{"id":51435,"date":"2023-06-07T15:42:52","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T19:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/?p=51435"},"modified":"2024-08-01T11:55:51","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T15:55:51","slug":"mira-abed-12-19-celebrates-multifaceted-passions-with-big-impacts-as-senior-chemist-for-loreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/06\/mira-abed-12-19-celebrates-multifaceted-passions-with-big-impacts-as-senior-chemist-for-loreal\/","title":{"rendered":"Mira Abed \u201912, \u201919 Celebrates Multifaceted Passions with Big Impacts as Senior Chemist for L\u2019Or\u00e9al"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
For Mira Abed, the question of \u201cWhat do you want to be when you grow up?\u201d has always been changing. From politics and cooking to fashion and interior design, Abed has many interests. It was not until graduate school that she started pursuing cosmetic science, landing a role as a senior chemist for L\u2019Or\u00e9al. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this might seem disadvantageous to some, Abed is empowered by her multifaceted passions. With undergraduate degrees in international studies and polymer and color chemistry<\/a> (PCC) as well as a Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science<\/a> under her belt, Abed credits NC State University and the Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> for spurring her interests and showing how they are all interconnected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Abed is a senior chemist for L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s makeup team, where she supports the formulation of all categories of makeup including foundations, mascaras, lipsticks and lip glosses. She uses her technical knowledge of cosmetic chemistry to help chemists analyze formulas and ensure a high level of quality for products before they are launched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a senior chemist at L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s campus in New Jersey, I get to work on all categories of makeup \u2014 foundations, mascaras, lipsticks, lip glosses, you name it. It’s a lot of fun because we get to not only play with the texture, but also try to understand why the texture feels that way or why and how it looks that way. I’ve always loved playing with makeup and cosmetics. Even before I started working at L’Or\u00e9al, I had a lipstick collection of between 100 and 200 lipsticks and lip products at any given time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I\u2019ve gone back and forth between interests. I started out in high school wanting to go into interior or fashion design. I always liked doing things with my hands and I liked being creative. I also have always had this super intense curiosity; when something didn\u2019t make sense, I just really wanted to know why. That was the part of my personality that I just couldn’t seem to shake.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTell us a little about your role as a senior chemist at L\u2019Or\u00e9al. Why do you enjoy working there?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
After I started working, L’Or\u00e9al announced the L’Or\u00e9al for the future<\/a> program which is a huge sustainability initiative, basically trying to respect planetary boundaries and make a lot more of our products from renewable resources and biodegradable materials. It really makes me excited and proud to work for a company that\u2019s doing things like that because I really value that the outcome of my work is used for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDid you always know you wanted to go into cosmetics?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n