Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica

If you are creating natural, organic cosmetics with a view to selling them, the chances are you are also keen to run a sustainable, ethical skincare business too. Green beauty goes hand in hand with sustainability and transparency in all aspects of producing natural skincare, from field to face. We've talked a lot recently about the need to drill into the sustainable sourcing of botanical ingredients and also discussed the true meaning of formulating with green chemistry credentials. We've also reviewed some of the trending, top environmental and sustainability issues facing the green beauty industry. There is no end in sight to the challenges and market pressures facing the natural skincare formulator wishing to ensure their skincare products, at any point in their life cycle, don't harm our planet's resources and the people we rely on in our supply chains. Zero waste and damage limitation aren't the only concerns of an ethical skincare business. Many of us also wish to do good, actively, by supporting campaigns, charities and causes that align with our business mission and resonate with us personally. How do you go about factoring in all these concerns and at which point in your business plans? There are no easy answers, but our guest in this episode of our Green Beauty Conversations podcast has a wealth of experience on running a profitable, sustainable and ethical skincare true to its original mission and vision. Anju Rupal, founder, visionary, former social worker turned social activist, runs Abhati Suisse, a botanical organic skin and haircare business that makes a truly positive, measurable difference to the day-to-day lives of not just customers and employees but now also thousands of people and environments half way around the world from its offices in Switzerland. Abhati Suisse was conceived at the outset as an ethical business so much so that Anju says it was almost a by-product of her activism. Abhati's high-end, organic botanical products drawing on Anju's Ayurvedic roots in a British Indian family is a social enterprise spearheading several campaigns and causes from a reforestation charity and support for tribal farmers to education programmes for women and girls in India. While ethical, transparent business was the core of Abhati's mission from the start, Anju shares her experiences to inspire other formative brands to embrace ethical business not as an add-on, but as an integral part of their reason for being. Anju won a place on the Sephora Accelerate 2018 mentorship programme and also shares some invaluable insights on how this initiative works hard to help women, founder-led beauty companies gain traction and fulfill their missions. In this episode, you'll hear about: How consumers are voting with their wallets these days and choosing brands that can demonstrate transparency and do more than pay lip service to ethical business. Why new skincare brands should look at the bigger picture beyond their industry to think not just about how they can minimise their negative footprint but also make a positive impact on the world. Why you don't need to go it alone in your mission building a social, ethical enterprise; be confident and ask for help even from celebrities and bigger players in the beauty industry. You may be surprised at the support you can receive and the pro bono offers to contribute to your ethical business. Why you should think about the kind of profits you wish to make and how you'd like to reinvest them and make your decision clear in your mission from the start. Why using natural botanical ingredients at all costs, without understanding how they are sourced, harvested, processed and sold may be doing more harm than good. How to balance your brand communication between mission and product benefits as consumers are discerning, even if they value being able to buy from ethical enterprises. Anju has some key insights on the Sephora Accelerate programme too, including: Don't be scared to apply! Sephora looks at nascent ideas as well as up and running businesses, so it's never too early in your business plans to apply so long as you have a clear mission and brand promise. The programme now extends to Europe and Asia so beauty entrepreneurs worldwide can apply. It extends to technology, and other innovations in beauty, not just cosmetics' product companies as Sephora wishes to be seen pushing the boundaries in every facet of the beauty industry. The year-long mentorship is like a fast-track MBA in the cosmetics industry and is there to help you grasp all facets of business, from branding and accounts, to packaging and retail distribution. It includes a kick-off week in Los Angeles, USA, where you meet your personal mentor for the year, and includes also a pitch session to investors. The initiative fosters a fabulous network of women founders and entrepreneurs who share expertise and experiences as well as offer support. Find out more about Sephora Accelerate. Based on previous years,

