Natural formulation may seem a new sector of the beauty industry today – barely 20 years old – but it was there long before the dawn of mainstream commercial cosmetics. Its roots lie in thousands of years of home formulation, herbology and traditional and folkloristic medicine with recipes handed down by word of mouth across generations. If you love the thought of being involved in an exciting, modern natural beauty movement that is part of the great continuum of ancient knowledge of the power of plants, then you will want to listen to this guest episode. Formula CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Dr Jenelle Kim, a 9th-generation master herbologist, doctor of traditional Oriental medicine, best-selling author, cosmetics formulator and wellness expert, who shares her rich heritage of plants of East Asia. Dr Kim has woven plants into her life and her career, and they are the powerhouses in her performance cosmetics. If you want to hear exactly what it means to infuse your ancestor’s knowledge into the formulations you create, join us for a fascinating story. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Natural formulation may seem a new sector of the beauty industry today – barely 20 years old – but it was there long before the dawn of mainstream commercial cosmetics. Its roots lie in thousands of years of home formulation, herbology and traditional and folkloristic medicine with recipes handed down by word of mouth across generations. If you love the thought of being involved in an exciting, modern natural beauty movement that is part of the great continuum of ancient knowledge of the power of plants, then you will want to listen to this guest episode. Formula CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to <a href="https://jbkwellnesslabs.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr Jenelle Kim</a>, a 9th-generation master herbologist, doctor of traditional Oriental medicine, best-selling author, cosmetics formulator and wellness expert, who shares her rich heritage of plants of East Asia. Dr Kim has woven plants into her life and her career, and they are the powerhouses in her performance cosmetics. If you want to hear exactly what it means to infuse your ancestor’s knowledge into the formulations you create, join us for a fascinating story. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP173. Unveiling ancient wisdom - the power of Asian herbs

In this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier delves into the intriguing world of “skintellectuals” and the significant influence Gen Z is wielding in the beauty industry. But who are these self-proclaimed “skintellectuals” and what do they stand for? With scientific jargon bombarding beauty consumers, it’s only natural that individuals seek to understand the terminology and concepts behind skincare ingredients.  Accessibility to knowledge has given rise to a so-called “skintellectual movement”, that can only gain momentum. Lorraine proposes that it should play a pivotal role in challenging beauty brands on issues like sustainability. Only by questioning and demanding transparency, can we contribute to cleaning up the beauty industry and making it more environmentally conscious.  To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In this opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier delves into the intriguing world of “skintellectuals” and the significant influence <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-gen-z-sustainable-beauty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gen Z</a> is wielding in the beauty industry. But who are these self-proclaimed “skintellectuals” and what do they stand for? With scientific jargon bombarding beauty consumers, it’s only natural that individuals seek to understand the terminology and concepts behind skincare ingredients.  Accessibility to knowledge has given rise to a so-called “skintellectual movement”, that can only gain momentum. Lorraine proposes that it should play a pivotal role in challenging beauty brands on issues like sustainability. Only by questioning and demanding transparency, can we contribute to cleaning up the beauty industry and making it more environmentally conscious. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP172. Skintellectuals and the rise of informed shoppers

If sustainability is to make headway in the beauty industry, it is future generations who will be shaping it and seeing it through. So, how are generations like Gen Z thinking about sustainabilty in the cosmetics industry, both as beauty shoppers and future formulators? In this episode, Lorraine interviews Riley Cowen who is a graduate student of ISIPCA, a Paris-based institute for post-graduate studies in perfume, cosmetics products and food flavour formulation. Riley has insights into both the marketing and business side of the industry as well as cosmetic science and product development. At 22, she brings a unique perspective as a young industry insider on Genz Z’s take on sustainability in the beauty industry. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

If sustainability is to make headway in the beauty industry, it is future generations who will be shaping it and seeing it through. So, how are generations like Gen Z thinking about sustainabilty in the cosmetics industry, both as beauty shoppers and future formulators? In this episode, Lorraine interviews Riley Cowen who is a graduate student of ISIPCA, a Paris-based institute for post-graduate studies in perfume, cosmetics products and food flavour formulation. Riley has insights into both the marketing and business side of the industry as well as cosmetic science and product development. At 22, she brings a unique perspective as a young industry insider on Genz Z’s take on sustainability in the beauty industry. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP171. Gen Z views on the future of beauty

“Beauty” – a short, six-letter word that none of us need define. We know what it means. Or do we? The shocking truth is that even many of us in the beauty industry have never looked up nor questioned its dictionary definitions. Now is the time to do both, says Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier. Our guest in the previous episode, Shaun Russell, owner of Scandinavian-based fragrance and lifestyle brand Skandinavist, and chair of B Corp Beauty Coalition, drew our attention to the definition of beauty, asking us to see it as encompassing the beauty of the natural world, not only the world of cosmetics. He pointed out that in buying beauty products, we should think of their impact on the beauty of the planet. Beauty should be defined by the world around us, not by how we appear to others. In this opinion episode, Lorraine takes a cue from Shaun’s comments and investigates the world of the word beauty to uncover some shocking and depressing truths about it. Listen in to make your mind up on whether it’s high time to redefine beauty. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

“Beauty” – a short, six-letter word that none of us need define. We know what it means. Or do we? The shocking truth is that even many of us in the beauty industry have never looked up nor questioned its dictionary definitions. Now is the time to do both, says Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier. Our guest in the <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-B-Corp-Beauty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">previous episode</a>, Shaun Russell, owner of Scandinavian-based fragrance and lifestyle brand Skandinavist, and chair of B Corp Beauty Coalition, drew our attention to the definition of beauty, asking us to see it as encompassing the beauty of the natural world, not only the world of cosmetics. He pointed out that in buying beauty products, we should think of their impact on the beauty of the planet. Beauty should be defined by the world around us, not by how we appear to others. In this opinion episode, Lorraine takes a cue from Shaun’s comments and investigates the world of the word beauty to uncover some shocking and depressing truths about it. Listen in to make your mind up on whether it’s high time to redefine beauty. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website.</a>

EP170. The shocking definition of beauty

Some beauty brands are cajoled into taking action on sustainability by their customers or competitors. However, others are not waiting around. They are taking the lead and cooperating in setting themselves the highest environmental and social standards to hold their beauty businesses to account. B Corp Beauty businesses are in this latter group. But, what is B Corp and what role does a sub-set group called the B Corp Beauty Coalition play? If you haven’t heard of this forward-thinking, non-profit organisation or the active lead taken by over 60 of its beauty brand members, it is time to put them both on your radar when you wish to shop for sustainable beauty. Lorraine talks to Shaun Russell, founder of B Corp-certified, Scandinavian fragrance and lifestyle company Skandinavisk, who is also co-founder and chair of B Corp Beauty Coalition, an initiative of over 60 B Corps worldwide united in working to improve the sustainability standards of the beauty industry. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Some beauty brands are cajoled into taking action on sustainability by their customers or competitors. However, others are not waiting around. They are taking the lead and cooperating in setting themselves the highest environmental and social standards to hold their beauty businesses to account. B Corp Beauty businesses are in this latter group. But, what is B Corp and what role does a sub-set group called the <a href="https://www.bcorpbeauty.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B Corp Beauty Coalition</a> play? If you haven’t heard of this forward-thinking, non-profit organisation or the active lead taken by over 60 of its beauty brand members, it is time to put them both on your radar when you wish to shop for sustainable beauty. Lorraine talks to Shaun Russell, founder of B Corp-certified, Scandinavian fragrance and lifestyle company <a href="https://www.skandinavisk.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Skandinavisk</a>, who is also co-founder and chair of B Corp Beauty Coalition, an initiative of over 60 B Corps worldwide united in working to improve the sustainability standards of the beauty industry. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP169. B Corp Beauty Coalition explained

Get ready to see marine ingredients – specifically algae – featuring everywhere in cosmetic products. Seaweed is moving on up from its traditional role in the spa sector and as a functional gelling and colouring agent. While we usually don’t take much notice of the latest trending ingredient, which is here today and gone tomorrow from our cosmetics, algae is one category of ingredients that is worth investigating, and, we hope, set to stay. If you listened to our previous episode in which Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier and colleagues discussed the latest cosmetic trends seen at this year’s in-cosmetics Global, the world’s largest trade fair for the industry, you will have heard how marine ingredients are dominating the agenda. In this opinion episode, Lorraine takes a closer look at why algae, seaweeds and other marine ingredients herald a new era in sustainable cosmetics.  Listen in to hear 4 reasons to love algae in your cosmetics. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Get ready to see marine ingredients – specifically algae – featuring everywhere in cosmetic products. Seaweed is moving on up from its traditional role in the spa sector and as a functional gelling and colouring agent. While we usually don’t take much notice of the latest trending ingredient, which is here today and gone tomorrow from our cosmetics, algae is one category of ingredients that is worth investigating, and, we hope, set to stay. If you listened to our previous episode in which Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier and colleagues discussed the latest cosmetic trends seen at this year’s in-cosmetics Global, the world’s largest trade fair for the industry, you will have heard how marine ingredients are dominating the agenda. In this opinion episode, Lorraine takes a closer look at why algae, seaweeds and other marine ingredients herald a new era in sustainable cosmetics.  Listen in to hear 4 reasons to love algae in your cosmetics. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP168. Algae, the future of sustainable beauty

The fundamentals of formulation, such as the techniques of emulsifying, don’t really change over the decades. What does change however are the ingredients. Each year, manufacturers release the latest innovative ingredients their R&amp;D teams have been keeping under wraps. Interestingly too, we see old ingredients rediscovered and revamped into new forms. Tens of thousands of cosmetic ingredients exist, but there is one place that helps put them into context and shows us where the cosmetics' industry is heading; and that is in-cosmetics Global. This massive, annual trade fair draws in thousands of industry insiders  to explore the hottest trends in cosmetic ingredients. The Formula Botanica education team attended the 2023 in-cosmetics Global in Barcelona and is here to report on the latest trends that will filter into our teaching, in particular The Lab, our CPD membership site, as well as inspire all of us in natural formulation. Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by colleagues School Education Manager Ana Green and Cosmetic Scientist Beatriz do Amaral to pick out the highlights of in-cosmetics Global 2023 that are shaping the future of our cosmetics.

