The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 65: Silver Hair, Sharp Opinions – The Silverist Founder Evelyn Wang on Gray Hair, Ageism & Building a Beauty Brand That Actually Sees Women

In this episode of The Skincarma Pod, Carmine sits down with Evelyn Wang, founder and CEO of The Silverist, to talk about gray hair, ageism in beauty, and what it really takes to build a brand from scratch.

After years inside major beauty companies like L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, Evelyn saw something hiding in plain sight: women embracing their natural silver and gray hair were being treated as an afterthought. Instead of formulas designed specifically for natural gray hair — which loses melanin and behaves differently than color-treated blonde hair — brands were simply relabeling purple shampoos and calling it a day.

In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Carmine and Evelyn explore:

Why gray hair is fundamentally different from color-treated blonde hair;

How big beauty brands miss nuance when marketing to women over 40;

The tension between corporate marketing polish and founder survival mode;

What it really means to speak to Gen X consumers authentically;

Why “pro-aging” messaging can feel patronizing instead of empowering;

and, the reality of building a lean, profitable beauty brand without bloated overhead.

They also revisit their shared L’Oréal experience, debate the lost art of the focus group, and unpack the decision paralysis that comes with spending your own money as a founder.

Smart, funny, and refreshingly honest, this episode is for anyone interested in beauty marketing, entrepreneurship, and the cultural conversation around aging — especially if you believe women over 40 deserve more than being lumped into a single “mature” category.

Connect with Evelyn Wang on Instagram at @the.evelynwang and on LinkedIn here. Explore The Silverist on Instagram at @the.silverist and learn more about the products and brand ethos at silverist.com.

Follow Skincarma on Instagram and on TikTok. Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. You can also connect with Carmine on LinkedIn here and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Substack, or Spotify to help Carmine reach more curious listeners.

Product links:

Silverist Lustrous Rituals Buildable Tone Shampoo

Silverist Holistic Benefits Leave-In Hair Serum

Silverist 3-Step System: Shampoo, Conditioner & Leave-In

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Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog:

Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here.

Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here.

Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here.

Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here.

Explore the Best Acne Treatments here.

Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here.

Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here.

Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here.

The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter.

The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare junkie and Brooklyn writer Carmine Montalto. With 25 years of expertise in beauty across every category, Carmine has helped build multiple consumer brands from the ground up. He’s named 100s of skincare, haircare & makeup products – some of which are probably in your bathroom cabinet right now! And, he’s tested 1,000s of products, the best of which can be found reviewed on his blog at skincarma.com.

With the right skincare routine including sunscreen...You CAN change your skin’s destiny!™

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