The Eco Well podcast

A roundtable discussion follow up on the CHOICE SPF testing scandal - a response to some bad takes I've seen circulating on social media about how the brands involved aren't responsible, and that the responsibility lies entirely with the testing lab that was committing fraud. Unfortunate and unpopular truth: that's not how that works. This discussion featured Dr Rania Ibrahim PhD, coming at it...

This week's episode features Jonathan Reynolds, Director of Scientific Development at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, on product development to meet future beauty trends. We get into what actually goes into forecasting claims, where claims and ingredient trends are headed as consumer expectations and regulations shift, and which trends have real staying power versus those that won't survive the...

How does bad science get published, and why does it matter? This week's conversation with Dr. James Heathers PhD dives into the cracks in our scientific publishing system, the rise of research fraud, and the ripple effects of flawed evidence. If you've ever wondered how misinformation travels through "peer-reviewed" channels, this episode offers a candid look behind the scenes. Interested in...

In this episode, we're continuing our "need-to-know" series for indie beauty founders with a deep dive into one of the most crucial parts of building a beauty brand: manufacturing. Featuring Richie Rubin from the contract manufacturer Garcoa for a "Contract Manufacturing 101", unpacking how brands and manufacturers work together, what the current landscape looks like of CMs, red flags to watch...

Quality control might not be the flashiest topic in beauty, but it is one of the most important. In this episode, I'm joined by industry expert Geoff Waby for a deep dive into what really goes on behind the scenes to make sure products are safe, stable, and consistent. We unpack what happens when things go wrong, where brand responsibility begins and ends, the unique challenges of refillable...

A rapid fire cosmetics regulatory 101 with Meredith Petillo, VP of Technical Regulatory Affairs at Independent Beauty Association. We covered as much as we could - if you're have a indie brand, this episode will be super helpful to you. It will also be helpful for anyone else wanting to get a good lay of the land. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review!...

In this episode, we dive deep into the complex and often misunderstood world of endocrine disruption with toxicologist, pharmacologist and endocrine disruption researcher, Chris Borgert PhD. We unpack how the science has evolved, what we actually know about real-world risks, and how public fear has outpaced scientific consensus. From moral panics around masculinity and fertility to the rise of...

By now you have probably heard about the sunscreen testing scandal. Earlier this year in June, CHOICE tested a bunch of sunscreen products in the Australian market, and many came back well under their marketed SPF. The one that really caught everyone's attention was from Ultraviolet, with a claimed SPF of 50+, results came back at 4. What came next was some of the most bizarre behaviour I think...

There are so many new trendy ingredients - from exosomes to PDMR, peptides to tranexamic acid… But do they actually work? In my first episode of the season, I thought it would be fun to kick things off with an ingredient trends vs science conversation, featuring PhD candidate and cosmetic scientist, Lanesa Mahon. What works, what's over hyped, and what even is "science based"? We explored all...

Beauty has a misinformation problem. In my latest podcast, we take a look at the issue from a behavioural science POV with behavioural neuroscientist and consumer researcher, Michelle Niedziela, PhD. How is misinformation influencing consumer AND brand behaviour, why has misinfomation snowballing been such an issue, how is misinformation impacting beauty innovation and business bottom lines, and...