Isn't green chemistry always at work in our artisan labs when we're formulating natural organic skincare? Our answer would be, yes it is, but probably not to the extent it could be, nor in line with how we would define green cosmetic chemistry. Believe us when we say we're not trying to make your formulating lives harder! However, take a moment to think about how consumers are increasingly asking penetrating questions about the green credentials of skincare brands, both large and small. You'll realise that the artisan formulator with business aspirations needs to work to green chemistry principles to survive in today's ever more sophisticated green beauty market. To truly adhere to green chemistry, you need to go way beyond what is in the pot and think about the whole life cycle of your products. This includes knowing how they are harvested in field and forest to how they are finally flushed down the drain at the end of their lives. In this episode, Formula Botanica Director Lorraine Dallmeier, who is a biologist and environmental scientist, opens our eyes to the gamut of issues we need to be aware of and start to address in our efforts to formulate to green cosmetic chemistry principles. As Lorraine says, "No one ever said it would be easy being a green formulator". But by listening in to this podcast, you'll discover that what seems an overwhelming agenda of measures can be tackled in increments, as and when you can. Awareness is the first step on the green chemistry road. In this episode, you'll find out about: The definition of green cosmetic chemistry and how it breaks down into manageable areas to tackle in your own formulating careers; Why prevention is better than cure and how you can do this by devising formulae that reduce your carbon footprint from the start; How even natural botanical ingredients can be hazardous to plant and animal life; Why including fewer ingredients and choosing local ingredients is one easy, first step to adhering to green cosmetic chemistry principles; Why you need to think about the total life cycle of your products and think about how they wash off and out into the eco-system; and why you need to help customers dispose easily and safely of wasted product and packaging. During the podcast, host Gemma mentions some of our related blog posts and episodes which are ideal further reading, listening and references on green issues in natural organic skincare formulating. Take a look at the links below: Sustainable Beauty: discussing the top issues and concerns with Green Chemist & Consultant Barbara Olioso. Zeroing in on Zero Waste in Green Beauty 7 Tips on Sourcing Sustainable Botanical Ingredients. Key take-outs from this episode on green cosmetic chemistry include: Work on building excellent relations with your suppliers so you can find out as much as you can about the provenance of your ingredients, including whether they are harvested, produced and delivered sustainably and ethically. Design for degradation! By this we mean working out how your product will degrade and be disposed of. Green cosmetic chemists don't focus only on how it will perform its skincare function but take a holistic look at its impact on the environment and human health and well being. Remember, that even so-called natural and organic ingredients can cause eco toxicity and be harmful to the plant. Learn more about how your chosen ingredients are produced and try to discover if any undesirable bi-products are either used in their processing and extraction or created as a result of their production. The fact that the ingredient doesn't contain harmful substances doesn't mean it hasn't caused them. Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Knowing how to price your skincare products is one of the most important factors in getting a viable beauty business off the ground. You're passionate about natural skincare formulation, but are you guilty of shirking the numbers? It's all too easy to get our heads in the pot enjoying making skincare but forget the nuts and bolts of running and growing a business, such as profit, retail and wholesale margins. Spreadsheets not just formulae sheets should be your number one priority once you've decided to make a serious business out of your skincare products. To help talk you through the numbers and how to factor enough wiggle room into your margins, we welcome a familiar face in the skincare business world, Melinda Coss. A several times entrepreneur and pioneer in the natural beauty industry, and experienced skincare business mentor, Melinda walks us through the most important things to think about in pricing skincare products. She takes us from working out the unit cost of products to the percentages retailers and distributors might expect and which you have to factor in. We don't speak accounting jargon but we do recommend hitting replay so you can take down notes as Melinda packs in a lot of advice for new skincare entrepreneurs. This episode is a goldmine if you're currently doing back of the envelope or worse, finger in the wind accounting in working out how to price your skincare products. So get your notebook open, and dust off your ability to do percentages. However, don't worry as you're in good company; Melinda has run and sold several successful businesses and says that with some help, savvy and willingness to learn, the number crunching can become second nature. In this episode, you'll learn: Why working out your reasons for wanting to run a skincare business are key to understanding what profits you wish to make, or, simply put, why your mindset makes your market; How your branding and your brand's positioning in the market are critical to determining how to price your products at a level that meets consumer expectations; Why natural and organic skincare is rarely cheap; How a 'time and motion' analysis of every cost aspects of your activities in producing products will give you the insights on which to base pricing; and Find out how and when it makes sense to run discounts and other incentives like 'buy one, get on free', or to offer free shipping. Melinda doesn't talk in abstract terms. She runs through some ballpark percentages that you should be aiming for when working out how to price skincare products and gives examples of other key facts and figures you need to know to run a business. Key takeouts about how to price your skincare products include: Take time to work out what you wish or need to earn from your business in its first year. On that basis, you can make the financial and production forecasts required; Work out in minute detail your unit costs, not forgetting to factor in your hourly rate and everything relating to packaging down to the sellotape! Then, add on 70% and you'll arrive at your base trade costs. After that, add on 7% for contingencies so you ensure you have some leeway for costs you've not envisaged up front; and Remember that your figures are your most important tool. Business is about making money whatever the passion that lies behind it. More on Melinda Coss Find out more about Melinda Coss's Ultimate Skincare Business Masterclass, a six-month programme which starts in January 2019. It covers not only the financial aspects of your skincare business, but also takes you through an intensive training programme to get your business dream from paper to reality. Use the Formula Botanica affiliate link entering the code Hello Success to claim £500 off the Skincare Group Masterclass if you book before the 6th of November, subject to availability of places. Melinda Coss website. Melinda Coss Skincare Mastermind on Facebook. Melinda Coss on Twitter. Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A year ago, if you'd searched online for the term zero waste as it relates to the beauty industry you would most likely have found few search results returned. What a difference a year makes. These days, it is a buzzword in the cosmetics industry and nowhere more so than in green beauty. What might surprise you is that a body promoting zero waste was set up as long ago as 2002. The Zero Waste International Alliance drafted its first definition of the term in 2004. It is only relatively recently, due in part to the widespread publicity of key environmental issues such as the impact of ocean plastics - including the cosmetic industry's now vilified microbeads - that the term is taking centre stage as a concept. How to go from concept to practical action on zero waste is the dilemma facing large, let alone indie beauty brands. Unsurprisingly, the natural, green and indie segments of the beauty business strive to live up to consumer expectations that their products go from field to face adhering to production practices that are as sustainable and environmentally-friendly as possible. However, zero waste goes way beyond dealing with sourcing sustainably-harvested ingredients and recyclable packaging. It implies reducing your beauty brand's waste impact to zero. On the face of it, this is an impossible feat. Never ones to shy away from a great beauty debate, Green Beauty Conversations decided to put Formula Botanica Director Lorraine Dallmeier in the podcast hotseat. In this episode, Lorraine sheds light on zero waste goals and how to put them into action, feasibly and practically, in our day-to-day formulating and business building. In this episode, you'll find out: Why zero waste is achieved best in small steps and starts with you defining it for your own business and circumstances. How setting yourself realistic goals can help you avoid overwhelm. Why you need to play zero waste detective to find out where waste is preventable across your entire business and its supply and retail chains. Why one of the first ways to tackle the issue is, counter intuitively for businesses, to perhaps produce less in the first place. Think of the mantra 'less is more'. Why understanding how your customers use and dispose of your products is a vital part of implementing zero waste policies. As moving nearer to zero waste requires buy-in from across the beauty industry, Lorraine also gives advice on how to get help from your partners, from suppliers to retailers and consumers. Key takeouts include: See zero waste as an opportunity for your brand rather than an onerous burden. It's a chance for you to talk openly about the less transparent side of the beauty business and to gather a like-minded tribe of customers. Talk to your current or prospective retailers about what your brand is doing to adhere to zero waste principles. In this way, you can 'educate' them and bring them on board about your choices, for example in areas such as outer packaging. Discover more about how your ingredients and packaging are used and recycled. For instance, some localities or countries might not be equipped to recycle all colours of glass or be able to dispose of cosmetics. Be aware of how your ingredients can cause inadvertent environmental or infrastructural damage even if they are all natural or come without packaging. Check suppliers' MSDS sheets carefully for each ingredient you buy. You might also like to read these related posts as you research zero waste: When to Choose Bio-based Packaging for Cosmetics Sustainable Beauty: Discussing the Top Challenges & Concerns 7 Tips on Sourcing Sustainable Botanical Ingredients How to Comply With Cosmetics Regulations (discussion on definitions of 'natural'). What Does Natural Skincare Mean? Is Zero Waste Beauty the Next Big Trend (Huffington Post) Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

With the sheer number of hair and beauty trade shows around the globe these days, you might feel intimidated by the prospect of exhibiting at one, especially if you're new to the beauty industry. You know the score; you sign up for the details months in advance but when the time comes, you feel you either can't afford it or that your business isn't at the right stage to benefit from attending. Beautypreneurs face overwhelm in terms of the sheer effort and financial outlay required to get prepared and ready to make the most of trade shows. But, as you'll find out in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, there are innumerable spin-off benefits that go way beyond making sales. Our guest Paula Francis is co-founder, along with her mother Cherry, of SuperFoodLx, a vegan, natural hair and skincare brand offering personal care products as well as nutritional supplements. Podcast host Gemma met Paula earlier this year at a fair, as it happens; Beauty Exchange organised by Enterprise Nation. Paula's professionalism in managing her brand at the show prompted us to find out more about how beauty brands make the most of these events and, in particular, learn her own secrets for success. We guarantee this is an episode no beauty entrepreneur should miss. In this episode you'll hear about: Why starting small by taking a stand at a local farmers' market or school fair can be a great way to gain confidence and not break the bank; The invaluable customer and market research you gain into your products by doing live, face-to-face beauty trade shows; The networking opportunities in the spirit of cooperation - rather than competition - that trade fairs foster among new beauty brands; How beauty trade shows help you develop fast the skills you need in retail and sales to build a business; and How those first customers at beauty shows can turn into repeat business and help boost online sales. Paula however doesn't stop at discussing trade shows. She offers a wealth of insights into starting a beauty brand. The key takeouts of this episode on the value of attending beauty trade shows: Exhibitions and shows put you out there as a new beautypreneur and get you to scrutinise yourself and work out where your strengths lie. These situations put pressure on you and can be great self learning opportunities. Be personal in your approach to customers but don't take their honest feedback personally; they are seeing you as a brand, not a founder. Listen to their comments carefully. Use this customer feedback to drive your business forwards and to work out where and how to improve, for example, product formulas or branding. Meet, greet and treat your last trade show customer of the day as you would the first. Remember, they are finding out about you for the first time even if you've been on your feet saying the same thing for 6 hours. Research and ask fellow entrepreneurs which shows worked for them. But, don't see any beauty trade show as a complete waste of time or cash as there are lessons to learn and valuable feedback to gain from almost every face-to-face event. Find out more about SuperFoodsLx here: SuperFoodLx website. SuperFoodLx on Instagram. SuperFoodLx on Facebook. SuperFoodLx on Twitter. SuperFoodLx on Pinterest. Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Our last three episodes of Green Beauty Conversations formed our Beauty Branding Week and gave you plenty of strategies and practical tactics to help you get under way on your branding journey. However, if you've already launched your brand but feel that it's looking tired or is not doing your business justice or perhaps you've simply fallen out of love with it, now might be the right time to consider rebranding your beauty business. If you are at this juncture, then our guest in this episode has plenty of insights to help you work out if a rebrand might be good for your beauty business. We chat to Formula Botanica alumni Heather Urquhart, founder of Huna Natural Apothecary about the gains and pains of a rebranding exercise. Huna Apothecary is based in Winnipeg, Canada, and creates 100% natural and organic high-performance skin nutrition. Although having launched her business only a few years ago, Heather realised that Huna needed to enhance its brand positioning to be able to attract more retailers and compete with well-known, larger names in the natural beauty industry. When Heather started out she wisely bootstrapped most of her business and branding, but when she started missing out on market opportunities, she decided it was time to invest seriously in Huna's branding. In this episode, Heather talks us through her rebranding journey with its highs and lows. In this episode, you'll find out about: Why investing in your branding as early as possible is essential not peripheral to growing your business; Why retailers are a great resource and can help give you a reality check and feedback when you face a rebrand; How working with creative professionals on rebranding your beauty business makes all the difference to its success; Why you need to allow a good six months, or more, from creative brief to finishing a rebranding exercise; What outcomes you can expect from taking the plunge to rebrand. As Heather moves Huna from its first years as a start-up beauty business to running a premium natural beauty brand stocked widely in her native Canada, and soon further afield, she has plenty of business advice too. Key takeaways from this episode on the reasons to rebrand your beauty business include: Communicate closely with your retail partners throughout your rebrand process. They have their finger on the pulse of consumers probably more than you do. Don't underestimate how much time and money can go into sourcing the right packaging. Note also that premium beauty may require a look and finish with high minimum order quantities. Don't forget about the website in your rebranding exercise. Hire web design and build experts with a proven track record in delivering on time and to brief. You will make mistakes in building your brand and business but remember, this is part of your growth and learning curve. Just remain agile and be prepared to change course. We're in the beauty business where image counts. Don't forget that in your quest to showcase its green, clean face. Find out more about Heather's journey from botanist to successful natural beauty brand by following Huna Natural Apothecary: Huna Natural Apothecary website. Huna Natural Apothecary on Instagram. Huna Natural Apothecary on Facebook. Huna Natural Apothecary on Twitter. Huna Natural Apothecary on Pinterest. Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

One of the questions we are most often asked at Formula Botanica is whether it's worth hiring a designer to help with branding your beauty business. With start-up beauty brands pressed for cash flow and with the proliferation of free or low-cost design apps and programs, it's tempting to think we can do it all ourselves. In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, we answer most of those FAQs, and hope to clarify why and when you might wish to outsource to a designer. We go behind the scenes of a typical branding process to talk you through what you can expect from a graphic designer or branding agency, and how best to work with them in smooth collaboration. Our guest is Nancy Poller founder of Aligned Design Co, which is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs with their branding from initial discovery phases to fully-fledged visual interpretation. Nancy has a long-held passion for the beauty sector, having, as she admits, spent hours trawling the aisles of Space NK and top department store cosmetic counters. She has developed a keen eye for what's trending and shares some good advice on how to stand out from the pack of competitors. Nancy kindly shares her Workbook on Brand Discovery, which might prove food for thought before you hire a designer. It helps you dig deep into what your brand stands for and is a mini version of Aligned Design's Client Discovery process. In this episode, you'll hear about: The ingredients of brand identity; The latest trends in beauty branding and why it might not be a good idea to follow them; Why your competitors are a great resource in helping you define your brand; How to decide on which brand designer to hire, whether freelancer or an agency; and What to expect when collaborating with a designer in branding your beauty business. Key take-aways from this episode on branding your beauty business include: What part of the branding process you can do yourself, and what is best outsourced; Why you need to budget for a professionally-designed logo, even if they look simple and easy to do yourself; Why and how your branding contributes to defining your tribe and your business vibe; and Understanding that your branding is meant first and foremost to resonate with your customers and retail partners. For more gems from Nancy on how to go about branding your beauty business, find Aligned Design Co here: Aligned Design Co website Aligned Design Co on Instagram Aligned Design Co on Facebook Aligned Design Co on Twitter Nancy Poller on Pinterest Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As we watch indie beauty brands crushing it on Instagram with amazing eye candy images and gathering tribes into the tens of thousands, we may think that kind of brand visibility is an impossible dream for our own beauty businesses. While it does, of course, take hard graft to get that kind of brand awareness, you can go far if you know from the start how to define, style and build your brand on strong foundations. Our guest in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations offers some invaluable advice and practical to-do's on branding a beauty business for success. Joining us is professional photographer and branding guru Briena Sash, founder of Wellness Stock Shop, which is an extensive resource of stock photos tailored to the needs of the natural beauty and wellness industry. Briena has joined us for a branding webinar in the past at Formula Botanica, but here, for the first time, she shares three key branding exercises to work through before you rush out to hire a graphic designer or talk logos! Listen in and then download the workbook Briena has kindly shared with us and put your new insights to work. Even if your brand is up and running, there is plenty here to help you hone your beauty branding strategies for greater success. In this episode, you'll hear: How both visual and emotional elements combine to form the essential building blocks for branding a beauty business. Why you need to invest up front, as early as you can, in defining and styling your brand. But why you need also to dig deep and map your brand voice yourself before hiring a graphic or brand designer. About how branding is never static, and why you need to revise, refresh and rethink your branding periodically. Briena shares three practical exercises in the Branding Workbook accompanying this episode. We recommend you take your time working through it. Key take-aways from this podcast include: Successful beauty brands are those that connect with their customers and audiences on an emotional level. Visual branding - from the fonts you use to your Instagram images and packaging - derive from and support your brand voice. They are powerful, but they aren't the first things to start with in a branding exercise. Branding a beauty business is more about developing a lifestyle people enjoy or aspire to! Think of your brand as a personality: what kind of person is it, and what kind of people would be attracted to chatting with it? Above all, think of your customers and potential customers. What are their needs and how do your products solve their issues, light their fire and inspire them? Find the Wellness Stock Shop: Wellness Stock Shop website Wellness Stock Shop on Instagram Wellness Stock Shop on Facebook Wellness Stock Shop on Pinterest Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We kick off a series of podcasts on branding indie beauty businesses with a marathon interview packed with actionable advice. You've no doubt heard the one about your brand being more than your logo, but have you worked out what this means in reality? Here, at Formula Botanica, we thought we knew all about branding, and how it applies to indie beauty businesses, but our chat with Rob Moore of The Design Co certainly opened our eyes. We'll give you a clue to just how much more there is to branding: it's only by Tip 8, that we start talking about logos and visual design. The eye-catching visual elements that we tend to think of as branding are only the tip of the brand iceberg. A truly strong, successful brand is one that creates touch points with its audiences from the very start and pays attention to fine-tuning the little details that go into running a