Clean Beauty School

“I take a holistic approach grounded in science. The skin is an exterior organ that is a communicator. It’s connected to billions of cells and nerves, and becomes an extension of our whole health,” says holistic esthetician Lesley Thornton, founder of KLUR. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mbg beauty director and host Alexandra Engler chats with Thornton about why we should look to our skin...

Did you know that the FDA never had the authority for beauty product recalls? Or that beauty brands didn't have to disclose potential fragrance allergens on ingredient lists? Or that beauty companies didn't have to report adverse events to the FDA? All of that is about to change. In late December of last year, a bill passed in Congress implementing a massive and long-overdo update to the FDA’s reg...

“I'm all about low key maintenance, like how can I wake up, not do much, still look wonderful?” says esthetician, brow and lash specialist Jasmine Imani, founder of her eponymous salon Jasmine Imani Beauty. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, host and mindbodygreen beauty director Alexandra Engler chats with Imani about all things brow and lash care. Here, they get into how to regrow brows, ho...

“Instead of seeing beauty rituals as a treat or privilege, view it as taking care of yourself is your rite of passage of being in your human form,” says intuitive energy reader & stylist Susanna Merrick, founder of Aura Wear. “I had always associated beauty with self care, but it’s really self maintenance. This is just what I do to honor myself, because I am worth it. And I am worth it every day.”...

“Laser hair removal is the most advanced it's ever been. We have new lasers that are faster, less painful, and work for more skin tones,” says laser hair removal specialists Christian Karavolas, VP of the Society of Clinical and Medical Hair Removal and founder of Romeo & Juliette. “Many types of people can benefit from laser hair removal: Someone who is prone to in-growns and scarring. Athletes—b...

“You can always change your habits—you can always improve. You can stop smoking, eat more vegetables, sleep more, and stop tanning. But you still may have damage, and fixing it takes time. Quite frankly, nothing happens overnight,” says board-certified dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mindbodygreen’s beauty director Alexandra Engler chats with Downie about...

“Aging of the skin is a symptom of what’s already happening on the inside,” says board-certified dermatologist Julie Russak, M.D. “You cannot have regenerative skin care without understanding what’s happening in the body.” In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mbg beauty director and host Alexandra Engler is joined with Russak and board-certified holistic nutritionist Jennifer Hanway, the expert...

“Regarding the skin, all kinds of things we don't like from eczema, rosacea, breakouts, aging, to even pigmentation issues are caused by chronic inflammation,” says aesthetic physician Dr. Barbara Sturm, founder of her eponymous line. “So where does inflammation come from? It can come from our diet, external stresses like pollution and sun, stress, lack of sleep, and it can come from skin care pro...

“I feel like Traditional Chinese Medicine helps you access and recognize other dimensions of yourself, such as your spiritual self, emotional self, and physical self. It turns these on in a way where we are able to thrive—and feel like we’re supposed to feel as human beings,” says licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and TCM practitioner Sandra Chiu L.Ac., M.S.T.C.M., founder of Lanshin. “The world...

“When it comes to scalp care—like skin care—it’s all about getting the body into homeostasis,” says hairstylist and trichologist Helen Reavey, founder of hair and scalp care brand Act+Acre. “It’s about less is more, laying solid foundations, and getting back to the roots—no pun intended.” In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mbg beauty director and host Alexandra Engler chats with Reavey about...

“The pursuit of beauty is actually very, very functional,” says board-certified dermatologist Ellen Marmur, M.D., founder of Marmur Medical and MMSkincare. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mindbodygreen beauty director and host Alexandra Engler chats with Marmur all about LED therapy: “LED light is the missing link for skin care and wellness.” Here, we get into what all the different colors...

“Our bodies and skin are what carries our spirit through this world, so they are to be loved, appreciated, and cared for,” says brand founder and skin care expert Vicky Tsai. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mindbodygreen beauty director and host Alexandra Engler chats with Tsai about why skin care stresses some folks out, how to reduce inflammation in the skin, and the mind-skin connection...

Here’s our special New Year’s episode with guest co-host and mindbodygreen beauty editor Jamie Schneider! In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mindbodygreen’s beauty director & host Alexandra Engler chats with Schneider about their 2023 beauty trend predictions, what habits they’re honing, and their hot takes! Plus, what products they're obsessed with as of late.  -Follow Jamie Schneider & read...

