Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica

Having looked at the shocking extent to which plastic is present within beauty formulations in liquid microplastic forms, in this episode Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier tackles plastic in beauty packaging. Few of us would disagree that the beauty industry and its consumers should reduce, reuse and recycle plastic packaging more. But, as the figures show, the challenge is great. Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years and production of plastic has increased exponentially from 1.5 million tons in 1950 to 367 million tons by 2015. An incredible 8 million tons or so of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. As we know from our episode on biodegradability, plastic can take about 400 years to break down in the environment. Any discussion on plastic packaging and the millions of tons of waste it produces is fraught with complexity and seemingly irresolvable problems. Where do we start as small beauty businesses to play our part in reducing plastic waste when the figures are so daunting? There are ways to start small and still make a difference. In this episode, we hear from one pioneering social enterprise that is literally removing plastic waste and helping companies of all sizes to reduce their dependency on plastic. rePurpose Global is the world's leading plastic action platform dedicated to reducing waste, reviving lives and restoring nature's balance. Lorraine talks to Peter Wang Hjemdahl, co-founder and Chief Advocacy Officer at rePurpose Global, about the creative, yet practical ways the social enterprise is tackling plastic packaging from its source in supply chains to its end of life in waste mountains. Listen in for some positive news on how our plastic dependency is being be tackled.

Reducing plastic in the packaging of personal care products is high on the agenda of many mainstream cosmetics' firms, but are microplastics in cosmetics getting the same attention? Even if a brand's packaging is plastic free, the product inside may not be. What goes into the bottle – the formulations we slather on each day – are literally riddled with micro- and nanoplastics. Shocked? So were we. We have covered the issues of post-consumer plastics, biodegradability and zero waste in the past. But plastic in outer packaging is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of plastic in the cosmetics' industry. An estimated 9 out of 10 mainstream personal care products may contain microplastics. These figures aren't plucked from thin air. They come from the Plastic Soup Foundation, a single-issue environmental organisation working to stop plastic pollution at its source. The Foundation conducted scientific research into its database of over 7,000 cosmetics from 10 big brands and concluded that microplastics were present in 87% of the products analysed. The environmental and human health impacts of these hidden plastics are now the subject not only of research, but also of proposed EU legislation. As we discover in this episode, intentionally-added microplastics are contentious and the very mention of their restriction or outright ban has seen push back from the mainstream cosmetics industry. To unpack the data from the charged debate, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Madhuri Prabhakar, project leader and campaigner of the Beat the Microbead (BTMB) campaign by the Plastic Soup Foundation. Listen in for some shocking revelations about plastics in cosmetic formulations.

Influencers have an exciting opportunity given their reach and reputations to change hearts and minds of beauty consumers. Imagine influencer product reviews mentioning how easy it is to refill packaging or that a beauty brand has gone plastic free or is working towards zero waste or carbon negative goals? In the last episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier discussed the world of the beauty influencer with School Education Manager Ana Green and questioned whether influencers were talking about, let alone talking up, beauty brands' sustainability. One key thing hit home in that episode: the power and great responsibility beauty influencers have. In a recent survey, some 49% of shoppers interviewed said they relied on recommendations of vlogggers, YouTubers, bloggers and social media influencers in making purchases, viewing their opinions as they would those of trusted friends. In this short Green Beauty Opinion, Lorraine proposes how influencers can use their platforms responsibly to drive home the message that sustainable beauty should be the norm, not the exception in the industry. Influencers are not going to stop covering new product launches, but they could do more to challenge brands about their sustainability credentials and include this information in their regular content. In this way, they will influence consumers to make sustainable choices and to ask their own questions of brands. Changing the beauty industry is a collective job that we all need to participate in. Lorraine's challenge to influencers is to embrace their power and harness it to promote a more sustainable beauty industry. In doing so, influencers could have more influence than they perhaps realise and make positive, lasting change to the beauty industry.

It is hard to imagine that beauty influencers barely existed a decade ago. Now though, hundreds of thousands of influencers take to social media platforms each day to talk about the latest beauty launches and offer their opinion on the promise and performance of products. Those who dominate social media are as influential and competitive as ever, and perfecting their presences on TikTok, which is the platform of the moment. Few influencers make a full-time living on social media, but all have one thing in common: their attraction to shiny new beauty products to test and talk about. But, with new products comes a tidal wave of samples as well as tens of thousands of units of unrelated, often unsolicited promotional merchandise which big cosmetics' brands think will influence the influencers. As we discussed in our recent episode with responsible beauty retailer Credo, samples' packaging is mostly not recyclable and comes laden with plastic. In this episode, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier discusses the business model of influencers with the school's Education Manager, Ana Green. Ana, once a beauty blogger herself, has valuable insights into influencer and brand relations and suggests how both parties can foster a more sustainable beauty industry as they partner to promote products.

Beauty shoppers are clamouring for green packaging and sustainable beauty. The industry is coming out with innovative packaging made from recycled plastics that themselves can be recycled. So isn't this a positive landscape and a happier space for the beauty industry to be in than a few years ago? If only sustainable beauty packaging were so simple. In this Green Beauty Opinion, Formula Botanica CEO, Chartered Environmentalist and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier praises the strides the beauty industry is making on sustainable packaging, but also unearths the truth about how much is recycled. Consumers still know little about what our beauty packaging is made of and where it ends up in its afterlife. In this opinion short, Lorraine explains that while we are becoming familiar with acronyms for plastics, like post-consumer recycled PET plastics, and are better at deciphering recycling symbols, the reality is that very little plastic waste is recycled. Plastics are still shipped from rich countries across the world to be dumped in open landfills. Ultimately, much ends up polluting the oceans. Innovative packaging solutions are well and good, but are let down by a recycling infrastructure that can't close the loop and sustain a circular economy. Lorraine's challenge to all of us engaged in beauty, whether as shoppers or industry insiders, is to start having more conversations about the environmental harm of beauty packaging. Whether indie founder or mainstream big beauty business, we need to tell our customers just what our packaging is made of and how to recycle it. Make our customers lives easier by making videos on how to recycle that airless pump bottle, for example. As shoppers, we must be prepared to ask beauty brands how to recycle and reuse their packaging, whatever it is made of, and pile the pressure on them to respond with clarity. While R&D is coming up with the next closed-loop, circular economy packaging, we can start having an immediate impact by simply having conversations and educating each other. And remembering that because innovative sustainable packaging can be recycled, it doesn't mean it will be.

We all love getting something for free. How many times have you shopped for a new cosmetic product and been rewarded for your purchase with a bundle of free beauty samples? Some of the sachets popped into your bag or mailer box might have nothing at all to do with eye cream, cleanser or serum you just bought. But does it matter when we love receiving those little sachets of samples for free? This podcast episode focuses on these tiny beauty products which are in fact staggeringly wasteful. Each year, the beauty industry creates 122bn units of sample sachets, most of which have no clear-cut way of being recycled. In all likelihood, we consumers don't need them, don't use them and certainly wouldn't like them if we knew that those free gifts have no happy end of life and go on to do untold harm to the planet. Joining Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier to tackle the topic of planet-toxic beauty samples is guest Mia Davis, VP Sustainability and Impact at Credo Beauty, which is the largest clean beauty retailer in the US. Mia, a committed, career environmentalist, created the Credo Clean Standard, including the retailer's ambitious and forward-thinking Sustainable Packaging Guidelines. When Lorraine learned of Credo's bold step last year of announcing it was no longer providing beauty samples, she knew that something seismic was happening in the industry. So who better to have on the podcast to talk about changing habits of the beauty industry's lifetime than Mia Davis, who has set not just Credo but also the wider industry the challenge of culling samples for good?

