Andrea NagelAt first glance, beauty looks like one of the most female-powered industries in the world — but behind the label, the lab, and the production line, a different story emerges.
A recent informal review of the U.K. cosmetics manufacturing landscape by Cosmetics Business highlights a surprising absence: while women are highly visible as brand founders, very few appear to have founded and own cosmetic manufacturing businesses themselves.
“I didn’t set out to be ‘the only one’ and in truth it doesn’t really matter but with all the female led brands out there, why aren’t there more women in the manufacturing side. It’s a privilege to make for some of the best brands and businesses out there,” says Emma Webber, founder of Natural Spa Factory, a U.K.-based cosmetic manufacturing business. “We specialize in the LVHM, low volume, high mix. It’s a complex combo but doesn’t explain why there are few woman who start manufacturing businesses.”
In career moves, CEW reports that industry executive Laura Fruitman has joined Eva NYC as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), a first for the brand. Most recently with Unilever, Fruitman brings more than 18 years of experience to the newly enhanced hair care brand that was founded in 2012.
Millennial women are no longer being put into boxes or stereotypes, according to Madama Arabia. As women in this generation enter their mid-thirties and forties, priorities are shifting in visible ways. Their careers are becoming more flexible, their public lives more selective, and success is no longer tied to traditional timelines. Rather than slowing down, many women are expanding into new roles, building businesses, shaping culture, and redefining what fulfilment looks like at this stage of life.
In company news, body scrub brand Tree Hut announced a new brand identity, “Uncontain Yourself,” that is an invitation for people to have fun and own their “everything shower” experience. Driven by the brand’s rapid growth, cultural relevance, and a deep connection with its loyal social community, this glow up brings Tree Hut’s fragrance, creativity, and expressive take to the forefront, reports Beauty Packaging. The full relaunch of the brand’s ecosystem, revealing a refreshed logo, packaging, website, and social presence that embraces self-expression, officially debuted on Christmas Day with a national ad premiere on Netflix, marking a bold new chapter for the brand.
In tech news, Haut.AI, a leader in AI-driven skin analysis and personalization co-founded by CEO Anastasia Georgievskaya, has recently announced the formation of an Expert Advisory Board. This board is made up of four seasoned executives from the beauty and retail industries, aimed at steering the company’s future growth and innovation in artificial intelligence. The inaugural members include Claire McCormack, a Senior Editor at Beauty Independent; Dominick Miserandino, Founder and CEO at Retail Tech Media Nexus; Fiona Sartoretto-Verna, Architect and Co-owner of Sartoretto Verna; and Marie Driscoll, Advisor at RETHINK Retail Advisory and Adjunct Professor at The New School.
Why are there so few female-founded cosmetic manufacturers in the UK?
Eva NYC Names CMO a Brand First
The Female Faces of New-Age Millennialism
Tree Hut Debuts New Look and Feel – Beauty Packaging
Haut.AI Establishes Expert Advisory Board for AI-Powered Personalization in Beauty
