Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica

The beauty industry has a biodiversity problem and hardly anyone's talking about it.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica exposes the the environmental impact of the beauty industry and explores actionable solutions.

Don't miss out on this eye-opening episode and discover how the beauty industry can become a force for good.

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Picture an Indonesian island where the rainforest flourishes, providing sanctuary for endangered species and vibrant ecosystems. On the island of Simeulue, over 500 smallholder farmers are proving that sustainable coconut oil production is not only possible but essential.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica welcomes Jane Dunlop, co-founder and CEO of āluān. Jane shares her journey to leading a conservation-driven business that produces high-quality, traceable coconut oil.

Don't miss out on this eye-opening conversation about sustainable beauty and environmental conservation.

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Are you overwhelmed by the fast-paced beauty industry that keeps bombarding you with the latest trends and product launches? It's time to slow down and embrace slow beauty.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica, shares why we must rethink our beauty habits and the 8 ways to embrace slow beauty.

If you find yourself caught up in the hype of fast beauty, constantly purchasing new products that promise miracles but ultimately end up cluttering your space, this episode is for you.

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Have you ever questioned the need for endless product launches or wondered if your skin truly benefits from a multi-step routine?

If so, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica is joined by Liah Yoo, renowned beauty influencer and visionary founder of Krave Beauty. Together, they discuss the concept of slow beauty, a minimalist approach that could revolutionise your skincare routine and redefine your relationship with your skin.

Tune in to join the slow beauty revolution. 

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What if the beauty industry could be completely sustainable?

This week on Green Beauty Conversations, we explore the circular biorefinery model, a revolutionary approach that's redefining how cosmetic ingredients are sourced and utilised.

Join Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica, as she delves into the innovative practices of ingredient suppliers turning raw materials into zero-waste treasures. Discover how this model not only minimises waste but also maximises the potential of every plant, setting new standards for eco-friendly beauty. 

Tune in to learn how you can support brands leading the way in sustainable beauty.

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Discover how seaweed, beauty's most regenerative ingredient, is tackling the industry's sustainability challenges and paving the way for a greener future. 

Join Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica as she chats with Catarina Ricca, Business Development Manager at Ínclita Seaweed Solutions. Together, they explore how seaweed is revolutionising sustainable beauty with its rapid growth, bioactive compounds, and eco-friendly benefits.

Tune in to this episode of Green Beauty Conversations to uncover the secrets of seaweed-based innovations that can transform your skincare and cosmetics formulations.

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Are you ready to change the beauty industry from the ground up? If so, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica, challenges you to rethink your place in the beauty world.

Discover the three ways you can change the industry—from making conscious purchasing decisions to starting your eco-friendly beauty brand.

Don't miss out on this episode—it might just change the way you see beauty forever.

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What if you could turn your passion into a thriving business and create a career you truly love? That’s exactly what Anna Boiardi, founder of AnnaB Cosmetics did.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica welcomes Anna Boiardi, founder of Italian natural skincare brand AnnaB Cosmetics.

Anna shares her remarkable journey from crime journalist to indie beauty entrepreneur. She opens up about starting her brand from the ground up, the challenges she faced along the way, and how staying true to her values became the cornerstone of her success.

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn your passion into a business, this episode is for you!

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Are your beauty products putting plants under threat? 

As the beauty industry continues to boom, it’s time to confront an uncomfortable truth: our insatiable demand for cosmetic ingredients is driving some of the world's most cherished plant species to the brink of extinction.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica, uncovers the hidden costs of our beauty habits and the urgent need for change.

Listen now to find out how you can make a meaningful impact and support a more sustainable future for beauty.

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In this week's episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica, teams up with Dr. Sally Gouldstone, a visionary botanist and founder of Seilich, to unravel the intricate relationship between the beauty industry and biodiversity.

Get ready to be inspired as Dr Gouldstone exposes the beauty industry’s hidden impacts on ecosystems and reveals how brands can pivot from being part of the problem to becoming champions of biodiversity. 

Join Lorraine as she challenges the status quo, uncovering the secrets to making beauty products that not only minimise harm but actively contribute to the planet's wellbeing.

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In this week's episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica, delves into the hidden human rights abuses in the cosmetics industry.

Discover the shocking realities of child labour in Egyptian jasmine fields and slave-like conditions in Brazilian carnauba wax production.

Join host Lorraine Dallmeier as she exposes these dark truths and discusses how transparency and ethical sourcing can drive meaningful change. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode that will make you rethink your beauty products.

Listen now!

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Have you ever wondered what the word ‘parfum’ or ‘fragrance’ on your cosmetic labels really means? If so, you're not alone.

This tiny term, often found at the end of ingredient lists, can hide many sins, leaving consumers in the dark about what they're truly applying to their skin. 

In this week's episode of Green Beauty Conversations,  Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica, welcomes Ashlee Posner, CEO of Lucent Labs and founder of State of Change. Ashlee is on a mission to disrupt the fragrance industry and bring full ingredient transparency to every product we use.

Listen now as Lorraine and Ashlee explore the future of fragrance.

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Are you tired of being bombarded by unrealistic beauty industry standards and wondering if all your beauty products are truly necessary? If so, this episode is for you.

In this week's opinion piece, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica tackles the age-old question: is beauty merely vanity, or is it genuinely important?

Join Lorraine as she delves deep into the industry's impact on our self-image and explores why we continue to use cosmetics.

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In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica, welcomes Erika Geraerts, founder of Fluff Casual Cosmetics, to explore the concept of intentional beauty and its transformative potential within the beauty industry.

Erika Geraerts has redefined what it means to be a beauty brand with Fluff Casual Cosmetics. By focusing on minimal, refillable products and meaningful consumer engagement, Erika challenges the traditional norms of the beauty industry.

Join Lorraine and Erika as they discuss the challenges facing the beauty industry and how Fluff's countercultural approach aims to create a more mindful and ethical beauty landscape.

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Have you ever wondered what “recycle-ready” means when it comes to cosmetic packaging? Brace yourself, because this term might surprise you.

“Recycle-ready” refers to packaging designed for future recycling systems that don’t yet exist.

Essentially, brands are claiming eco-friendliness by betting on future infrastructure improvements, not current capabilities.

This week’s opinion piece takes a critical stance on the current state of recycling infrastructure.

Host Lorraine Dallmeier unpacks the troubling realities behind "recycle-ready".  While the term might sound promising, it is misleading. It will only be recyclable if and when a capable future recycling system is in place.

You won't want to miss this episode with Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica. She gives you fair warning as she steps on her soapbox and has a royal rant over misleading claims.

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As the beauty industry grapples with its environmental impact, the question on everyone's mind is: can cosmetic packaging be sustainable?

Anyone looking into plastic packaging will be familiar with the sea of acronyms used for plastics: PET, PE, PP, HDPE. What do these acronyms mean? And which materials should beauty brands use when choosing packaging?

In this episode of the Green Beauty Conversations podcast, we welcome a packaging expert to find answers. Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica and Chartered Environmentalist, welcomes Alexander Kwapis, VP of Fusion PKG.

Alexander discusses the materials used to achieve product protection and sustainability. Together, they explore the complexity of designing cosmetic packaging and the future of sustainable beauty.

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If a cosmetic product isn't sustainable in the first place, how can it suddenly become 'more' sustainable when a brand makes an improvement?

The language used by beauty brands in relation to sustainability can be problematic. 

Last week, we interviewed Nishit Dedhia of KAIN Cosmeceuticals about the eco-designed manufacturing plant he runs in Mumbai, India.

And in that interview, Nishit rightly said that it seems as if everyone in the cosmetics industry now proudly calls themselves 'sustainable' - sometimes without any means to back those claims. 

In this week's episode of the Green Beauty Conversations podcast, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica now takes the opportunity to look at three greenwashing claims in the beauty industry - ranging from "more" sustainable shampoo bottles to governmental intervention with one of the world's largest personal care brands.  

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Have you ever wondered where your favourite beauty products are made?

We spend a lot of time worrying about the provenance of our ingredients, but we never discuss the manufacturing facilities where cosmetics are produced.

What are these buildings like? Are they created with eco-design principles in mind? How do they handle waste or water management?

These discussions are happening behind the scenes in the beauty industry, but they're certainly not out in the open.

That's why, in our latest episode of the Green Beauty Conversations podcast, we dive into the world of sustainable cosmetic manufacturing in the beauty industry. Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier welcomes Nishit Dedhia, co-founder of KAIN Cosmeceuticals and Formula Botanica graduate.

In this insightful interview, you're going to learn how KAIN Cosmeceuticals is leading the charge in creating eco-friendly beauty products with its state-of-the-art green manufacturing facility in Mumbai, India.

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Imagine a world where greenwashing doesn’t exist.

Or let’s go one step further, imagine a world where greenwashing doesn’t exist in the cosmetics industry.

This could potentially be the future, as legislation is emerging all over the world to make companies and organisations liable for greenwashing.

In this week's opinion piece, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica delves into the issue of greenwashing in the beauty industry and explores how emerging legislation is set to hold companies accountable for their environmental claims.

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In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica, welcomes Priscilla Rolvers, founder of the Green Cosmetics Revolution to discuss the new EU Greenwashing Directive.

