The Eco Well podcast

This conversation featured perfumers Christophe Laudamiel & Pia Long. We talked about some of the structural challenges that the fragrance sector currently faces; from intellectual protection, perfumery education, issues of plagiarism, duping culture and more.  Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode features a deep dive into the topic of greenwashing, featuring greenwashing researcher, Dr Wren Montgomery PhD. We get into the different forms of greenwashing, greenwashing specific to cosmetics, its impacts, how brands can avoid making greenwashed claims, how consumers can navigate green claims, and more. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode features behavioural neuroscientist and academic sleuth with a seriously impressive resume spotting research fraud, Dr Mu Yang, PhD. The topic - research fraud and it's many flavors. What's the problem, why does it appear to be on the rise, what are the science factors driving it, can we trust peer review and… can science be trusted to self correct? And for that to happen, what else has to fall into place?  Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell  

Beauty myths multiply! My latest podcast episode features OG beauty myth buster, Michelle Wong PhD, aka @labmuffinbeautyscience. What's the latest trending beauty misinformation, where is it coming from, how is it growing and how does it impact both consumers and the beauty sector writ large. Probably not great - probably important for the industry to get behind addressing. We also dive into the importance of scicomm, current barriers for good independent scicomm - from the fact that so many of us do it for no pay on top of full-time jobs, how it impacts us personally when we debunk, to the rampant issues of plagiarism that adds to scicomm burnout. And what can be done from the beauty sector to better support independent beauty scicomm. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode features safety assessor Mo Kanadil PharmD, otherwise known as @Moskinlab, in a conversation about safety misconceptions. What are common safety misconceptions amongst consumers, where is the misinformation coming from, what are the challenges in addressing it, and more. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

There is currently a war on science. What's happening, what are the impacts, and what can we do about it? This week I was joined by 3 POVs to try to do the topic justice, coming at it from the public health and independent scicomm POV, with registered dietitian Dr Jessica Knurick, the science journalist POV, with Melody Schreiber, and the academia and academic scicomm POV, with Elisabeth Anderson. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode is a 101 on skincare efficacy claims, brother and sister duo, dermatologist Dr Omer Ibrahim MD, and skin scientist, Dr Rania Ibrahim PhD. What's the landscape of claims, what makes a claim stronger or weaker, what are common deceptive practices, what should brands know and also, what should consumers know? This episode had a special focus on clinical claims but still gave a good overview of the claims that are out there. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This conversation dove into the topic of environmental contaminants related to cosmetics, in conversation with Prof Oliver Jones PhD. We focused on microplastic and PFAS, with an emphasis on the misinformation that surrounds these two groups of chemicals. What is the impact of misinformation about PFAS and microplastics? Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode dives into the topic of nutrition misinformation - what is the problem and how did we get here? From the algorithm forces online to our human biases that make misinformation so attractive, the impacts nutrition misinformation has on individuals, to its greater impacts on society. Featuring with dietitian and nutrition misinformation researcher, Danielle Shine. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell  

This episode features a deep dive into the world of preservatives, featuring microbiologist Dr Sabrina Behnke. What are they, how and why are they used, how are they made, what are their supply chains like, what are formulation considerations we need to think about? And while a product may now be paraben free, how do those extra challenges impact product safety… and sustainability? We covered all this and more! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell  

This episode digs into the new trend of tweens and teens reaching for anti-aging skincare, and the “Sephora Kids” phenomenon.  Coming at the topic from the derm POV with Dr. Aegean Chan - what are some of the skin concerns with this trend, and what should skincare regimes look like for this age group. And from the regulatory and legal standpoint, with Claire Bing of  Confiance Cosmetics Group - who's responsible for all of this and what do brands need to know (whether they're intentionally marketing to kids/teens or not). Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

A roundtable conversation covering: the rise of dermfluencers, misinformation, undisclosed ads, exploitation and the impact on dermatology as a field. Featuring the POVs of dermatologist and researcher, Dr Ade Adamson and lawyer specializing in cosmetics regulations, Avril Love. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell    

This episode features Immunologist & Microbiologist, and fellow science communicator, Dr. Andrea Love, in a deep dive into the EWG. Views expressed in this episode are in our honestly held opinions. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