The fundamentals of formulation, such as the techniques of emulsifying, don’t really change over the decades. What does change however are the ingredients. Each year, manufacturers release the latest innovative ingredients their R&amp;D teams have been keeping under wraps. Interestingly too, we see old ingredients rediscovered and revamped into new forms. Tens of thousands of cosmetic ingredients exist, but there is one place that helps put them into context and shows us where the cosmetics' industry is heading; and that is <a href="https://www.in-cosmetics.com/global/en-gb.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in-cosmetics Global</a>. This massive, annual trade fair draws in thousands of industry insiders  to explore the hottest trends in cosmetic ingredients. The Formula Botanica education team attended the 2023 in-cosmetics Global in Barcelona and is here to report on the latest trends that will filter into our teaching, in particular <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/lab/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Lab</a>, our CPD membership site, as well as inspire all of us in natural formulation. Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by colleagues School Education Manager Ana Green and Cosmetic Scientist Beatriz do Amaral to pick out the highlights of in-cosmetics Global 2023 that are shaping the future of our cosmetics.

EP167. Spotting the hottest trends in organic beauty formulation

In this Green Beauty opinion, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks about the resistence to change both consumers and the natural skincare formulation community face from the established beauty industry. Her guest in the  previous episode, Candice Quinn, founder of MANISAFE is just one example of this in action, and Lorraine mentions others that proved to be less than music to the mainstream industry’s ears. Yet, as Formula Botanica graduates have proved, time and again, there are plenty of niches in which they are pioneers whether in serving their customers’ needs more closely, or in adopting eco-beauty practices. One beauty entrepreneur at a time, we are seeing more and more Candice Quinns dare to find solutions to problems the industry won’t even admit to. Join Lorraine in this episode as she celebrates indie beauty's entrepreneurial mindset.  To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

In this Green Beauty opinion, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks about the resistence to change both consumers and the natural skincare formulation community face from the established beauty industry. Her guest in the <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-manisafe-gel-manicure-gloves/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> previous episode</a>, Candice Quinn, founder of MANISAFE is just one example of this in action, and Lorraine mentions others that proved to be less than music to the mainstream industry’s ears. Yet, as Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/graduates/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">graduates</a> have proved, time and again, there are plenty of niches in which they are pioneers whether in serving their customers’ needs more closely, or in adopting eco-beauty practices. One beauty entrepreneur at a time, we are seeing more and more Candice Quinns dare to find solutions to problems the industry won’t even admit to. Join Lorraine in this episode as she celebrates indie beauty's <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-eco-beauty-pioneers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">entrepreneurial mindset.</a> To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP166. Fixing the broken beauty industry

We all know the saying:”your hands really show your age”. Your grandmother or mother may have told you to take care of your hands and to protect them, not just your face, from the damage caused by UV exposure and other environmental stressors. Wearing gloves while doing housework may be your mantra already, but listen up. If you love caring for your hands and are in love with the perfection and durability of gel manicures, you may be exposing the skin on your hands to UV damage. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Candice Quinn, who is the Founder of MANISAFE, a multi-award-winning small business with a mission to make gel manicures kinder to hands’ skin. MANISAFE created a collection of fashion-statement, UV-protective gel manicure gloves designed to protect the skin on your hands from the harmful UV light emitted by nail lamps to cure gel polish. Candice’s aim is to save hand skin from damage in all situations – including their beautifying. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

We all know the saying:”your hands really show your age”. Your grandmother or mother may have told you to take care of your hands and to protect them, not just your face, from the damage caused by UV exposure and other environmental stressors. Wearing gloves while doing housework may be your mantra already, but listen up. If you love caring for your hands and are in love with the perfection and durability of gel manicures, you may be exposing the skin on your hands to UV damage. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Candice Quinn, who is the Founder of <a href="https://manisafe.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MANISAFE</a>, a multi-award-winning small business with a mission to make gel manicures kinder to hands’ skin. MANISAFE created a collection of fashion-statement, UV-protective gel manicure gloves designed to protect the skin on your hands from the harmful UV light emitted by nail lamps to cure gel polish. Candice’s aim is to save hand skin from damage in all situations – including their beautifying. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP165. Revolutionising the nail industry - the MANISAFE mission

Sustainable beauty can seem a mission impossible. Whether appraoching it as a beauty consumer or indie beauty brand, we can get dragged into a complex and depressing world of carbon emissions and waste recycling and despair that we can ever do the right thing for the planet. But, as we heard in the previous episode with Anisha Gupta of Bluebird Climate, sustainable beauty can be accessible to all and need not be costly, complex nor confusing. Bluebird's fascinating impact assessment tool for beauty brands and rather cool - yes, we can apply that word to sustainability - website widget puts a positive spin on the matter. In this Green Beauty Opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier explains the many reasons we have to be positive about embracing sustainable beauty. Let's call this episode a look on the bright side of the future of beauty. Forgot about overwhelm and start being overjoyed that we live in the era that will see sustainability go mainstream. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website. 

Sustainable beauty can seem a mission impossible. Whether appraoching it as a beauty consumer or indie beauty brand, we can get dragged into a complex and depressing world of carbon emissions and waste recycling and despair that we can ever do the right thing for the planet. But, as we heard in the <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-bluebird-sustainable-beauty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">previous episode</a> with Anisha Gupta of Bluebird Climate, sustainable beauty can be accessible to all and need not be costly, complex nor confusing. Bluebird's fascinating impact assessment tool for beauty brands and rather cool - yes, we can apply that word to sustainability - website widget puts a positive spin on the matter. In this Green Beauty Opinion episode, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier explains the many reasons we have to be positive about embracing sustainable beauty. Let's call this episode a look on the bright side of the future of beauty. Forgot about overwhelm and start being overjoyed that we live in the era that will see sustainability go mainstream. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.

EP164. The bright side of sustainable beauty

Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica, the online organic formulation school, challenges you on the way you think about the beauty industry. Our host Lorraine Dallmeier tackles topics that encourage debate about green, indie and sustainable beauty. Subscribe to the Green Beauty Conversations podcast and become part of the global green beauty movement. www.formulabotanica.com

I’m currently working on my DOSF course. I needed this. Your podcasts are great and keep me grounded, patient and knowledgeable. Stay Safe and have a wonderful day

Thanks you Timi and Lorraine

Love the podcast. I gain knowledge as well as inspiration to bring my line to a new level

Aloha from Hawaii

Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica, the online organic formulation school, challenges you on the way you think about the beauty industry. Our host Lorraine Dallmeier tackles topics that encourage debate about green, indie and sustainable beauty. Subscribe to the Green Beauty Conversations podcast and become part of the global green beauty movement. <a href="http://www.formulabotanica.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.formulabotanica.com</a>

Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica

We recently hosted a chat in our online classroom to find out what people’s biggest fears were about starting their business. We had many varied and interesting responses but there was one issue that kept coming up - formulators are scared of non-compliance with cosmetics regulations. In this podcast episode Gemma and Lorraine discuss what global cosmetic regulations are, what they mean to cosmetic formulators, how important they are and the steps that you can take to make sure you comply with cosmetics regulations in your region of the world.

We recently hosted a chat in our online classroom to find out what people’s biggest fears were about starting their business. We had many varied and interesting responses but there was one issue that kept coming up - formulators are scared of non-compliance with cosmetics regulations. In this podcast episode Gemma and Lorraine discuss what global cosmetic regulations are, what they mean to cosmetic formulators, how important they are and the steps that you can take to make sure you comply with cosmetics regulations in your region of the world.

