Mascara comes in tubes of different sizes, colors, and shapes. It can be found in almost any household in the United States.

And 60 percent of the mascara bought in the U.S. is made using a process designed by University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Christa Rowland and her team. Together, they’re responsible for industrializing the bulk process for all L’oreal and Maybelline mascara.

L’Oreal and Maybelline mascara for North and South America is produced in North Little Rock, where Rowland has been managing Process Expertise, a team she was previously a part of as a process expert.

“I have a lot of passion for my work and for the beauty and consumer products industry because of the way we are able to engage with so many people’s daily lives,” she said.  

Rowland received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2008 before going to work for L’Oreal, but she wanted to further her education and skill set.

After two years away, Rowland returned to attend graduate school while working full time, and she graduated with a Master of Business Administration in 2012.

The function of Rowland’s team within her company is to be industrial experts for L’Oreal formulas. In addition to mascara, they work on efficiency improvements, troubleshoot formula issues with products, and create new processes to solve challenges. They also define the processes used to press powders, fill liquid formulas, and clean and sanitize the equipment.

“The expectations are high, and I’m constantly growing and have been lucky to work with and learn from a lot of really self-demanding and empowering people that inspire me,” Rowland said. “I think if I was in a more traditional company and workplace I would probably be bored and a lot less motivated.”

Last year, Rowland and her team won the grand prize in excellence in L’Oreal’s Beauty Shaker Awards.

The intent of the contest is to boost entrepreneurial spirit in approaches to new ideas and business challenges within L’Oreal. Awards are given for excellence, out-of-the-box ideas, and sustainability. The excellence category is given to a team whose implemented idea produced positive results for the business.

Rowland’s team found an alternative processing method for lip gloss that created a zero-waste batching process by a simple concept that eliminated all the residual formula that would typically remain in the mixing tank.

Thanks to the team’s method, the company cut out hundreds of thousands of liters of water and cleaning chemicals from its process and resolved a major capacity challenge on the equipment. It also significantly reduced the time required to respond to variations in production forecast.

The team presented its work in the semi-final and final rounds in New York City to the L’Oreal CEO, Frédéric Rozé, and his committee as well as executives and notable professionals from within the beauty industry.

The winner was announced at the Year End Business Review by Rozé and a surprise member of L’Oreal’s brand ambassador team, Eva Longoria. Rowland and her team were able to meet the actress and take home a $20,000 award.