There was a lot wrong in the recent Huberman podcast featuring Shanna Swan - the misinformation was rapid fire. This episode features Lyle Burgoon PhD in a toxicologist reacts episode to break down some of the things that came up. From phthalates = endocrine disruptors? to feminization and the threat of human extinction?? There was a lot there, but we tried our best to cover their main points. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode is about conspiracy thinking, featuring Derek Beres from Conspirituality. What are the dangers of conspiracy theories, how does fear and uncertainty play into them, how are conspiracy theories and thinking being capitalized on, from a company and individual POV, and more.  Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode features Neil Burns in a deep dive into surfactants. Previously on the show we've covered the topic in the context of formulation, this time I thought it would be interesting to take a different angle - what is the history of surfactants, how are they made, what are their supply chains, how do they contribute to society, from cosmetics to air travel, what are some of the big sustainability challenges faces the space, misconceptions, and lots more.  Interested in supporting the podcast on Patreon? Find me at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This episode features Erica Douglas, otherwise known as @sisterscientist, cofounder of the contract manufacturing business mSEED, in a deep dive on contract manufacturing. We covered the contract manufacturing landscape - who works with them and why? what's up with minimum quantity orders? What do brands need to know to successfully work with a CM? And lots more! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This week's episode goes on a deep dive into corporate sustainability - specifically, why isn't it working? Over the last few decades, we've seen lots of new reporting requirements for companies. On the flip side, during that same time frame where sustainability has become fashionable, things have gotten, for the most part, worse. This episode features Dr. Mark Trexler from Climatographers on where have we gone wrong? And what can we do about it?  Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

Why is the media so rife with inaccurate reporting on epidemiological studies? To help guide us through this topic, I was joined with Gideon M-K PhD, epidemiologist, fact checker and content creator. We go through what epidemiology research looks like and some of the inherent challenges, research bias, the sensationalism pipeline that benefits everyone… except the public, a few examples of recent headlines and the studies connected to them, and more. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

With the press around "forever chemicals" and the moving regulations related to biodegradation, the topics of biodegradation and persistence are increasingly important to understand. This episode is a deep dive into the topic, featuring Chris Hughes from Embark Chemical Consulting. Disclaimer, this one is a little more into the weeds, but a good 101 if you want to get a handle on the topic! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

The skin microbiome and products geared to supporting it have been a hot topic in beauty for the last decade.Where are we at with the science? What is the skin microbiome, how do cosmetics interact with it, what are common misconceptions, and what does a healthy skin microbiome look like… or do we even know that yet? This podcast featured microbiologist Dr Kristin Neumann from MyMicrobiome Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

What is up with endocrine disruption in beauty? There is so much about this topic in the media, seemingly disproportionately focused on cosmetics. What does it all mean, where is the science and are the concerns actually relevant? This week, Dr Lyle Burgoon is back for a deep dive into the topic. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

What do we mean when we say science integrity? What is good evidence, and how is evidence incorporated at a policy level? This was the topic of this podcast, which featured toxicologist Lyle Burgoon PhD. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode focused on the issue of misinformation and bad behaviour in the science and medical influencer space. Disclaimer, special attention was given to the rise of dermfluencers. This episode featured a roundtable discussion between dermatologist Anjali Mahto MD, cardiologist Rohin Francis MD, immunologist Andrea Love PhD and cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong PhD. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This episode features the pre-recorded conversation of the scicommer panel I moderated at NYSCC Suppliers Day earlier this month, brought to you by the Independent Beauty Association, and in conversation with Kenton Hipsher, who is on the ingredient supply side of things, Erica Douglas, aka sisterscientist, from the contract manufacturer POV, and Dr Andrea Love from the consumer misinformation impact side of things. This conversation looked at misinformation along the supply chain and production of cosmetic products.

This episode features a deep dive conversation into the world of research fraud, featuring research fraud researcher Reese Richardson. What is the issue, why is it happening, and how should we think about all of this when we're thinking about the quality of scientific research and science itself. We also explored turmeric research as a case example of research fraud in action and the impacts that's had both on society.

This weeks' episode features the pre-recorded pre-show run of the Sustainability in Cosmetics panel I moderated at NYSCC Suppliers Day in new york a few weeks ago! In conversation with Amol Kirtikar, Senior Manager of Sustainability & Innovation Americas at Clariant, Kurt Reynertson PhD, Global Lead for Ingredient Policy at Kenvue and Akemi Ooka PhD, Head of Global Supply Chain and Sustainability Resources at Independent Beauty Association - the main topic of the panel was around how sustainability misinformation is impacting  the cosmetics sector's ability to pursue sustainable development, and steps moving forward. This conversation was made possible by Clariant, who are the sponsors for this podcast episode.