Pretty soon, any beauty brand making eco-friendly claims in the European Union might want to start looking over their shoulder if they haven’t got the evidence to back up their sustainability claims. 

Earlier this year in 2024, the European Parliament officially approved a new greenwashing directive, requiring member states – that’s the 27 countries currently in the European Union - to introduce stricter rules surrounding the use of environmental claims by companies. This means that beauty brands operating in those 27 countries will also fall under this requirement.

You can say goodbye to eco-friendly claims around non-recyclable packaging, or claims around environmental benefits that don’t exist, or biodegradability claims for ingredients or packaging that can only be broken down in big industrial processing facilities or – and this is a big one – claims of carbon neutrality that are solely based on buying offsets.

Listen now as Lorraine and Priscilla explore the ban's impact on sustainable beauty's future.

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Who knew you could get into trouble over a toothpaste tube?  

In this episode, Lorraine Dallmeier, a Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica, dives deep into sustainability claims by exploring the details of the class action lawsuit faced by toothpaste brand Tom's of Maine... all because they said their toothpaste tubes were recyclable.

The crux of the lawsuit points out the gap between what is, in theory, recyclable and the realities of the recycling industry.

The problem arises with the terms Tom’s of Maine uses on its packaging. They call it “Recyclable Tube” and “First of Its Kind Recyclable Tube.” In reality, the recycling infrastructure in most areas cannot handle these tubes.

Lorraine discusses the implications this has for the beauty industry. It could pave the way for more legal actions against brands making sustainability claims they can’t prove. Perhaps it will prompt a shift towards more honest and transparent marketing practices.

Join Lorraine now and have a listen to this very intriguing issue.

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Navigating the tricky waters of sustainability regulations isn’t easy. So, to ensure your brand stands out for the right reasons, this episode is a must-listen.

Green Beauty Conversations host Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica and her guest Maggie Spicer, Formula Botanica graduate and founder of Source Beauty ESG, explore these tricky waters.

Listen now to discover how beauty brands should protect themselves and avoid sustainability pitfalls.

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Research is starting to suggest that skin ageing isn’t simply a case of cosmetic wear and tear, but might instead be driving whole-body ageing.

Green Beauty Conversations host Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica, explores this mind-blowing research in this latest episode. She'll be asking you whether you are prepared to flip everything you’ve understood about the skin so far on its head.

Listen in to find out:

Listen now to understand new research on how wrinkles impact your ageing process and the factors you can control.

In the episode, Lorraine refers to a 2023 article in New Scientist titled “The radical new theory that wrinkles actually cause ageing”. Read the article in full at this link (paywall).

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There’s a trend that’s been growing for several years. Teens, tweens, and children are using anti-ageing skincare, with active ingredients like retinol.

Today, colleague, School Education Manager, Ana Green joins Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica, as they discuss this new trend.

Together, they explore why more children using anti-ageing skincare is such a trend and the implications for young skincare enthusiasts.

What does this use mean for their skin's health?

Listen now to this latest episode of Green Beauty Conversations podcast to discover the details on children using these ingredients and what it means for their skin.

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Have you ever wondered where the ingredients in your product came from? Most of us have no clue. Following the path of an ingredient from formulation back to its origin is called traceability. It is the detailed supply chain of an ingredient.

This knowledge is essential to address environmental and social concerns. If a brand doesn't know its ingredient supply chain, it cannot address how the planet is impacted. Every ingredient has the potential to affect our environment by how and where it is grown, harvested, and processed.

This knowledge is becoming more important to consumers who want to make planet-friendly purchases. Listen to this insightful podcast with Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier to discover why the beauty industry needs to embrace transparency with traceability.

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In this episode, we dive deep, almost literally, into the oceans with a look at how our seas can be a sustainable source of beauty ingredients. Podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Matthew Perkins, the founder of Macro Oceans to learn how regeneratively-farmed seaweed is turned into eco-friendly cosmetics.

Macro Oceans, a technology company based in California, developed a unique zero-waste system that uses 100% of the seaweed. The company recently launched its first cosmetic product – a powerful bioactive providing excellent hydration for skincare and haircare products.

Don’t miss this insightful conversation exploring the future of sustainable beauty and the transformative power of seaweed in cosmetics.

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Imagine a beauty industry that gives back more to the environment than it takes. That’s the crux of this week’s Green Beauty Opinion in which podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier explores the concept of regenerative beauty.

This revolutionary approach isn't just about reducing beauty’s environmental impact; it's about actively enriching our planet, starting with the soil beneath our feet.

With a focus on fostering biodiversity, enhancing ecosystems and challenging the beauty industry to shift to truly regenerative practices, this episode is a call to action. But will regen beauty just be more greenwashing? Listen now to find out.

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Ever wondered what regenerative beauty is and if it’s even achievable for the beauty industry?

In this latest episode, we dive into the transformative world of regenerative beauty with Ruth Andrade, the visionary Earth Care Strategy Lead at LUSH. This eye-opening discussion unveils how regenerative practices are not just the future, but a necessity for a sustainable beauty industry.

Are you ready to be part of a movement that doesn't just aim to reduce harm, but actively improves the environment? This episode is your gateway to understanding how beauty can foster a world where we leave the world in a better place than we found it.

For more insights into LUSH's ground-breaking work and policies, explore their mission and vision website We Are LUSH.

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Circularity and recyclability are often-misunderstood concepts in the beauty industry. Last week, we explored the potential of upcycled beauty ingredients with Harry McIlwraith of the Upcycled Beauty Company.

Building on that enlightening discussion in this week’s opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier tackles a crucial question: What really defines a circular beauty product, and how does it differ from mere recyclability?

Tune in as we unravel the misconceptions and confront greenwashing in the beauty sector.

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In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Harry McIlwraith, the visionary mind behind The Upcycled Beauty Company, a trailblazing venture revolutionising the beauty industry by repurposing overlooked food waste resources into potent skincare ingredients.

With a focus on innovation and sustainability, Harry's insights shed light on the incredible potential of upcycled beauty and inspire us to rethink traditional manufacturing practices. Join us as we uncover the fascinating story behind The Upcycled Beauty Company and discover how this visionary approach is reshaping the future of skincare. 

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In the latest episode of Green Beauty Conversations, we delve into the “science washing” that is rife in the beauty industry. This term, akin to its near neighbour “greenwashing”, refers to the use of scientific jargon to mask pseudoscientific ideas.

Last week, podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica, explored the nuances of so-called “medical-grade skincare” with Ana Green, Education Manager at Formula Botanica. They unpacked its role as a marketing term, and how its hype often misleads consumers about the quality and real efficacy of skincare products.

In this opinion episode, Lorraine unravels the broader implications of scientism or “science washing” in the beauty industry.

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Today, we are seeing a rise in so-called medical-grade skincare and liberal use of the word “clinical” to describe brands and formulations. In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by colleague School Education Manager Ana Green to delve into the controversial world of medical-grade skincare, and explore the intricacies of this term and its implications.

Ana sheds light on the marketing strategies behind the medical-grade term and unravels whether there’s substance behind the claims of cosmetic formulations penetrating deeper with higher levels of actives. Is medical grade just a marketing term to ensure brands do exclusive sales deals and attach luxury price tags to their products? Listen in for the big reveal on medical-grade cosmetics.

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Have you ever felt isolated due to a beauty concern, thinking you're the only one struggling? This episode of the Green Beauty Conversations podcast, hosted by Lorraine Dallmeier, delves into the myths and realities surrounding beauty standards.

It highlights the silence and stigma around female hair loss, challenges the negative perceptions of hyperpigmentation and cellulite, and advocates for a broader representation of beauty across the industry.

By sharing high-profile stories and calling for more diversity in beauty narratives, the episode encourages a celebration of humanity's diverse appearances, emphasising that our differences are not abnormalities, but facets of our collective beauty.

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In this episode, we give voice to the often unspoken world of hair loss, particularly in women. Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier talks to guest Helena Gibson, a seasoned expert in haircare solutions, who shares her insights into the stigma and solutions to hair loss in women.

The issue prompted Helena's journey into business with her company Strut Hair Solutions, and the creation of Unveil Restorative Haircare, a line of haircare products targeting weak and thinning hair and hair loss.

Helena's personal and professional experiences shed light on the impact of hair loss on self-esteem and identity, and saw her offer hope and solutions through innovative products and empathetic support. Tune in now to take part in a very important conversation that affects millions of people around the world, but has typically excluded women from the discussion and solutions.

Is the beauty industry truly saturated? In a world where being the first is often confused with being the best, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier uses this episode of Green Beauty Conversations to discuss the opportunities and risks facing beauty brands.

Featuring insights from industry pioneers and a special homage to Dame Anita Roddick’s legacy of The Body Shop, this episode is a wake-up call to aspiring beauty entrepreneurs.

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In this episode, we dive deep into the rise and fall of an iconic beauty brand, The Body Shop. Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by Wizz Selvey, a seasoned beauty retail expert and analyst, for an insightful exploration of the brand’s evolution over the years.

Wizz explains the challenges the familiar, and much-loved beauty retailer faced, from its changing ownership to shifts in consumer behaviour, and unravels the recent announcement of The Body Shop entering into administration.