In our last guest episode with the indie beauty co-founder Tara Pelletier, we heard how her business Meow Meow Tweet was not only driving a successful bulk refill scheme for its beauty products, but also how it was shunning the pressure to churn out new products. But will the beauty media bother with indie companies that can't push out press releases about their latest new product? Will opting for deeper rather than wider product ranges self harm an indie brand? It takes a brave business owner to call out the traditional beauty business model that is built on bringing out a constant stream of new products. For the sake of sustainability, this should be happening if we are to consume less and save the planet's resources more. Can we change the culture around product development? Lorraine Dallmeier, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host, says that while she has come across numerous beauty brand and industry stories about improving packaging, finding sustainable suppliers and striving for circular beauty, she has heard none about a brand choosing to slow its growth for sustainability's sake. The beauty industry model is still all about fast churn; in fact, we can talk about 'fast beauty' just as we do about fast fashion. The beauty media thrives off reporting the latest innovation and product release. Lorraine's point is that a brand with loyal customers enjoying its current range has no need to keep pushing out new products. Are customers really waiting for something new? And why would an indie brand wish to upstage its hero products with new ones all the time? Lorraine challenges all brand founders in the indie beauty community, and beauty consumers, to be loyal to the fabulous products already out there and reject fast beauty. By doing so, they can start to shift mindsets on beauty's traditional business model. Listen in to Lorraine's opinion short in which she asks the ultimate question: can the beauty business model be built on slow beauty?

Less is more so the saying goes, but one innovative beauty products' company is turning this on its head and offering 'more for less' with its inspirational refillable beauty scheme. Meow Meow Tweet, a US-based vegan, low-waste, personal care company has come up with a refill scheme that makes it easy for its customers to buy skincare, haircare and bodycare products in bulk at a discount. Can you imagine buying face cleanser in bulk? Meow Meow Tweet could and it decided its brand mission was to help customers reduce overall consumption by ditching lots of little pots and going for bulk buys. As the average woman beauty consumer uses about 16 product a day, you can get a feel for just how unsustainable the beauty business is. By buying more but less often and at a discount, its loyal refill customers have helped Meow Meow Tweet to embrace circular systems of reuse that can eliminate waste entirely. Founded in 2009, Meow Meow Tweet was certainly ahead of its time in acting on sustainability. It was the first brand to introduce 100 percent backyard compostable deodorant sticks and lip balms. Meow Meow Tweet is also a certified plastic negative and climate neutral company. In this second podcast looking at beauty refill success stories, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Tara Pelletier, co-founder of Meow Meow Tweet about the company's simple, sustainable slow beauty refill model. Listen in to hear about how one beauty company is quietly doing big things for sustainability.

In this short Green Beauty Opinion, Lorraine celebrates the bounty of botanicals, but urges us to think about how to conserve the very plants that provide us with endless inspiration and incredible ingredients. There wouldn't be a single natural formulator in the Formula Botanica community who wouldn't agree that plants are changing the beauty industry for the good and must be cherished. The groundswell of natural formulators and indie beauty founders is unstoppable. Lorraine points out that while Formula Botanica has enrolled some 15,000 students worldwide, you might not know that our community comprises some 300,000 people who have taken our free courses as well. Our Free Organic Skincare Entrepreneur Masterclass is open for enrolment now as we air this episode. Botanical bounty for formulators comes from leaves, roots, seeds, bark, flowers, stems, twigs, marine plants and more. Different parts of the same plant provide us with incredible phytoactive extracts to let our creativity as formulators run wild. Botanical formulation has the power to ground us in our busy, stressful lives. The term "earthing" refers to our ability to connect deeply with nature around us. Lorraine quotes a report which spoke of improved mental health and overall wellness in female participants of a survey into the effect of living in or near green spaces. Plants have made a presence throughout mankind's history, sharing in rites and rituals, and providing us with the stillness we crave. Little wonder then that we love them as natural formulators. Lorraine challenges us as natural formulators, indie beauty brands and beauty consumers to make sure our use of precious botanicals does not deplete nor harm them. We must exploit plant power sustainably ensuring the bounty of botanicals thrives and not just survives for future generations. This is a responsibility that faces both the natural and mainstream beauty industry.

At Formula Botanica, we have over 15,000 students studying to become organic cosmetic formulators with us and many have already launched their own cosmetics brands in parallel with their studies – and day jobs. If you are considering bringing natural formulation into your life, then this episode is a must-listen. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier interviews a school graduate and indie beauty brand owner who has taken her love of botanical beauty to new heights, expanding and diversifying her original business along the way. Copenhagen-based Stella Nisreen Kanaan, a lifelong learner, beauty salon owner and cosmetic brand entrepreneur, talks about her passion, drive and determination to make plants and nature the foundation of not only her personal journey, but also that of her entire business. Stella infused her new, organic beauty product business into her salon practice and hasn't looked back. Unstoppable and certain of the business sense of botanicals in beauty, Stella talks us through her entrepreneurial journey, and shows just how possible it is to turn a dream into reality if you really believe in your mission.

Our last podcast episode on the sustainability of using tropical ingredients in our cosmetics raised the issue of transparency in supply chains. In this Green Beauty Opinion, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier examines one solution to this lack of transparency; going local. Should indie formulators seek to source their ingredients as close to their homes and labs as possible? What implications and advantages are there in doing so? Is it more sustainable to go local than shipping ingredients across the world? Lorraine points out that supply chains are hard to unravel. We have very little information on an ingredient apart from its safety data sheet (SDS), which says nothing about sustainability apart from mentioning the toxicity of a material. We can't know for certain if any ingredient, local or not, is a sustainable option. For example, a particular seaweed ended up crossing country borders five times as it was shipped in and out during its processing into a cosmetic ingredient. Would it still qualify as a local and more sustainable ingredient? Going local in your sourcing of ingredients can however hold out hope for indie beauty formulators keen to be sustainable. Formula Botanica has always stressed indie formulators should build strong relations with reliable suppliers. If they are local, then you can have even greater chance of making this a success. With strong ties, comes a flow of information, insights and advantages, such as greater quality control and brand differentiation. Lorraine points to her podcast interviews with international beauty brand founders May Lindstrom, and Sarah Brown of Pai Skincare who both said that that keeping manufacturing in-house and using trusted, mostly local suppliers had given their brands an edge in quality and transparency. By going local you can also infuse your brand with your heritage and with personal meaning. Every little we can do to help drive sustainability in our formulations and brands is worth it. Going local may not be the complete answer, but by doing so, indie beauty can start to make a sustainable difference and avoid those murky supply chains.

