Despite the fact that most cosmetics are targeted to and bought by women, did you know that men have an outsized influence on how they are made? In the US alone, women make up less than half of cosmetic chemists. This disparity deepens when looking at STEM as a whole, where women represent only one-quarter of the overall workforce.

We sat down with Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, an in-house cosmetic scientist at OLAY and the Senior Director and Fellow of Skin Care at Proctor and Gamble, to chat about her experience as a woman of color in her field and the work she is doing to drive more women to pursue careers in STEM. Dr. Wilkerson works closely with dermatologists, clinicians, and beauty scientists to research, develop, and report on the latest and emerging skin and hair science and technologies. Some of your staple products may be a product of her work!

She also illuminates the inspiration behind Introduction to Cosmetic Science and Ingredients, a brand new Specialization from OLAY and the first in a series of STEM courses from the brand that reflects their commitment to doubling the number of women in STEM and tripling the number of women of color in STEM by 2030.

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