This episode covers the fate of a beauty giant that was a feature of our shopping streets for nearly 50 years. If you are curious about The Body Shop news, and keen to glean insights into the ever-changing, and often ruthless landscape of the beauty industry, this episode is a must-listen.

Stay tuned for a thought-provoking discussion on the impact of activism, sustainability efforts, and the crucial role of innovation in the beauty industry. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

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In our last episode, host Lorraine Dallmeier had a fascinating discussion with Joel Tasche, Founder of CleanHub, on the beauty industry’s sustainability challenges, in particular its commitment to reducing its reliance on plastic, which as we know, has a huge carbon footprint.

Building on that conversation, today’s episode takes a close look into a groundbreaking report in late 2023 by the Carbon Trust, provocatively titled “Greenhouse Gloss – Is the beauty industry’s commitment to tackling climate change more than skin deep?” If you missed Lorraine's conversation with Joel Tasche, be sure to catch up, as it sets the stage for her exploration in this Green Beauty Opinion of the beauty industry’s damning environmental impact.

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In this episode, we have an enlightening conversation with Joel Tasche, the visionary founder and CEO of CleanHub, a company dedicated to liberating the planet from plastic pollution. Growing up with a profound connection to the ocean through sailing and surfing, Joel’s passion for marine conservation led him to establish CleanHub with a mission to create, foster and shape waste management solutions where this infrastructure is lacking globally.

This is a subject close to the heart of podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier, who is a Chartered Environmentalist and biologist. In conversation with Joel, Lorraine unravels the layers of sustainable packaging, waste management intricacies, and the environmental impact and responsibilities of the beauty industry in reducing plastic waste at source.

Join us as we explore the initiatives taken by CleanHub to address plastic pollution and create a positive change in the beauty industry.

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In this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier dives deep into a topic that’s been buzzing in the beauty industry for a while – upcycled ingredients. In a world where environmental consciousness is on the rise, and the use of waste materials to create beauty products is gaining traction, you would think that upcycling food industry waste and byproducts as cosmetic ingredients would be unquestioned.

However, some might ask if there are potential downsides to what is, in effect, synonymous with putting waste on our faces. Join Lorraine as she explores the intriguing questions surrounding zero waste and upcycling raised by her guest in the last episode – Terence Chung of FRUU Cosmetics – and navigates the intersection of sustainability, marketing, and consumer perceptions.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

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Our guest in this episode is Dr Terence Chung, visionary co-founder of FRUU Cosmetics, which is a company dedicated to turning sustainable ingredients, particularly “wonky fruits” or byproducts from the juicing and agricultural industries, into natural cosmetics.

In conversation with Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier, Terence not only shares the remarkable journey of FRUU, but also provides valuable insights into the company’s total commitment to sustainability.

In this episode, we unravel the complexities and triumphs of incorporating unconventional ingredients into cosmetics, and gain a deep understanding of the challenges that accompany this innovative approach. Join us for an insightful conversation that promises to unveil the hidden potential within these often underestimated ingredients, promising a paradigm shift in the way we perceive beauty and sustainability.

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Welcome to the 200th episode of Green Beauty Conversations in which we celebrate not just this milestone, but also six years of thought-provoking dialogues in the world of clean beauty.

Join Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier as she marks the occasion with her reflections on the profound changes witnessed in the green beauty landscape since the inception of this podcast. Listen in for a journey that charts the change through Green Beauty Conversations’ episodes, and delves into the shifts, challenges and triumphs that have defined the evolution of the beauty industry. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

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We explore the dynamic world of sustainable beauty with a true expert, Thomas Kerfoot, who is a co-founder of O&3, The Oil Family. Thomas brings over 17 years of passionate expertise to the conversation. His self-proclaimed “oil nerd” status sets the stage for an enlightening journey into the fascinating realm of natural oil ingredients.

O&3 isn’t your typical manufacturer or cosmetic ingredient supplier. It is a pioneering force, not only distributing, but innovating by bringing unique ingredients from remote corners of the world to clients globally. What’s more, the company is committed to upcycling and zero waste, and to understanding the profound impact of natural ingredients on the ever-evolving beauty industry.

Join Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier in conversation with Thomas for an episode that unravels the secrets of sustainable beauty practices, and offers a deep dive into the importance of conscious sourcing. Get ready for an engaging dialogue that goes beyond the surface, exploring the cross-over of sustainability and natural beauty innovation. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

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In last week’s Green Beauty Conversations, we delved into a pivotal conversation with Noelly Michoux from 4.5.6 Skin, exploring the significance of inclusivity in skincare science and formulation. Building on this crucial theme in this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier reflects also on her episode with guest Dija Ayodele – author, aesthetician and beauty industry advocate for women of colour – which discussed why black skincare matters.

However, if the giant cosmetic labs creating next-gen skincare and haircare aren’t thinking about including all skin tones and hair types in their R&D, there will never be true inclusivity and choice. Here, Lorraine dedicates her opinion short to this critical aspect of the beauty industry – scientific inclusivity. Join us as Lorraine unravels the layers of scientific inclusivity and its impact on personal care science. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

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In this episode, we embark on a transformative journey with founder Noelly Michoux, the visionary force propelling 4.5.6 Skin to the forefront of skincare innovation with the world’s first Skin Tone Research Lab.

Shaped by experiences in France, and now reshaping beauty norms, Noelly’s evolution from a corporate background to pioneering a skincare revolution is a narrative that resonates. Discover the complexities involved in establishing the Skin Tone Research Lab and the profound commitment of Noelly and her company to bridging the racial equity gap in the beauty realm.

In discussion with podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier, Noelly shares her insights on navigating the multiple challenges faced by skin phototypes 4, 5, and 6. 

Tune in for an enlightening conversation that transcends conventional beauty narratives. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Noelly Michoux is offering Green Beauty Conversations' listeners a special discount code giving you 25% off all individual products (not valid on duos or kits). Use this code below at checkout on the 4.5.6 Skin: 

456FORMULABOTANICA

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In this episode, we’re addressing a question that has surfaced time and again, and that is whether age is a barrier to becoming a beauty entrepreneur. This stems from the inspiring interactions we had during a recent VIP webinar we held at Formula Botanica, where attendees opened up about their concerns, particularly around one recurring question: “Am I too old to start a beauty brand?”

This episode addresses that very question and extends a message to those who may feel limited by age, appearance, or indeed any demographic or societal expectations. Podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier, a chartered environmentalist, biologist, and the CEO of Formula Botanica gives her Green Beauty Opinion on these issues, sharing her takeaways from the previous week’s episode with Birch Babe founder Debbie Alger, who started her beauty empire in her sixties.

Join Lorraine in debunking the myths surrounding age and entrepreneurship in the beauty industry.

We dive into the amazing and inspiring journey of Formula Botanica graduate Debbie Alger, who is the founder and lead skincare formulator of Canada-based skincare company Birch Babe. Her story is one of the most extraordinary we’ve come across of a hobbyist formulator turned professional beauty entrepreneur.

Debbie’s passion for clean beauty and sustainable practices led her to embark on a 6-month solo hike from Patagonia to Chile, ultimately inspiring the creation of Birch Babe.

From humble beginnings as a DIY formulator, Debbie, with the help of her daughters, has transformed Birch Babe into a thriving natural skincare company offering over 50 products.

Join us as we explore her entrepreneurial journey, which she embarked on in her 60s, and the key lessons she learned along the way.

Want to feel inspired? You will be. Settle in for today’s interview with Debbie from Birch Babe. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2024! As we step into this brand new year, full of hope and opportunities, let's dive into the exciting world of green beauty formulation. As CEO of the award-winning online organic cosmetic formulation school Formula Botanica, and your podcast host, I am here to guide you through formulating not just your skincare products, but your entire year.

Reflecting on last week's episode in which we discussed the evolving dynamics in green beauty with visionary skincare entrepreneur April Gargiulo, the founder of acclaimed brand Vintner's Daughter, I want to focus here on how you can channel your own aspirations into tangible goals for 2024.

Whether you're dreaming of starting a new beauty brand, exploring new botanical ingredients, or wanting to take your existing business to new heights, this episode will help you set the foundations for a fulfilling year ahead in the world of green beauty. Listen in to formulate your best in 2024. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In this episode, we hear about the enlightening journey into the world of skincare and beauty of April Gargiulo, a visionary and entrepreneur who is the founder of the cult beauty brand Vintner’s Daughter.

April stands out as a trailblazer, redefining the industry’s standards with her innovative, yet also timeless approach to skincare. Armed with a passion for wellness and a commitment to empowering individuals to embrace their natural beauty, April has carved a unique niche for herself creating a contemporary brand that echoes the success of classic cult beauty products of the past.

Join Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier as she interviews April Gargiulo about her unique approach to beauty that sees Vintner’s Daughter infuse its formulations with the philosophy of wine making. Get ready for a fascinating conversation that goes beyond skincare into the realms of slow beauty and sustainability. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

As the holiday season approaches, many of us in the Green Beauty Conversations community are contemplating how to gift beauty sustainably. This topic, which recalls our well-received episode on sustainable beauty alternatives to Black Friday, is more relevant than ever.

