How We’ve Made an Impact This Year, Together

Funding for lifesaving research

Did you know that women were excluded from drug clinical trials for decades, up until the 1990s? Even today, women remain underrepresented, leading to serious blind spots in the development of new medicines.

That’s why we’ve united forces with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in support of women’s health equity. In May, we sponsored the annual Women’s Health Luncheon, raising funds for the hospital’s Connors Center for Women's Health & Gender Biology. This incredible event featured keynote presenter and public health advocate Chelsea Clinton, and presentations from world-renowned, Harvard-affiliated Brigham physicians.

At the event, RevitaLash® Cosmetics presented the Gayle Brinkenhoff IGNITE Award, named for our co-founder, awarding $50,000 to fund the research of Aditi Hazra, PhD, MPH, Associate Genetic Epidemiologist, Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Hazra is studying breast cancer in women of color, who are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Women of color are underrepresented in studies identifying biomarkers and risk factors for breast cancer. Her project will leverage artificial intelligence tools to diagnose breast cancer and use a novel algorithm to predict outcomes for women of color.

We also funded research conducted by our longtime partner, City of Hope – one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States.

We provided $30,000 in funding for a study at City of Hope’s Terrence Williams Lab focusing on tumors and radiation therapy. And we continued to support the Dr. James Waisman Endowment Fund for Breast Cancer Research and Treatment at City of Hope. To date, over $1.9 million has been raised to support breast cancer research and treatment through the fund. Our Founder and CEO Michael Brinkenhoff, M.D. and VP of Global Philanthropy Dariel Sidney attended Dr. Waisman’s retirement celebration this year.

Making needed care accessible to more patients

When a chemotherapy patient loses her hair, it can undermine her confidence – making the challenges of treatment even more difficult.

Our co-founder Gayle Brinkenhoff experienced this during her own battle with breast cancer. She taught us that feeling good about the way you look can lift the spirits in even the toughest times.

That’s why we were thrilled to announce this year that RevitaLash® Cosmetics has pledged a two-year, $100,000 grant to support the Cold Cap Program at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center and UCLA Medical Center, in partnership with the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara.

This program offers specialized scalp-cooling caps to eligible cancer patients, helping them retain their hair – and their confidence – during chemotherapy.

In 2024, we also supported the Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC) of Santa Barbara with a $25,000 donation to help provide non-medical therapies for patients, and to fund outreach to underserved communities about mammograms.

The BCRC has been a local source of support, resources, and empowerment for women for over 25 years. Our own co-founder, Gayle Brinkenhoff, received vital support from the BCRC while she fought her courageous battle against breast cancer.

We were honored to support the BCRC’s Thrive Fashion Show this year with a RevitaLash® Cosmetics Brow Bar and gifts for attendees, including cancer survivors and warriors. The event raised $60,000 for patient services.