Founder, Chief Scientific Officer & Formulator

Dr Pauline Hili

Dr Pauline Hili is the founder, Chief Scientific Officer and formulator behind Nourish London. Her career spans more than three decades of scientific research, cosmetic formulation and the study of natural ingredients, including doctoral research into the antimicrobial properties of essential oils.

Dr Pauline Hili

Scientific background

Experience and expertise

30+

Years of experience

More than three decades working across scientific research, cosmetic formulation and natural skincare.

BSc

Scientific training

A Bachelor of Science specialising in chemistry, biochemistry and human physiology.

PhD

Published research

Doctoral research into the antimicrobial properties of essential oils, published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

RSC

Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Recognised for a long-standing contribution to chemistry, formulation and scientific practice.

R&D

Research leadership

Former research leader at Neal’s Yard Remedies and supervisor of university research into collagen and elastin.

2011

Founder of Nourish London

Founded Nourish London to create natural and organic skincare grounded in science rather than unsupported promises.

A lifetime in science

From Science to Skincare

Scientific foundations

Chemistry, Biochemistry and Human Physiology

Pauline studied at Melbourne and Monash Universities, graduating with a Bachelor of Science specialising in chemistry, biochemistry and human physiology. This gave her the grounding to understand not only what happens in the skin, but why.

Early career

Learning Through Brewing and Fermentation

Her scientific career began in the brewing industry, where she studied the chemistry of barley, malting and fermentation. The work developed her understanding of precision, formulation and the way natural ingredients interact.

Cosmetic science

A Move Into Skincare Formulation

After moving to the UK, Pauline completed a Diploma in Cosmetic Science. This marked the beginning of a career focused on botanical ingredients, skin biology and the development of effective natural formulations.

Research leadership

Natural Ingredient Research at Neal’s Yard Remedies

Pauline spent many years leading research at Neal’s Yard Remedies, studying hundreds of botanical extracts and exploring how natural ingredients could support healthier skin.

Doctoral research

Investigating Essential Oils

Pauline completed a five-year PhD investigating the antimicrobial properties of essential oils and their potential role in skincare. The research was published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

University collaboration

Collagen, Elastin and Botanical Extracts

She established and supervised a PhD research programme at Kingston University exploring how natural plant extracts influence collagen and elastin production. The work attracted international attention and was featured by ScienceDaily.

2011

Founding Nourish London

Pauline founded Nourish London to create natural and organic skincare grounded in evidence, formulated with integrity and designed to support the long-term health of the skin.

Today

Founder, Chief Scientific Officer and Formulator

Pauline continues to guide formulation, research and product development. Every Nourish London product is still researched, formulated and manufactured at the company’s London home.

Scientific curiosity

A Career Built on Understanding Why

People often ask how a scientist ends up creating a skincare brand. For Dr Pauline Hili, it has always felt like a natural progression.

Growing up in Australia, Pauline was fascinated by science and the natural world from an early age. She wanted to understand how things worked, why they worked and how that knowledge could be used to make a positive difference.

Her studies in chemistry, biochemistry and human physiology established the scientific foundations that still shape her approach to skincare today. Skin is not treated as a static surface, but as a living and dynamic organ that continually responds to age, lifestyle, wellbeing and the surrounding environment.

Her first professional role was in brewing, where she learned about the chemistry of barley, malting and fermentation. Although brewing may appear far removed from skincare, it taught her valuable lessons about natural materials, formulation accuracy and the importance of understanding how ingredients behave together.

That principle remains central to her work: a finished formulation is more than a list of fashionable ingredients.

Where Nature and Science Meet

Research and discovery

Where Nature and Science Meet

After moving into cosmetic science, Pauline became immersed in the study of botanical ingredients and their relationship with the skin.

Her five-year PhD investigated the antimicrobial properties of essential oils and their potential place within skincare. The work strengthened her belief that natural ingredients deserve the same rigorous scientific investigation as any other active material.

Pauline later established and supervised university research exploring how natural plant extracts influence collagen and elastin production. During this period, she became particularly interested in ingredient synergy: the way carefully selected ingredients can work together to create a result greater than any one ingredient might achieve alone.

This is why Nourish London formulations are considered as complete systems. Ingredient compatibility, concentration, stability, delivery and the biology of the skin all matter.

Explore Our Ingredients

For me, skincare has never been about following trends. It is about understanding how skin functions and applying the very best scientific knowledge to create formulations that genuinely support healthier skin.

Dr Pauline Hili

A brand created with purpose

Why I Founded Nourish London

Despite an incredibly rewarding career in research and formulation, Pauline became increasingly frustrated by skincare products making promises that were not supported by robust evidence.

She believed people should not have to choose between effective skincare, natural ingredients and affordability. They deserved products that were honest about what they could achieve, carefully formulated using sound scientific research and designed to support the long-term health of the skin.

That belief led her to found Nourish London in 2011.

Creating an independent company gave Pauline the freedom to choose every ingredient, concentration and manufacturing process according to what she believed would genuinely benefit the skin. It also allowed her to build a business around curiosity, integrity, kindness and a commitment to doing things properly.

As Chief Scientific Officer and formulator, Pauline asks more than whether an ingredient works. She also considers whether it is responsibly sourced, whether it is kind to the skin, how it behaves alongside the rest of the formulation and whether the finished product has a genuine reason to exist.

Nothing gives her greater satisfaction than hearing from customers whose skin has become healthier and whose confidence has grown because of the products the team has created.

Formulations Developed by Dr Pauline Hili

Science never stands still

Looking to the Future

Research remains at the heart of Nourish London.

Pauline continues to follow developments in skin longevity, regenerative medicine, cellular senescence, environmental protection, pigmentation and the skin microbiome. The team is also interested in emerging botanical ingredients and technologies, including algae-derived approaches to UV protection and natural ingredients that may help the skin respond to pollution and other modern environmental pressures.

The exact direction of future research will continue to evolve as the evidence develops. That uncertainty is part of good science: ideas are tested, assumptions are questioned and formulations improve as understanding grows.

The commitment remains simple: to keep questioning, learning and innovating so that each new discovery has the potential to improve both product performance and the health of the skin.