Lizzy Skelding is an innovation chemist, product designer, and brand builder.

Lizzy believes the best products are made when form and function go hand-in-hand. She rejects the idea that scientific rigor must be sacrificed for the sake of aesthetics or marketing—or vice versa.

Most recently, Lizzy served as founding chemist at Potion, where she established fundamental logic for cosmetic formulation AI and raw material data management.

Before Potion, she was co-founder & head of chemistry at Fig.1, where she led product development, ingredient by ingredient. Her formulas are available at CVS and Walmart, and have been featured in editorial best of beauty awards, and in FabFitFun boxes.

Previously, she helped CPG executives discern product vision, set strategy, and execute intentional product design via her consultancy, Beaker. She began her career on-bench at a contract manufacturer.

Lizzy trained as a physical chemist at Columbia University. In addition to skincare, she has formulated color cosmetics, home cleaning products, and fragrance oils.

Lizzy has designed and built beloved products:

1. The oil cleanser that will make you look forward to washing your face. It’s Fig.1’s best-selling SKU, and currently a favorite among editors at Into the Gloss, Byrdie, NewBeauty, and Nylon. The formula won Best Makeup Remover in the Women’s Health 2023 Beauty Awards. Claire Holt and Mila Kunis can’t get enough of it

2. The glycolic acid serum lauded by The Quality Edit for its gentle texture yet “impactful result…gentle and soothing, without losing efficacy. Bravo!”

3. The niacinamide serum that won Best Sustainable Serum in NewBeauty’s 2022 Beauty Awards

4. A makeup removing balm that improved on the feel and performance of the cult favorite Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, according to its original chemist

5. A face cleanser that challenges the concept of “clean” — it feels like it’s chock-full of synthetics and performance polymers, but its ingredient list reads like its made in Gwyneth’s kitchen

n. And more!