With a team of natural products industry women professionals by her side, Egide continues to raise the bar for natural beauty and bring the innovation once only found at cosmetic retailers like Sephora to the natural space. The Andalou product line features everything from hair-growth systems with argan stem cells to antiaging skin care that uses probiotics and unique antioxidant blends.

“The natural products and beauty industries embrace and reward innovation and creativity, while offering women a level playing field to succeed,” she said. “For Andalou Naturals, it was my network of talented women professionals whom I first called and who formed the foundation of our start-up team.”

“I am most excited to see how some of these once niche concepts have become integrated, core values of many multinational beauty corporations—proof positive that cosmetics can change the world.”

Ahmed is helping to bring natural and organic practices to some of the world’s largest cosmetics companies.

“The natural beauty category, in particular, has helped an entire industry of people who nurture, steward, manage, cultivate and promote the wise and expansive growth of natural, eco-friendly, fair trade, organic and socially responsible cosmetics.”

Though anyone in the natural beauty industry will tell you this is no easy task, Walden is ready to face personal care challenges—from market acceptance and proliferation of labels—head on with education and training efforts such as the upcoming Natural Cosmetics Masterclass in San Francisco.

“I’m excited to be part of the process and will continue to work with industry and government bodies alike to develop and clarify natural standards so that more personal care products can identify and use quality ingredients and processes that are more environmentally sound and support good agricultural practices.”

At Badger, Hamilton has led the way for mineral sunscreen formulation. And as chair of the Natural Products Association Natural Seal Steering Committee and founding member of the Natural and Organic Cosmetic Alliance, she brings clarity to the “natural” industry and builds personal care awareness well-beyond Badger’s New England home base.

“I am excited by the passionate dedication towards authenticity, transparency and product safety that I see championed by the natural personal care industry.”

“I love the creativity that I see from my customers—nothing will stop them, and they truly want to make the safest most effective and purely food-derived products on the planet.”

With a rich history in the organics industry, serving as chair of the California Organic Products Advisory Committee and as secretary on the CCOF Board of Directors, she remains dedicated to making organic relevant to the beauty industry.

Today, she’s focused on how the beauty-from-within business will become more sustainable as its presence grows domestically and how consumers will continue to make the connection between health and beauty.

“As we become more aware of the potential impact that our ecological footprint may have to future generations, consumers are gravitating towards natural health and beauty brands that are sustainably sourced and manufactured and operate under a health-promoting and eco-conscious mindset.”