Brands face financial and emotional challenges as they enter the fourth quarter of the year; a peak period they rely on for the seasonal spend it brings. But, consumers in recent years have their concerns too and are now cautious about spending for various reasons from limited budgets to the realisation that over-consumption is at odds with preserving the planet.

Last week, we delved into the surge of beauty advent calendars in the UK; a phenomenon that signals a broader global trend. To continue this conversation, this episode focuses on sustainable beauty gifting. For those who missed the previous episode, do revisit it, and immerse yourself in the inspiring dialogue that podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier takes forward in this opinion. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

As the festive season approaches for many of us, one trend that has captured the beauty industry’s attention is the rise of beauty advent calendars. These calendars go way beyond traditional paper or chocolate calendars and have become a significant phenomenon in some branches of the beauty industry, and in certain countries.

In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and host Lorraine Dallmeier, in discussion with colleague School Education Manager Ana Green, delves deeper into the intricacies of this trend. They explore the rationale for these calendars, what their production entails and their impact on consumer behavior, with a special look at the sustainability challenges they present.

Join them for an engaging and slightly controversial discussion on whether beauty advent calendars are a delightful treat or a consumption trap that simply adds to the waste mountain the beauty industry produces.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

The beauty industry's exploration and use of biotechnology is growing fast as we heard in the previous episode with Josh Britton, CEO and co-founder of Debut Biotech. Large corporate cosmetics companies are turning to biotech - or synthetic biology - to grow their high-performance cosmetic ingredients sustainably in labs. The contrast in approach between the industrial and artisan beauty sectors is intriguing.

The indie beauty sector, represented by the Formula Botanica community, shows minimal engagement with biotech. When we searched the Formula Botanica online forum for mention of biotech, we found just a handful of comments and queries about it.

In this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier explores these diverging paths and their implications for the future of beauty. Could the advent of biotech prove the key difference between the artisan-scale indie beauty brand and the mainstream? Much depends on the availability of bio-based ingredients for small-scale brands as well as the mission and mindsets of artisan founders and formulators.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In this ground-breaking episode of Green Beauty Conversations, we dive into the world of biotech beauty, a realm where the age-old practices of botanical extraction meet cutting-edge science.

For millennia, the natural world provided the raw ingredients for cosmetics. The early 1900s brought chemistry to bear on ingredient manufacture, but now, with the massive rise in demand for all-natural beauty products, we are seeing demand for plant-extracted cosmetic ingredients outstripping supply.

Factor in the costs to the natural world associated with growing, harvesting and processing plant-based ingredients, and you begin to realise that biotech could be the sustainable solution for the beauty industry. Biotech ingredients that mimic plant extracts like for like can scale, be created sustainably in a lab, reduce costs, claim efficacy and be high-performance cosmetic ingredient sources. Are we at the cusp of a massive shift to biotech in the cosmetics industry? Are we also about to see ingredient wars between the all-natural, plant-extracted camp and the biotech pioneers?

Our guest, Josh Britton, CEO of Debut Biotech, guides us through the revolutionary changes biotechnology is bringing to the cosmetic industry. Join podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier as she uncovers how Debut Biotech is leading the charge in this new era, transcending traditional methods to create high-performance, sustainable ingredients.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Growing up in the Netherlands, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier learned the value of recycling plastic from an early age. However, the prevailing culture of single-use plastics Lorraine experienced in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States was in stark contrast to the practices she grew up with in the Netherlands.

Now, with her career in the cosmetics industry, and background as a Chartered Environmentalist and a biologist, Lorraine is finely tuned to any cosmetics firms’ claims about sustainable packaging, plastic-free alternatives and other green credentials. While many big players are moving towards more responsible packaging systems, a pressing question remains: what really happens to our recycled plastics? Is the labeling of certain plastic cosmetic packaging as recyclable, blindsiding us and akin to greenwashing?

In last week’s podcast, Lorraine interviewed Dr Suvi Haimi, Co-Founder and CEO of Sulapac, who brought to light the myth of plastic recyclability, revealing that some plastics can only be recycled once. In today’s Green Beauty Opinions, she explores this crucial issue. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website. 

In this episode, we’re delving into an issue that lies not only at the heart of the green beauty industry, but one that we raise in our conversations time and again on this podcast – sustainability and tackling plastic waste.

When we come across innovative answers and practical solutions to help reduce plastic waste in the beauty industry that are also within reach of small, indie beauty businesses, we are keen to explore them and spread the word about how they deliver on their promise.

Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by Dr Suvi Haimi, CEO and Co-founder of Sulapac, a pioneering company based in Finland that is on a mission to replace conventional plastic with sustainable alternatives.

We’re proud to say that some of our graduate beauty founders and brands are already using Sulapac’s packaging and contributing to a plastic-free future in the beauty industry.

If you wish to follow their lead, we encourage you to listen in to our interview with Suvi as we explore the innovative ways Sulapac is combating plastic waste and contributing to a greener planet.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

As the world’s number one online formulation school with award-winning courses, it is particularly validating to see how far and wide Formula Botanica teaching is spreading. Before the advent of online learning, cosmetic chemistry was taught only in a small number of universities, mainly in the UK and US, which meant formulation training was not as widely accessible as it should be.

Formula Botanica has changed that in a big way. Its teaching now reaches over 19,000 students in over 190 countries.

In this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier sets out a vision for a better global cosmetics industry; one that sees it entirely normal for local, indie beauty entrepreneurs to create premium skincare brands to rival any of the global big brands out there today.  In fact, Formula Botanica graduate founders are doing just that, as we heard in the previous episode with self-made beauty entrepreneur Dewi Kauw.  In doing so, they will be challenging the dominant, Eurocentric perception of beauty which should no longer be valid, and certainly needs to be changed. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Imagine going from cafe owner to mother to cosmetic formulator, teacher and contract manufacturer in less than 10 years having created a beauty empire built on turning problems into solutions and roadblocks into opportunities. In this episode, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine talks to Dewi Kauw, a school graduate and founder of Skin Dewi, an award-winning, Indonesian-based, organic skincare and bodycare brand.

What began as a mother’s quest to alleviate her baby’s skin issues has grown into a formulation and manufacturing empire with a mission to educate on lifestyle and wellness while helping its audience and customers care for a myriad of skin issues.

Dewi explains the trials and tribulations of not only launching a plant-based organic skincare line in Indonesia, but also the challenges she faced on a manufacturing front. She dared to dream of building her own manufacturing facility and with determination and creativity she made it happen. Tune in for an enlightening interview full of juicy entrepreneurial tidbits and wise advice on how passion and perseverance can move beauty mountains. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website. 

AI is being leveraged by the beauty sector to help increase productivity, reduce costs, automate task and improve decision-making. In last week’s guest episode, Lorraine heard how AI was impacting the beauty industry and what can be expected of this powerful technology in the future.

Taking a cue from her interviewee, Lorraine decided to take up the challenge of seeing how capable one commonly-used AI tool – tech darling ChatGPT – is of formulation. Could it help, for example, formulate a solid facial serum bar with vitamin C?

In this opinion episode Lorraine walks us through her experiment with ChatGPT, which went through a number of stages before ending with a stunning conclusion.

Listen in to find out if AI is able to formulate skincare successfully despite lacking that essential ingredient - “human-ness” - the Formula Botanica and indie beauty community bring to the equation. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Suddenly, AI has gone mainstream and people are discovering how efficient and effective it can be to complete all sorts of tasks. There are so many benefits to using AI and its potential is boundless.

However, the beauty industry continues to grapple with AI and what it could mean for the industry. Could AI in the future design our cosmetics, formulate for us, or make the beauty industry more sustainable? AI is in its nascent stages so who knows what the future holds.

In this episode, Lorraine talks to Yann Chilvers, the Co-Founder of Covalo, the world’s largest beauty ingredients’ platform. Yann explains in detail how Covalo leverages AI and data analysis to give its customers a competitive advantage. He also outlines AI’s shortcomings and how human participation in any technology system will always be required on some level.

Settle in for a fascinating conversation on how AI is currently impacting the beauty industry and what it may have in store for us in the future.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Reusing what would normally be considered waste byproducts is not only an innovative way to repurpose a wide variety of materials, but also a smart beauty business move and good for our planet. Upcycled ingredients are set to play a larger and larger role in the future of beauty.

In the last guest episode, Lorraine interviewed Geoff Chapin, CEO of Carbonwave; an innovative company from the USA transforming Sargassum seaweed into a number of amazing products including an all-natural plant-based emulsifier for the cosmetic industry. He turned an environmental disaster into upcycling gold.

Join Formula Botanica CEO, biologist and chartered environmentalist Lorraine Dallmeier in this episode as she covers just three fascinating upcycling techniques already in use in the beauty industry. These are just a hint at the possibilities for upcycling and circularity in the beauty industry of the future.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Seaweed is an amazing, multipurpose marine plant. It offers a habitat for marine life of all shapes and sizes, grows and regenerates quickly and has a magical way of helping heal the ocean by absorbing harmful ingredients washed into our oceans by large scale manufacturing and farming. In the context of the global climate crisis, this is highly encouraging.

However, human activity has a nasty way of interfering with the planet’s finely-balanced eco-system and also affects what nature intended for seaweed. Take for example sargassum seaweed, which, as a result of excessive nutrients being flushed into the ocean, creates massive algal blooms every year that bring with them their own destructive ecological and economic problems.