EP3. How to comply with cosmetics regulations

There is no better time to take stock and review indie beauty trends and events than the start of a new year; nor is there a better time for a change. So, in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations podcast we see a role reversal with host Gemma in the hot seat as our interviewee, while school director Lorraine asks the questions. This is one of our longer podcasts as Gemma does an extensive, insider round-up of the value of attending, as a visitor and as trade, both Indie Beauty Expo, which had its inaugural European debut with its London show late last October, and Stylist Live which took place at Olympia, London, in November. Gemma describes Stylist Live as "indie brand heaven" as it combined beauty with a range of lifestyle, homes' style and wellness sectors to offer a really great day out. Just as exciting are the indie beauty trends that Gemma noticed emerging at these events which ranged from brands offering varying levels of product customisation to those promoting a more holistic, wellness view of outer beauty. What struck Gemma as she took on her roving reporter role was the number of Formula Botanica students and graduates whom she met at these two major UK events, both as brands exhibiting and as visitors doing market research and simply having a great day out and a meet-up. Above all, what we and everyone we know who attended both IBE and Stylist Live noticed was the overriding atmosphere of collaboration and genuine eagerness to move the global green beauty movement forward together. As Gemma says: "Both shows had a feeling of indie entrepreneur collaboration. Stall holders, though technically in many ways in competition, showed real kindness to each other." To conclude this episode, our duo focuses on two of last year's major achievements for the school: the  Formula Botanica 2018 conference - our largest and most successful to date - which took place in London in early November; and the Cosmetic Executive Women Award Ceremony which saw Lorraine receive the  Digital Achiever Award sponsored by Google. Both events were remarkable for bringing pioneering people in the beauty industry together to network and forge opportunities. In this episode, key indie beauty trends you'll hear about include:  The noticeable growth of crystal-infused beauty products either made with or containing crystals in various forms and offering a holistic concept of beauty; Part-customisable skincare using pre-made bases which give consumers the option to choose their own active and other ingredients, such as fragrance, to tailor products; The boom in natural make-up brands keen to demonstrate that all-natural cosmetics can be high performance too; and Ingestible beauty and food supplements that work hand in hand with topical cosmetics to help provide a holistic approach to beauty and wellness.  Our key take-outs about attending indie beauty events include:  First, define your trade or consumer show objectives. Work out your goals in attending, whether market research, sales, networking or meeting prospective retail buyers. Do your homework on events and shows to see if they are a good fit for you. Indie Beauty Expo (IBE), which is set to expand further into Europe, is primarily a trade show aimed at getting your brand before retail buyers, distributors and so on. There is a consumer 'Shop Indie' evening, but otherwise it's mainly a trade opportunity. Stylist Live has a real buzz to it and is a three-day consumer show. It offers a great opportunity to get your brand before potential customers and gain all-important feedback. You will need stamina to exhibit at either event! If you exhibit, do ensure you have your marketing and brand collateral on point and in an easy format for customers to pick up and take away. You may be too busy to chat to everyone, so ensure your give-aways send out a clear message about your brand, products' differentials and so on.  Both IBE and Stylist Live are annual events in London, with IBE set to appear in other European cities, such as IBE Berlin (22-23 March, 2019). You might be interested in listening to our podcast  Why beauty tradeshows are good business with guest Paula Francis of SuperFoodLx. 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.

There is no better time to take stock and review indie beauty trends and events than the start of a new year; nor is there a better time for a change. So, in this episode of <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/category/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green Beauty Conversations</a> podcast we see a role reversal with host Gemma in the hot seat as our interviewee, while school director Lorraine asks the questions. This is one of our longer podcasts as Gemma does an extensive, insider round-up of the value of attending, as a visitor and as trade, both <a href="https://indiebeautyexpo.com/ibelondon18_exhibitors/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indie Beauty Expo</a>, which had its inaugural European debut with its London show late last October, and <a href="http://live.stylist.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stylist Live</a> which took place at Olympia, London, in November. Gemma describes Stylist Live as "indie brand heaven" as it combined beauty with a range of lifestyle, homes' style and wellness sectors to offer a really great day out. Just as exciting are the indie beauty trends that Gemma noticed emerging at these events which ranged from brands offering varying levels of product customisation to those promoting a more holistic, wellness view of outer beauty. What struck Gemma as she took on her roving reporter role was the number of Formula Botanica students and graduates whom she met at these two major UK events, both as brands exhibiting and as visitors doing market research and simply having a great day out and a meet-up. Above all, what we and everyone we know who attended both IBE and Stylist Live noticed was the overriding atmosphere of collaboration and genuine eagerness to move the global green beauty movement forward together. As Gemma says: "Both shows had a feeling of indie entrepreneur collaboration. Stall holders, though technically in many ways in competition, showed real kindness to each other." To conclude this episode, our duo focuses on two of last year's major achievements for the school: the <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/formula-botanica-conference-2018-conference-highlights/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Formula Botanica 2018 conference</a> - our largest and most successful to date - which took place in London in early November; and the Cosmetic Executive Women Award Ceremony which saw Lorraine receive the <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/lorraine-dallmeier-2018-cew-digital-achiever-award/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Digital Achiever Award</a> sponsored by Google. Both events were remarkable for bringing pioneering people in the beauty industry together to network and forge opportunities. In this episode, key indie beauty trends you'll hear about include: <ul> <li>The noticeable growth of crystal-infused beauty products either made with or containing crystals in various forms and offering a holistic concept of beauty;</li> <li>Part-customisable skincare using pre-made bases which give consumers the option to choose their own active and other ingredients, such as fragrance, to tailor products;</li> <li>The boom in natural make-up brands keen to demonstrate that all-natural cosmetics can be high performance too; and</li> <li>Ingestible beauty and food supplements that work hand in hand with topical cosmetics to help provide a holistic approach to beauty and wellness.</li> </ul> Our key take-outs about attending indie beauty events include: <ul> <li>First, define your trade or consumer show objectives. Work out your goals in attending, whether market research, sales, networking or meeting prospective retail buyers. Do your homework on events and shows to see if they are a good fit for you.</li> <li>Indie Beauty Expo (IBE), which is set to expand further into Europe, is primarily a trade show aimed at getting your brand before retail buyers, distributors and so on. There is a consumer 'Shop Indie' evening, but otherwise it's mainly a trade opportunity.</li> <li>Stylist Live has a real buzz to it and is a three-day consumer show. It offers a great opportunity to get your brand before potential customers and gain all-important feedback.</li> <li>You will need stamina to exhibit at either event!</li> <li>If you exhibit, do ensure you have your marketing and brand collateral on point and in an easy format for customers to pick up and take away. You may be too busy to chat to everyone, so ensure your give-aways send out a clear message about your brand, products' differentials and so on.</li> </ul> Both <a href="https://indiebeautyexpo.com/exhibit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IBE</a> and <a href="http://live.stylist.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stylist Live</a> are annual events in London, with IBE set to appear in other European cities, such as <a href="https://indiebeautyexpo.com/attend/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IBE Berlin</a> (22-23 March, 2019). You might be interested in listening to our podcast <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-beauty-trade-shows-good-business/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Why beauty tradeshows are good business</a> with guest Paula Francis of SuperFoodLx. 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP27. Reviewing Indie Beauty Trends & Events

Jo Chidley

We met Jo Chidley, beauty entrepreneur and founder of Beauty Kitchen, effective, natural, and sustainable beauty, almost a year ago and have been stalking her ever since to give us some airtime.  We are so excited to have caught up with her in her busy schedule running a multi-million turnover business from her native Scotland. Jo has won multiple industry awards, including the Natwest Everywoman Award in the Brand of the Future Category and was recognised as one of the 10 most influential people in Natural Beauty in the UK. She’s been featured in the likes of ELLE, Woman &amp; Home magazine and BBC News and is a founding member of the Global Advisory Board for Sustainable &amp; Natural Cosmetics. Jo was voted Nr 2 in the 2018 Who’s Who of Natural Beauty. In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Jo takes us back to her early days in the beauty business, and talks us through her start-up strategies and how she grew from small beginnings to where Beauty Kitchen is today. We realised talking to Jo that while some connections and opportunities come through sheer luck, there are many others that are out there for the taking, if you know when and where to look for them.  These include free business advice and numerous sources of funding. Jo and her husband knew they wanted to start a sustainable beauty business and spotted a gap in the sustainable, natural beauty market between the "fun of Lush and the efficacy of Neal's Yard", as Jo describes their niche. However, even though hugely successful now, Beauty Kitchen started small and took its time to thrash out that market niche and point of difference.  Jo tells us that her big break came in a rushed, rather impromptu but nonetheless very cleverly pitched 10-minutes to a retail buyer over a coffee in Starbucks. The beauty entrepreneur has to know how to plan and yet be super calm and flexible at a moment's notice to make the most of golden opportunities. Listen to Jo's experience, infectious energy and sound advice and you'll gain invaluable inside tips from a seasoned beauty entrepreneur.   In this episode, you'll gain beauty entrepreneur tips including:  Don't rush your market research and the ground work needed to map your business model. Early sales at markets and fairs might seem a time waste but realise that the feedback you get and the resilience you gain personally from these experiences can help you define a better business and products later on. You need to be curious and do your research and have your antenna tuned to funding and networking opportunities.  There are more funds out there for start-ups that you might think, from free business advice to grants. Use your gut feeling too. If you have a product ready for market, but your 6th sense and market research is telling you it's not quite the right time for it to be understood, hold back. Start slowly but surely educating your market first and then try again. If your product or business doesn't succeed in its early days, learn to "fail fast, fail cheaply and move on and learn from it".  A wise entrepreneur knows to cut their losses, be strengthened by the experience and save their energy to start again, differently.  Key take-out from this episode on becoming a beauty entrepreneur are:  One opportunity often leads to another. Once you've gained one pot of funding, won one small award or some seed funding, you start to get noticed and to notice other sources of business know-how and start-up funding available to you at low or even no cost. Retailers, bank managers, and other entities you might wish to approach as you build your business are generally time poor. Try scripting out standard one-, three- and five-minute pitches that say everything important for your audience to know. Edit these pitches for different audiences. Getting hands-on and showing how your products work and how they differentiate themselves can do more than words on Powerpoint slides sometimes. So, get creative with your approaches to third parties. Seek out networking events and communities with like-minded businesses; someone will no doubt have had your issues and be able to offer mutual help. Sustainable business is not a trend but a new way of doing business. See how you can implement  sustainable business practices transparently and ethically into your processes and products, whether in terms of packaging or moves to zero waste. Do what you can when you can. Small transparent steps are better than rushing and then not being able to deliver on promise.  In this episode, Jo mentions several funding entities and other resources: Entrepreneur Handbook - a complete list and guide to small business funding in the UK. Entrepreneurial Spark - accelerator, intrapreneur and mindset enabler organisation and network. Startup Grind - global community of entrepreneurs. Find out more about Jo Chidley and Beauty Kitchen, the brand and her story here: Beauty Kitchen website. Beauty Kitchen on Instagram. Beauty Kitchen on Facebook. Beauty Kitchen on Youtube. 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 on Instagram.

