Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica

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. List...

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...

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...

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. Discove...

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 episo...

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-mon...

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 we...

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 empower...

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...

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 di...

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 i...

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 beaut...

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 indus...

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 businesse...

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 Botani...

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...

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-us...

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 sust...

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 tr...

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...

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. Pro...

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, practica...

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 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, a...

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,...