Founder and President at Living Pur™ Cosmetic Consulting, experienced Cosmetic Industry Professional and Cosmetic Chemist with over 10 years of industry experience. Previously managed R&D lab at L'Oreal. Now focused on clean, conscious, sustainable, and cruelty-free beauty. Working closely with small beauty brands helping them with product development, product claims and testing, selecting effective and relevant active ingredients, creating brand and star ingredient story, scientific communication, technical writing and much more.
With a passion for all things science, health, and beauty and master's degree in Chemical Engineering from NYU, Ivana Pur is a Founder and President of LIVING PUR™ — Clean Beauty Consulting firm and blog about Science of Nontoxic Living.
Ivana has over 10 years of experience in the cosmetic industry, including working as a Manager in L'Oréal Research and Development Division, where she also led acquisitions and mergers of fast—growing, emerging beauty brands. Ivana holds several patents for cosmetic formulations.
As a former big cosmetic company manager, chemical engineer, product design aficionado, and health and beauty product "junkie", Ivana uses her corporate expertise, her analytical mind, and visual thinking to connect science, consumer needs and behaviors, health and safety, and sensorial aspects of designing products that will elevate consumer experience.
Ivana brings unique scientific knowledge of the beauty industry, with special expertise in clean and sustainable beauty, innovative ingredients and packaging. Through LIVING PUR™ her mission is to empower consumers to make informed and safe choices, and to push for science, sustainability, and transparency in the beauty industry. Based in NYC, Ivana was voted in 100 most successful Serbian expats by a major Serbian publication. She is a product design and art collector, mom, feminist, and a spokesperson For Girls In Science initiative.
Ivana Pur: The beauty market is thriving, but it is overcrowded. Today, thanks to social media marketing, the rise of online shopping and accessible manufacturing options, including white and private labels, it is easier than ever to start a cosmetic brand, but it is much harder to carve out a white space in the very saturated market.
Professionals share their go-to beauty products that are affordable and available online: Ivana Pur, cosmetic chemist, founder, and president of cosmetics consulting firm Living Pur, suggests taking this affordable BB cream by Maybelline for a spin. “I often go back to this little multitasker that triples as skin hydrator, tinted moisturizer, and broad spectrum, physical sunscreen,” she says. Also touting its broad-spectrum SPF 30, Pur calls it “truly a one–and–done type of product.”
The GBWA's prestigious jury includes industry experts like Nadja Swarovski, Former Executive Member of Swarovski Crystal Business and Chair of the Swarovski Foundation, Ivana Pur, Chemical Engineer and Cosmetic Scientist, former R&D Manager of L’Oreal, Founder and President of Living Pur, Karim Rashid, a world-class Industrial Designer, and Christiane Seidel, international actress and beauty enthusiast.
According to Ivana Pur, chemical engineer and GBWA jury member, endota was awarded the winner of the Most Sustainable Face Moisturiser Award, as “their product is developed with a high level of natural and organic ingredients, with packaging manufactured locally, using solar energy and made from recycled plastic.” [Cosmetics Business, 2021]
Ivana Pur also loves this tinted lip balm by Honest Beauty. It’s easy to apply and has a light, sheer color, and is also vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free, and made without synthetics. “This lip balm is packed with skin-replenishing emollients, like plant oils, sterols, butters, and skin-identical fatty acids, as well as antioxidant Vitamin E,” says Pur. “It glides on the lips for smooth application, and it seals in the moisture, without feeling heavy or sticky.” She says it’s perfect for daily wear. “Bonus: I love to also use it as on–the–go cheek stain that looks oh–so–dewy.” [Bustle, 2023]
Today, being plastic neutral is a must-have and a bare minimum for any beauty brand who wants to talk about sustainability. As businesses, we are responsible for cleaning up our messes. Whatever waste we put out in the world via our products and packaging, we need to recover and ideally recycle at least as much from the environment. Thankfully, today, this is easier to do than ever before, with the help of fantastic organizations like Plastic Bank, Plastic Collective, Waste Revolution, and others.