Estee Lauder's Melville campus, located on Long Island, New York, collaborates with local institutions to educate children about beauty science, offering activities related to product formulation, natural ingredients, package design and more

At The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), our scientists, engineers, and technical professionals are at the forefront of breakthrough research, innovative product development, packaging sustainability, and more. Outside of their day-to-day work, many members of these teams also share a passion for inspiring young minds in the communities where they live and work and showing them the possibilities of science in beauty.

Earlier this month, employees based at ELC’s Melville campus, located on Long Island, New York, had the opportunity to participate in events with the Long Island Children’s Museum and National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., where they engaged local children and teens in STEM activities and showcased the science and technology that goes into making prestige beauty products.

As part of the Long Island Children’s Museum STEM Weekend, ELC scientists, engineers, and technical professionals led fun, hands-on activities related to product formulation, natural ingredients, product filling, packaging sustainability, package design, and 3D printing. Parents joined the fun by receiving free product samples, and some signed up to serve as panelists at ELC’s Clinical Research Center, where the company runs clinical studies to demonstrate the performance of its skin care and makeup products. Members of ELC’s Families@Work employee resource group also got involved by volunteering and bringing their own families to attend. A highlight of the weekend was a hands-on workshop where more than 60 children learned how to formulate their own lip gloss.

“We are passionate about teaching the children in our local community about the science behind beauty and all of the chemistry, biology, and engineering that goes into making our products,” said Simona Sitarus, Director, R&D Product Formulation. “We want to get everyone excited about science and help educate our future STEM talent right here on Long Island.”

ELC also participated in the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Long Island Chapter’s annual Women and Girls Conference, which was themed “Embracing Innovation in the 21st Century.” ELC hosted another hands-on lip gloss making experiment for young girls ages 12-18. Lisa Napolione, Senior Vice President, Global R&D, and other ELC scientists based in Melville shared their own personal career journeys with attendees at the event, providing inspiration on a breadth of career opportunities in science. Three of the scientists in attendance mentioned in their talks how they accepted full-time roles at ELC after graduating from ELC R&D’s summer internship program, further showcasing the possibilities of science careers in beauty. The conference was also hosted at Farmingdale State College, where ELC maintains lab space and with whom ELC holds a strategic alliance to drive STEM education.

Sharon Mesfen, ELC Fellow, Advanced Technology Pioneering, participated in the event and shared, “Having the opportunity and platform to speak with these girls was truly remarkable. If, in sharing our thoughts, we’ve helped even one of these students to consider and pursue a career in STEM, I would consider it a big success.”

Participating in these moments was also especially meaningful given ELC’s longstanding presence in Melville, New York. With more than 55 years on Long Island and hundreds of scientists, engineers, product developers, and technical professionals based on its Melville campus, the company is committed to developing the next generation of STEM talent in its own backyard. These recent events build on continued partnerships and conferences, including ELC’s applied learning program for students at Farmingdale State College and its presence at the Girl Scouts of Nassau County STEM Conference. Looking ahead, ELC is excited to continue building on the momentum of educating students about the many possibilities that exist in science and beauty.