In June, Ready Set Jet became the first beauty brand to go to space, sending its space-certified products on Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. In sitting down with founder, Shalini Vadhera, we had the opportunity to talk microgravity, the importance of high-performing, convenient products and empowering women in the industry.
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In June, Ready Set Jet became the first beauty brand to go to space, sending its space-certified products on Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. In sitting down with founder, Shalini Vadhera, we had the opportunity to talk microgravity, the importance of high-performing, convenient products and empowering women in the industry.
Charting the Journey to Space
When Vadhera talks about the process of getting Ready Set Jet’s products into space, she starts with meeting the forward-thinking minds and space CEOs who had their heads in (or beyond?) the clouds. It was then that she realized the incredible opportunity to “bring space to your face.” Once she set her mind to it, she started getting invited into these interstellar spaces as an innovator, where she could then start forming crucial partnerships to spur the process of getting her products space-certified. Getting her products space certified, of course, meant putting them through rigorous testing. The benefits of these tests don’t stop at getting certified, though. Take microgravity testing, which started after Ready Set Jet’s products completed the Axiom Mission 4, and which includes parabolic flights, Australian fighter jets and suborbital—this specific testing allows us to see how the skin regenerates in microgravity. These extreme lines of testing pave the way for unparalleled performance back here on earth, which can then be better used by those in more extreme circumstances, such as burn victims or those post-radiation for cancer treatment.
“Everything’s celebrated in space,” Vadhera says. In getting on the Axiom payload, their team went through all of Ready Set Jet’s space-certified products’ formulas as well, ending in the answer to Vadhera’s question: “Can we validate this in the harshest environments known to man?”
What Makes It Back to Earth?
Testing products against zero gravity, some of the most intensely dry conditions or even radioactivity is certainly nifty, but what do these findings mean for those of us with both feet still firmly on the ground? As it turns out, you learn a lot in the process of testing products for space certification. In learning about skin regeneration in microgravity, we can then conjecture on how to accelerate skin regeneration in products intended for regular use. The harsh conditions of space are the ultimate test for skin conditions. Take the one we’re all thinking about: the visual effects of aging. Many factors in space, like microgravity, radiation and isolation, can accelerate aging at the cellular level. In testing formulations under these extreme conditions, we can translate the results into the next steps for the next generation of products. In fact, there might already feasibly be a way to “reverse age” up to a decade.
Looking at what’s out there and thinking past the confines of the Earth’s atmosphere may also yield solutions where we might not otherwise look. Space ingredients can work beautifully on the skin, for example, with titanium dioxide—something that’s commonly found in beauty and personal care products, like sunscreen, can also be found on the moon, being a component of the soil and rock that covers the surface.
Not “Just” A Matter of Convenience
They always say that good innovation starts with crafting a solution to a real problem, and for Vadhera, a busy professional who’s met many other women in similar circumstances, this couldn’t ring any truer. “There are always three things I tend to hear from women, no matter where I’ve been. The first, ‘I don’t have an hour for my beauty routine. The second, ‘I’m tired of carrying a big bag around, and carrying products around just to have them spill, ’ and three, ‘can you make things easy for me? I go to Sephora and feel like I’m drinking from a firehose.’” Ready Set Jet’s convenient, space-certified cosmetic batons check all these boxes seamlessly, made for application on the go, and in a spill-safe, solid design that will work for the busy professional—no matter where her office is. A throughline to how Vadhera views her work and those it serves is her constant connection back to “women like us.” Ensuring that there’s no gap in who’s allowed to feel beautiful and successful is the premise of her professional work, as well as the philanthropy and social work that’s fueled by her success and life experience.
The Importance of Financial Literacy
Being a woman of color and an entrepreneur herself, Vadhera knows the obstacles that come with either and both, especially for those who may not have the traditional infrastructure or resources set up for them. She stresses that conferences dedicated to building financial literacy and venture capital are crucial. There are many programs created by institutions like Chloe Capital and JP Morgan to help turn founders into experienced investors and to provide a formal business education about investing, creating pitch decks and other important business skills. Vadhera goes on to encourage everyone to take advantage of the resources out there—they’re not exclusively for those just starting their careers; everyone, no matter what stage they’re in, should feel empowered to learn. She says attending webinars and building out your network is essential—and not just by exchanging business cards. Relationship marketing, that is, actually building and maintaining relationships, is a major step forward as it opens doors to mentors and relationships for continued learning and career development.
It can be daunting to try to reach for things that may not have been built into your life or curriculum earlier. It can be scary to go out of your comfort zone and adapt to the life you want. “It’s hard anyway,” says Vadhera. “So, you might as well do it anyway. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, celebrate yourself. It’s why you get to offer your unique perspective.” Ready Set Jet’s Pass the Baton movement was started to empower women in inclusive beauty through mentorship, product access and community building. “At the end of the day, we have a responsibility as women to help each other,” Vadhera affirms. “I’m excited to pioneer, break boundaries and cross every border imaginable. At this point, there’s no telling what the universe has to bring, and not just to the world. I’ve been on the most exhilarating rocket ride—and that’s just as I thought I’d done it all.”