“Menstrual cycles are a vital sign of our overall health. This is something that western medicine, biomedicine, Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine can all agree on: Periods are a monthly report card about what’s going on in our bodies,” says menstrual wellness expert, psychologist, and herbalist Lulu Ge, founder of the menstrual and hormone care brand Elix .“Rather than viewing them as a burden,...

”The only way to truly achieve wellness is to approach health holistically,“ says board-certified internal medicine doctor Zion Ko Lamm, M.D. On this episode of Clean Beauty School, mbg beauty director and host Alexandra Engler chats with Lamm about her unique approach to skin care. Given her background as an internal medicine physician, she approaches skin health from a holistic and preventative...

“Health is wealth. Without your health, you can’t do anything. And it's a job to stay healthy. That’s why you need a team and partnerships to help you,” says board-certified dermatologist Naana Boakye, M.D. Boakye considers herself a lifestyle derm, which means she focuses on nutrition, mental health, and day-to-day choices—not just topicals or prescriptions. “Radiant skin is a lifestyle.” In this...

“Skin care isn’t an exact science. We can get into the nitty gritty details of ingredients all we want, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know how to use it in your own routine. That’s why I think it’s so important to learn how to implement, improve and troubleshoot your own skin care routine for your skin type,” says cosmetic chemist Victoria Fu, who co-founded Chemist Confessions along...

“Feeling better about our bodies does not come from changing our bodies, it comes from changing our mindset,” says body positivity activist and influencer Alex Light, author of You Are Not A Before Picture. “I would love for women—because women predominantly bear the burden of beauty standards—to be able to live their lives free of concern about how they look. We have been taught that if we’re not...

“I became an esthetician because I fell in love with taking care of people. I love the idea that someone would come to me one-on-one, tell me all their issues or insecurities, and I would help them overcome that. We would become a team, working together to get the skin the healthiest it could be for you,” says celebrity esthetician Joanna Vargas, founder of her eponymous spa and skin care line. “I...

“There's polarity in the beauty industry, but nothing's black and white. I can almost always see the other person's side of the story," says beauty journalist and co-host of Fat Mascara Jennifer G. Sullivan. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mindbodygreen beauty director and host Alexandra Engler chats with Sullivan about the many gray areas of the modern beauty industry. Plus, why the pilla...

“Your hair is your most important accessory: You wear it everyday. Think about your favorite piece of clothing—if you wear it daily, wash it, don’t care for it, it’s going to break down,” says celebrity colorist Justin Anderson, co-founder of hair and color care brand dpHUE. In this episode of Clean Beauty School, mbg beauty director and host Alexandra Engler chats with Anderson about hair color t...

“It’s positioned as empowering for the consumer to ‘do their research’ on ingredient lists, but I actually think it ends up being disempowering. You need an advanced degree in chemistry to keep up with the ingredients, formulas, and latest research. How can we expect the average consumer to do that?” says Jaleh Bisharat, founder of beauty e-retailer NakedPoppy. “And unfortunately there’s just not...

“Beauty doesn’t need to be as overwhelming as we are conditioned to think it should be,” says makeup artist Jenny Patinkin, who literally wrote the book getting that no-fuss, yet polished makeup look. And one of the main takeaways she tries to share with her clients? Don’t get too caught up in arbitrary, overly-strict rules: “Beauty is about moderation. I’ve never subscribed to the ‘you shoulds’ &...

“I believe hair care is skin care: Hair products can get on the skin and clog the pores, irritate and dry the skin, or cause eczema and other skin diseases. And in some cases these scalp concerns can even lead to hair shedding,” says Harvard-trained board-certified dermatologist Iris Rubin, M.D. who specializes in scalp health; she’s the founder of SEEN Hair Care, a beauty brand designed to be non...

“I really do believe in the foundations of beauty, which are skin, teeth, brows, and hair. If you care and focus on those foundations, if you embrace the things that are working for you, then you can build out from there in any direction you want. But first you need to pay attention to the basics to build a strong foundation,” says brow specialist Joey Healy, owner of his eponymous brow salon and...