Women’s History Month 2023
Celebrating Female Owners!
In honor of Women’s History Month, we're spotlighting some of the female owners of our favorite beauty brands. We believe that they bring unique perspectives to our industry, and we’re so happy to be able to feature them and their fabulous products!
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Act+Acre
Helen Reavey
Thanks to her 15 years working as a hairstylist, Helen Reavey had plenty of opportunities to observe that poor scalp health was a universal concern. Her quest to solve that issue led her to 18 months of R&D and resulted in Act+Acre—a line of chemical-free, plant-based hair-care products specifically intended to nourish and stimulate the scalp.
Ellis Brooklyn
Bee Shapiro
As a beauty columnist for The New York Times, Bee Shapiro saw firsthand the lack of fragrances available on the market that were transparent about both their ingredients and their sourcing. Inspired by the possibility of what she could create, she launched Ellis Brooklyn in 2015 to fill this unmet need and expand the range of beauty categories that emphasize conscious consideration.
Jillian Dempsey
Jillian Dempsey
One of Hollywood’s favorite makeup artists (see: Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence), Jillian Dempsey is known for her hands-on technique and glowing results. Her vegan, cruelty-free products are easy to use, formulated without questionable ingredients like parabens, phthalates, or petrochemicals, and designed to fill gaps in a person’s beauty arsenal.
Lake & Skye
Courtney Somer
A mother (Lake and Skye are her daughters’ names), Kundalini yoga teacher, holistic nutritionist, and aromatherapist, Courtney Somer designed Lake & Skye to live at the intersection of wellness and fragrance. The unisex scents are PETA certified; free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates; and—when possible—made from natural ingredients like organic cane sugar alcohol.
Plantkos
Sejal Patel
A pharmacist by training, Sejal Patel noticed the absence of skincare specifically formulated for people with melanated skin, like herself. In response, she created Plantkos, a line of products that target inflammation and hyperpigmentation using active ingredients like niacinamide and alpha hydroxy acid along with ayurvedic herbs such as gotu kola and ashwagandha.
Solara Suncare
Stephanie DiPisa
Initially, it was her children’s ultra-sensitive skin that led Stephanie DiPisa to formulate her mineral sunscreen line, Solara Suncare. But it was her own struggle with Lyme disease that informed the points of difference of the brand’s formulations—like skin-barrier reinforcing ingredients such as perilla leaf and sunflower.
Trish McEvoy
Trish McEvoy
From her cult-favorite makeup planners to her industry-leading cosmetic brushes, Trish McEvoy is one of the beauty industry’s original innovators. And she’s still going strong, with an expanded range that includes skincare, as well as fragrance.
