Dr Sola Idowu
The Biology of Beauty
Scientist, Author & Beauty Innovation Entrepreneur
Why skin, hair and ageing aren’t one-size-fits-all.
Dr Sola Idowu is a scientist, author and beauty innovation entrepreneur exploring why skin, hair and ageing don’t follow one-size-fits-all biology, and how AI and computational biology could help build a more inclusive generation of beauty products.
Science behind the beauty conversation
Dr Sola Idowu works at the intersection of science, technology and beauty innovation.
What happens when we stop treating human skin, hair and ageing as if they all follow the same biological rules?
He is the author of Melanin: The Science of Skin, Colour, and the Biology We Share, Rooted: The Hidden Science of Textured Hair and the Scalp, and Ageing: The New Science of How We Age, Across Every Phenotype. Together, the books challenge conventional classification systems and explore the biological differences that shape skin, hair and ageing.
He is also Founder and CEO of HexisLab, an AI and computational-biology company working across cosmetics, personal care, wellness and pharmaceutical research.
WHY INVITE SOLA?
Why invite Sola?
Beauty is often discussed through products, ingredients and trends. Sola brings a different perspective: the biology underneath them.
He can translate complex scientific research into conversations that are relevant to consumers, clinicians, beauty professionals, founders and the wider public.
His work sits at the intersection of:
- Skin biology and melanin
- Textured hair and scalp science
- Ageing across different phenotypes
- Inclusive dermatology and the research gap
- Cosmetic formulation and evidence
- AI and computational biology
- Personalised beauty
- Science-led beauty entrepreneurship
Sola is particularly interested in the gap between what the research tells us, what the beauty industry sells us, and what consumers actually need.
He brings both scientific depth and commercial experience: alongside his research and writing, he leads HexisLab, where AI, computational biology, laboratory research and formulation are brought together to develop new ingredients, products and evidence for beauty and personal-care applications.
He doesn’t just explain the science. He works on what comes next.
PODCAST CONVERSATIONS
Nine conversations Sola can bring to your audience
The Biology of Beauty: Why One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work
For decades, beauty has divided people into simple categories: skin types, hair types and age groups. But biology is considerably more complicated. Sola explores why pigmentation, barrier function, inflammation, hair structure and ageing don’t necessarily travel together, and what this means for the future of personalised beauty.
Best for: General beauty, science, consumer and wellness podcasts.
Beyond Fitzpatrick: What the Biology of Melanin Really Tells Us
The Fitzpatrick scale has shaped dermatology, skincare and public health for decades, but what was it actually designed to measure? Sola explores what the scale can tell us, what it cannot, and why understanding the biology behind melanin matters for pigmentation, UV exposure, inflammation, scarring and personalised skincare. This connects directly to the argument in Melanin.
Best for: Dermatology, medical, science and skin-health podcasts.
The Scalp Is Skin: The Hidden Biology of Textured Hair
Curl pattern is visible. Hair biology is not. Sola explores follicle structure, scalp biology, inflammation, textured hair, hair loss and why conventional hair-typing systems can be a poor substitute for understanding what is actually happening biologically. His work on textured hair also extends into published research examining genomic variation and its implications for haircare.
Best for: Hair, beauty, Black culture, dermatology and founder podcasts.
Why We Don’t All Age the Same Way
Wrinkles aren’t the only measure of ageing. Sola explores why different skin phenotypes can experience different visible manifestations of ageing, and why pigmentary, textural, scalp and follicular changes deserve much more attention. This is the central argument explored in Ageing.
Best for: Beauty, wellness, women’s health, healthy ageing and lifestyle podcasts.
The Beauty Industry Has a Biology Problem
Why are so many beauty products still developed around broad demographic categories rather than biological differences? Sola discusses what happens when we combine biology, AI, laboratory science and formulation to approach beauty development differently. HexisLab’s current work explicitly combines AI-guided discovery, laboratory validation and formulation development.
Best for: Business, beauty-industry, technology, AI and entrepreneurship podcasts.
From Research to Beauty Product: What Does “Science-Backed” Actually Mean?
“Science-backed” has become one of beauty’s favourite phrases. But what evidence should actually sit behind a skincare or haircare claim? Sola can take listeners through the journey from biological hypothesis, to ingredient discovery, to testing, to formulation, to evidence, to consumer claim.
Best for: Cosmetic science, beauty-business, founder and consumer podcasts.
Can AI Finally Make Beauty Genuinely Inclusive?
Beauty products have often been developed around limited datasets, narrow consumer groups and simplified categories of skin and hair. Sola explores whether AI and computational biology can help move the industry from designing for an “average consumer” towards products informed by real biological diversity.
Best for: AI, technology, beauty, entrepreneurship, diversity and future-of-industry podcasts.
Can Beauty AI Be Biased?
If the data doesn’t represent everyone, can the algorithm really create inclusive products? Sola can discuss biased datasets, underrepresented skin and hair biology, the gap between demographic labels and true biological diversity, what “inclusive data” actually means in practice, and why laboratory validation remains essential however convincing a model looks on paper.
Best for: AI ethics, technology, beauty-industry and general AI podcasts.
From Months to Weeks: Can AI Compress the Beauty R&D Cycle?