In 2020, an innovative team of entrepreneurs and STEM experts started to investigate what consumer products could be made from sargassum. Fast forward a year and they became the world’s leading developer of ultra-regenerative, plant-based biomaterials from seaweed. In 2021, they brought to market the world’s first all-natural, sustainable, plant-based emulsifier for cosmetic use and it has taken the beauty industry by storm.

In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Geoff Chapin, CEO and co-founder of Carbonwave on his inspiration behind the business of upcycling seaweed. If you are interested in hearing more about this amazing marine-based functional cosmetic ingredient, you don’t want to miss this exciting conversation about a field of cosmetic research that is taking the industry by storm.

In the last guest episode, we heard from Formula Botanica graduate and indie beauty rock star Leslie Reichgelt, founder of Bella Botanicals, who has managed to smash every preconception we have about what a beauty brand should be and how one should operate. She shared some amazing tips on how to build a beauty business on a budget by simply networking and being visible in your own community.

Prompted by Leslie’s experiences, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier uses this episode to reflect on her early career and how difficult it was to put herself out there. Being the visible face of her business was terrifying at the start, but Lorraine persevered. It is daunting starting a new business and we all have moments of doubts. But, the key to success lies in getting out of your comfort zone and taking a leap of faith towards personal growth and your dreams of becoming a beauty entrepreneur.

How do fledgling beauty entrepreneurs shift their mindset to be successful in today’s economic climate? Listen in to an exciting and inspirational episode that offers a simple road map to pushing past your biggest fears and creating a successful beauty business on a budget and on your own terms. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website. 

In this episode, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier talks to indie beauty founder and graduate Leslie Reichgelt of Bella Botanicals, a natural and organic skincare brand based in the USA. Leslie shares her story on how she has built a successful beauty brand from the ground up, and talks of the highs and lows that she has experienced along the way.

Leslie’s honest, practical and personal story shows how it is entirely possible to create a sustainable and successful natural beauty business from your own home, and dispels the myth that the market is too crowded for "yet another beauty brand". Listen in for the pep talk you need to follow in Leslie's footsteps.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In a world brimming with beauty products and services, have you ever wondered what happens to them once they’ve served their purpose? As we immerse ourselves in skincare, haircare and makeup, it’s easy to forget that beautifying often comes at a cost to our planet. The beauty industry, with its myriad companies, products, and services, has inadvertently – or perhaps also blatantly – contributed to the mounting waste crisis that plagues our planet.

In this opinion episode of Green Beauty Conversations, host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier – also a Chartered Environmentalist and biologist – presents a new and pressing concept for all of us in the beauty industry to think about and make centre stage: “end-of-life beauty planning.” Listen in to learn why we should buy, manufacture, and formulate cosmetics with their end in mind. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

The next time you go for a regular hair cut, take a moment to think about what happens to the waste hair you’ve just left behind. If you had a hair colour or highlights, then your visit has a larger waste footprint as it will have generated left-over colourant, aluminium foils, and empty plastic bottles.

There are over a million hair salons of all sizes in the USA alone creating waste like this, and a similar story happens the world over and across the beauty industry in nail bars, spas, barber shops and esthetician salons. But, one person’s waste is another’s solution.

In this guest episode, we hear from Shane Price, an eco-preneur with a background in molecular biology and biochem, whose visit to a barber's over a decade ago gave him the motivation to come up with solutions to the environmental impacts of the beauty industry. Listen in as Formula Botanica CEO and host Lorraine Dallmeier discovers some astonishing ways Shane’s initiative with  Green Circle Salons is saving waste, one salon visit at a time.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Just when you thought the beauty industry had exhausted its lexicon, along comes “cleanical”. At first glance, cleanical seems innocent enough and quite easy to decipher; it’s a mash-up of “clean” and “clinical,” and aims to describe formulations that are both clean beauty formulations and clinically proven.

What’s the harm in using it on labels, social media, or in the beauty media? For a start, cleanical should be seen as controversial as it has no scientific basis.

To explain why, Lorraine Dallmeier, the host of Green Beauty Conversations and CEO of Formula Botanica, unpacks the term and presents her view on the use of “cleanical” in the beauty industry. In this episode, she argues why this buzzword should be abolished from our vocabulary and how it is yet another term that perpetuates misconceptions about clean beauty.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Clean beauty has been espoused for almost three decades and in that time there has been no real clarity on what "clean" really means in the beauty landscape.

Initially tied to the Southern Californian wellness movement of the early ’90s, the broad interpretation of clean has only become wider and more confusing. However, now there is a new beauty movement afoot that is challenging clean. Strictly speaking, “clean beauty” remains a marketing term that would require evidence-based proof to substantiate the claims some beauty brands use it for.

In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by colleague School Education Manager Ana Green to discuss this hotly-debated term. Listen in to make your mind up about the future of clean beauty. 

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Inspired by the 9th generation herbalist interviewed in the previous guest episode, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier asks us to think about the plants and herbs native to us that have been revered for centuries for the beauty secrets they hold within.

Lorraine dives into three herbs native to her in the UK which were documented in the 16th century by one of the country’s most renowned and pioneering herbalists of his day, Dr Nicholas Culpeper, in his “Complete Herbal: a book of natural remedies for ancient ills”.

How do the age-old and folkloristric benefits of herbs stand up against today’s scientific assessment of their powers? Listen in to be surprised by ancient wisdom and inspired to do your own research into the secrets of herbs growing near you.

Natural formulation may seem a new sector of the beauty industry today – barely 20 years old – but it was there long before the dawn of mainstream commercial cosmetics. Its roots lie in thousands of years of home formulation, herbology and traditional and folkloristic medicine with recipes handed down by word of mouth across generations.

If you love the thought of being involved in an exciting, modern natural beauty movement that is part of the great continuum of ancient knowledge of the power of plants, then you will want to listen to this guest episode.

Formula CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Dr Jenelle Kim, a 9th-generation master herbologist, doctor of traditional Oriental medicine, best-selling author, cosmetics formulator and wellness expert, who shares her rich heritage of plants of East Asia. Dr Kim has woven plants into her life and her career, and they are the powerhouses in her performance cosmetics. If you want to hear exactly what it means to infuse your ancestor’s knowledge into the formulations you create, join us for a fascinating story.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier delves into the intriguing world of “skintellectuals” and the significant influence Gen Z is wielding in the beauty industry. But who are these self-proclaimed “skintellectuals” and what do they stand for?

With scientific jargon bombarding beauty consumers, it’s only natural that individuals seek to understand the terminology and concepts behind skincare ingredients. 

Accessibility to knowledge has given rise to a so-called “skintellectual movement”, that can only gain momentum. Lorraine proposes that it should play a pivotal role in challenging beauty brands on issues like sustainability. Only by questioning and demanding transparency, can we contribute to cleaning up the beauty industry and making it more environmentally conscious. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

If sustainability is to make headway in the beauty industry, it is future generations who will be shaping it and seeing it through. So, how are generations like Gen Z thinking about sustainabilty in the cosmetics industry, both as beauty shoppers and future formulators?

In this episode, Lorraine interviews Riley Cowen who is a graduate student of ISIPCA, a Paris-based institute for post-graduate studies in perfume, cosmetics products and food flavour formulation. Riley has insights into both the marketing and business side of the industry as well as cosmetic science and product development. At 22, she brings a unique perspective as a young industry insider on Genz Z’s take on sustainability in the beauty industry.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

“Beauty” – a short, six-letter word that none of us need define. We know what it means. Or do we? The shocking truth is that even many of us in the beauty industry have never looked up nor questioned its dictionary definitions. Now is the time to do both, says Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier.

Our guest in the previous episode, Shaun Russell, owner of Scandinavian-based fragrance and lifestyle brand Skandinavist, and chair of B Corp Beauty Coalition, drew our attention to the definition of beauty, asking us to see it as encompassing the beauty of the natural world, not only the world of cosmetics. He pointed out that in buying beauty products, we should think of their impact on the beauty of the planet. Beauty should be defined by the world around us, not by how we appear to others.

In this opinion episode, Lorraine takes a cue from Shaun’s comments and investigates the world of the word beauty to uncover some shocking and depressing truths about it. Listen in to make your mind up on whether it’s high time to redefine beauty.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Some beauty brands are cajoled into taking action on sustainability by their customers or competitors. However, others are not waiting around. They are taking the lead and cooperating in setting themselves the highest environmental and social standards to hold their beauty businesses to account. B Corp Beauty businesses are in this latter group.

But, what is B Corp and what role does a sub-set group called the B Corp Beauty Coalition play? If you haven’t heard of this forward-thinking, non-profit organisation or the active lead taken by over 60 of its beauty brand members, it is time to put them both on your radar when you wish to shop for sustainable beauty.

Lorraine talks to Shaun Russell, founder of B Corp-certified, Scandinavian fragrance and lifestyle company Skandinavisk, who is also co-founder and chair of B Corp Beauty Coalition, an initiative of over 60 B Corps worldwide united in working to improve the sustainability standards of the beauty industry.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Get ready to see marine ingredients – specifically algae – featuring everywhere in cosmetic products. Seaweed is moving on up from its traditional role in the spa sector and as a functional gelling and colouring agent. While we usually don’t take much notice of the latest trending ingredient, which is here today and gone tomorrow from our cosmetics, algae is one category of ingredients that is worth investigating, and, we hope, set to stay.

