What does a cosmetic chemist do?
A cosmetic chemist specializes in formulating and developing skincare and cosmetic products such as make-up, lotion, soap, and shampoo. They typically work at laboratories where they work on different chemicals and substances, conduct studies and experiments, perform extensive research and analysis, develop and implement tests and assessments, and maintain records of all procedures. Moreover, a cosmetic chemist must maintain an active communication line with staff while adhering to the safety protocols and standards of a laboratory, especially when handling different chemicals.
Cosmetic chemist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real cosmetic chemist resumes:
- Plan, manage, and maintain laboratory's SPC and TQM programs.
- Train new formulation chemists in the use of and methods validation for HPLC, optical microscopy, and particle sizing equipment.
- Take initiative to be cross-train in chemistry methods used by the company to perform additional tests that ensure uninterrupt laboratory operation.
- Direct department's Quality/Regulatory compliance to ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 13485:2003.
- Document extraction procedures, validation data, and instrument parameters for all nonstandard sample testing in laboratory notebook.
Cosmetic chemist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Cosmetic Chemists are proficient in R, GMP, and QC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Cosmetic Chemists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- R, 23%
Used R, SSL, and SQL programming to identify and fix multiple processing and GUI problems with StarLIMS v9.
- GMP, 16%
Conduct Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) - guidelines that control manufacturing and sale of active pharmaceutical products.
- QC, 15%
Performed requisition purchases for all new materials and instrumentation, transferred finished coatings and methods to manufacturing facility and QC.
- Laboratory Instruments, 14%
Gained experience working cooperatively in a group laboratory setting to use laboratory instruments and space to analyze materials efficiently.
- Product Specifications, 8%
Create product specifications for new products.
- HPLC, 7%
Execute HPLC method development and method validation to provide data toward supporting specification, and testing of reference materials.
Common skills that a cosmetic chemist uses to do their job include "r," "gmp," and "qc." You can find details on the most important cosmetic chemist responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a cosmetic chemist to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "chemists and materials scientists need to evaluate the results of experiments to ensure accuracy in their research." Cosmetic chemists often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "developed and improved customized products and formulas using analytical methods maintained laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform cosmetic chemist duties is communication skills. Cosmetic chemists responsibilities require that "chemists and materials scientists must be able to convey information clearly in reports and presentations for both technical and nontechnical audiences." Cosmetic chemists also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "lead technical support, coordinate relevant activities and projects updates/communication to cross functional teams and stakeholders. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of cosmetic chemists is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday cosmetic chemist duties, as "chemists and materials scientists regularly use calculus, algebra, statistics, and other math for calculations." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "developed a headspace gc-ms method for quantitative analysis of formaldehyde in gas and liquid phases. "
Organizational skills. cosmetic chemist responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "chemists and materials scientists must document processes carefully when conducting experiments, tracking outcomes, and analyzing results." This resume example shows what cosmetic chemists do with organizational skills on a typical day: "well versed in implementing standard operating procedures, organizational policies, and analytical methodologies accurately and consistently. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for cosmetic chemist responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of cosmetic chemists all the time, as "chemists’ and materials scientists’ work involves posing questions during research and finding answers through results." An excerpt from a real cosmetic chemist resume shows how this skill is central to what a cosmetic chemist does: "wet chemistry, spectroscopy, chromatography, particle size analysis and dissolution testing under usp, nf and ich guidelines. "
Time-management skills. Another skill commonly found on cosmetic chemist job descriptions is "time-management skills." It can come up quite often in cosmetic chemist duties, since "chemists and materials scientists usually need to meet deadlines and must be able to prioritize tasks while maintaining quality." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day cosmetic chemist responsibilities: "completed testing on rush samples from chemical plants, submitted test results on time, with effort cited as instrumentation. "
The three companies that hire the most cosmetic chemists are:
- Estée Lauder46 cosmetic chemists jobs
- Pinnacle Dermatology
1 cosmetic chemists jobs
- Geltor
1 cosmetic chemists jobs
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Compare different cosmetic chemists
Cosmetic chemist vs. Assistant research scientist
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a cosmetic chemist are more likely to require skills like "laboratory instruments," "product specifications," "otc," and "ph meter." On the other hand, a job as an assistant research scientist requires skills like "research projects," "data collection," "data analysis," and "lab equipment." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that assistant research scientists earn slightly differ from cosmetic chemists. In particular, assistant research scientists are 2.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a cosmetic chemist. Additionally, they're 13.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Cosmetic chemist vs. Quality control
As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes. This can be done by detecting and resolving the problem early on, and returning the product for repair. A quality control inspector should also notify the supervisors immediately when issues arise and coordinate with them to address the problem.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that cosmetic chemist responsibilities requires skills like "qc," "laboratory instruments," "product specifications," and "otc." But a quality control might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "quality checks," "product quality," "safety standards," and "laboratory equipment."
Quality controls earn lower levels of education than cosmetic chemists in general. They're 13.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 13.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for cosmetic chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Cosmetic chemist vs. Quality control associate
In a manufacturing setting, a quality control associate is in charge of conducting various tests to ensure that the products meet the company's standard criteria. Their responsibilities revolve around inspecting the workforce and workload involved in the production process, identifying errors or inconsistencies, recommending solutions and alterations, and maintaining records and documentation. Furthermore, as a quality control associate, it is essential to coordinate with department staff and produce progress reports, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from cosmetic chemist resumes include skills like "laboratory instruments," "product specifications," "otc," and "uv," whereas a quality control associate is more likely to list skills in "laboratory equipment," "qc testing," "test methods," and "environmental monitoring. "
Most quality control associates achieve a lower degree level compared to cosmetic chemists. For example, they're 11.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Cosmetic chemist vs. Chemical technician
A chemical technician is responsible for supporting chemists and laboratory technicians in performing laboratory investigations and examining chemical components and structures. Chemical technicians ensure the stability of laboratory tools and equipment, performing proper sterilization and segregation of disposable materials, and maintaining the adequacy of inventory. They also record the research progress, including scientific methods, and write observation reports for reference. A chemical technician manages the cleanliness and orderliness of the facility to avoid potential hazards and complications during chemical operations.
Types of cosmetic chemist
Updated January 8, 2025
