How To Become A Cosmetic Chemist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cosmetic chemist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Dan Little Ph.D.

A cosmetic chemist uses their chemical knowledge to develop cosmetic products like makeup, skincare, and other goods. Cosmetic chemists are involved in every aspect of the development process from research to testing. They develop new formulas and test products to ensure that they are safe for consumers before they go out on the market. It goes without saying that cosmetic chemists need to know a lot about chemistry and laboratory procedures in order to make products. They also need to know about the manufacturing process to design formulas that scale up and to follow company procedures. Cosmetic chemists also need to know government safety regulations inside and out so their compounds can get approved.

Cosmetic chemists earn an average salary of $58,928 a year. But what does it take to become a cosmetic chemist?

Cosmetic chemists are usually required to have a bachelor's degree in chemistry. If they want to advance further in the field, they probably need a master's as well. Even for an entry-level position, they need experience working in a lab as interns or research assistants.

What general advice would you give to a Cosmetic Chemist?

Dan Little Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Ohio Dominican University

Due to the pandemic, it will likely be more complicated than usual to find a job right away in the current economic situation. Companies are probably weighing the pros and cons of remaining open at all right now, so the prospect of filling vacant positions is secondary. But don't panic! Keep in touch with as many contacts as possible. Personal connections can be the best path to unexpected career opportunities.

ScoreCosmetic ChemistUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $59,876

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.7

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.25%

Asian 18.36%

Black or African American 8.19%

Hispanic or Latino 9.54%

Unknown 4.64%

White 59.03%

Gender

female 48.15%

male 51.85%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress Level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cosmetic chemist

Explore cosmetic chemist education requirements

Most common cosmetic chemist degrees

Bachelor's

63.1 %

Master's

18.5 %

Associate

12.3 %

Start to develop specific cosmetic chemist skills

Skills	Percentages
R	22.80%
GMP	15.87%
QC	15.31%
Laboratory Instruments	14.03%
Product Specifications	7.62%

Complete relevant cosmetic chemist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cosmetic chemists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cosmetic chemist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cosmetic chemist resumes.

Research cosmetic chemist duties and responsibilities

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.

Prepare your cosmetic chemist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cosmetic chemist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a cosmetic chemist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Cosmetic Chemist Resume templates

Build a professional Cosmetic Chemist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Cosmetic Chemist resume.

Apply for cosmetic chemist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a cosmetic chemist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do cosmetic chemists rate their job?

5/5

Based On 2 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Cosmetic Chemist reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

A new avenue to explore regarding cosmatics and providing expertise to enhance this science to a new frontier

Cons

Being a passion no resrevation regarding this feild.

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019