The destruction of rainforests - the world's most bio-diverse ecosystems - and the impact this has on the indigenous peoples living in and depending on them, and on global climate change is imprinted vividly in our minds. As a community of indie, organic beauty formulators and entrepreneurs, we are highly aware of the value of tropical habitats. None of us would wish to add to a greater loss of biodiversity nor cause more environmental and societal harm simply by going about our daily business as indie beauty formulators. Knowing where, how and by whom our natural cosmetic ingredients are grown and harvested and how they travel to us is one of the biggest challenges facing the indie formulator. Today's beauty consumers too are asking hard questions about the sourcing of cosmetics' ingredients. Yet, as we discussed before on this podcast, simply boycotting ingredients won't help sustainability. In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier and colleague Ana Green, the School's Education Manager, discuss some of the many complex arguments underlying the sourcing of natural cosmetics ingredients from at-risk tropical forests and regions. Should we be using those gorgeous rainforest ingredients in our formulations even if we don't know how sustainable they are from their source to our skincare pots? Listen in to the nuanced debate to make your own mind up. FREE FORMULATION RESOURCES Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion in which Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier shares her main takeouts on the last episode with guest Tammy Facey, founder of indie beauty brand Jim + Henry. In a beauty world struggling to grasp sustainability concepts, let alone act on them, solopreneur Tammy impressed us with her simple solutions for getting a product refill scheme up and running. Where mainstream and big beauty brands stall behind well-meaning reports and set impressive goals for decades ahead, Tammy shows how indie beauty can succeed in doing something about sustainability right now. Sustainable practices can't wait. If indie beauty adopts simple answers - which in Tammy's case meant picking up the phone and persuading refill stores to join her network - we can start to chip away at the complex challenges and make a real difference. Indie beauty doesn't need to overthink the issues. With the founder often as sole decision-maker, indie beauty can be nimble and pioneer simple, local solutions that make a difference immediately. Size doesn't matter in acting on sustainability. While indie beauty is world's apart from personal care giants, it can have the advantage of connecting directly to and helping educate its customers on sensible, simple solutions everyone can adopt effortlessly. Lorraine is sure that an entrepreneurial mindset is the way to driving greater sustainability in the beauty sector. Are you up to the challenge? Listen in for a thought-provoking opinion in which Lorraine challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

On Green Beauty Conversations, we have covered some challenging concepts in sustainable beauty such as the circular economy, carbon neutral and climate neutral beauty and zero waste. We admit these are not easy to grasp, but together with some incredible guests, this podcast has tried to unpacked these topics in simple terms. While we might all nod in agreement with the ideals and aspirations driving sustainability concepts, just how do we in the indie beauty world make them part of our daily lives and business? Isn't the circular economy something that only big beauty brands with significant research teams and funds can put into practice? In this episode, we hear from one indie beauty entrepreneur whose actions answer this question with a resounding 'No'. We find out that small brands can do just as much to reduce, recycle and reuse and retain resources in the economy as big businesses. It just takes vision, drive and some lateral thinking. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier speaks to indie beauty entrepreneur Tammy Facey who single handedly pioneered her own circular economy scheme. In 2017 Tammy founded Jim + Henry, the UK's first brand for Afro and curly hair type to create a leave-in hair conditioner comprised of only eight ingredients. Committed to sustainable beauty, Tammy set herself the mission of building a refillable beauty business. Listen in to her story and discover how small indie beauty brands can play their part in the circular economy too.

In this short Green Beauty Opinion, Lorraine challenges us to act now to change the status quo on the discrimination women of colour face every day. Whatever our platform, we all have a chance to alter the narrative that has dominated society's view of ideals in beauty for hundreds of years. Inclusivity and diversity are words easily slipped into beauty industry discourse. While progress has been made there is a long way to go to erase societal conditioning about Black, Brown and other non-European/Caucasian skin tones. Change needs all voices to participate and all of us to act if the beauty industry is to drill down into why and how it not just historically, but also today still excludes people. If we all use our platforms, whatever they may be and however widespread our communities, we can help break the bias the beauty industry perpetuates against people of colour. Not using our voices to effect change would be to do a disservice to them. Lorraine mentions just three of numerous, glaring and deep-rooted examples of where diversity in the beauty industry is found lacking: beauty product design; marketing and advertising language; and beauty imagery. In conclusion, Lorraine challenges us all to think about how we can use our platforms, whether in the workplace, socially, as indie beauty advocates, on social media or elsewhere, to call out the inequalities. How will you use your platform as you move forward?

For decades, the dominant portrayal of beauty has been through the lens of white and lighter skin tones. Beauty editorials, advertising and marketing - and of course product formulation - has typically failed to represent, let alone understand the needs of Black and darker skin. Well-intentioned and long overdue conversations are going on in the industry about diversity and inclusivity. And there are some breakthroughs with product ranges such as Rihanna's Fenty Beauty which caters to all skin tones. However, women of colour are still facing the daily challenge of finding beauty products, information and salon practitioners who understand their skin's needs. Behind the words and celebrity product lines lies the reality of beauty counters and salons that are lagging behind and unable to cater to those with darker skin tones. Podcast guest Dija Ayodele has made it her life's work to educate the industry and advocate for all types of beauty products to be accessible and relevant to women of colour. Simply put, Dija Ayodele is making Black skincare matter. A successful practising aesthetician, Dija is a champion and pioneer of black and darker skincare and beauty and she has plenty to say about the gaps in beauty industry education when it comes to understanding the needs of women of colour. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Dija about her work and her book 'Black Skin: The Definitive Skincare Guide' which was published in late 2021 and is already receiving international acclaim.

It is incredible to think Green Beauty Conversations has arrived at episode 100. What a milestone to celebrate and an opportunity for me to take stock of the past four years on air. In this time, the podcast has been listened to over half a million times and been downloaded in at least 90 countries. We've hit the number one spot in the beauty podcast charts in 50 of those countries, so I want to give a shoutout to loyal listeners in Egypt and India and Ghana and Saudi Arabia and Nigeria and Indonesia; just a few of the countries where we regularly top the beauty charts. It is humbling to know we make a difference to the indie beauty community right across the globe. As podcast host, I have had the pleasure of interviewing a diversity of guests from across the beauty industry and beyond. They have not only shared fascinating stories of entrepreneurship and personal growth, but importantly also been controversial and thought provoking. Each guest has opened up our minds to new possibilities and the change needed in this half a trillion $US business called beauty. I invite you to listen in to this short celebratory 100th episode that I dedicate to you – our listener – and to all our guests, and in which I share what I have learned from running this podcast over these past four years.