If you listened to our previous episode in which Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier and colleagues discussed the latest cosmetic trends seen at this year’s in-cosmetics Global, the world’s largest trade fair for the industry, you will have heard how marine ingredients are dominating the agenda.

In this opinion episode, Lorraine takes a closer look at why algae, seaweeds and other marine ingredients herald a new era in sustainable cosmetics.  Listen in to hear 4 reasons to love algae in your cosmetics.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

The fundamentals of formulation, such as the techniques of emulsifying, don’t really change over the decades. What does change however are the ingredients. Each year, manufacturers release the latest innovative ingredients their R&D teams have been keeping under wraps. Interestingly too, we see old ingredients rediscovered and revamped into new forms.

Tens of thousands of cosmetic ingredients exist, but there is one place that helps put them into context and shows us where the cosmetics' industry is heading; and that is in-cosmetics Global. This massive, annual trade fair draws in thousands of industry insiders  to explore the hottest trends in cosmetic ingredients.

The Formula Botanica education team attended the 2023 in-cosmetics Global in Barcelona and is here to report on the latest trends that will filter into our teaching, in particular The Lab, our CPD membership site, as well as inspire all of us in natural formulation.

Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by colleagues School Education Manager Ana Green and Cosmetic Scientist Beatriz do Amaral to pick out the highlights of in-cosmetics Global 2023 that are shaping the future of our cosmetics.

In this Green Beauty opinion, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks about the resistence to change both consumers and the natural skincare formulation community face from the established beauty industry. Her guest in the previous episode, Candice Quinn, founder of MANISAFE is just one example of this in action, and Lorraine mentions others that proved to be less than music to the mainstream industry’s ears.

Yet, as Formula Botanica graduates have proved, time and again, there are plenty of niches in which they are pioneers whether in serving their customers’ needs more closely, or in adopting eco-beauty practices.

One beauty entrepreneur at a time, we are seeing more and more Candice Quinns dare to find solutions to problems the industry won’t even admit to. Join Lorraine in this episode as she celebrates indie beauty's entrepreneurial mindset. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

We all know the saying:”your hands really show your age”. Your grandmother or mother may have told you to take care of your hands and to protect them, not just your face, from the damage caused by UV exposure and other environmental stressors.

Wearing gloves while doing housework may be your mantra already, but listen up. If you love caring for your hands and are in love with the perfection and durability of gel manicures, you may be exposing the skin on your hands to UV damage.

Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Candice Quinn, who is the Founder of MANISAFE, a multi-award-winning small business with a mission to make gel manicures kinder to hands’ skin.

MANISAFE created a collection of fashion-statement, UV-protective gel manicure gloves designed to protect the skin on your hands from the harmful UV light emitted by nail lamps to cure gel polish. Candice’s aim is to save hand skin from damage in all situations – including their beautifying.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Sustainable beauty can seem a mission impossible. Whether appraoching it as a beauty consumer or indie beauty brand, we can get dragged into a complex and depressing world of carbon emissions and waste recycling and despair that we can ever do the right thing for the planet.

But, as we heard in the previous episode with Anisha Gupta of Bluebird Climate, sustainable beauty can be accessible to all and need not be costly, complex nor confusing. Bluebird's fascinating impact assessment tool for beauty brands and rather cool - yes, we can apply that word to sustainability - website widget puts a positive spin on the matter.

In this Green Beauty Opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier explains the many reasons we have to be positive about embracing sustainable beauty. Let's call this episode a look on the bright side of the future of beauty. Forgot about overwhelm and start being overjoyed that we live in the era that will see sustainability go mainstream.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website. 

Sustainable beauty is a term laden with grand visions and vague concepts. It is enough to scare off even those indie beauty brands wanting to do their best to reduce their carbon impact and waste. 

Unraveling sustainability as a small business is complex, so imagine our excitement at coming across a new platform aimed specifically at making sustainability a simpler process for small beauty and wellness companies to navigate.

In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Anisha Gupta, chemical engineer, sustainability expert and co-founder of Bluebird Climate, a climate-tech firm handholding small beauty companies in their mission to decarbonise their operations and make lifecycle assessments of their products. Based on low-cost access to their transparent benchmarking tools, Bluebird believes that it doesn’t have to be complicated to tell a sustainability story.

If sustainability has been on your mind, and whether your beauty business is pre-launch, a start-up or established, this is an episode to help you get going on your brand’s sustainability journey.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

The word gentle is touted around in the beauty industry and familiar to consumers. However the ingredients inside certain cosmetics may be anything but gentle to our skin.

The beauty industry creates products to help reduce the visible signs of ageing, like fine lines and wrinkles, by over cleansing, exfoliating and peeling our skin.

But this removes the microbiome we so badly need for good skin health and for the maintenance of our skin barrier. We heard about the human microbiome and its vital role in maintaining skin health in our previous guest episode with Leo Salvi of Kind to Biome, a firm developing rigorous, verifiable tests to assess the microbiome gentleness of cosmetics.

In this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier asks: "Isn't it time we see the industry formulating with a different and gentler agenda than antiageing and turning back the clock on our skin?" To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Imagine the human microbiome as a planet with millions, and possibly billions, of microorganisms living in harmony to protect their host - our skin and scalp. Incredibly, one square centimetre of our skin, depending on the part of the body, could have that number of microbes living on it.

We are in early days of scientific research on the skin's microbiome and its function in maintaining the health of our skin and body. How then is it possible to have cosmetics sporting labels that say their formulations are microbiome friendly?

Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier dives into the mysterious and magical world of our skin's microbiome. Her guest is Leo Salvi, a chemist, qualified safety assessor for cosmetics and the Co-Founder and Head of Science at Kind to Biome® which provides a scientifically-validated methodology to back up microbiome-gentle claims for beauty products.

Will microbiome-friendly cosmetics be the next big industry trend? Listen in to discover and make your mind up.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In this opinion podcast, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier asks us to look back and laugh – or else we’ll cry with despair – at her chart-topping ten most ridiculous claims that the beauty industry has made. In the previous episode, Lorraine and colleague Ana Green unpacked the facts behind one of the latest claims in cosmetics’ marketing – fossil fuel-free beauty. It proved to be yet another misleading term.

As a follow up, Lorraine takes us through her choice of most ridiculous claims starting over a hundred years ago at the beginning of the modern cosmetics industry. While today, most of those historic claims could not be made, Lorraine notes that we still find similar, if subtler messaging circulating in the beauty industry.

Look back and laugh or look back and be angry about what many global beauty firms are communicating today. We leave it up to you to decide. Listen in to an astounding round-up of ridiculous claims. You won’t believe what makes Lorraine’s top three.

Fossil fuel-free beauty - haven’t we covered this one before on Green Beauty Conversations? Not in its new form. Fossil fuel-free is yet another distinct claim we’ve seen popping up on cosmetics’ labels. You’d be right to think it's familiar as on this podcast we have delved into related claims of carbon-neutral, zero-waste and climate-neutral, along with a host of topics open to greenwashing such as waterless, green, clean and blue beauty.

However, while it may overlap with those other terms, we realised that fossil fuel-free beauty needs its own episode in order for us to unpack its meaning.

Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by School Education Manager Ana Green to shed light on exactly what fossil fuel-free beauty is and why it may be among the most confusing and misleading terms yet applied to beauty products. Listen in to decide for yourself if fossil fuel-free is a claim too far.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website. 

Big beauty has spent well over a century using fear-mongering to marketing its products to us. Even if today it is more sophisticated in its methods and use of media, the mainstream industry is still telling us we are not good enough or beautiful enough. In effect, it is telling us it’s not alright to embrace and celebrate our unique, inherent beauty and the normal part and parcel of being human – ageing.

But, there are some in the beauty industry daring to ditch this messaging and give voice to a different way of looking at beauty; one that celebrates us as we are and makes us feel good in our own skin without using negative messaging to make us buy their products.

In this green beauty opinion, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier explains how indie beauty formulators and entrepreneurs are helping dismantle decades of big beauty’s domination of the beauty narrative. Lorraine concludes with a clarion call for more of us to learn to formulate and change the industry for the better.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

If you are thinking of indie beauty entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-listen.

It has been a while since the podcast has featured a Formula Botanica graduate brand, and with well over 300 incredible founders and successful beauty brands featured in our online gallery, the decision about whom to approach wasn’t easy. But, one name popped up time and again – Roshanne Dorsett, graduate of the  International Organic Skincare Entrepreneur Program, and founder of The Glowcery.

Roshanne has achieved incredible heights for her brand in just three years, having launched The Glowcery, a superfood, natural and sustainable skincare brand, in spring 2020 just before the Covid-19 lockdowns. In this interview, you will hear of the amazing, inspiring personal transformation that Roshanne went through in starting her gorgeous and multi-award-winning beauty brand.

But, what are really fascinating are her insights as a new, beauty entrepreneur; how she overcame challenges, bootstrapped her business, grew in confidence and now has plans to take The Glowcery international and develop it as a lifestyle brand.

