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Beauty, to me, is a form of play, and play is imagination. It is imagination that energizes at a profound level, propels humanity forward, and helps us tap into the creative energy of the universe. The whismical world of beauty — and product formulation — brims with possibilities. This dynamism makes the beauty industry one of the most exciting spaces to work in.

I ended up in this space by accident; my first job post college was in product development for a beauty contract manufacturer in New York. The first time I laid my eyes on a lipstick bullet, I was hooked.

I've worked and studied in seven metropolitan cities across the globe. I learned about different beauty perspectives and the motivations behind the beauty choices we make every day. The common denominator across cultures is that beauty helps us put our best foot forward, and that’s powerful.

In 2012, I completed a master’s program in cosmetics and dermopharmacy, in Spain. For my thesis, I designed, developed, and marketed my first beauty product — an Ayurvedic BB cream! Thereafter, I learned the art of marketing from Unilever, became a beauty blogger, ventured into the start-up space, and have never looked back since.

“Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought” – this quote from Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi, inventor of Vitamin C, is the foundation of my passion for the personal care industry. Innovation is the driving force of all things in today’s world, and the beauty industry similarly thrives on groundbreaking research. My aspiration lies in developing revolutionary products that are a few steps better than anything before and that would truly impact the user, not for a day, but years.

Being a pharmacist and having exposure to formulating dermatological products in my early career gave me an edge when I transitioned over to cosmetics after completing my master’s in pharmaceuticals. I have been fortunate to work on 20+ diverse brands for Estée Lauder, Unilever, and L’Oréal, the three global beauty powerhouses and bringing to fruition hundreds of innovative and award-winning skincare products. Having traveled during my career, I have seen the ever-evolving cosmetics markets of different cultures, countries, and ethnicities. This exposure has given me a thorough understanding of bringing customized beauty to the world.

I serve in several cosmetic societies and strive to positively influence those who seek guidance through mentoring. Having worked with some of the brightest minds in the industry and having a broad network worldwide, I am here to share my valuable and unbiased knowledge plus experience to guide entrepreneurs, formulators, brands, and chemical manufacturers in their quest to succeed in the cosmetic industry.

When I was a child, I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. While I didn’t end up with a canvas and a palette, beauty has always represented creativity and individual expression for me.

Like Maya, I ended up in this industry by accident. After starting my journey in public health, I had a short stint in management consulting, and then ended up at bareMinerals in San Francisco after re-evaluating my professional career. I worked on concept-to-launch operations. On my first day, I was welcomed with a basket of product. I never experienced that kind of excitement before; I knew I was in the right place.

My newfound love for beauty inspired me to work for beauty retailer Blue Mercury, part-time. I sacrificed my weekends and spent a year learning about the motivations and needs of consumers.

I have a master's degree in public health from Columbia University, and I’m currently working toward a certification in cosmetic science from the University of Cincinnati. I’m excited about delving further into science.

Beauty is something that has intrigued me since childhood. My mom owned a beauty salon and she used to create custom herbal formulations for her clients. I was fascinated by how those concoctions instantly transformed the skin and I wanted to learn about the pharmacology of those ingredients. I knew I had to work in the beauty space one day.

To pursue my dream of working in the industry, I completed my bachelor’s degree in cosmetic technology from India and then a master’s degree in cosmetic science from the US. I learned research and development, manufacturing operations in the areas of chemistry, such as cosmetic/dermatological formulations, product evaluations, and regulatory compliance.

Having worked as a beauty formulator, process engineer, and mainly a regulatory professional in my career, I’ve worked on brands like Aveeno, Johnson’s Baby, Neutrogena, and Listerine. I was also the subject matter expert for numerous global product launches for brands such as Benefit Cosmetics, Sephora Collections, and Burt’s Bees.

After being in the industry for over a decade, I’ve come to realize the world of fast beauty has created a lot of challenges for us — as both professionals and consumers. It’s hard to keep up and make sense of it all! The thought of being a part of a support system that acts as a filter for beauty fans is exciting!