With beauty trends predicting a big return to colour cosmetics post pandemic and spiralling demand for plant-based skincare, 2022 looks set to be the year of growth for botanical makeup. And right on cue at Formula Botanica, we are launching our first, botanical makeup mini course as this podcast airs. Behind the scenes, our in-house formulation team led by cosmetic chemist Rouah Al-Wakeel has experimented with botanical pigments for years and has now perfected a range of luscious lipsticks coloured only with plant pigments. To celebrate this breakthrough, we are running a Mini Lab on Natural Lipstick Formulation in our exclusive, members-only site The Lab at Formula Botanica. In this episode, Rouah joins podcast host Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier to talk us through the facts, fun and challenges of formulating with plant pigments. They may take time to get to know, but botanical pigments can open up a whole new market for formulators keen to get ahead and get an edge in the natural makeup niche. Listen in to find out why Rouah's favourite lipstick colour is now red radish.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion in the run up to International Women's Day 2022 (IWD). In this opinion short, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier follows up on the previous podcast on the role of indie beauty in empowering a new generation of women entrepreneurs. Lorraine reflects on why female entrepreneurship is so valuable in our societies. Against a backdrop of the pandemic, which according to the NGO Oxfam cost women in 2020 alone some 64 million jobs and $800bn in revenue worldwide, women now have even greater need to be included at parity in economic, social and political life. Goal 5 of the UN's Sustainability Agenda recognises that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but also key to fostering a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous world. Women's equal representation in all spheres of life helps improve the overall well-being of society. Women's greater participation also helps educate societies, alleviate poverty and reduce environmental destruction. Above all, women's entrepreneurship and women in leadership roles lift other women up, showing them what is possible to be and do. Women can further empower women, lifting all boats on a rising tide. This is something we have seen time and again at Formula Botanica where our graduate and student indie beauty entrepreneurs not only lead by example, but also actively share know-how, give of their time and support those following in their footsteps. We need to reevaluate what we mean by entrepreneurship and see its value lying not just in the ability to create wealth, but also in contributing positively to society. And it is in this sphere that female entrepreneurship has shown it has a major role to play. Lorraine urges us to participate in International Women's Day and to be the change we seek. Join in, share your actions via social media and strike the IWD #breakthebiaspose. Listen in for a thought-provoking opinion that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Indie beauty may be driving a generation of female entrepreneurs but women in other sectors still don't make it to the boardrooms. With this in mind, we ask what is gender equality today? Think of the people running the beauty industry in your locality. The beauty salons, nail bars, hairdressers, spas, and the beauty counters of drug stores are likely to be staffed by women. From a quick survey like this, you would think we should be addressing the need for greater diversity or the promotion of men in the beauty industry instead of the parity of women in the sector. But, what is gender equality or diversity or inclusivity too if there is no equality of representation across an industry? From shop and salon floors to the boardroom tables of big beauty brands and from the kitchen tables of start-up entrepreneurs to the offices of venture capitalists, gender, and other forms of equality must be factored in, focused on and fast forwarded. Because the beauty industry seems to be the domain of women does not mean it is led by women at management level nor do many female entrepreneurs attract the financing and support they need to help them succeed. In this episode, which airs a couple of weeks before International Women's Day (8 March), Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier and Ana Green, the school's Education Manager, discuss the vital role that indie beauty plays in fostering women's self empowerment, and also the startling realities many women face in getting to the top and succeeding as beauty sector entrepreneurs.

In this Green Beauty Opinion, Formula Botanica CEO, chartered environmentalist and biologist Lorraine Dallmeier comments on the often knee-jerk tendency of some in the beauty world, both formulators and consumers, to boycott cosmetic ingredients that they deem unsustainable. Talking to the Responsible Mica Initiative in the last podcast, Lorraine heard about the complex world of mica mining that produces the glittery ingredients we love in cosmetics. Mica mining in India, the largest producer, relies on vulnerable, isolated mining communities who live in extreme poverty and often use child labour. Before you boycott mica - or any other natural or botanical ingredient - think again. An all-out boycott rarely provides a solution to those unsustainable practices you've found out about. Lorraine lists five key reasons we should ask before we act on boycotting an ingredient: Synthetic or other alternatives may not be less environmentally damaging nor even more sustainable. Boycotts can harm the local, traditional and often indigenous communities that derive their livelihoods almost entirely from producing that ingredient. How do you know the ingredient you boycott won't crop up in other products or aspects of your daily consumption? Mica, for instance, is in hundreds of products we use daily, from cars to toasters. A contentious ingredient like palm oil, that hits the media headlines, might trigger a concerted effort to prioritise conservation efforts or its sustainable production. Sustainability is too complex to make sweeping statements or judgements on. The Responsible Mica Initiative counts 80 members and works with a multi-stakeholder taskforce from a range of industries. Lorraine challenges us to boycott instead our own unsustainable practices such as over consumption of beauty products. Listen in for a thought-provoking opinion that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

As we go to air with this episode of Green Beauty Conversations in early 2022, the predictions are that frosted eye shadows, glittery nail art and luminescent blushers are going to be big trends this year. Adopting the hashtag #Y2K, a new generation of beauty consumers is exploring makeup trends of the 1980s to the millennium, and rediscovering the allure and bold shimmer of mica minerals in cosmetics. But, all that glitters in the cosmetics' world is not gold. Behind those shimmering cosmetics lies a mineral mining industry that in some parts of the world relies on artisan and small-scale miners who are living in poverty and often have to put their children to work to have any chance of supporting their families. How can natural formulators or beauty consumers know where their mica comes from and the conditions in which it is mined? What about the environmental as well human health and welfare impact of mica mining in parts of the world that are well out of sight of the global cosmetics industry? What can we do to source and buy cosmetics using ethically-mined mica? In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier – a chartered environmentalist with a passion for digging deep on unsustainable and exploitative practices in the beauty industry – talks to Olivier Dubourdieu, Project Manager at the Responsible Mica Initiative to find some answers to these questions.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion on the challenges of changing consumer perceptions about the image of solid formulations from homespun artisan goods to luxury cosmetic purchases. Following on from the last podcast episode on innovative sustainable packaging solutions, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier asks why consumers won't see solid formulations as on a par with their high-performance emulsions and serums. With the beauty industry responsible for tens of billions of packaging units ending up in landfill each year, it is imperative that both manufacturers and consumers embrace solutions such as refillable beauty and solid formulations that can do without most packaging in the first place. Why banish solid formulations to functional products for cleansing and washing? Already, solid formulations have the capability to cover an exciting range of cosmetics including those with active, efficacious ingredients such as retinoids. Lorraine says that the only thing holding manufacturers back is their perception that consumers conceive of high-performance cosmetic formulations as needing liquid forms and luxury packaging. But, there are exciting opportunities for the innovators and the climate crisis demands action and leadership from both mainstream big brands and the indie beauty community. Lorraine's challenge to us all, whether as formulators or beauty consumers, is to take action now and start shifting perceptions by changing our own behaviour by both formulating and choosing solid cosmetics. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Imagine beauty packaging given to us by nature and that returns sustainably to nature once we, as beauty consumers, have unboxed our product and have no further need for its protective cartons, filler materials, mailer boxes and more? Imagine then the infinite possibilities of magical mushrooms and plantable cosmetic containers. Does this all sound too far fetched? In this episode, you'll hear just how organic matter from mushrooms is literally growing consumer packaging and how eye, brow and lip pencils and liner casings are sowing the seeds of bee-friendly, wild flower meadows. Green Beauty Conversations has covered just about every sustainable angle, and many a greenwashing one too, in the world of beauty and its packaging. But when we heard about two innovative companies using nature to create packaging that is truly cradle-to-cradle in their life cycles, we just had to discover more. The Magical Mushroom Company and Sprout World are redefining the notion of ethical sustainability in beauty products and packaging. Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO talks to Michael Stausholm, founder and CEO of Sprout World – the company behind the first makeup pencil in the world that can be planted and grown wildflowers; and to Natasha Walker, Business Development Manager at Magical Mushroom Company which develops a natural alternative to fossil fuel-produced polystyrene and other polymers at industrial scale. Might the beauty industry be looking to the very nature it reveres in its cosmetic formulations for answers to reducing the tidal wave of unsustainable packaging it creates? Listen in for some fascinating insights into how sustainable packaging is literally growing before our eyes.

In this Green Beauty Opinion short, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier challenges all indie beauty founders to make a real difference to the beauty industry. Picking up on her interview in the last episode with Formula Botanica graduate Sandra Velasquez, who built her Nopalera brand firmly rooted in her Mexican heritage, Lorraine urges the indie beauty sector to make products with both purpose and passion. Sandra is not only an inspiring founder and formulator with business acumen and drive, but also one who focused on a clear mission. She set out to change consumer preconceptions about the status of Mexican products. By celebrating and amplifying Mexican culture in her range of upscale beauty products, she succeeded in raising the bar on attitudes to other sectors of Latino-based products too, not just beauty. Sandra is an example of how formulating for change is a powerful business driver. A clear mission for your business is a vital ingredient for indie beauty success. Lorraine sets all potential indie beauty entrepreneurs the challenge of finding their special 'why' and to build a beauty brand with purpose. The world has no need of more beauty products unless they make a real difference, not just to consumers' lives, but also to the industry they operate in - and perhaps beyond too. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to make the beauty industry a better and more sustainable place.

Does an indie beauty founder's mission matter as much as the products they formulate? This is scary territory for formulators who love creating products and dream of one day launching a beauty brand. But decisive answers to questions like this are fundamental to any beauty entrepreneur's journey. What will your brand stand for? What do you as a founder bring to the brand story? What is your philosophy and your brand's purpose? If you thinking of your own journey as an indie beauty founder but are floundering and feeling overwhelmed, this episode with Formula Botanica graduate and new business owner Sandra Velasquez is the inspiration you need. Everyone's backstory is different, however Sandra's mission in building Nopalera - a bath and body line infused with her Mexican heritage - has universal messages relevant to all would-be beauty entrepreneurs. Sandra spent a whole year honing her core philosophy and getting her branding to reflect her vision for Nopalera as an upmarket Latino beauty brand. She bucked perceived norms, plugged a gap in the market, stunned and silenced her critics and grew a community around her mission. And all because she had a clear vision of Nopolera not only as a profitable, successful brand but also as a trailblazer helping Mexican producers be valued and get the credit they deserve. Sandra launched Nopolera as a high-end Mexican bath and body line in 2020. Inspired by the indigenous Nopal cactus, Nopalera, after just one full year of trading, is now in 250 independent retailers across the States including Nordstrom. Sandra has been featured in major media outlets including NBC, Elle, Vogue and Forbes. In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier invites Sandra to take us on her journey. We discover the power of creating an authentic brand with a mission far greater than that of selling skincare.

Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier starts the year sharing the message that cosmetic formulation is within everyone's reach. In this opinion short, Lorraine says history shows us that homemade cosmetics were in fact the norm from ancient times until the early 20th century. Then, a change happened when marketing, branding and big business took over convincing us that only cosmetics made in industry labs were valid, safe and effective. This is ironic since many now household international cosmetics' brands were in fact started by women pioneers from their kitchens. Now, Formula Botanica and its 14,000-plus community of student formulators and graduates - hundreds already with their own successful indie beauty brands - are busting this industry myth. Everyone can be empowered to formulate their own skincare and has a right to learn formulation and discover what goes on under the lid of mainstream products. The indie beauty movement of skincare entrepreneurs is on the cusp of something big. Listen in to hear how a skill reclaimed is shaking up the mainstream cosmetics' industry. Green Beauty Opinions challenge you to be the voice of change making the beauty industry better, more transparent and sustainable.

It is not every day you get the chance to have a refreshingly honest, down-to-earth conversation with the founder of a beauty brand that is taking the world by storm. Sarah Brown, founder of Pai Skincare, joined podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier for an epic Green Beauty Conversation that takes us on Pai's journey from garage start-up in 2007 to being voted the 5th most popular skincare brand in the world in 2021 with almost 5 million global online searches. A proudly independent, organic brand and unswerving in its commitment to making products in house, Pai stands out as not only one of the first natural cosmetics brands to arrive on the scene, but also as one that has stayed true to its founding principles. Financially viable, forward thinking and walking the walk on sustainability, Pai is at heart still very much an indie brand and a rarity in a beauty industry rife with greenwashing, buyouts, outsourcing and hype. This episode is a mine of information with behind-the-scenes insights into the daily life of a growing brand, and valuable to any would-be or early-stage beauty entrepreneur. Sarah Brown tells it straight with no fluff. If you want to know just what it takes to build a business born of a personal skincare need and grow it into a brand that has gained customer loyalty and is driven by ethics, passion and purpose, then settle in for 45 unstoppable minutes of beauty industry hard talk. Sarah launched Pai in 2007 as a certified organic skincare line for sensitive skin. Pai formulates and manufactures all its products from its custom-built facility in London. Previously, Sarah was International PR Manager for E&J Gallo Wines. In 2015, she joined the Board of Cosmetic Executive Women.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion in which Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier picks up on an important issue raised in the previous episode on carbon neutral beauty in her interview with the co-founders of BYBI Beauty. BYBI's Elsie Rutterford and Dominika Minorovic said that to date, the time, effort and money spent on developing BYBI as a truly sustainable brand was not making a mark on consumer consciousness as a key reason to choose their brand's products. Is sustainability not such a big issue for consumers after all? Lorraine quotes several leading opinion polls conducted in the past few years that tell a different story showing consumers are keen to buy from brands that put sustainability at the heart of their business. Lorraine points out that there is a clear mismatch between what consumers say they are doing or wish to do and what they are actually doing at the point of purchase. They are simply not voting with their wallets and choosing brands that embed sustainability in their DNA. Why is this? Some polls show that consumers don't know how to tell if a brand or product is sustainable. So does the blame lie with the brands or the consumers? This grey area of responsibility blurs the action needed now which is for us all to reduce our consumption and go out of our way to question the brands we buy from. With greenwashing still rife - as we have heard in our episodes on waterless beauty and biodegradablity - we all as consumers need to take the responsibility for sustainability and not lay the blame elsewhere. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable. FREE FORMULATION RESOURCES Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