We met Jo Chidley, beauty entrepreneur and founder of <a href="https://www.beautykitchen.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beauty Kitchen</a>, effective, natural, and sustainable beauty, almost a year ago and have been stalking her ever since to give us some airtime.  We are so excited to have caught up with her in her busy schedule running a multi-million turnover business from her native Scotland. Jo has won multiple industry awards, including the Natwest Everywoman Award in the Brand of the Future Category and was recognised as one of the 10 most influential people in Natural Beauty in the UK. She’s been featured in the likes of ELLE, Woman &amp; Home magazine and BBC News and is a founding member of the Global Advisory Board for Sustainable &amp; Natural Cosmetics. Jo was voted Nr 2 in the 2018 Who’s Who of Natural Beauty. In this episode of <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/category/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green Beauty Conversations</a>, Jo takes us back to her early days in the beauty business, and talks us through her start-up strategies and how she grew from small beginnings to where Beauty Kitchen is today. We realised talking to Jo that while some connections and opportunities come through sheer luck, there are many others that are out there for the taking, if you know when and where to look for them.  These include free business advice and numerous sources of funding. Jo and her husband knew they wanted to start a sustainable beauty business and spotted a gap in the sustainable, natural beauty market between the "fun of Lush and the efficacy of Neal's Yard", as Jo describes their niche. However, even though hugely successful now, Beauty Kitchen started small and took its time to thrash out that market niche and point of difference.  Jo tells us that her big break came in a rushed, rather impromptu but nonetheless very cleverly pitched 10-minutes to a retail buyer over a coffee in Starbucks. The beauty entrepreneur has to know how to plan and yet be super calm and flexible at a moment's notice to make the most of golden opportunities. Listen to Jo's experience, infectious energy and sound advice and you'll gain invaluable inside tips from a seasoned beauty entrepreneur.   In this episode, you'll gain beauty entrepreneur tips including: <ul> <li>Don't rush your market research and the ground work needed to map your business model.</li> <li>Early sales at markets and fairs might seem a time waste but realise that the feedback you get and the resilience you gain personally from these experiences can help you define a better business and products later on.</li> <li>You need to be curious and do your research and have your antenna tuned to funding and networking opportunities.  There are more funds out there for start-ups that you might think, from free business advice to grants.</li> <li>Use your gut feeling too. If you have a product ready for market, but your 6th sense and market research is telling you it's not quite the right time for it to be understood, hold back. Start slowly but surely educating your market first and then try again.</li> <li>If your product or business doesn't succeed in its early days, learn to "fail fast, fail cheaply and move on and learn from it".  A wise entrepreneur knows to cut their losses, be strengthened by the experience and save their energy to start again, differently.</li> </ul> Key take-out from this episode on becoming a beauty entrepreneur are: <ul> <li>One opportunity often leads to another. Once you've gained one pot of funding, won one small award or some seed funding, you start to get noticed and to notice other sources of business know-how and start-up funding available to you at low or even no cost.</li> <li>Retailers, bank managers, and other entities you might wish to approach as you build your business are generally time poor. Try scripting out standard one-, three- and five-minute pitches that say everything important for your audience to know. Edit these pitches for different audiences.</li> <li>Getting hands-on and showing how your products work and how they differentiate themselves can do more than words on Powerpoint slides sometimes. So, get creative with your approaches to third parties.</li> <li>Seek out networking events and communities with like-minded businesses; someone will no doubt have had your issues and be able to offer mutual help.</li> <li>Sustainable business is not a trend but a new way of doing business. See how you can implement <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-starting-an-ethical-skincare-business/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> sustainable business practices</a> transparently and ethically into your processes and products, whether in terms of packaging or moves to <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-zero-waste-green-beauty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">zero waste</a>.</li> <li>Do what you can when you can. Small transparent steps are better than rushing and then not being able to deliver on promise.</li> </ul> In this episode, Jo mentions several funding entities and other resources: <a href="https://entrepreneurhandbook.co.uk/grants-loans/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Entrepreneur Handbook</a> - a complete list and guide to small business funding in the UK. <a href="https://www.entrepreneurial-spark.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Entrepreneurial Spark</a> - accelerator, intrapreneur and mindset enabler organisation and network. <a href="https://www.startupgrind.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Startup Grind</a> - global community of entrepreneurs. Find out more about Jo Chidley and Beauty Kitchen, the brand and her story here: Beauty Kitchen <a href="https://www.beautykitchen.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>. Beauty Kitchen on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautykitchen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Beauty Kitchen on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beautykitchen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Beauty Kitchen on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiyLutMu5Np-w1jo9NNBI1Q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Youtube</a>. 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: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>; and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP28. Beauty Entrepreneurship with Jo Chidley of Beauty Kitchen

Robert Tisserand

‘Robert Tisserand has just joined our Facebook group’, Lorraine messaged me excitedly. ‘The Robert Tisserand?’ I replied. ‘YES, THE Robert Tisserand’. This was an exciting moment for us at Formula Botanica. As organic cosmetic formulators, Robert Tisserand’s seminal work on essential oil safety had been a staple resource for Formula Botanica for years and his research into essential oils are highly regarded and respected within our wider community. Last year Lorraine and I were able to arrange a meeting with Robert in London and we kept a steady dialogue flowing since then.  When he agreed to be a guest on the podcast we were thrilled and we were determined to make the most out of this opportunity and share it with as many of you as possible. Robert Tisserand is an expert in aromatherapy and essential oil research.    In this podcast you will learn:  Why essential oil safety is an issue and why he decided to write his book ‘Essential Oil Safety’ back in 1995. Some of the issues with the EU guidelines and what the current research on essential oils shows in terms of allergens in citrus oils and why his safety guidance differs. Some examples of why safety guidelines are necessary and why essential oil safety is still such an important topic and worthy of our attention. The benefits of using essential oils in cosmetic formulation.  Key takeaways:  Get Robert’s opinion on the recent lavender and tea tree oil controversy where recent research suggested that both oils were hormone disruptors. Why you should research essential oils carefully when using them in skincare or haircare formulations and why some research can be considered scare-mongering. Why legislation continues to be a challenge, why it is likely that it will increase in the coming years and how this relates to safety.    To help people make informed decisions about essential oil usage, The Tisserand Institute has launched a six-part, certified Essential Oil Safety Masterclass with Robert Tisserand. Follow the link to register. Registration is only open until the 12th of April so make sure you act quickly to take advantage of this great course. You can find out more about Robert and The Tisserand Institute by following the links below:  Tisserand Institute website Tisserand Institute on Facebook Tisserand Institute on Instagram Tisserand Institute on Twitter  We hope you enjoyed hearing Robert talk about essential oil safety and what it means to him. As usual if you have any feedback or suggestions for us please don’t hesitate to get in contact. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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. 