This podcast featured a 101 about the timeline of product development; from brief to formulation to testing to scale up. To help us cover the topic, this episode featured Lorna Radford from ENKOS. Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

Somehow I still haven't covered oral care on the podcast, so to help fix that, this week's episode features oral care formulation chemist Natalie Hendrix! This episode was a 101 on the topic - hope you enjoy it as much as I did!   Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, write a review and subscribe! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This episode is an extension of the cosmetic formulation myth busting fireside chat with Gabriella Baki PhD that happened at the Skincare E-Summit in December! 20 minutes just wasn't enough!    Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write us a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This podcast features Milan Scott, otherwise known as @thecosmescientist in a conversation about diversity and inclusion. From the POV of what's happening in the wider industry, formulations and what's currently available on the market, to current gaps that should be addressed. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, write a review and subscribe! If it's accessible, we also have a patreon page that you can find at Patreon.com/theecowell

This podcast features a conversation about the current state, and future, of indie beauty, in conversation with Kelly Kovack from BeautyMatter, Rob Akridge PhD from OPULUS Beauty Labs, and Akemi Ooka PhD from Independent Beauty Association. This was the closing panel for our So, You Want to Start a Beauty Brand? E-Summit - find the full replay on our blog! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and consider writing a review. If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This episodes features a deep dive conversation into silicones in cosmetics; what are they, why are they so useful, and what are some of the environmental draw backs we're currently contending with. To help me tackle the topic, this week I was joined by Mike Fevola PhD. Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, write a review and subscribe! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at patreon.com/theecowell 

This pocast features a 101 on the current state of animal testing in cosmetics featuring toxicologist Barae Jomaa PhD. We cover why animal testing testing started in the first place and what prompted all the animal testing bans we see today, the history of animal testing bans globally, alternative test methods, misconceptions, the REACH vs EC conflict we're seeing today, and lots more!   Interested in supporting the show? Please leave us a review wherever you listening, subscribe and share! If it's accessible to you, we also have a Patreon page which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This week's episode is a 101 on cosmetics formulations; what are the ingredient types that make your products work and why? What's up with surfactant and preservative systems? What's the difference between skin and hair care, what's an emulsion, and what do you need to know about pH? o help me cover the topic, this week featured Ava Perkins, PhD student at the University of Cincinnati in their cosmetic science program.   Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share and give us a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at patreon.com/theecowell

This podcast features an acne 101 conversation with dermatologist Dr Mara Evanglista-Huber MD, otherwise known as @dermomtology.  Interested in supporting the podcast? Please subscribe, review and share! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page which you can find www.patreon.com/theecowell

This podcast was about false balance; what it is, how to spot it and what the greater issue with it is. What's wrong with public form debates on science? Particularly on topics that have a lot of evidence to support one POV vs a fringe viewpoint. For example, sunscreens aren't the cause of coral bleaching, widely supported by the evidence, vs it is, supported by outlier data. This episode features Canadian sci-comm treasure, Tim Caulfield for our 2023 finale!

This week's episode is a cosmetic chemists reaction episode, featuring the POV of cosmetic science PhD student Lanesa Mahon @raya.faces and myself. Topic: beauty trends. Trends we reacted to include: microbiome skincare, biotech beauty, menopausal skincare, dermatologist brands, green beauty and more!  Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This podcast episode is a 101 on microplastics in beauty. What do we mean when we say "plastic" and "microplastic"? What's the microplastic issue like in beauty? To help me cover the topic, this week I was joined with microplastic researcher, Laura Markley PhD. Enjoy!   Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on patreon at www.patreon.com/theeecowell

This is a replay of a panel I moderated at the SCC California Suppliers Day, presented by Independent Beauty Association. The conversation was broadly about the impacts of misinformation in beauty, and opportunities for course correction. Panelists included some of my favorite LA based sci-commers; Allison Kent-Gunn @allisonturquoise, Javon Ford @javonford16, Jane Tsui @janethechemist and Valerie George @cosmetic_chemist. Enjoy!   Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell        