Uncontrolled beauty consumerism is inherently not a sustainable economic activity. We've said it before on the Formula Botanica podcast but it's worth stressing again: the entire life cycle of a consumer beauty product from cradle to grave can be a long list of carbon-producing processes. The growing, harvesting, processing and shipping of raw, natural materials coupled with beauty product packaging, distribution, retailing and waste create a complex chain of potentially carbon-emitting steps and unsustainable practices. So, faced with this reality and a sense of overwhelm about the daily news on the climate crisis, what can an indie beauty brand meaningfully do to ensure it doesn't burden the planet, or do even better by becoming planet positive? With this key question in mind, Green Beauty Conversations' podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier invited the founders of indie brand BYBI to shed light on their mission to become not just a carbon neutral but also a carbon-negative – or planet-positive – beauty brand. In this insightful, no-holes-barred episode, Formula Botanica graduates and BYBI co-founders Dominika Minorovic and Elsie Rutterford prove the sceptics wrong. Listen in for some refreshing honesty in a world of greenwashing and hear how one beauty brand is carrying out sound plans to sink carbon while successfully selling skincare.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion in which Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier shares her opinions on the polarised debate about the sustainability of beauty ingredients that pits naturals vs synthetics - yet again. Lorraine's interview in the last episode with Emily King of FairWild raised nuanced questions about not just the sustainability of wild-harvested cosmetic ingredients, but also that of natural botanicals and synthetics in general. Sustainability can be seen as a three-legged stool that functions only if each leg - planet, people and profit - is in balance. Should we opt for a synthetic alternative if local communities who gather and trade ethically in the natural ingredient have their livelihoods wiped out? Regulated, sustainable practices may support future generations and keep alive valuable cultural know-how and traditions. As you can see, there is no black and white answer to the sustainability of any cosmetic ingredient, natural or synthetic. We simply don't know if a synthetic or natural ingredient is more sustainable across all three pillars without meticulous research. Yet, some in the beauty industry, particularly voices on social media, would argue that synthetics are the more sustainable route to take now. This is far too simplistic a viewpoint. It dumbs down the discussion and ignores the complexity inherent in sustainable beauty. Lorraine challenges us to think carefully about the arguments we hear articulated, and urges us as indie beauty advocates to keep an open mind. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Wild harvesting plants as cosmetic ingredients sounds idyllic. It conjures up visions of nature's botanical bounty going straight into beauty product formulations, barely processed or adulterated by human hand, and carefully selected from woodlands, hedgerows, forests, mountains and moors. Wild harvesting is certainly a marketer's dream. You will no doubt have seen beauty products sporting 'wild harvested' labels and brands mentioning on their packaging and websites that their products include wild-harvested botanicals. But harvesting any plant, whether a commercial crop or a wild plant, has an environmental impact. Wild harvesting may sound the ultimate way to source natural beauty ingredients, but how do we as consumers know if the wild harvesting of precious botanicals isn't leaving its own damaging footprint on the planet? Wild harvesting could turn out to be a far cry from the sustainable image it portrays. To help unpack the truth about wild harvesting, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier invited Emily King, business engagement officer in the secretariat of the FairWild Foundation, on the show. FairWild is a non-profit initiative with the mission to secure a fair and sustainable future for wild plant resources and people. Listen in to hear just how wild harvesting can be a real force for sustainable good - for planet, plants and people - if managed the right way.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion in which Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier asks if by using trending terms like 'waterless', the beauty industry is shying away from the very real challenges of sustainability. Waterless is on the beauty industry's lips, and follows on from concepts like carbon neutral and biodegradable beauty, skinimalism, beauty miles and more. But, waterless is a particularly irritating term as behind the scenes every beauty product leaves a water footprint, large or small. Waterless is no doubt used by well-meaning beauty brands keen to do the right thing for the environment. But, as Lorraine argues, by heralding the latest concept as yet another definitive blueprint for sustainability, the beauty industry is glossing over issues and avoiding the elephant in the room: its inherently unsustainable model of rampant economic growth built on finite resources. Latching on to single concepts deflects attention from the far more challenging blueprint for sustainability the industry needs to adopt. Lorraine invites us all to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk in our drive for beauty industry sustainability. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Waterless beauty is on everyone's lips these days and waterless products are being touted as a key pillar of the beauty industry's drive for sustainability. But, as with most beauty industry buzzwords, the term waterless has the potential to be hype, hot air and just another case of greenwashing. In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier, a biologist and chartered environmentalist, is joined by colleague and deputy education manager Ana Green to unpack the waterless beauty trend. Listen in for a reality check on the meaning of waterless. Does it have substance or it is just another beauty industry marketing term that doesn't stand scrutiny? In this episode on waterless beauty, you will hear: How the term waterless has gone from meaning simply anhydrous products and then more concentrated solid products to being equated firmly with sustainability. About the 4 key reasons waterless beauty products have captured consumers' hearts and minds. How a beauty product may have a totally waterless formulation, but will inevitably leave a water footprint throughout its life cycle. Why waterless beauty can be considered window dressing and that the sustainability issues facing the beauty industry are far more nuanced. Key take-outs include: Waterless skincare in the true sense of anhydrous products has plenty to offer beauty consumers. Water plays an important role in skincare products. An optimal beauty routine would involve hydrating the skin topically with water-based products which can also impart water-soluble, active ingredients. It is misleading to use waterless to imply a product is automatically a more sustainable option. Instead, the beauty industry should be talking about 'water-responsible' beauty and practices.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion in which Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier shares her main takeouts from the previous episode interviewing Jessi Baker, MBE, Founder and CEO, of Provenance, a software solution helping brands build trust and enabling change through transparent communications. Traditionally, the beauty industry and consumers have thought of transparency as relating to ingredients alone, and focused on the near polar debate of natural good, synthetics bad. However, when it comes to transparency about sustainability, the debate is more nuanced. Eradicating greenwashing requires us to ask questions about beauty brands' commitment to recycling, waste, the climate, their social footprint and far more. And we need transparent, verifiable evidence of any claims they make. Thankfully, with the power of tech solutions, companies like Provenance are independent auditors of claims, helping propel brands to a more sustainable place and in doing so helping consumers make more sustainable choices. Lorraine challenges us to think about what is important to us in the beauty products we buy and to press beauty brands for transparency about more than their ingredients. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenge us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