‘Robert Tisserand has just joined our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SkincareEntrepreneurs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook group</a>’, Lorraine messaged me excitedly. ‘The Robert Tisserand?’ I replied. ‘YES, THE Robert Tisserand’. This was an exciting moment for us at Formula Botanica. As organic cosmetic formulators, Robert Tisserand’s seminal work on essential oil safety had been a staple resource for Formula Botanica for years and his research into essential oils are highly regarded and respected within our wider community. Last year Lorraine and I were able to arrange a meeting with Robert in London and we kept a steady dialogue flowing since then.  When he agreed to be a guest on the podcast we were thrilled and we were determined to make the most out of this opportunity and share it with as many of you as possible. Robert Tisserand is an expert in aromatherapy and essential oil research.    In this podcast you will learn: <ol> <li>Why essential oil safety is an issue and why he decided to write his book ‘Essential Oil Safety’ back in 1995.</li> <li>Some of the issues with the EU guidelines and what the current research on essential oils shows in terms of allergens in citrus oils and why his safety guidance differs.</li> <li>Some examples of why safety guidelines are necessary and why essential oil safety is still such an important topic and worthy of our attention.</li> <li>The benefits of using essential oils in cosmetic formulation.</li> </ol> Key takeaways: <ol> <li>Get Robert’s opinion on the recent lavender and tea tree oil controversy where recent research suggested that both oils were hormone disruptors.</li> <li>Why you should research essential oils carefully when using them in skincare or haircare formulations and why some research can be considered scare-mongering.</li> <li>Why legislation continues to be a challenge, why it is likely that it will increase in the coming years and how this relates to safety.</li> </ol> To help people make informed decisions about essential oil usage, The Tisserand Institute has launched a six-part, certified Essential Oil Safety Masterclass with Robert Tisserand. Follow the <a href="http://tisserandinstitute.org/essential-oil-safety-master-class/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">link</a> to register. Registration is only open until the 12th of April so make sure you act quickly to take advantage of this great course. You can find out more about Robert and The Tisserand Institute by following the links below: <ul> <li><a href="http://tisserandinstitute.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tisserand Institute website</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RobertTisserandEssentialTraining/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tisserand Institute on Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tisserandinstitute/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tisserand Institute on Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TisserandInst" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tisserand Institute on Twitter</a></li> </ul> We hope you enjoyed hearing Robert talk about essential oil safety and what it means to him. As usual if you have any feedback or suggestions for us please don’t hesitate to get in contact. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP6. Essential Oil Safety with Robert Tisserand

This year Lorraine and Gemma attended the In-Cosmetics Global 2018 exhibition in Amsterdam. In-Cosmetics is now in its 27th year and is billed as the leading event for personal care ingredients. The exhibition aims to bring together ingredients suppliers with product manufacturers with a focus on networking and building relationships. With around 780 exhibitors and 9000 visitors, to say that In-Cosmetics was jam-packed, busy and a tad overwhelming at times would be an understatement. However, the weather in Amsterdam was glorious, Lorraine and Gemma got to hang out and speak to loads of people in the industry and most importantly we got to see our students and graduates and hear what they had to say about their experiences at In-Cosmetics. The event is typically dominated by the mainstream cosmetics industry with little focus on the green and natural beauty movement, but we were pleasantly surprised at what we learnt during our two days at In-Cosmetics. Lorraine came up with the idea of creating a trend report summarising what we saw at the In-Cosmetics exhibition and how these trends tie into what we are doing with the green beauty industry so obviously Gemma thought ‘let’s do a podcast about it’. In this podcast you will learn about the top ten trends that we saw at In-Cosmetics Global exhibition.   In this podcast you will learn:  Lorraine &amp; Gemma's top 10 beauty trends for 2018 (and beyond), based on what's happening in the mainstream cosmetics industry, as well as our discussions with Mintel. How indie beauty brands can use this information to storm ahead in the industry by making their formulations with natural ingredients while still hitting all the latest trends. Our thoughts on In-Cosmetics Global 2018 in Amsterdam and why you should attend, if you're interested in where the green beauty industry is headed.    Our Top 10 Beauty Trends for 2018:  The Unicorn trend is influencing ingredients suppliers to design ingredients that work for people wanting to formulate with glittery, sparkly and holographic style products. Gels are becoming a massive formulation trend. There were so many different sorts of gels at In-Cosmetics, such as gel emulsions and gel balms. Gels can be hard to make for natural formulators but they are in high demand and were a major trend. Skin yoghurts such as after-sun, cooling and moisturising yoghurts were a massive theme and we saw many examples of interesting and innovative formulations based on the concept of a yoghurt for the skin. The continued search for the elusive, natural, botanical extract: there were loads and loads of botanical extracts around with a key trend being on locally sourced botanical extracts. These were all touted as the new ‘wow’ ingredients and we provide plenty of examples in the podcast. Sustainability and how ingredients suppliers are keen to embrace the concept in their business but in reality, they could not back up their claims of sustainability in a real way. We feel that indie brands are really leading the way in this area. Athleisure is taking off as the cosmetics industry is copying what's happening in wellness trends. We see a great opportunity to develop some very innovative niches for indie brands using the Athleisure trend. Genderless products and ranges are on the rise and we saw numerous ranges formulating and designing ranges that are not driven by the rigid gender binaries but embrace the concept of gender fluidity. Anti-blue light pollution: the market is developing actives that can cater for anti-blue light pollution and there are some great suppliers who are designing ingredients for this trend which is getting bigger and is here to stay. DIY skincare: Consumers are driving the desire for beauty regimes that can be personalized and put together by the consumer to address unique individual skincare needs. Skin microbiome: This is a hot topic in the industry right now and Mintel had it listed as a key trend. There are brands that are formulating skincare that is sensitive to the skin microbiome.    The brands, speakers and blog posts we refer to throughout this podcast can be found here:   Honest Beauty Talks - DIY Unicorn Balm Herbal Earth Malee Natural Science The Soap Co Anti-pollution skincare Zero-waste beauty Content Beauty &amp; Wellbeing Old Faithful  We hope you enjoyed our latest podcast on the top 10 beauty trends for 2018 (and beyond), based on our recent visit to In-Cosmetics Global 2018 in Amsterdam. If you have any feedback or suggestions for us please don’t hesitate to get in contact. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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.

This year Lorraine and Gemma attended the In-Cosmetics Global 2018 exhibition in Amsterdam. In-Cosmetics is now in its 27th year and is billed as the leading event for personal care ingredients. The exhibition aims to bring together ingredients suppliers with product manufacturers with a focus on networking and building relationships. With around 780 exhibitors and 9000 visitors, to say that In-Cosmetics was jam-packed, busy and a tad overwhelming at times would be an understatement. However, the weather in Amsterdam was glorious, Lorraine and Gemma got to hang out and speak to loads of people in the industry and most importantly we got to see our students and graduates and hear what they had to say about their experiences at In-Cosmetics. The event is typically dominated by the mainstream cosmetics industry with little focus on the green and natural beauty movement, but we were pleasantly surprised at what we learnt during our two days at In-Cosmetics. Lorraine came up with the idea of creating a trend report summarising what we saw at the In-Cosmetics exhibition and how these trends tie into what we are doing with the green beauty industry so obviously Gemma thought ‘let’s do a podcast about it’. In this podcast you will learn about the top ten trends that we saw at In-Cosmetics Global exhibition.   In this podcast you will learn: <ol> <li>Lorraine &amp; Gemma's top 10 beauty trends for 2018 (and beyond), based on what's happening in the mainstream cosmetics industry, as well as our discussions with Mintel.</li> <li>How indie beauty brands can use this information to storm ahead in the industry by making their formulations with natural ingredients while still hitting all the latest trends.</li> <li>Our thoughts on In-Cosmetics Global 2018 in Amsterdam and why you should attend, if you're interested in where the green beauty industry is headed.</li> </ol>   Our Top 10 Beauty Trends for 2018: <ol> <li>The Unicorn trend is influencing ingredients suppliers to design ingredients that work for people wanting to formulate with glittery, sparkly and holographic style products.</li> <li>Gels are becoming a massive formulation trend. There were so many different sorts of gels at In-Cosmetics, such as gel emulsions and gel balms. Gels can be hard to make for natural formulators but they are in high demand and were a major trend.</li> <li>Skin yoghurts such as after-sun, cooling and moisturising yoghurts were a massive theme and we saw many examples of interesting and innovative formulations based on the concept of a yoghurt for the skin.</li> <li>The continued search for the elusive, natural, botanical extract: there were loads and loads of botanical extracts around with a key trend being on locally sourced botanical extracts. These were all touted as the new ‘wow’ ingredients and we provide plenty of examples in the podcast.</li> <li>Sustainability and how ingredients suppliers are keen to embrace the concept in their business but in reality, they could not back up their claims of sustainability in a real way. We feel that indie brands are really leading the way in this area.</li> <li>Athleisure is taking off as the cosmetics industry is copying what's happening in wellness trends. We see a great opportunity to develop some very innovative niches for indie brands using the Athleisure trend.</li> <li>Genderless products and ranges are on the rise and we saw numerous ranges formulating and designing ranges that are not driven by the rigid gender binaries but embrace the concept of gender fluidity.</li> <li>Anti-blue light pollution: the market is developing actives that can cater for anti-blue light pollution and there are some great suppliers who are designing ingredients for this trend which is getting bigger and is here to stay.</li> <li>DIY skincare: Consumers are driving the desire for beauty regimes that can be personalized and put together by the consumer to address unique individual skincare needs.</li> <li>Skin microbiome: This is a hot topic in the industry right now and Mintel had it listed as a key trend. There are brands that are formulating skincare that is sensitive to the skin microbiome.</li> </ol> The brands, speakers and blog posts we refer to throughout this podcast can be found here: <ul> <li><a href="http://www.honestbeautytalks.org/blog-1/diy-unicorn-body-balm-opskrift-til-din-gua-sha-massage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Honest Beauty Talks - DIY Unicorn Balm</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.herbalearth.ie/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Herbal Earth</a></li> <li><a href="https://maleeonline.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Malee Natural Science</a></li> <li><a href="https://thesoapco.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Soap Co</a></li> <li><a href="https://formulabotanica.com/how-to-make-anti-pollution-skincare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anti-pollution skincare</a></li> <li><a href="https://formulabotanica.com/zero-waste-beauty-next-trend/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zero-waste beauty</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.contentbeautywellbeing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Content Beauty &amp; Wellbeing</a></li> <li><a href="https://oldfaithful.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Old Faithful</a></li> </ul> We hope you enjoyed our latest podcast on the top 10 beauty trends for 2018 (and beyond), based on our recent visit to In-Cosmetics Global 2018 in Amsterdam. If you have any feedback or suggestions for us please don’t hesitate to get in contact. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP7. Top 10 Beauty Trends at In-Cosmetics Global 2018

