When cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson first discovered Facebook back in the early 2000s, he had no idea that the rise.
As a chemist and product formulator for big brands like Clinique. But as social media and ufabet started to change the way that people interacted and shared their thoughts online.
Fast forward to 2021, and his skincare brand BeautyStat is one of the buzziest names in the beauty space. We sat down with Ron to chat about his journey from cosmetic chemist to digital community builder, and to launching his own line of cutting-edge, science-backed skincare.
How did you get your start in the beauty industry?
I totally fell into this industry. 31 years ago, I started as a cosmetic chemist for the Clinique division of the Estée Lauder Companies. But prior to that, I went to med school. My parents moved to New York City from the Caribbean, and they wanted their sons—I’m one of three brothers—to be either doctors or lawyers. So I went to med school but hated it. Dropped out.
I moved back in with my parents, and then I sent out resumes. I had a chemistry degree, and Estée Lauder called me in for an interview, and I was hired on the spot. They loved my interest in beauty and my background in science, and I had no idea that this whole world of science and chemistry, and creating and formulating products, even existed. And that was how I fell into the industry. And it’s been a crazy ride since.
I had about 20+ years developing products for brands, either as a chemist or a product developer. This was a time when there was the rise of Facebook and social media. I thought it was really interesting that people were forming these communities and sharing content, and exchanging information. I thought there should be a place for consumers to do that around beauty. So I formed BeautyStat, which turned out to be a very popular beauty blog and social community, all centered around beauty.