Olay offers cosmetic science course to advance women in STEM

14 Mar 2024 | By Sabine Waldeck

14 Mar 2024 --- Olay launches a course on Coursera, a for-profit US-based open online course provider, to provide education on “skin care fundamentals” and encourage more learners, especially women and women of color, to enter the cosmetic science field.

According to Coursera, women’s representation remains low in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) professions — comprising just over one-quarter of the overall STEM workforce.

Olay’s course, Introduction to Cosmetic Science and Ingredients, is its first Specialization on the platform and the first of a series of STEM Specializations from Olay, tying into the skin care brand’s commitment to “doubling the number of women in STEM and tripling the number of women of color in STEM by 2030.”

Olay and Coursera will provide US$2 million in scholarships over three years for the course to anyone interested in cosmetic science.

Women in STEM pipeline
From 2024 to 2026, 5,000 recipients will receive a one-year subscription to Coursera Plus, which includes more than 6,900 courses, entry-level Professional Certificates and hands-on projects that teach job-relevant business, technology and data science skills. Women and women of color are encouraged to apply.

A woman sitting in front of books studying. Olay encourages women to enter careers in STEM with new online course.The new Specialization is taught by Olay’s in-house cosmetic scientists, including Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, who has a background in researching emerging skin and hair science. Wilkerson’s work is used to improve the formulas of Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) cosmetic products.

“Olay is committed to positively impacting the STEM pipeline and supporting all women in STEM. This is why we are excited to collaborate with Coursera to put STEM education within reach for both current and aspiring STEM learners,” says Wilkerson.

“Whether you are a skin care enthusiast or someone considering cosmetic science as a career, anyone, anywhere, can now learn the basics of skin care from Olay scientists with the new ‘Introduction to Cosmetic Science and Ingredients’ course.”

Course learnings
Introduction to Cosmetic Science and Ingredients is said to teach the history of the cosmetic industry while helping students understand key ingredients in various cosmetic products and how they affect the biological structure of the skin.

Coursera believes that by the end of the four-course program, learners will comprehend:

Skin physiology and how to create a model of the skin.
Skin care, skin concerns, and how to identify effective skin care ingredients
Fundamental approaches and best practices to develop innovative and sustainable cosmetic formulations.
Best practices and ways to implement cosmetic quality control and safety methods.

Learners who complete the program and apply to P&G beauty roles are encouraged to acknowledge their cosmetic science certificate during the application process.

Eligibility for scholarship
To be eligible for a scholarship, participants must be 17 years or older and be either:

A current high school senior.
A recent high school graduate.
A college student interested in or majoring in a cosmetic science or skin care adjacent STEM field, including life sciences, engineering, pre-med and nursing.
A person interested in switching to a STEM-related career.

One hundred fifty scholarships will be awarded in 2024, 1,500 in 2025 and 3,350 in 2026. The selection is based on the first number of people who meet the requirements. Scholarships are open to all, but women are encouraged to apply.

Edited by Sabine Waldeck