The beauty sector is a half-a-trillion-dollar global industry, but it's only recently that beauty brands are finally starting to take part in the sustainability conversation. Largely, this is in response to greater consumer demands for transparency in how beauty does business - all the way from its supply chains to the truth behind its claims. We've seen this play out on this podcast. Over the past year, sustainability has featured in just about all our episodes in some form. We have covered topics such as circular, net zero, zero waste and climate neutral beauty along with the issues like biodegrability, sustainable retail and skinimalism. But, there are plenty of brands, from multinationals to indie beauty, who are are out there using sustainability terms as a veneer; green-washing us in other words. How do we as beauty consumers verify the truth of a beauty brand's claim that their packaging is made of recycled materials? Or that they've offset their last year's carbon emissions? None of us can hold every single beauty brand to account on every single impact. One ambitious entrepreneur is on a mission to change that by encouraging the beauty industry, as well as many other industries, to verify their claims and turn positive social and environmental impact into brand value; a win-win for brands and consumers. In this episode, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Jessi Baker, MBE, the founder and CEO of Provenance, a software solution verifying sustainability claims and helping empower shoppers to make sustainable, ethical choices at the point of purchase.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion on the challenges indie beauty faces in sourcing natural ingredients. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier shares her views on the main takeouts from the podcast interview with Timo von Bargen of Covalo, a one-stop platform representing 40k beauty industry suppliers. Lorraine welcomes the arrival of innovative marketplaces like Covalo and praises entities like in-cosmetics Global, which facilitate the matchmaking of suppliers with customers. But, she reminds us that indie beauty has faced an enormous uphill struggle to be recognised by ingredients' manufacturers as a force in the industry. Even today, some in the industry don't understand that the indie businesses of today can be the giants of tomorrow. Formula Botanica has seen this attitude change and is itself now approached by suppliers keen to reach indie beauty brands. However, the industry seems to have forgotten that some famous, decades-old beauty brands were in fact started by indie formulators. Lorraine challenges us to connect and communicate as a collective voice to change the dominant culture in some quarters of beauty industry that downplays the value of indie business. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Finding cosmetic ingredients is one of the first challenges every indie formulator faces. After all, we want our ingredients to be natural, sustainable, efficacious and, ideally, available in small Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs). However, the big wide world of cosmetic ingredient suppliers has not set itself up to cater for indie beauty. Suppliers generally don't realise that today's indie formulators may become tomorrow's industry giants. We've a good many of our graduate brands at Formula Botanica which have grown large and fast and are now taking overseas markets by storm. So, how do indie beauty brands find and source the innovative, plant-based ingredients that will set them apart and help them formulate effective products and grow remarkable brands? In this episode, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Timo von Bargen of Covalo, a comprehensive search platform that connects beauty brands with over 40K suppliers. Covalo offers access to a huge ecosystem of cosmetic ingredients as well as listings of suppliers of packaging, and services such as contract manufacturing, formulation, regulatory compliance and testing. These are all areas of the beauty supply chain and business that small indie brands have to grapple with. But how do they find their way through the thousands of possible solutions and ingredients? We encourage you to listen in for some very useful advice and tips to help you on your formulating journey.

Welcome to this Green Beauty Opinion on the sustainability of the beauty industry. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier shares her own views on the main takeaways from the previous episode with guest Anna Teal of the British Beauty Council. Lorraine, a chartered environmentalist herself, praises the British Beauty Council's 2020 report 'Courage to Change' which raises the industry's unsustainable practices and challenges it to change. But, she asks if the industry can ever do more than pay lip service to sustainability if rampant consumption of beauty products lies at the heart of its economic model. There needs to be a complete rethink in the way the entire sector operates, from manufacturers, retailers and buyers to the media right down to individual shoppers. Lorraine is astonished that the beauty industry, while talking sustainability, has gone silent on the elephant in the room: its traditional model of volume-driven profit. After all, we can't shop our way to sustainability. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

"For beauty brands, the risk of not changing is starting to outweigh the risk of changing, uncertain and fraught with challenges as it may be." When Green Beauty Conversations' host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier read words like these in the British Beauty Council's report, The Courage to Change, she realised that the beauty industry had reached more than a light bulb moment in its drive for sustainability. The Council's 48-page report, which is full of wake-up call statistics and hard-hitting quotes from surveys and leading industry names, is more than window dressing. It shows that the British Beauty Council, a not-for-profit body founded just over three years ago, is already a catalyst for that change. The beauty industry impacts the environment heavily and touches all of us whether we're directly involved in the industry or not. From the obvious actors such as personal care manufacturers and beauty retailers to each of us taking a shower every day, this is one industry that we all participate in. The beauty industry is not traditionally known for its collaborative approach nor to value the environment more than the volumes of product it churns out. However, the Council's report states that some 88% of consumers want brands to do more to help them make a difference. Given the sheer diversity and scale of this sector, how can its players collaborate and be the actors of change consumers are demanding? Lorraine spoke to Anna Teal, The British Beauty Council's Pillar President for Innovation and a leader with over two decades in the commercial beauty sector. Listen in to hear how the Council, headed by visionaries like Anna Teal, is determined to help the beauty industry change the habits of a lifetime.

Welcome to our Green Beauty Opinion on the sustainability of essential oils hosted by Lorraine Dallmeier, Formula Botanica CEO, who is also a Chartered Environmentalist and biologist. In this short opinion piece, Lorraine picks up on the key takeouts from the last episode when she spoke to Dr Sally Gouldstone, a long-time conservationist and founder of Scotland-based natural skincare brand Seilich. The overuse and misuse of essential oils is worrying not only qualified aromatherapists but also environmentalists. Essential oils can leave a heavy production footprint to the detriment of the planet. Urging us to reduce our use of essential oils, Lorraine points to botanical alternatives that formulators can explore for their scent and skin benefits and talks about the option to go fragrance free. Can you cut down on your own personal use of essential oils? Would you pay more to buy the limited amount you need from ethical suppliers that support a sustainable essential oil industry? Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

A few decades ago, essential oils were used mainly by aromatherapists and barely featured in our daily lives. Now, we use essential oils in everything from cosmetics to household cleaners. Essential oils are also a mainstay of natural skincare where they are used for their gorgeous scents and also as skin-beneficial ingredients. However, our use of essential oils is putting pressure on plants, pollinators and the planet's sustainability. Essential oils are big business for entities like multi-level marketing companies and large cosmetics' manufacturers. Even indie beauty, which generally works in small batches and low volumes, is contributing to the global demand for essential oils. Lorraine Dallmeier, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO, talks to Dr Sally Gouldstone, conservationist and Founder of natural skincare company Seilich. Sally puts forward some controversial opinions on essential oil use and starts by asking: "Just how essential to our lives are essential oils?" This episode challenges Sally to square the circle for natural formulators who want to continue using essential oils, but mindfully and sustainably.

Welcome to our Green Beauty Opinion on sustainable beauty retail. Lorraine Dallmeier, Formula Botanica CEO, a chartered environmentalist and biologist, voices her views on the key takeouts of the last episode with Jazmin Alvarez, founder of retailer Pretty Well Beauty. In this short opinion piece, Lorraine says that the retail industry has the power and responsibility to make sweeping changes to the way cosmetics are sold. While we are now seeing schemes such as Clean at Sephora and Target Clean, most large beauty retailers are fumbling in the dark about what to do. Should mainstream retailers start refusing to stock some big name brands because they can't demonstrate their sustainability credentials yet - if ever? Can we envisage a retail world with store categories such as Circular, Biodiversity, and Zero Waste? Consumers are seeking out these labels already. Systemic change won't happen overnight but we encourage beauty retail to start having those conversations with brands. Lorraine challenges us to speak up and ask retailers for evidence of beauty brands' sustainability credentials. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Sustainable beauty is sometimes seen as a subset of clean, green, natural beauty and more, however the single word sustainable hides a very complex set of questions and definitions. What is sustainable to one beauty brand, may not be for another. So when a beauty retailer sets out to attract and sell only sustainable beauty brands, it challenges itself to define sustainability and sort out the pseudo sustainable from those beauty brands blazing a trail in the field. Green Beauty Conversations podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Jazmin Alvarez, founder of New York-based clean beauty retailer Pretty Well Beauty about her drive to showcase the best sustainable, clean beauty indie brands about. Pretty Well Beauty already stocks one Formula Botanica graduate brand. Rarely do you find a clean beauty brand that isn't passionate also about reducing its environmental footprint and in promoting sustainability. But just how do you go about vetting beauty brands' credentials and finding out about their journeys to sustainability? This is the mission Jazmin set herself when she launched Pretty Well Beauty. And as a 14-year veteran of a parallel sector, fashion, before setting up her pioneering retail enterprise, Jazmin is well attuned to the issues of sustainability - or its lack - in the beauty world. In this episode, Jazmin explains her views and definition of sustainability and talks about the mutual and beneficial relationship sustainable retailers can build with indie brands who together are dedicated to paying more than lip service to sustainability.

