What is Cosmetic Science?

<h3 id="section---CosmeticScienceDefined">Cosmetic Science Defined</h3> <p>Cosmetic science is the study of the effects that raw materials and mixtures can have on parts of the human body like hair, skin, lips and nails. In recent years, cosmetic scientists and associated workers have been trying to advance the field in a positive way. Professionalism and ethics are a large part of this field because of the public protests with animal-related testing and the use of animals in the manufacturing of cosmetic products. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutCosmeticScience">Important Facts About Cosmetic Science</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> Certificate Levels </td><td> Graduate</td></tr> <tr><td> Prerequisites </td><td> Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test and bachelor's degree in science generally required for admission into graduate programs</td></tr> <tr><td> Online Availability </td><td> Degree programs available online, but may require some classroom hours</td></tr> <tr><td> Possible Careers </td><td> Chemical ingredient manufacturer; drug analyst; quality assurance; nutritional productions formulations; coloring specialist for a pigment; odorant manufacturer</td></tr> <tr><td> Median Salary (2021) </td><td> $100,090 (<i>for all materials scientists</i>)</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---CareerOpportunities">Career Opportunities</h3> <p>Research and development is a huge area that offers career opportunities in cosmetic sciences. Products have to be created and then humanely tested. There are careers with big businesses to discover and test new marketable products. However, an alternative route available to you is getting involved in research for purely scientific purposes. </p> <p>Sales and marketing are other career options available to you. After research and development is done to create a product, that product needs to be properly marketed and sold. Understanding the materials that go in to creating the product is necessary to describe them to consumers. Having a thorough understanding of cosmetic science allows you to honestly market and sell products. </p> <h3 id="section---Education">Education</h3> <p>In research and product development occupations, a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in biochemistry with a cosmetic science emphasis may be what you pursue. Some cosmetic science classes that you might take include skin care raw materials and formulations, product development, microtoxicity, perfumery, quality assurance, color cosmetics, polymer chemistry and dermal pharmacology. A bachelor's degree in business with a marketing emphasis is ideal for sales and marketing careers in cosmetic science. Your marketing courses could include marketing research, international marketing, product and brand management, sales, advertising and marketing strategy. </p> <h3 id="section---CareerOutlooks">Career Outlooks</h3> <p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that chemists and materials scientists, a group that you'd belong to if you worked in research and development, were projected to see a 6% increase in employment from 2021-2031. Job prospects were expected to be best for those with advanced degrees, particularly PhDs. Employment of advertising, promotions and marketing managers was expected to increase by 10% during the same time frame. There is strong competition for these positions, and those experienced in Internet-based advertising should have the best prospects.</p>