Developing a new cosmetic ingredient or formulation can involve enormous amounts of research, experimentation and testing. Sola discusses how AI and computational biology can help compress that R&D cycle, from biological hypothesis to ingredient discovery, formulation and validation, while keeping laboratory science and evidence at the centre, and what AI can, and cannot, replace in scientific research.
Best for: AI, technology, business, beauty-industry and founder podcasts.
AI, BIOLOGY & THE FUTURE OF BEAUTY
AI, Biology & the Future of Beauty
Can we use artificial intelligence to build a beauty industry that understands biological diversity, rather than averaging it away?
At HexisLab, Sola is exploring how AI and computational biology can accelerate scientific discovery: from identifying promising biological targets and ingredients, to supporting formulation development and evidence generation.
The goal isn’t to replace scientists or laboratories. It’s to help scientists ask better questions, explore more possibilities and reach evidence faster.
What this looks like in practice
30,000+
materials screened in a completed discovery programme
40%
reduction in R&D cycle time in a completed client project
5
lead formulations validated
100,000+
downloads of HexisLab peer-reviewed research
From one-size-fits-all beauty to biology-driven, AI-enabled personalisation.
The Biology of Beauty Trilogy
Three books exploring the biology of skin, hair, scalp and ageing, and the classification systems that can obscure biological diversity.
MELANIN
The Science of Skin, Colour, and the Biology We Share
What happens when a six-point classification system becomes the default language for understanding the world’s skin? Melanin examines the limits of the Fitzpatrick scale and explores the biological variables that sit underneath visible pigmentation.
ROOTED
The Hidden Science of Textured Hair and the Scalp
Curl pattern is not the same thing as hair biology. Rooted explores textured hair through follicle science, scalp biology, inflammation and the biological factors that shape hair health.
AGEING
The New Science of How We Age, Across Every Phenotype
Not every skin ages primarily through wrinkles. Ageing explores the biological mechanisms behind skin ageing and why the visible signs of ageing can differ substantially across phenotypes.
From science to real-world innovation
Sola is Founder and CEO of HexisLab, an AI and computational-biology company developing technologies, ingredients and formulations across cosmetics, personal care, wellness and pharmaceutical applications.
AI-guided discovery → laboratory validation → formulation → scientific evidence
to help answer questions such as:
- Which biological pathway should a product target?
- Which ingredients are most likely to affect that pathway?
- How can an ingredient or formulation be scientifically validated?
- How should a product claim be supported by evidence?
- How can beauty development become more personalised?
FROM SCIENCE TO CONSUMER PRODUCT
Layla & Kays
A science-led haircare brand for textured hair, founded by Sola in 2024 and built around genomic hair research and formulation science.
Silver, Pure Beauty Awards UK 2024.
SELECTED CREDENTIALS
Selected credentials
PhD in Applied Mathematics
Research career spanning Cambridge, Newcastle University and Stanford University.
Founder & CEO, HexisLab
Leading an AI and computational-biology company working across cosmetics, personal care, wellness and pharmaceutical research.
Stanford University
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Engineering; research at NASA Ames.
e-Therapeutics
Founding-team and technical leadership experience in a Newcastle University biotechnology spin-out that subsequently listed on AIM.
AI & computational biology
Experience developing and commercialising AI-based technologies for scientific discovery and product development.
Scientific publishing
Research spanning personalised skincare, skin ageing, textured-hair biology and computational approaches to biological discovery.
Innovation & policy
Oral evidence to the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee and participation in industry and innovation events.
Experienced in communicating complex science
UK Parliament: Science, Innovation & Technology Committee
Oral evidence witness, Innovation Showcase, February 2025. Watch the evidence on parliamentlive.tv.
Newcastle University Business School Interview
On postgraduate skills, digital innovation and management.
Growing Innovation: Building a Life Sciences Business
Northern Spotlights (RTC North), on building a life-sciences business.
Don’t Outsource Your Creativity to AI
Interview with Demola Okeowo on building a company at the intersection of AI, science and beauty.
Reformulation Challenge
A rapid reformulation challenge from the HexisLab bench.
House of Lords
Contributor to a parliamentary roundtable on Afro-textured hair and inclusive beauty research.
BBC Radio 4: You and Yours
Expert commentary on sun damage and UV exposure, August 2020.
Tones of Beauty Expo
Speaker on A-Beauty, Afro-textured hair, inclusive beauty and hyperpigmentation in skin of colour. Speaker profile
North East Times
Feature interview on entrepreneurship and innovation.
TechRound
Featured for HexisLab’s AI ingredient-discovery platform.
FOR PRODUCERS
For podcast hosts & producers
Sola is available for:
Podcast interviews · Radio · TV · Expert commentary · Panels · Conference talks · Written interviews
Interviews can be tailored for:
- General audiences
- Beauty consumers
- Scientists and clinicians
- Beauty professionals
- Entrepreneurs and founders
- Technology audiences
- AI and innovation audiences
Podcast interviews can be recorded remotely.
Looking for a specific angle?
Send us the theme of your programme and the audience you’re trying to reach. We’ll suggest the strongest conversation angle.
Invite Sola to your podcast
For podcast interviews, media enquiries, speaking invitations and expert commentary:
sola@hexislab.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/solaidowu
Website: idowu.org
Let’s change the beauty conversation.
SKIN · HAIR · AGEING · BIOLOGY · INNOVATION