Roshanne drops some mindset bombs on indie beauty entrepreneurship that you need to hear. So settle in for a fantastic episode that could change your life.

There are few corners of formulating beauty that are left untouched. We’ve seen just about every possible formulation category covered on this podcast alone. We’ve heard about carbon neutral, waterless beauty, and clean, green and blue beauty, along with net zero and zero waste and more.

But, until our previous episode, with haircare brand entrepreneur founders of Climaplex, we had not come across a cosmetics business actively formulating to protect us from the myriad effects of climate change. Not only is Climaplex doing right by the planet by formulating to ethical, sustainable principles, their haircare products are designed to tackle multiple effects of the fluctuating, and ever more extreme environmental conditions on our hair and scalp.

In this Green Beauty opinion short, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier asks if formulating to protect our skin, body and hair from the ravages of climate change could become the norm – in fact, a new gold standard in cosmetic formulation.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Retail shelves are full of haircare products aimed at repairing our hair. Too dry, too greasy, dandruff, split ends, issues with frizz, more curl or less curl required, or shine and gloss needed? Every product promises hair nirvana to encourage us to buy. But, if we’re honest, many products may not work, or work as described.

So, when podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier received a press release from a new haircare brand saying its products were formulated to combat the effects of climate change on our hair, she was sceptical, but also curious to find out more.

The brand, Climaplex, has serious credentials. Its co-founders are industry veterans with several decades’ experience in the consumer and professional haircare and cosmetics manufacturing industries. They had invested in clinical development and trials run by a leading EU university to prove the climate change-haircare link and the efficacy of their products.

In this episode, Lorraine talks to guests Simon Ostler, a renowned hairdresser, haircare brand pioneer and former industry executive and Giannantonio Negretti, head of a leading, international cosmetics manufacturing group to hear first hand how this new category of climate change cosmetics came into being. And, importantly, how Climaplex is committed to resolving our climate-change-created hair and scalp issues honestly, holistically and sustainably.

To learn more about this episode, Lorraine's guests, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In the last episode, podcast guest Ekwy Chukwuji-Nnene, founder of indie, vegan haircare brand Equi Botanics, said that one cosmetics conglomerate had told her, in effect, that the beauty needs of people of colour didn’t count.

Ekwy explained that when she approached the firm with her tried-and-tested natural haircare formulations for coily and textured hair, the executives replied: “Black women will buy whatever we sell them”.

Ekwy shed light on what goes on behind the scenes of one giant in the cosmetics industry, but which is likely to be the prevaling attitude found across the sector.

So incensed was podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier about the arrogant attitudes – and racism – in the mainstream commercial beauty industry that she just had to get on her soapbox in this green beauty opinion.

Can indie beauty founders like Ekwy and consumers counter this arrogance and call the mainstream beauty out for its domineering attitudes once and for all? 

When entrepreneur Ekwy Chukwuji-Nnene was told by a major cosmetics conglomerate that "Black women buy anything we sell them", she was at first stunned and then angry. Founder of indie, vegan haircare brand Equi Botanics, Ekwy was met with scepticism when she pitched her products to a global beauty firm.

Ekwy knew that they worked. Her formulations had helped resolve her own devastating hair issues and those of her daughters and had gained her a loyal community of early adopters. She knew also that there was a vast, untapped market of women of colour who were being ignored by the dominant, established beauty brands.

Why is it that well into the 21st century, the beauty industry still believes it need cater only to the Eurocentric beauty ideal of a white woman with straight hair? Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier invited Ekwy onto the show to talk not only about the challenges inherent in caring for coily, textured hair, but also about the struggles facing beauty entrepreneurs of colour.

To learn more about this episode, Lorraine's guest, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website. 

From interviewing numerous founders for this podcast, we know that starting an indie beauty brand based on sustainability principles can be more expensive as well as limit your choices of packaging, ingredients, suppliers, partners and more. 

However, if you are a beauty brand founder of colour or from a minority, then both anecdotal and statistical evidence shows that you will face almost insurmountable barriers to entry just starting any beauty brand, let alone one founded on sustainability principles.

In our last episode on the history of slavery in soapmaking, we heard indie beauty founder and minority community activist Dr Candace Parrish explain that embracing sustainability is expensive and that these extra costs limit entrepreneurs of colour from getting into this industry in the first place.

In this green beauty opinion, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier explores the points Candace raises to take a look at the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs of colour and from minorities, especially when it comes to sustainable beauty.

Soap has been the mainstay of personal care for millennia, but in recent years, it has gone from household commodity to luxury cosmetic in homes and hotels.

Soapmaking is thriving too as an artisan hobby and has launched many entrepreneurial beauty businesses. Formula Botanica graduate Sandra Velasquez started her successful Latinx heritage bath and body brand Nopalera in 2020, helping elevate soap to new heights. 

But, let’s just stop for a moment. Do we ever ask ourselves about the history of soap? It is worth doing so as there is a whole era of soapmaking that has been almost erased from the records of social history.

In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier discovers the murky past of soapmaking with guest Dr Candace Parrish, whose studies in public relations, health communication, and visual communication led her to unearth a shameful period of American history and its enslaved soapmakers.

Candace went on to create her soap and candle brand Odelia, Marie & Patrice to honour the legacy of African-American soapmakers, and as a platform to support activism for Black and people of colour in America today.

When you start a beauty brand, every aspect of it from your own unique formulations to your packaging and branding are up for grabs. Every detail is in your hands and even if outsourcing tasks, you, as the founder, have control.

If you embrace sustainability in your brand mission at the outset, it will drive every detail and decision. How much easier this is than struggling to audit a beauty business later on against sustainability principles and finding it falling short.

In this Green Beauty Opinion, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier discusses the advantages nimble, newcomer indie beauty brands have over the “oil tanker” giant firms of personal care.

It will still take indie brands boundless energy, resources and resolve to be true to any founding mission to act on sustainability not just talk about it. However, the advantages and the market is theirs if they prepare ahead rather than retro fit sustainability as most personal care conglomerates must do. 

Welcome to Green Beauty Conversations, the podcast that challenges you to think about how you buy, use, make and sell your natural beauty formulations. We tackle topics that will make you think and encourage debate about green beauty with your friends, followers or customers.

In today’s In Conversation with Formula Botanica podcast episode, we are talking carbon neutral beauty and the environmental impacts of the beauty industry. This is a big topic, but with the rise of conscious consumerism it’s also a topic that we need to be talking about. We ask: Can a Beauty Brand ever be Carbon Neutral?

Sustainability is a really key topic for many indie beauty brands, but how easy is it to be truly sustainable and what steps do brands need to take? In this podcast we answer the burning questions our community had on the topic of carbon neutral beauty and sustainability.

Carbon Neutral Beauty vs Beauty Miles

Carbon footprint is one aspect of overall sustainability. In our previous podcast episode we tackled the topic of Beauty Miles, which feeds in to the topic of carbon neutral beauty and covers how far your ingredients and finished product travel and how to calculate that environmental impact. Read more - Episode 48: Do you know your Beauty Miles?

In this Podcast you will:

Key Takeaways Include:

What do you think? Is it feasible for indie brands to be carbon neutral? How can smaller beauty brands stay ahead of the big players, who are now setting big sustainability targets and publicly declaring them? Can indie brands lead the whole beauty industry in terms of sustainability or is this too big a burden for small businesses? Whatever your views on this controversial topic, I want you to join the debate and leave us a comment on our social channels. The Formula Botanica team and I love hearing from you so come and tell us your views.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show.Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on: Facebook. Twitter; and on Instagram.

Have you ever wondered how a cosmetic formulator innovates and creates new formulations? What is it like to formulate? How does the creative process work?

In this episode of The Green Beauty Conversations podcast we delve in to the mind of a cosmetic formulator and explore the processes involved in creating new and innovative products. We speak to Timi Racz, Formula Botanica's Head of Research and Development about the formulation process. Whether you are a new or experienced formulator, this fascinating insight in to the formulation process can help you develop your own formulas and skills.

More on this topic - Episode 37: Do you need to be a Cosmetic Chemist to Formulate Skincare?

In this Podcast you will:

Key Takeaways Include:

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show.

You've probably heard of food miles, but have you ever heard of beauty miles?

Food miles measure the distance that your food travels before it reaches your plate, while beauty miles measure the distance that our beauty products are transported from the time of harvesting, to processing, to manufacturing, to retail until that lotion finally ends up on your bathroom shelf.

Similar to food miles, beauty miles are one factor that we can potentially use when testing and measuring the environmental impacts of our beauty formulations. But are they the right tool to use when determining the sustainability of our formulations?

For this podcast episode the Formula Botanica team reached out to our community, to ask their burning questions on this topic and they were answered by Chartered Environmentalist and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier.

In this Podcast you will:

Hear the Formula Botanica team discuss beauty miles and answer key questions on this topic.

Learn some key questions that we should be asking as formulators and consumers about the cosmetic ingredients we use and their environmental impact.

Key takeaways include:

Knowing your supply chain and asking key questions is essential for formulators who want to calculate the overall carbon footprint of their formulations.

Every formulator should be thinking about the carbon footprint of not only their ingredients but also their entire operation as a business.

