that she is determined to help women feel good about their age by creating simple products.
Shelby Wild
Founder, Playa Beauty
Shelby’s study in herbalism urged her to create a clean beauty alternative for the modern woman. Her unique haircare line is designed with a multipurpose agenda to repair and style at the same time.
Drawing from personal experience and the rush of mornings before work, Shelby dedicated effort to creating products that would reduce styling time. The key goals of Playa Beauty are to help women create effortless and healthy hair looks for every occasion.
In line with this, her brand was launched with a total of five products, which formed the base collection. These products are suitable for all hair types.
Darya Hope Pishevar
Founder & CEO, Darya Hope
Built upon the pillars of science and sustainability, this clean skincare brand manifests founder Pishevar’s devotedness to philanthropy and environmentalism.
Having worked with organizations like the Malala Fund, United Nations Girl Up, and Oxygen Seven, Darya has always been mindful of our impact on the environment and the environment’s abundant goodness for us.
This is a one-of-its-kind beauty brand, hoping to transform its customers’ confidence through products that encourage the skin’s natural healing. They take feeling comfortable in your own skin seriously like no other skincare brand.
Janelle Friedman
Founder & CEO, GoodJanes
The story of Janelle Friedman is a study of perseverance and versatility, as she wasn’t always a skincare pioneer. As a former CEO of a law firm, Janelle’s leap to launching her own vegan and cruelty-free skincare line was born out of a need that was not being met by existing products. Through innovation, Janelle’s brand has uniquely blended luxury beauty with an environmentally conscious mission.
Janelle defines luxury as the highest quality of ingredients and visible results. GoodJanes is a brand guided by science and minimal but healthy ingredients. So, to make her dream a reality, Friedman committed to the research process to fully understand what she was putting on her skin. After all, a truly accountable entrepreneur uses her own products, so she knows what her customers are getting.
A Revolution in Beauty
The way women-led businesses have revolutionized the beauty industry can be seen across the board. By supporting female dreams and backing unconventional ideas, a lot can be gained for the vast community of beauty enthusiasts. From cleaner products and inclusive standards to more environmentally friendly practices – the benefits have been abundant.
A general takeaway is to encourage entrepreneurial aspirations in young girls so their ideas find the right audience when they have something meaningful to say. So this Women’s Day, encourage the women in your life to put their idea down on paper and make it a reality.
