Brielyn Hallam (right) studied cosmetic science during a summer internship in France. Photo courtesy of Brielyn Hallam.
Brielyn Hallam has chemistry in her blood.
Growing up with two chemists as parents made it a natural fit when she was considering colleges, but her own experience helped her choose a specific field.
“I knew I had always been really into dermatology,” said Hallam, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore from Nazareth, Pennsylvania. “I did struggle with a lot of skin issues growing up like acne. I knew what products worked for certain things, but I did not know how to formulate them.”
When she came to UTC to study biochemistry, her goal was to transfer to UT Knoxville after a couple of years. Those plans have now changed.
“After my first semester freshman year, I ended up loving it here and I was like, ‘Why leave?’” she said. “I’ve met so many good people and it’s just where I feel like I need to be in life.”
Hallam’s introduction into the world of cosmetics and biochemistry took place after Assistant Professor Luis Sanchez Diaz’s “The First Year Experience in Chemistry” class.
“He would invite us to these seminars to ask questions with professors from other schools,” she said. “I ended up going to a couple of those; eventually, he noticed and asked what I wanted to do with my future.
“I told him I wanted to make cosmetics. He was like, ‘Well, I do viscosity research and that could probably be beneficial.”
That conversation led her into his research group, where she found direction and support.
“It gives me somebody for references, of course, but he also helps me connect with so many other groups of people,” she said. “I have somebody higher up who really cares and will help me with my future.”
The work she’s doing with Sanchez Diaz focuses on viscosity, or how different temperatures or ingredients change the texture of a product. It confirmed for her that she enjoys the type of lab work involved in creating skincare and makeup.
Already, she is getting valuable research experience in ways that some people only ever dream about.
Last summer, Hallam participated in a study abroad internship with ISIPCA in Versailles, a French school known for perfumery and cosmetics. She spent two weeks living in a small house, attending morning information sessions and spending her afternoons in the lab.
“The first week was just perfumery,” she said. “We were learning the basics of that and then we got to formulate some of our own products. The second week was more cosmetic-focused, so we did some shampoos, some lipsticks, some lotions and things like that.”
Outside the classroom, she noticed how different the pace of life felt.
“It’s such a different culture,” she said. “Even though my day was longer than it would be here, it was not stressful at all. I got to go to the markets and buy my own food and just experience life how they live it.”
The trip confirmed her desire to pursue opportunities abroad. She is now exploring internships with companies such as Estée Lauder and e.l.f. Beauty, with hopes to earn a master’s degree overseas.
“I want to work for a bigger company to get the basics down,” Hallam said. “Then I want to eventually open my own cosmetic store and be a business owner.”
For now, the focus remains on learning everything she can and continuing the work that first sparked her interest.
“I’ve learned that I enjoy what I will be doing firsthand,” she said. “It’s a great experience to have.”
Brielyn Hallam (center) with her internship group at ISIPCA in Versailles, France.
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