5 women change-makers in beauty to know

March 8 marks International Women’s Day and this year, Professional Beauty has highlighted five women striving for change within the beauty industry – from campaigning for tighter regulation to calling for more diverse representation. 

 

Dawn Knight 

Patient advocate and JCCP trustee

Dawn Knight, AKA “the patient safety lady”, is an award-winning patient advocate and campaigner for better safety, accountability and changes in the law to protect patients within the cosmetic and aesthetic sectors across the UK.

Knight speaks passionately and tirelessly about the need for reform in the industry, and is a trustee for the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP).  

Supporting the call for the proposed licensing scheme, Knight has given evidence both in person and in writing for the all-party parliamentary group that looked into beauty wellbeing and aesthetics, and to the Health and Social Care community inquiry into body image, mental health and social media.

Knight is currently working with plastic surgeon David Zargaran, University College London, the Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA, the JCCP's sister organisation) and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) on the national  #aestheticsurvey running until the end of March. The survey is an empirical study looking at individual patient experiences of Botulinum Toxin complications that will be written up and presented to the government to support in the support for the call for licensing. 

Dija Ayodele

Aesthetician and founder of the Black Skin Directory

Dija Ayodele is a London-based aesthetician and beauty writer with a special interest in skincare for women of colour and is the founder of the Black Skin Directory, an online resource connecting women of colour to expert skincare professionals in the UK.

She founded the directory after observing that most Black women couldn't find access to skincare professionals to meet their needs, so decided to take the lead by creating a website that will make it easier for women of colour to connect with skincare professionals in the UK.

After three years of facilitating Skin of Colour Workshops, in March 2022 the directory launched the Treating Skin of Colour platform to deliver online training to skin and beauty therapists in a format that is accessible worldwide. 

Vicky Eldridge 

Founder of Aesthetic Medicine and Menopause in Aesthetics

Vicky Eldridge is an award-winning journalist, editor and copywriter, with almost two decades of experience in aesthetics,and is the founder of Aesthetic Medicine magazine - the original business-to-business magazine for discerning aesthetic professionals.

In 2023, Vicky launched the Menopause in Aesthetics (MIA) event alongside entrepreneur Charlotte Body. The event completely sold out, highlighting the importance and unmet need for an event for women at this time of their lives. 

Menopause was one of the most talked about health topics of 2022, with women taking charge of their bodies, rights and lives to demand better support and a deeper understanding in the workplace, media and at Government level.

The event was a first-of-its-kind medical trade event dedicated to integrating menopause support into aesthetic clinics. Menopuase in Aesthetics aims to unite aesthetic industry professionals from a broad spectrum of specialities with one common aim – to better serve women going through ‘the change’. 

Millie Kendall

Founder and chief executive of the British Beauty Council 

Millie Kendall OBE is the founder and first chief executive of the British Beauty Council (BBCo). She has commissioned multiple groundbreaking industry reports including The Value of Beauty, Diversity & Inclusivity and The Courage to Change. 

Kendall also established the Sustainable Beauty Coalition, which created the Planet Positive Beauty Guide and launched British Beauty Week. 

In 2022, she was recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours List alongside BBCo's chief operating officer Helena Grzesk for the huge impact of their collective endeavours in helping to support the beauty industry during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. 

Donna Dia

Founder of The Beauty Beat

After finding beauty industry events in the UK to be unrepresentative of the diversity we have in Britain, luxury events planner Donna Dia decided to do something about it.

The Beauty Beat is a luxury beauty event for Black women and Women of Colour that premiered in December 2022. The sold-out event was supported by an impressive list of partners in its first year including Instagram, Nars, Boots, Bare Minerals and BBCo.

Speakers included afro hair heroine Charlotte Mensah, Black Skin Directory founder Dija Ayodele, beauty journalist Keeks Reid and YouTuber Patricia Bright.

 

Are there any other changemakers in the beauty industry you think should be on this list? Let us know in the comments...