I’m Dr. Theresa Callaghan, PhD, a biochemist with extensive experience in the personal care industry. I hold a PhD in Biochemistry and began my career as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Pasteur Institute in France. During this time, I became involved in LVMH’s Capture project, which led to my transition into corporate global skincare research.
In 2008, I founded my consultancy to help brands navigate the complex and often challenging landscape of cosmetic claims. I also regularly write for peer-reviewed journals and trade publications, both under my own name and on behalf of clients, with the goal of bringing clarity and insight to an industry that is frequently misunderstood and misinformed.
For more information about this work, visit my website https://www.ccintl.eu. There, you can also find my written work, including insights on beauty claims and my acclaimed books, Help I’m Covered in Adjectives: Cosmetic Claims & The Consumer; and Cosmetic Claims & The Consumer: The Myth of the Cheap Study.
With nearly years of experience in personal care, I’ve had the privilege of holding key R&D senior roles with leading companies including LVMH (France), Unilever (UK), Marks & Spencer (UK), Johnson & Johnson (France), Evonik (Netherlands, Spain, Germany), Hill-Top Research (UK, USA), and proDERM (Germany). This wealth of experience has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the industry, allowing me to offer a tailored yet flexible approach to meet the unique needs of my clients.
In addition to consulting, I am a major contributor to both peer-reviewed and trade journals, often writing on behalf of clients around the world.
My work has also been featured in various press articles, podcasts, radio shows, and reviews. I serve on the editorial board of the International Journal of Cosmetic Science and am an active member of several professional societies, including the Society of Cosmetic Scientists (Scandinavia & UK) and the British Herbal Medicine Association. I also serve as an advisor to TKS Science Publisher (Italy), a consulting scientific editor and cosmetic claims columnist for EuroCosmetics Magazine (Germany), and contribute to BEAUTYSTREAMS Building Blocks Pulse. I have also been a guest lecturer for the University of Sunderland’s MSc degree in Cosmetic Science.
Having experience across the diverse sectors of dermatology and personal care allows me to offer a customer-centric approach, one that is both targeted and adaptable to specific industry challenges.
During 2019 I began writing the Zoe Blaise Mysteries — fictional crime thrillers set against the backdrop of a collapsed beauty industry.
These novels, published seven years later under the pseudonym Tess M. Calloway are fast-paced corporate conspiracy thrillers that expose the dangerous, hidden side of the beauty industry. The series follows forensic accountant and reluctant sleuth Zoe Blaise as she uncovers deadly secrets, in which cosmetic products and technologies are used as weapons for control, and murder along the way!
Combining real cosmetic science with high-stakes, international intrigue, the novels (beginning with Pink Bobbit) blend glamour, psychological depth, and technological terror.
Key Points:
Unique Setting: Merges financial fraud investigation with the sinister, high-stakes global world of cosmetic manufacturing.
The Protagonist: Zoe Blaise is a brilliant, determined, yet vulnerable investigator working for the shady Orpheus Consulting.
Themes: Explores beauty as a weapon, the intersection of science and crime, and the struggle for truth in a post-truth world.
Tone: Dark, suspenseful, and sophisticated, unfolding across a loose trilogy, all set against the backdrop of a collapsed beauty industry.
I have been interviewed by BBC Radio as well as Writing IE and others. A full interview by TRE radio, discussing the Zoe Blaise series, crimes, characters and insights is available on Youtube.