What is the current state of animal testing in cosmetics? Why has it happened, does it still happen - if so, where and why? And where are we at with alternatives? New podcast alert! Our latest episode featured Dr. Carol Treasure from XCellR8, an animal-free in-vitro safety testing lab. There's so much complexity to this topic, and I think there have been some seriously missed opportunities from the cosmetics industry for communicating what's happening and has happened. I hope the episode does the topic justice. Enjoy!   Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell

A deep dive into claims with claims expert, Craig Weiss of Consumer Product Testing. What do the claims you see on labels actually mean? What's a strong claim and what's just puffery? And how can you as a consumer more effectively read labels? This podcast explored all this and more!    Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This podcast features a 101 episode on toxicology, featuring toxicologist Dr Pushpa Rao. With all the noise and confusion about product safety out in the zeitgeist, I thought this was an important topic to cover. We covered the basics of what toxicology is, how it's applied to cosmetics, fundamental toxicology themes like hazard and risk, safety substantiation, misconceptions, and more! Interested in supporting the podcast on Patreon? Find us at www.patreon.com/theecowell

There have been so many class action lawsuits in beauty over the last few years. What does it all mean? Are products on the market unsafe? Have these lawsuits become a cost of business in the USA? Are they making products safer? To help me unpack the topic, this weeks episode featured Avril Love, counsel at K&L Gates. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us at Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This episode featured hair scientist, Dr Crystal Porter from Mane Insights, in a deep dive into curly hair. We dove into the nitty gritty of the structure of curly hair, and the science behind keeping it in good shape. Hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did! Quick edit - in this episode, Crystal mentioned "consumer scientist." She meant "citizen scientist" :). Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This episode features a deep dive into state law, featuring Dr. Simone Swafford, regulatory consultant at Vogue Regulatory. What's happening at the state level in terms of cosmetic regulations, and how does that impact both industry as well as consumers? We specifically dive into how misinformation is driving some of the recent legislative developments. Big thanks to Essential Labs for sponsoring this episode. Use the code ELABSPOD for 15% off! Interested in supporting the podcast on Patreon? Find us at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This week's episode featured Bart Maxon - cosmetic scientist, creator of 20 patents, and recent recipient of the SCC Merit Award. Important to this conversation, he's achieved all of this as a 4'6” achondroplasia dwarf who's had several spinal surgeries, operating in an industry where accessibility has been an ongoing improvement for those with disabilities. I'm really inspired by Bart's story. From being told that he'd never work in a lab, to becoming a Senior Development Scientist at Dow. In this conversation, we talked about diversity and inclusion, through the lens of individuals with disabilities. What are we doing right as an industry, and where do we need to improve? Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This episode featured the closing panel from Michelle @labmuffinbeautyscience and my Sunscreen E-Summit, which happened a few weeks ago.  On the topic of Challenges and Opportunities for the Suncare Sector. In conversation with Meredith Petillo, Senior Director of Technical & Regulatory Services at IBA, Stan Krus, Senior Technology Manager Sun Care at BASF, Carl D'Ruiz,  Head of Personal Care and Pharma Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at DSM, and Michelle Wong, PhD. Enjoy!   Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell

This episode was about beauty science communication, from the perspectives of Michelle @labmuffinbeautyscience and me. What is sci-comm, why is it important, what are some of the challenges, and importantly, why are there so few sci-commers able to make sci-com a full-time, long-lasting endeavor? In this episode, Michelle and I announce the social enterprise we've been working on together: Beauty Sci-Comm Group. Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us at Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell. Massive thank you to all of our Patreon supporters for helping make this show possible!

New podcast! This week, we tried something a little different with a Toxicologist Reacts episode, featuring Tony Simion, Ph.D. Industry veteran and adjunct professor. You guys sent in media headlines and posts, and we responded. Disclaimer, before I go on here; all the views expressed in this post and podcast are all in our honestly held opinions. I hope by the end of this episode, it's clear who that is for when it comes to cosmetic product safety. Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon.com/theecowell

This week's episode took a look at MoCRA - What's happening? What do we know? How is going to impact industry, and also consumers? There has been a lot of noise about MoCRA, what does it all mean? To help me do this topic justice, for this podcast I was joined by Kerry Tassopoulos, Of Counsel and a corporate, regulatory and compliance attorney with Platt Cheema Richmond PLLC. Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell