Cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson has created best-selling skincare for over three decades. Growing up, he admits to “not being a big beauty guy,” with one exception: Bioré Pore Strips. “What I like is that you get to see instant results, what was being pulled out of your pores. That's one of the things that I think about today: how do we provide that instant gratification?”
Aside from immediate results, he also seeks product inspiration from strolling around the MoMA or the Whitney Museum. “I love the arts—the different textures and mediums artists use to bring their art to life. I tap into it and bring that into my development of skincare.”
After studying biology and chemistry at Adelphi University, he originally wanted to become a doctor. But one year into medical school, his plans changed, and he began as a Product Development Manager in the Clinique division at Estée Lauder. “My mom was disappointed about me dropping out of med school, but she forgave me because I was a cosmetic chemist gifting her products that I made,” he said. “The delight and joy that she saw in getting those products and using them has been fuel for me to keep me constantly looking to develop new and exciting products that really delight consumers.”
Robinson later held leading positions in product development at Lancôme, Revlon, and Avon. He started the beauty blog and social media agency BeautyStat in 2009. His blog content aimed to debunk beauty myths and connect a growing online audience with beauty experts, while his agency clients included Stila Cosmetics, Coty, and P&G Beauty.
A decade later, BeautyStat became the name of his skincare brand launch. Questions from his readership around vitamin C stability and oxidation led him to pursue the creation of a stabilized vitamin C. “For me, it goes back to the consumer. It's understanding what the consumer needs but also how to surprise them. That’s what's unique about me as a cosmetic chemist developer and now brand founder: the ability to take what consumers are looking for and respond with an exciting ingredient or delivery system that is unique.” He bootstrapped out of his 401k and launched with an MVP (minimum viable product).
When it came to creating for his brand, Robinson prioritized third-party validation and clinical testing. The brand made its mark with a triple-patented stable vitamin C, backed by five years of research. Using this active in 20% strength created its hero product Universal C Skin Refiner. The updated formulation contains peptides, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and pomegranate to provide anti-aging and brightening benefits, an effect Robinson calls “brightenaging." He hopes to simplify skincare routines while offering multiple benefits.
Today, Robinson continues to engage with his community through TikTok where he has 48.4K followers and on Instagram where he has 48.3K followers. Whether it’s sharing his handwritten project status notes from the early 90s working at Clinique or igniting discussions around the latest cosmetic legislation like AB2054, which would ban the use of ingredients like parabens from personal care and beauty products in New York, Robinson brings the world of cosmetic chemistry to life in an accessible and engaging way to his audience. But it’s also a two-way street: Robinson leverages his online community for insights and new concepts.
Before BeautyStat’s recent rebrand as part of its 5-year anniversary, 200 consumers viewed and evaluated its new packaging. “Now that we've grown a little bit, it's something that I've always wanted to go back to—really give it what I could have if I had the funding in the beginning.” The brand also reduced its SKU price point by 30% to democratize access to its products and streamlined its assortment.
“My perspective on product development is taking ingredients that are known to work well, proven gold standards, and making sure they're optimized so there's no downside to the consumer. They're only getting the benefits,” Robinson said. Having worked on both his own brand and at the corporate level, Robinson highlights the agility of independent ventures. “That's why so many indie brands today are nipping at the heels of these legacy brands because of being nimble. The speed, the agility, the closeness, the proximity we have to the consumer is a tremendous advantage. Obviously what they have is a lot more resources.”
As part of this new chapter, BeautyStat is also partnering with Girls in STEM. “I believe in giving back and certainly giving back to young women who are interested in sciences. We want to make sure that they're aware there is a great career opportunity in the cosmetic chemist industry.”
Reflecting on those who have accompanied him over the last few decades in the industry, Robinson highlights Jill Scalamandre, CEO of Beekman 1802, who he worked with at Revlon and Avon. “She's someone that I really admire and [who was] also really excited and supportive of my growth and now status in the industry.”
For 2025, he is looking to double the previous year’s revenue using an omnichannel aproach, with a focus on the brand’s Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and DTC outlets. BeautyStat's sales are split “pretty evenly” between its DTC, Amazon, and retail channels. “We're definitely leveraging the power of TikTok and seeing a halo in all channels. We've gone viral. You can't plan for virality, but fortunately, we did and could continue to fuel that for this year.” One TikTok video of Robinson explaining the benefits of the brand’s Universal C Eye Perfector has 192K views; another of its Universal Triple Action Daily Peel, has 214K.
Speaking about prevailing cosmetic chemistry myths, Robinson still sees misinformation about ingredients abound. “When everything is a chemical, you can't be chemical free. There's that perception of if it's a long, complicated name, it means it's not good for you.” He notes beef tallow as a trending ingredient, but with caveats. “Some people are saying that's a cure-all. The data is just not there. Consumers are riding the wave of trending ingredients and thinking that they are doing more than they actually are.”
In an oversaturated industry, he believes there is still room for innovation. “I recently went to the PCPC [Personal Care Products Council] conference and one of my R&D colleagues was asking if the days of real product innovation are dead? I think it's not. We've been chasing TikTok trends and trends so much, and there's so much of copycatting going on. Every brand is facing how they get newness out there faster, and is there more marketing going on versus real tangible difference in any products? I think we're just going through that cycle of that fast beauty, and now we're going to go back to more.”
Rather than focusing on speed, Robinson is prioritizing technology, patents, delivery systems, and the look and feel of the product. For BeautyStat, there is the launch of the C Lip Serum SPF 30 in May with a Power Pout Lab in SoHo, NYC. He is also continuing to work with Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s skincare range, which has been a best-selling success. “I knew it would do well. Hailey has an audience that has been so engaged. She loves skincare and her audience knows that, so it was natural for her to build her own brand. I didn’t know it would become the type of phenomenon that it has become. I’m thrilled to be part of the ride.”
The cosmetic chemist and brand founder is eager for the years ahead. “This consumer has never been as educated and experimental as they are right now. It's a really exciting place to be a brand right now. The brands that will win are going to be the ones that can really tap into that.”
As a part of that experimental zeitgeist, he also praises the power of AI in his day-to-day job. “Those that are going to really win and advance within this era of AI are those that are tapping into it and leveraging it to do jobs in a better way. It's a more refined search engine, helping me with formulations and understanding what might be the right combination of ingredients and to quicken my development.” By incorporating the technology, Robinson is able to cut what might be 100 to 200 experimental batches in half.
Speaking on the state of beauty in 2025, he says the pleasure and emotional connection of beauty still remains the same. But how and where that magic shows up can also be broadened. “Everyone wants the best products, talent, and partners. That's got to come first. However, the only thing, I would ask and I push myself in is making sure that I'm broadening my search to allow the best to come from anywhere.”
For Robinson, that search, whether taking place in the aisles of an art gallery or side by side with machine learning, is continuing full-steam ahead—one skincare product at a time—with his social media followers following him along every step of the way.