Welcome to Green Beauty Opinions. In this five-minute short, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier reflects on the key takeouts of the last episode with Austin Whitman, CEO and founder of Climate Neutral; a non-profit actively assisting beauty brands to become certified to its carbon neutral standards. Sustainability will define the next decade in beauty and beyond. With indie beauty brands coming under intense pressure to demonstrate their sustainability credentials, and facing a bewildering number of new certification options, Lorraine queries how they can decide which schemes to embrace. And how does a brand measure its carbon footprint and in a way that is open to public scrutiny? Lorraine prompts us as beauty consumers to be a 'sustainability task force', pressing for change in the industry, but also reflecting on what we really need to use and buy. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Climate neutral is one of the hottest trending terms in the beauty industry at the moment. But, claiming carbon or climate neutrality is a massive undertaking which is why beauty brands that are investing in ways to reduce their carbon footprint tend to work on offsetting instead. When we came across a non-profit entity set up to help companies devise a road map to become climate neutral, we were enthusiastic about its mission but also sceptical about how this would be possible. At Formula Botanica, we praise any efforts indie beauty brands take to incorporate sustainability into their business. But what does it mean to become climate neutral? What's involved? And how do you know a brand is doing the right thing? To shed light on carbon neutrality and its application to the beauty business, podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier spoke to Austin Whitman, CEO of non-profit Climate Neutral. Founded in 2019, Climate Neutral is a new certification scheme helping businesses in every sector become certified to its standards. With Lorraine a chartered environmentalist and biologist, this episode of Green Beauty Conversations drills right down into the grey areas about how we measure our carbon footprint and asks how small, indie beauty brands can hope to make sense of it. This episode demystifies carbon footprints and inspires beauty brands of whatever size or stage in business to start their own journeys to climate neutrality.

Welcome to our Green Beauty Opinion on biodegradable beauty. In our five-minute opinion pieces, Formula Botanica CEO, chartered environmentalist and biologist Lorraine Dallmeier voices her thoughts on key issues facing the beauty industry and sets us a challenge to make the sector a better place. Commenting on the topic of biodegradable beauty, Lorraine says that the industry isn't yet leading the conversation on the issue. Despite all the noise about biodegradability, it is shocking how little information there is on how the beauty industry is embracing it. Having a 'biodegradable' label on products and packaging can hide the environmental impacts of production; for instance, the use of resource-heavy industrial composting plants. Lorraine acknowledges that some big beauty brands are investing in biodegradability but says that many claims are not backed up. And how can indie beauty brands hope to join the biodegradable movement? Are bioplastics the answer? What about the use of child labour in producing green packaging options? Should the change start with consumers buying less? And what about circular beauty's prospects? Not every solution is clear-cut and consumers are left in the dark. Listen in for a thought-provoking five minutes that challenges us to be the voice of change and integrity, making the beauty industry better and more sustainable.

Biodegradable is a common label today on consumer packaging but what exactly does it mean? After all, everything can biodegrade over time, although it might take thousands of years. And while we tend to focus on the biodegradability of packaging, there is also the matter of the product itself. What happens to the expired face creams we dollop into our household waste bins or the hair conditioners that wash away with the shower water? This podcast digs deep into this most complex of concepts. We weren't surprised to discover that biodegradable lacks a rigid definition, that it is easily confused with composting - a related but different process - and that even many giants in the beauty industry fail to provide clear facts about just how their packaging and products are biodegradable. Biodegradable is yet another grey area for beauty consumers. After this episode, we're sure you will be asking questions about the biodegradable labels you come across and demand to know more. But would your best policy be to simply reduce the amount of beauty products you consume? Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier, a chartered environmentalist and biologist talks to colleague Ana Green, who is Formula Botanica's Deputy Education Manager and has for many years been taking a long hard look at the environmental impacts of the beauty industry and its packaging. Together, they put a definition to this term and explain the complexities of breaking down a cosmetic formulation and its packaging in the environment.

Eryca Freemantle joins Green Beauty Conversations to take us through her life's work championing diversity in the beauty industry. Her career literally started out by accident and led her on a mission to help shape the lives of women of all skin tones working in the beauty industry. From her own experiences in an empowering career in makeup artistry to stars and celebrities, Eryca has created a movement and platform that is a force for others. Formula Botanica CEO, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier caught up with Eryca Freemantle to discuss how her powerful personal story became a catalyst for her motivational, inclusive platform E.A.T.O.W - Embracing All Tones of WoMen - with the capital 'M' denoting the inclusion of men too. E.A.T.O.W. offers mentoring, courses, coaching and business strategy as well as runs a Make-up Artist of the Year Award. Eryca is proof that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, 'Accident is the greatest of all inventors'. From starting with nothing to traveling the world as makeup artist to stars and celebrities such as singers Seal, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson and later as an advisor to the London College of Fashion and the UK's Prince's Trust, Eryca is a life force and inspiration for the beauty industry; and a women of her time, helping others in her sector embrace the diversity the industry sorely needs.

So what's new in the world of CBD or cannabidiol skincare? Quite a lot it seems. Cannabidiol cosmetics are now mainstreaming as major supermarket and drugstore shelves testify. You can find CBD cosmetics ranging from skincare to haircare as well as, more surprisingly, in cosmetics like makeup - even mascara. With CBD in cosmetics commonplace - though still illegal as well as highly regulated in some parts of the world - we wondered whether brands' and consumers' fascination with cannabinoids is likely to fade. Is the beauty industry milking the CBD trend as a cash-cow while it lasts? Has it gone too far by including cannabinoids in formulations where it makes no sense? And just how can indie beauty brands use CBD in their formulations and gain a share of what is now a very crowded CBD skincare marketplace? To answer these questions and more, podcast host, chartered environmentalist, biologist and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier turned to Colleen Quinn, who is an award-winning, celebrated clinical aromatherapist, cosmetic chemist and researcher specialising in cannabis research, formulations and education. With a book on CBD skincare publishing as we go on air, Colleen is certainly the go-to industry expert to help unpack the truths from the myths and make sense of CBD as a highly effective, active cosmetic ingredient. Colleen Quinn, Founder LabAroma and Labcannamist, is committed to delivering functional, therapeutic, plant-based products. Her mission is to inspire and empower people to become a confident plant enthusiasts skilled in curating truly effective therapeutic plant remedies by understanding plant science and backed with evidence.