We expect to see more brands make claims about the carbon emissions of their products in the future, including claims for carbon neutral products achieved by carbon offsetting. Conscious consumerism is on the rise and customers are more interested than ever in all aspects of sustainability.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show.

Found out more about our award winning courses at - formulabotanica.com

Should vegan beauty brands be run by vegans? That is the question we tackle in this episode of the Green Beauty Conversations podcast, the podcast that challenges you to change the way you think about the way you buy, use, make and sell your natural beauty formulations.

Veganism is on the rise

Interest in veganism has increased seven-fold in the last five years according to Google trends. And as part of that rise, cosmetics represents the fastest growing sector in brands gaining the vegan trademark, where the indie beauty sector sees a great opportunity to appeal to the ever-growing vegan community. But should beauty brand founders be vegan in order to make and sell vegan cosmetics? If you’re making and selling cosmetics, should you walk the walk as well as talking the talk? 

In this episode we speak to three people with an interest in veganism. Firstly we speak to Louisa Sales, a Beauty Therapist currently working in the beauty industry training other professionals, who is also a passionate vegan. Louisa believes that brands using veganism in their marketing should be founded and run by people who live and support a vegan lifestyle. Next we speak to Abigail Stevens, Trademark manager at the Vegan Society who established the definition of veganism. The Vegan Society certifies individual products as vegan and enables brands to carry their trademark. Our last guest is Claire Michalski of the certification Vegan Founded, an organisation that certifies brands as vegan based on their ethical choices and those of their founders. Vegan Founded controversially posted on their Facebook page that supporting meat eating brand founders could be supporting the meat industry and prefers to give their support to brands who are founded and run by vegans. 

In this Podcast you will:

Key takeaways include:

Find out more about our Podcast guests:

The Vegan Society Website

Vegan Founded Website

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show.

Can Indie beauty brands ever partner successfully with large multinationals? Or are Indie brands who sell to large corporations, in fact selling out? In this episode of The Green Beauty Conversations Podcast, we tackle the tricky subject of Indie brand acquisitions and why all brand founders should have an exit strategy for their business.

Recently, brands such as Dermalogica, Schmidt’s Naturals, TooFaced, Tatcha and many others, have all been snapped up by major multinationals such as Unilever, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder and Procter & Gamble. Over the last five years, these huge beauty corporations have spent billions on acquiring beauty brands from across the world – including many successful indies. Drunk Elephant’s recent $845 million dollar sale to Shiseido, is the latest acquisition to cause controversy and receive comments also within the Formula Botanica community.

We interview two beauty entrepreneurs on the topic of selling your business, to hear their views. First we speak to Julie Longyear, the founder of independent natural beauty brand Blissoma based in the USA. Julie founded her brand in 2001 and creates raw, plant-based, skincare by hand, using herbs and essential oils, in her herbal studio in St. Louis, Missouri. Our second guest is Sian Sutherland, beauty brand founder and multi-award winning serial entrepreneur. In 2005, Sian created Mama Mio Skincare, a premium pregnancy range followed by Mio Skincare for active women. Sian sold her business in 2015 to The Hut Group, a global eCommerce company based in the UK. Sian now runs A Plastic Planet, a social impact non-profit with a single goal - to ignite and inspire the world to turn off the plastic tap.

In this Podcast we explore:

Key take-outs include:

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show.

This is Green Beauty Conversations, the podcast that challenges you to think about how you buy, use, make and sell your natural beauty formulations. 

We tackle topics that that will make you think and encourage debate about Green Beauty with your friends, followers or customers. In this episode we delve in to the difficult topic of conscious consumerism and its effect on the beauty industry. What does it mean to be a modern consumer of beauty products? 

A conscious consumer is someone who wants to encourage positive impact through their buying choices, encouraging brands to be more eco-friendly and sustainable overall. Anyone who spends any time in the natural beauty sector will know that there is a polarised debate around the way ingredients are chosen and used – on one side you have a hardcore group of naturalistas who reject synthetic ingredients and on the other side you have a group of frustrated chemists, who are upset about their ingredients being vilified without science. 

In our previous podcast - Clean Beauty: A redefinition, we discussed some of the controversy surrounding the term Clean Beauty and what it means. In this podcast we build on that further by asking whether consumer trends should inform how brands formulate? Should brands shun ingredients with a proven safety record simply because they have become unpopular with the public? How can consumers who want genuinely natural products shop with confidence? To help us understand more on these issues we interviewed two key industry professionals. 

Firstly we spoke to Sam Farmer, founder of a namesake range of unisex personal care products for young adults. Sam is passionate about science communication within the beauty industry and feels strongly that the industry should be leading with facts and an evidence based approach, rather than simply reacting to consumer trends when it comes to the complex topic of formulating and ingredients. Our second guest is Dr Mark Smith the Director General of NATRUE, an international private standard for natural and organic cosmetics. NATRUE sets standards for the ingredients, packaging and product formulations carrying the NATRUE label and also advocates on behalf of the natural and organic beauty industry. Mark is a chemist and has a long career in research, science and regulatory policy. 

In this episode on the topic of conscious consumerism we explore: 

Key take-outs include: 

Learn more about our guests: 

Find Sam Farmer on Twitter 

Learn more about certification on the NATRUE Website 

We want to hear what you think. Whatever your views on this controversial topic, we want you to join the debate and leave us a comment on our social channels. The Formula Botanica team love hearing from you so come and tell us your views. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

What is clean beauty? It is one of the current buzz words in the cosmetics industry with major brands such as Drunk Elephant adopting the term as a key part of their marketing message. Large retailers such as Sephora now stock a selection of brands they consider clean and have adopted their own clean standards. 

Despite its rapid rise, clean beauty can also be controversial. There is an increasing backlash from many in the industry, who believe that clean beauty is driven by fear mongering and poor science. As there is no official standard of what is meant by 'clean', consumers need to be aware that individual brands and retailers all have their own definition, which can vary greatly. 

In this episode of the Green Beauty Conversations podcast, we discuss the origins of the term clean beauty, why it has been driven by concern regarding certain cosmetic ingredients and is intertwined with a consumer search for products that will support their wellbeing. We also discuss the Formula Botanica Philosophy on clean beauty, where we redefine what the term means and talk about how it should evolve. 

Ingredient safety data sheets (SDS) will contain key information about toxicity and environmental impact. A key tool for formulators to understand some of these issues further. Misunderstanding of data and an ingredients ability to do harm is fuelling the clean beauty debate online and maintaining the controversy. We also explore the legalities of cosmetic claims in Episode 3: How to Comply with Cosmetics Regulations.

In this episode of the Green Beauty Conversations Podcast you will learn about: The origins of the word "Clean Beauty" in the cosmetics industry. We delve in to other current buzzwords such as "non-toxic" and talk about why when it comes to cosmetics, dose and exposure are so important to understanding toxicity. We also discuss the difference between acute and chronic toxicity. The Formula Botanica philosophy for the four points that we think should define Clean Beauty: 1) Bringing together the concepts of beauty and wellbeing 2) Transparency and Ethics 3) Clean for the planet as well as people 4) Clean products should be safe and hygienically made. 

We also discuss why transparency is particularly key for natural and indie beauty brands. 

"Transparency in the beauty industry isn't a trend, it is a movement" - Lorraine Dallmeier Director of Formula Botanica 

Key take-outs include:

Clean Beauty should be hygienically made following GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and safely and efficiently preserved. We believe formulators should be proud to use preservatives, as this ensures consumer safety. 

If you enjoyed this podcast why not listen to Episode 1: What does Natural Beauty mean? 

Please like, share and subscribe

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on: Facebook, Twitter; and on Instagram.

If you're dreaming of launching an indie beauty brand you may wonder if you have the mindset to become a successful skincare entrepreneur. Even just a decade ago, we would tend to use the word entrepreneur to describe the personalities driving big conglomerates and reserve the epithet for figures like Richard Branson.

Now though, entrepreneurs are just as likely to be individual makers and creatives launching businesses from kitchen tables. This wider use of the label entrepreneur can still be daunting for the small indie beauty brand founder. We may fall into comparisonitis and doubt ourselves capable of executing our plans and following through on our dreams.

Our guest in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations removes the mystery of beauty entrepreneurship by taking us on her own business journey. Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao, founder of Malée Natural Science, says that the mindset of a beauty entrepreneur can most certainly be learned and is not something we are born with. Zeze's story is one of a young African woman in the UK who had to become entrepreneurial after a move to South Africa where she faced a period of unemployment.

Creating an ethical, luxury fragrance, bath and body care range was furthest from Zeze's mind when she started her working life. Having gained two degrees at just age 24, Zeze was aiming for a corporate consulting career when life changed and set her on her entrepreneurial path.

Zeze is a woman who discovered by chance almost her passion for the people, natural beauty and healing rituals of her home continent. She went on to harness those to create a brand that could change her life and others’ for the better. Her motto to any would-be beauty entrepreneur is to stay true to your beliefs even in times of failure:

"My biggest successes have come when I was focused on my beliefs. It doesn’t matter if you fail, but don’t let your fears rule you. Focus on the people you want to solve problems for. That becomes more enriching. How you approach your journey is the most important point."

Malée website. Malée on Instagram. Malée on Facebook Malée on Twitter.

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