business day to day. Rob is an energetic, inspirational designer who went through this self-same checklist when he set up his own branding agency just a couple of years ago and needed to define what he wanted for his business. Since then, he has been key in branding several start-ups turned successful indie beauty businesses such as Pink's Boutique and Proverb Skin whose founders were guest speakers at the Formula Botanica 2017 Conference. As he admits, it's not an easy task to brand, or rebrand, but he hand-holds us through his top 10 tips giving us a clear action plan to follow. If you're thinking of turning your passion for natural cosmetics into a business, or even if you're already running one, Rob's advice will revolutionise how you've thought about branding or growing your brand. Rob is offering us his Essential Guide to a Strong Brand, which we suggest you download and use as a checklist once you've listened in. In this episode on branding indie beauty businesses, you'll hear about: Why your brand name is a big deal and needs as much planning as your entire branding exercise; What to look out for when buying domain names and applying for trademarks; Why your brand's reputation is built from the very start, and from those little everyday interactions with your audiences; Why your product is not your brand; How your customer service and your employees are critical brand ambassadors; and How your own story and journey to starting your business is key to captivating customers and making an emotional connection with them. Key take-aways include: Each product sale can take as many as 12 brand touch points with your customer. Bear this in mind when designing your website, your daily customer service touch points and post-sales follow-up. Leave nothing to chance. Don't talk up your products nor use hyperbole in how you portray your brand. In some ways, it's best to undersell and then over deliver in order to gain happy, loyal customers. Remember that customers are key in branding indie beauty businesses. They build your brand reputation, not you. They are highly influential in marketing your brand on social media and through word of mouth. Think of the bigger picture: don't make every single action sales related. Get out there and do good in your local community or for example by donating a percentage of some sales to charities or causes that are in line with your brand mission. You can find The Design Co here: The Design Co website The Design Co on Facebook The Design Co on Twitter The Design Co on Instagram Listen, Download and Subscribe to Green Beauty Conversations Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In our very first Green Beauty Conversations podcast, we discussed what natural means in skincare and this week's topic about sustainable beauty is another of those hotly-debated issues that has no clear-cut definition. We'd go so far as to say there are even more interpretations of the term 'sustainable' as used in the natural beauty world than there are shades of green. To help us unravel sustainable beauty and shed light on the top concerns, we spoke to Dr Barbara Olioso, a cosmetic chemist with a long-standing fascination for the traditions of herbalists and formulating with natural ingredients. With over 20 years in both the beauty and food science industries, Barbara now runs her own business, The Green Chemist Consultancy. In this episode, Barbara talks us through the perennial dilemmas about sustainability that face us in our everyday formulating, let alone when we start a beauty brand. From bio-based packaging to sourcing sustainable ingredients and from child labour issues to cruelty-free claims, we touch on just about every elephant lurking in the offices of green beauty businesses. We admit that you might come away from listening to this episode with more questions raised than answered! We hope it helps you make your own conscious choices in deciding what sustainable beauty means to you, whether you are home formulating, buying green beauty or running a cosmetics' business. In this episode, you'll hear about: Why the label 'green' or 'natural' does not mean a cosmetic product or brand is a sustainable beauty entity; Benchmarking your own formulations and green beauty business against 17 UN sustainable development goals; How unsustainable practices can lurk in the most unlikely corners of the green cosmetics industry; How the food industry is influencing and helping drive sustainability in beauty; Why there is no 100% sustainable natural or synthetic ingredient; and Why there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to implementing sustainable practices. Barbara gives us plenty of pointers on what to think through as we map our own path in sustainable beauty and articulate our mission and ethics. Key take-aways from this podcast include: Don't assume that a naturally-sourced, botanical ingredient is a more sustainable raw material; do thorough homework on its provenance, in particular on the supplier and grower. Zero waste is desirable but the cosmetics' industry needs to use packaging that protects both product life and consumer health and safety. New developments in how we formulate cosmetic products - for example, solid shampoos that reduce plastic consumption - are pioneering sustainable beauty; this is a trend to watch. Barbara Olioso's consultancy offers a range of services to natural beauty businesses, including skincare formulation and certification advice as well as short webinars on areas such as Cosmos certification and natural alternatives to synthetics. You can find Barbara online here: The Green Chemist Consultancy Website. Dr Barbara Olioso on LinkedIn. Dr Barbara Olioso on Twitter. Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review on iTunes or Stitcher so that more people can enjoy the show. Don't forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.