Katherine Bauer

About Katherine Bauer

I am a product development executive with 20+ years of experience bringing innovative skincare and color cosmetic products from concept to global launch. I specialize in clean beauty formulation, packaging development, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional leadership — translating creative vision into commercially successful products.Currently, I serve as VP of Product Development at rms beauty, where I lead end-to-end product development across skincare and color cosmetics. I partner closely with the founder and executive team to build multi-year innovation pipelines, manage global supplier relationships, oversee regulatory strategy, and ensure every launch meets the highest standards of quality, performance, and clean-beauty compliance.My background spans formulation chemistry, claims substantiation, clinical testing, packaging optimization, cost-of-goods strategy, and international regulatory submissions.I thrive at the intersection of science, brand vision, and consumer insight — building products that perform, inspire loyalty, and lead market trends.Core strengths:• Clean beauty formulation & innovation• Product development strategy & execution• Global regulatory & compliance leadership• Packaging & supplier sourcing• Cross-functional and executive collaboration• Team building & mentorship• Market and consumer testing strategy

Experience

1. Senior Vice President of Product Development and Quality Assurance

   RMS Beauty

   Aug 2019 — Present · Charleston County, SC, US

   Lead global product development for skincare and color cosmetics within a fast-growing clean beauty brand.Partner directly with founder and CSO to design and execute a multi-year innovation and launch roadmap.Oversee formulation, scale-up, packaging development, and supplier sourcing across North America, Europe and Asia.Direct regulatory strategy including ingredient review, safety testing, EU dossiers, and international registrations.Manage end-to-end launch execution ensuring on-time delivery, quality excellence, budget alignment, and clean-beauty compliance.Drive market research, consumer testing, and claims validation to strengthen product performance and brand credibility.

Education

• University of Rhode Island

  MSc, Personal Care and Products Technology

• Western University

  BSc, Chemistry

Skills

• R&D
• Skin Care
• Drug Delivery
• Organic Chemistry
• Fragrance
• Beauty Industry
• Product Innovation
• Polymer Chemistry
• Personal Care
• Flavors
• Chromatography
• Coatings
• Sop
• Fda
• Formulation
• Analytical Chemistry
• Commercialization
• Additives
• Raw Materials
• Fmcg
• Hair Care
• Emulsions
• Gmp
• Supply Chain Management
• Gas Chromatography
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Packaging
• Ingredients
• Surfactants
• Hplc
• Polymers
• Consumer Products
• Regulatory Affairs
• Cosmetics
• Quality System
• Chemistry
• Contract Manufacturing
• Polymer Science
• Uv/Vis
• Product Development