Meet the team
Finding a manufacturer for your beauty brand can come down to choosing the ‘fit’ that feels right for your business. At Hera Beauty, we believe in building strong partnerships with our clients. Our team is on hand to guide businesses every step of the way, helping your brand to grow and achieve success.
In our series of ‘meet the team’ articles, we introduce you to just some of our expert team members who will work with you from initial concept through to project launch and beyond. This time around, we talk to one of the people directly responsible for creating your dream products: meet our development chemist Lizi.
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Lizi Andison, Development Chemist
Can you explain more about what your role covers?
I'm a development chemist and our team essentially creates beauty products based upon the brief we're given. We carry out a lot of contract manufacturing, where the customer has already defined a formulation that they want us to make on their behalf. That’s usually quite a straightforward process. As part of this, we provide background checks by strictly following regulations and legislation.
We also regularly work on innovative development projects, where we essentially create a new formulation based on a customer’s requirements or specifically to add to Hera Beauty’s private label range.
What would a typical day look like for you?
It really depends on what stage of the process we're at. During the initial briefing stage, I source raw materials, speak to suppliers, and see what ingredients we've got already on site. Alternatively, I might have a day in the lab making samples. Or it might be that we're doing paperwork, carrying out regulation checks and ensuring fragrances are at the correct levels. I also might be compiling ingredient lists or checking artwork. Each and every day is completely different!
What was your route into this position?
In year seven at school, I had a chemistry lesson where my teacher was setting balls of gas on fire - and that literally ignited my interest! I decided I wanted to do chemistry. From the beginning, I just loved being in the lab and seeing reactions happen. So, I studied chemistry at university then I went on to do a master’s degree in the same subject.
While I was still at school, I actually carried out work experience with a contract manufacturer in the cosmetics industry, which opened my eyes to what this sector is all about. Straight after graduation I got a job in the cosmetics manufacturing industry, where I was soon promoted to development chemist.
What attracted you to working with Hera Beauty?
What really interested me is that the formulations are premium, innovative, and bespoke. I just really like the culture of the company as well, so it seemed like a good fit for me. The team is great at helping businesses, because we do a lot of work with start-ups and small organisations to support them to grow. We share the expertise we have to develop high-quality, safe and effective products.
What makes you well-suited to your role?
I love working in this industry and am very invested in it. I’m always following what’s happening with the latest cosmetic trends. I also get on really well with people and enjoy talking to customers - it’s great to feel that I’m helping them understand the industry better.
What’s your favourite bit about your role?
It’s great seeing a product that I’ve developed from scratch for sale in the shops and online. It makes it all very real and feels like a proper achievement at that point.
How does your work benefit partners?
They wouldn't have a product if it wasn't for us! Obviously, that's the main thing, but then I can also offer help and advice on regulation: making sure the product is safe, giving support on choosing ingredients and so on. Our team combines a lot of knowledge, so if there’s a specific benefit that you want your product to have, then we can advise on how much of that active ingredient you would need to be able to make that claim.
Is there anything exciting that you're working on at the moment?
I've just completed an extensive baby range for a customer, which has been fantastic to work on. I'm also creating a brand new self-tanning portfolio for Hera Beauty, which will be an exciting private label launch in the near future.
Are there any products in particular that you really like making?
I feel like I've gained a reputation as the ‘tanning queen’ because I’ve been working with so many self-tanning products! But I also love working with acids; like glycolic acid and salicylic acid. They're the sort of products that I make and that I like using as well.
What does the future hold for the UK’s beauty industry?
New trends are constantly emerging. The big one at the moment is in hair care, where you focus on treating the scalp as opposed to just looking after the hair.
Because of TikTok and social media, consumers are really big on visuals, but I think actually the younger generation are also really focused on the transparency of products and their claims. Customers want to see that a product actually works above and beyond simply looking pretty.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do in your spare time?
A love of bottomless brunches at the weekend is a main personality trait of mine! But I also adore festivals and concerts, as well as playing and watching rugby too.
Meet more of the Hera Beauty Team.