Dr. Birnur Aral is a chemical engineer and consumer product expert with more than 25 years of experience spanning industrial R&D, product testing, and sustainability.
She is the Co-Founder and Chief Science & Standards Officer of
Best of the Year Media, an independent platform focused on bringing greater rigor, transparency, and accountability to how products are tested, evaluated, and recognized.
Previously, Dr. Aral served as Director of the Beauty, Health, and Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she led hundreds of consumer, clinical, and laboratory studies. She oversaw Good Housekeeping Seal evaluations across a wide range of categories—including skincare, hair care, OTC drugs, supplements, water filtration, pet care, and insect control—ensuring recommendations were grounded in performance, safety, and scientific evidence.
She also played a key role in advancing sustainability conversations in mainstream media through initiatives such as the Raise the Green Bar Sustainability Summits and the Sustainable Innovation Awards.
Through Advisory by Birnur Aral, she advises select brands on product development, testing strategy, and claims substantiation. She also writes the
Testing Tactics column for
Cosmetics & Toiletries, translating complex testing methodologies into practical, industry-relevant insight.
Dr. Aral holds advanced degrees from Columbia University and Stevens Institute of Technology, where she currently serves as a part-time Visiting Scientist. Earlier in her career, she worked in R&D at global manufacturers including Unilever, contributing to patented innovations in personal care.