This Green Beauty Conversations episode sees the Formula Botanica team report on the top beauty trends 2019 as seen at In-Cosmetics Global held this year in Paris in early April. In-Cosmetics is one of the beauty industry's key calendar events, and is a vast gathering of all branches of the cosmetics' sector and is open to both trade and the public. The Formula Botanica team comprising School Director Lorraine, Education Manager Timi and Business and Relationship Manager Gemma spread out among the vast exhibition halls to cover as many niche and sectoral beauty zones, workshops, supplier stands and talks as possible to give us a rounded and hot-off-the-press perspective on the top beauty trends for 2019. Formula Botanica also garnered a prestigious slot at the event; Lorraine was invited to give a keynote presentation and chose to tackle the traditional polarisation of synthetics vs naturals in a keynote entitled 'Challenging the assumptions of naturals in cosmetics'. Comparing notes and looking back to previous editions of In-Cosmetics, this podcast sees the team dive into some 10 top beauty trends; some evolving still; some contentious; some fascinating; and most all three at once! The trends we focus on include: formulation and ingredient innovations; the industry's focus on the skin's microbiome; water-reduced and waterless beauty; sustainability; greenwashing; food's influence on cosmetics; and bewildering and less than transparent new terms that cropped up such as 'sub-zero waste'. One theme that stood out throughout In-Cosmetics was how indie has gone mainstream; a fact acknowledged by In-Cosmetics 2019 as this was the first fair that included a dedicated Indie Beauty Trail. We came across around 50 Formula Botanica graduates and students at In-Cosmetics and would encourage more of you to attend next year's fair in Barcelona. Our team offer advice on how to make the most of In-Cosmetics, which can be an overwhelming experience. Listen in, be inspired and discover how to include the top beauty trends 2019 in your formulations and brands. In this episode, you'll find out about how:  A new breed of emulsifiers is giving rise to innovative products with transformational textures and dual purposes. We discovered incredible 'jelly' textures that turn into powders and creams, as well as thick cleansers that turn to foaming products. Food-inspired cosmetics are hitting the market big time and catching attention with names borrowed from food products. Examples include: Body Vinegar, and Face Chutney. Cosmetic products aimed at helping protect and nurture the skin's microbiome are on the rise and forking into three branches of functional products using pre-, pro- and post-biotic ingredients. We're curious to discover more about the underlying science behind their claims. More suppliers are gaining certification (Ecocert, Cosmos etc) for their ingredients. This should make life easier for formulators and brands seeking certification of their end products. Simplicity is the new ace card for formulators. We saw a noticeable absence of suppliers and cosmetics' brands promoting the latest exotic ingredients and far more emphasis on 'less is more' and locally supplied is better; and How greenwashing is still rife but masquerading in different guises. For example, products claiming sustainable credentials not because of their inherent ingredients or recyclable packaging, but because they donate to green or ethical projects.  Key take-outs on how to make the most of In-Cosmetics as an indie brand include:  To avoid overwhelm at the vast In-Cosmetics fair over three days, plan well in advance which zones to visit and book workshops and talks before you go. You can do this on the In-Cosmetics' website. Register for free to get updates. Before you go, buddy up with fellow Formula Botanica graduates and students on our online classroom or Skincare Entrepreneur Mastermind Facebook groups. Together you can cover more bases and feel less intimidated especially if it's your first big beauty trade fair. Don't be worried about representing a small, indie beauty brand. We found suppliers this year far more willing and helpful to the indie sector than in the past. Suppliers were eager to talk about smaller MOQs (minimum order quantities) and seemed to have geared up to the indie sector's needs. Do try to attend some formulation workshops as you will learn a lot about how to work with new, innovative ingredients like emulsifiers. Do visit the Sensory Bar and any other innovation zones even if a lot of the products showcased are not natural. You can gain invaluable insights into upcoming trends from mainstream cosmetic brands which can open your eyes to possibilities in your natural formulating.  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.

This Green Beauty Conversations episode sees the Formula Botanica team report on the top beauty trends 2019 as seen at <a href="https://www.in-cosmetics.com/global/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In-Cosmetics Global</a> held this year in Paris in early April. In-Cosmetics is one of the beauty industry's key calendar events, and is a vast gathering of all branches of the cosmetics' sector and is open to both trade and the public. The Formula Botanica team comprising School Director Lorraine, Education Manager Timi and Business and Relationship Manager Gemma spread out among the vast exhibition halls to cover as many niche and sectoral beauty zones, workshops, supplier stands and talks as possible to give us a rounded and hot-off-the-press perspective on the top beauty trends for 2019. Formula Botanica also garnered a prestigious slot at the event; Lorraine was invited to give a keynote presentation and chose to tackle the traditional polarisation of synthetics vs naturals in a keynote entitled '<a href="https://www.in-cosmetics.com/en/Sessions/70053/Challenging-the-assumptions-of-natural-in-cosmetics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Challenging the assumptions of naturals in cosmetics</a>'. Comparing notes and looking back to previous editions of In-Cosmetics, this podcast sees the team dive into some 10 top beauty trends; some evolving still; some contentious; some fascinating; and most all three at once! The trends we focus on include: formulation and ingredient innovations; the industry's focus on the skin's microbiome; water-reduced and <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/waterless-beauty-trend/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">waterless beauty</a>; sustainability; greenwashing; food's influence on cosmetics; and bewildering and less than transparent new terms that cropped up such as '<a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-zero-waste-green-beauty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sub-zero waste</a>'. One theme that stood out throughout In-Cosmetics was how indie has gone mainstream; a fact acknowledged by In-Cosmetics 2019 as this was the first fair that included a dedicated Indie Beauty Trail. We came across around 50 Formula Botanica graduates and students at In-Cosmetics and would encourage more of you to attend next year's fair in Barcelona. Our team offer advice on how to make the most of In-Cosmetics, which can be an overwhelming experience. Listen in, be inspired and discover how to include the top beauty trends 2019 in your formulations and brands. In this episode, you'll find out about how: <ul> <li>A new breed of emulsifiers is giving rise to innovative products with transformational textures and dual purposes. We discovered incredible 'jelly' textures that turn into powders and creams, as well as thick cleansers that turn to foaming products.</li> <li>Food-inspired cosmetics are hitting the market big time and catching attention with names borrowed from food products. Examples include: Body Vinegar, and Face Chutney.</li> <li>Cosmetic products aimed at helping protect and nurture the skin's microbiome are on the rise and forking into three branches of functional products using pre-, pro- and post-biotic ingredients. We're curious to discover more about the underlying science behind their claims.</li> <li>More suppliers are gaining certification (Ecocert, Cosmos etc) for their ingredients. This should make life easier for formulators and brands seeking certification of their end products.</li> <li>Simplicity is the new ace card for formulators. We saw a noticeable absence of suppliers and cosmetics' brands promoting the latest exotic ingredients and far more emphasis on 'less is more' and locally supplied is better; and</li> <li>How greenwashing is still rife but masquerading in different guises. For example, products claiming sustainable credentials not because of their inherent ingredients or recyclable packaging, but because they donate to green or ethical projects.</li> </ul> Key take-outs on how to make the most of In-Cosmetics as an indie brand include: <ul> <li>To avoid overwhelm at the vast In-Cosmetics fair over three days, plan well in advance which zones to visit and book workshops and talks before you go. You can do this on the <a href="https://www.in-cosmetics.com/global/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In-Cosmetics' website</a>. Register for free to get updates.</li> <li>Before you go, buddy up with fellow Formula Botanica graduates and students on our online classroom or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SkincareEntrepreneurs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Skincare Entrepreneur Mastermind</a> Facebook groups. Together you can cover more bases and feel less intimidated especially if it's your first big beauty trade fair.</li> <li>Don't be worried about representing a small, indie beauty brand. We found suppliers this year far more willing and helpful to the indie sector than in the past. Suppliers were eager to talk about smaller MOQs (minimum order quantities) and seemed to have geared up to the indie sector's needs.</li> <li>Do try to attend some formulation workshops as you will learn a lot about how to work with new, innovative ingredients like emulsifiers.</li> <li>Do visit the Sensory Bar and any other innovation zones even if a lot of the products showcased are not natural. You can gain invaluable insights into upcoming trends from mainstream cosmetic brands which can open your eyes to possibilities in your natural formulating.</li> </ul> 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP34.  Top 10 Beauty Trends 2019 at In-Cosmetics Global

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.

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 <a href="http://www.thedesign.co/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Rob Moore of The Design Co</a> 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 <a href="https://pinksboutique.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Pink's Boutique</a> and <a href="https://proverbskin.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Proverb Skin</a> whose founders were guest speakers at the <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/2017-conference-highlights/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Formula Botanica 2017 Conference</a>. 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 <a href="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/formulabotanica/Bonuses/TDC+-+ESSENTIAL+BRAND+GUIDE.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Essential Guide to a Strong Brand</a>, 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:   <ul> <li>Why your brand name is a big deal and needs as much planning as your entire branding exercise;</li> <li>What to look out for when buying domain names and applying for trademarks;</li> <li>Why your brand's reputation is built from the very start, and from those little everyday interactions with your audiences;</li> <li>Why your product is not your brand;</li> <li>How your customer service and your employees are critical brand ambassadors; and</li> <li>How your own story and journey to starting your business is key to captivating customers and making an emotional connection with them.</li> </ul> Key take-aways include: <ul> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>Remember that customers are key in branding indie beauty businesses.  They build your brand reputation, not you. They are highly influential in marketing <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-tips-working-with-beauty-bloggers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> your brand on social media</a> and through word of mouth.</li> <li>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.</li> </ul> You can find The Design Co here: <a href="http://www.thedesign.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Design Co website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thedesigncoUK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Design Co on Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thedesigncoUK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Design Co on Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thedesigncoUK/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Design Co on Instagram</a> 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 <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/green-beauty-conversations-by-formula-botanica-organic/id1350581005?mt=2&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/formula-botanica/green-beauty-conversations" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP15. Top 10 Tips for Branding Indie Beauty Businesses

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.

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 <a href="https://wellnessstockshop.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Wellness Stock Shop</a>, 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 <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/wellness-stock-shop/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">branding webinar</a> 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 <a href="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/formulabotanica/Bonuses/WSS+FB+Essential+Branding+Guide.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download the workbook</a> 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: <ul> <li>How both visual and emotional elements combine to form the essential building blocks for branding a beauty business.</li> <li>Why you need to invest up front, as early as you can, in defining and styling your brand.</li> <li>But why you need also to dig deep and map your brand voice yourself before hiring a graphic or brand designer.</li> <li>About how branding is never static, and why you need to revise, refresh and rethink your branding periodically.</li> </ul> Briena shares three practical exercises in the <a href="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/formulabotanica/Bonuses/WSS+FB+Essential+Branding+Guide.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Branding Workbook</a> accompanying this episode.  We recommend you take your time working through it. Key take-aways from this podcast include: <ul> <li>Successful beauty brands are those that connect with their customers and audiences on an emotional level.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>Branding a beauty business is more about developing a lifestyle people enjoy or aspire to!</li> <li>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?</li> <li>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?</li> </ul> Find the Wellness Stock Shop: <a href="https://wellnessstockshop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wellness Stock Shop website</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wellnessstockshop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wellness Stock Shop on Instagram</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wellnessstockshop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wellness Stock Shop on Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/wellnessstock/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wellness Stock Shop on Pinterest</a> Thank you for joining us for this episode of the <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/category/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Formula Botanica: Green Beauty Conversations podcast</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP16. Beginner's Guide to Branding a Beauty Business

What is CBD skincare? If we'd told you even a year or two ago that CBD skincare is related to cannabis, it's likely to have triggered an automatic association with scheduled drugs. However, today, certain bio-active compounds, or cannabinoids, found within both cannabis and its relative hemp are being used not only in medicine but also far more recently as legitimate, active ingredients in high-performance skincare. In brief, cannabis itself is scheduled as an illegal drug in most western countries although as recently as October 2018, it was legalised in Canada for recreational use. It has hit the news in the UK in particular this autumn with the case of a boy with epilepsy who was denied legal use of cannabis oil to ease his symptoms. It seems timely then to look into the rising trend of cannabinoids in skincare formulations. The main psychoactive part of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is one of just under 500 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids. Another group of cannabinoids however do not contain the psychoactive elements; these are cannabidiol (CBD) and it is these compounds that have been subject to cosmetic science research for their anti-ageing and other beneficial properties. The journey of how cannabinoids came to be regarded as botanical compounds of huge interest to the beauty industry is of course a complex one. To help unpack the virtues of hemp cannabinoids in CBD skincare, we invited Samir Juneja of CBD of London, the UK's first luxury CBD skincare brand to Green Beauty Conversations. Launched early in 2018, CBD of London is pioneering CBD ingredients in luxury skincare and has had coverage in major UK magazines such as Tatler, GQ and Vogue. But, as Samir says, there's a lot of education on CBD skincare to do yet for high street retailers to engage. This is why we invited CBD of London to the podcast to spread the true information on CBD skincare. In this episode, you'll hear about:  The science behind CBD and its differences from THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid compounds; How the human body has its own cannabinoids, which act as receptors to topically-applied CBD; The powerful benefits of CBD in anti-ageing, anti-pollution and anti-inflammatory cosmetic products; How CBD is extracted from hemp and the pros of certain methods of extraction, like super-critical CO2; and Why CBD, while a trending new ingredient, is still misunderstood.  Key take-outs from this episode include:  It can take time to build a brand using new, unknown ingredients, especially those with connotations or a legacy of use in other ways. However, pioneering does bring its rewards as you have near-on first-mover advantage; Make time to educate your audiences and customers on the power of your ingredients, pointing out the positives and benefits; take every opportunity to speak to them using blog posts and social media to the maximum; Make the science behind your ingredients accessible and understandable. Remember people can research online but also find misinformation, so be transparent and helpful. Think carefully about your branding and brand positioning, as these are key to giving the right impression of your product offer. CBD overcame the cannabis connotations by creating a visually-appealing and high-end offer communicated consistently across its website, packaging and other collateral.  Find out more about CBD of London, its story and about CBD skincare science here: CBD of London website. CBD of London on Instagram. CBD of London on Facebook. 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.

What is CBD skincare? If we'd told you even a year or two ago that CBD skincare is related to cannabis, it's likely to have triggered an automatic association with scheduled drugs. However, today, certain bio-active compounds, or cannabinoids, found within both cannabis and its relative hemp are being used not only in medicine but also far more recently as legitimate, active ingredients in high-performance skincare. In brief, cannabis itself is scheduled as an illegal drug in most western countries although as recently as October 2018, it was legalised in Canada for recreational use. It has hit the news in the UK in particular this autumn with the case of a boy with epilepsy who was denied legal use of cannabis oil to ease his symptoms. It seems timely then to look into the rising trend of cannabinoids in skincare formulations. The main psychoactive part of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is one of just under 500 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids. Another group of cannabinoids however do not contain the psychoactive elements; these are cannabidiol (CBD) and it is these compounds that have been subject to cosmetic science research for their anti-ageing and other beneficial properties. The journey of how cannabinoids came to be regarded as botanical compounds of huge interest to the beauty industry is of course a complex one. To help unpack the virtues of hemp cannabinoids in CBD skincare, we invited Samir Juneja of <a href="https://www.cbdoflondon.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CBD of London</a>, the UK's first luxury CBD skincare brand to Green Beauty Conversations. Launched early in 2018, CBD of London is pioneering CBD ingredients in luxury skincare and has had coverage in major UK magazines such as Tatler, GQ and Vogue. But, as Samir says, there's a lot of education on CBD skincare to do yet for high street retailers to engage. This is why we invited CBD of London to the podcast to spread the true information on CBD skincare. In this episode, you'll hear about: <ul> <li>The science behind CBD and its differences from THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid compounds;</li> <li>How the human body has its own cannabinoids, which act as receptors to topically-applied CBD;</li> <li>The powerful benefits of CBD in anti-ageing, anti-pollution and anti-inflammatory cosmetic products;</li> <li>How CBD is extracted from hemp and the pros of certain methods of extraction, like super-critical CO2; and</li> <li>Why CBD, while a trending new ingredient, is still misunderstood.</li> </ul> Key take-outs from this episode include: <ul> <li>It can take time to build a brand using new, unknown ingredients, especially those with connotations or a legacy of use in other ways. However, pioneering does bring its rewards as you have near-on first-mover advantage;</li> <li>Make time to educate your audiences and customers on the power of your ingredients, pointing out the positives and benefits; take every opportunity to speak to them using blog posts and social media to the maximum;</li> <li>Make the science behind your ingredients accessible and understandable. Remember people can research online but also find misinformation, so be transparent and helpful.</li> <li>Think carefully about your branding and brand positioning, as these are key to giving the right impression of your product offer. CBD overcame the cannabis connotations by creating a visually-appealing and high-end offer communicated consistently across its website, packaging and other collateral.</li> </ul> Find out more about CBD of London, its story and about CBD skincare science here: <a href="https://www.cbdoflondon.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CBD of London website</a>. CBD of London on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cbdoflondon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. CBD of London on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cbdoflondon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP24.  How Cannabinoids Work in Skincare

When we met two of the sisters from Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil at the In Cosmetics conference in 2017, we immediately fell in love with their plum beauty oil. Once we heard more about their story and the development of the plum beauty oil we knew that we wanted to interview them and find out more. At Formula Botanica we love oils. We also love meeting skincare entrepreneurs and finding out more about what they are making, their processes and how they find inspiration.  In September 2016, siblings Jacqueline, Allison and Elaine Taylor co-founded Le Prunier, an innovative and organic beauty line based on the Power of Plum.  The sister's story begins in 1916, when their great grandfather, Earl Taylor, began farming the rich soils of Sutter County, 30 miles north of Sacramento. Their grandfather, George Taylor, continued the family tradition, followed by their father and uncle. The sisters spent much of their youth on the farm, helping with harvest, working farmers markets and attending trade shows to promote their product.   In 2014, they made the decision to explore alternative uses of the plum by partnering with two world-renowned labs. Their goal was to uncover the hidden benefits of this powerful fruit, while maintaining sustainable, organic farming practices. Among one of the areas they explored was utilizing the overlooked byproducts of the plum. What they discovered—the most precious and powerful oil—is now Le Prunier. Today, the sisters carry on the farm’s legacy with a 4th generation perspective—tradition meets innovation.   In this podcast you will:  Learn the story of how they developed a skincare range from waste on their farm. Be introduced to the science behind their plum beauty oil and why it makes a great choice for all types of skin. Find out how Le Prunier secured retail deals with Neiman Marcus and other routes to market. Learn what it’s like to launch with one product and then work on diversifying your range. Find out they work together as sisters and play to each other’s strengths.   You can have a look at the benefits of plum beauty oil as well as the heritage and sustainability behind Le Prunier by visiting www.leprunier.com or by following them on social media:   Follow Le Prunier on Facebook Follow Le Prunier on Instagram Follow Le Prunier on Twitter  To claim your 10% discount on the LePrunier Plum Beauty Oil - which won best facial serum oil at the Indie Beauty Expo 2017 - enter the code FB2018 at checkout. We hope that you enjoyed listening to this episode and please get in touch with us if you have any question or comments.     Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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.

When we met two of the sisters from Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil at the In Cosmetics conference in 2017, we immediately fell in love with their plum beauty oil. Once we heard more about their story and the development of the plum beauty oil we knew that we wanted to interview them and find out more. At Formula Botanica we love oils. We also love meeting skincare entrepreneurs and finding out more about what they are making, their processes and how they find inspiration.  In September 2016, siblings Jacqueline, Allison and Elaine Taylor co-founded Le Prunier, an innovative and organic beauty line based on the Power of Plum.  The sister's story begins in 1916, when their great grandfather, Earl Taylor, began farming the rich soils of Sutter County, 30 miles north of Sacramento. Their grandfather, George Taylor, continued the family tradition, followed by their father and uncle. The sisters spent much of their youth on the farm, helping with harvest, working farmers markets and attending trade shows to promote their product.   In 2014, they made the decision to explore alternative uses of the plum by partnering with two world-renowned labs. Their goal was to uncover the hidden benefits of this powerful fruit, while maintaining sustainable, organic farming practices. Among one of the areas they explored was utilizing the overlooked byproducts of the plum. What they discovered—the most precious and powerful oil—is now Le Prunier. Today, the sisters carry on the farm’s legacy with a 4th generation perspective—tradition meets innovation.   In this podcast you will: <ul> <li>Learn the story of how they developed a skincare range from waste on their farm.</li> <li>Be introduced to the science behind their plum beauty oil and why it makes a great choice for all types of skin.</li> <li>Find out how Le Prunier secured retail deals with Neiman Marcus and other routes to market.</li> <li>Learn what it’s like to launch with one product and then work on diversifying your range.</li> <li>Find out they work together as sisters and play to each other’s strengths. </li> </ul> You can have a look at the benefits of plum beauty oil as well as the heritage and sustainability behind Le Prunier by visiting <a href="http://www.leprunier.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.leprunier.com</a> or by following them on social media:  <ul> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/leprunierusa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow Le Prunier on Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/leprunier/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow Le Prunier on Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/LePrunierUSA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow Le Prunier on Twitter</a></li> </ul> To claim your 10% discount on the LePrunier Plum Beauty Oil - which won best facial serum oil at the Indie Beauty Expo 2017 - enter the code FB2018 at checkout. We hope that you enjoyed listening to this episode and please get in touch with us if you have any question or comments.   Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP4. The Beauty and Science of Plum Oil

At Formula Botanica, one of the most frequent questions our community asks is where to buy certain organic skincare ingredients. Our students have access to our resources list of recommended, trusted suppliers around the world. However, knowing more about how suppliers work behind the scenes can help you ask the right questions when sourcing ingredients to suit your formulating needs. Being a supplier of organic skincare ingredients isn't an easy business to be in. There are numerous challenges in getting specific ingredients to each and every customer when and where they want them. Ensuring availability of natural organic skincare ingredients isn't the only issue our suppliers have to contend with. As natural formulators, we ask them also about the sustainability of their organic skincare ingredients, as well as whether they were grown, harvested and supplied in line with ethical business practices. To help explain the supplier's viewpoint, we spoke to Jem Skelding, Founder and CEO of Naissance, a global supplier of natural organic skincare ingredients. As Jem explains, challenges in sourcing and supplying ingredients range from factoring in the 'usual' problems of accessing remote rural regions, and dealing with poor harvests and erratic weather affecting availability to acute situations such as war, famine and flood. For Naissance, a company whose business ethos is founded on ethical practices and which works in partnership with, rather than just buys from rural communities and collectives around the world farming natural ingredients, these challenges are 'all in a day's work'. In this podcast episode, host Gemma discovers the surprising lengths Naissance goes to in order to serve not only its end customers - the formulators - but also everyone in its supply chain from its own team to myriad small farming communities across the globe. Our aim in interviewing Jem is to sensitise us to just what goes on behind the scenes in supplying ethically- and sustainably-sourced organic skincare ingredients, and for us, as formulators to know what to ask of our suppliers as well. Jem also shares his insights into running and growing an ethical business, having founded Naissance some 20 years ago and building it from kitchen table to global brand. In this episode, on sourcing organic skincare ingredients and ethical business, you'll hear about:  Why starting out in business from day one with a rock-solid commitment to ethical practices and dedication to providing high quality helps guide and and manage all your business relationships transparently; How going the extra mile spending time with your customers, listening to their needs and giving advice is not a waste of time at any stage in business, but rather a valuable investment in your future; Why it is worth working towards organic, or other ethical, sustainable or quality certification awards for your products and/or business. However, Jem also explains that your certification goals should not burden your own suppliers and partners; try to work with them and help them to help you so it's a win-win for all; How selling internationally is more than just about translating a website. You should seek to understand the countries and cultures you are trading in and put in some 'face time' visiting your trading partners to really grasp your international customers' needs.  Key takeouts from this episode include:  Ethical business is built on honest, open communications and being sensitive to your partners' needs and goals, whether they are those of your staff or of the numerous other entities that you rely on to do business. Don't underestimate the tax and legal side of growing a business, especially once you trade internationally. But do pay your dues in each country you operate to ensure you support people on the ground there. Help everyone in your business chain profit, improve and share in your success as your business grows. Be sensitive to the daily life and realities of the communities from which you source your organic skincare ingredients. A Shea butter collective, for example, might be eight hours from an airport or port and have to deal with all sorts of issues in delivering your product or raw material.  Naissance-Formula Botanica Starter Kit Naissance has teamed up with us to create the  Formula Botanica starter kit for students completing their award-winning online  Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation. The diploma teaches you how to develop your own unique formulations so that you can start the skincare business of your dreams. It contains a good range of essential ingredients including carrier and essential oils, floral waters and functional ingredients like emulsifiers, exfoliants, gums, pH adjusters and surfactants. Find out more about Naissance, its range of organic skincare ingredients and its commitment to ethical business: Naissance website. Naissance on Facebook. Naissance on Instagram. Naissance on Twitter. Naissance on Youtube. 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.

At Formula Botanica, one of the most frequent questions our community asks is where to buy certain organic skincare ingredients. Our students have access to our resources list of recommended, trusted suppliers around the world. However, knowing more about how suppliers work behind the scenes can help you ask the right questions when sourcing ingredients to suit your formulating needs. Being a supplier of organic skincare ingredients isn't an easy business to be in. There are numerous challenges in getting specific ingredients to each and every customer when and where they want them. Ensuring availability of natural organic skincare ingredients isn't the only issue our suppliers have to contend with. As natural formulators, we ask them also about the sustainability of their organic skincare ingredients, as well as whether they were grown, harvested and supplied in line with ethical business practices. To help explain the supplier's viewpoint, we spoke to Jem Skelding, Founder and CEO of <a href="https://discoveringbetter.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Naissance</a>, a global supplier of natural organic skincare ingredients. As Jem explains, challenges in sourcing and supplying ingredients range from factoring in the 'usual' problems of accessing remote rural regions, and dealing with poor harvests and erratic weather affecting availability to acute situations such as war, famine and flood. For Naissance, a company whose business ethos is founded on ethical practices and which works in partnership with, rather than just buys from rural communities and collectives around the world farming natural ingredients, these challenges are 'all in a day's work'. In this podcast episode, host Gemma discovers the surprising lengths Naissance goes to in order to serve not only its end customers - the formulators - but also everyone in its supply chain from its own team to myriad small farming communities across the globe. Our aim in interviewing Jem is to sensitise us to just what goes on behind the scenes in supplying ethically- and sustainably-sourced organic skincare ingredients, and for us, as formulators to know what to ask of our suppliers as well. Jem also shares his insights into running and growing an ethical business, having founded Naissance some 20 years ago and building it from kitchen table to global brand. In this episode, on sourcing organic skincare ingredients and ethical business, you'll hear about: <ul> <li>Why starting out in business from day one with a rock-solid commitment to ethical practices and dedication to providing high quality helps guide and and manage all your business relationships transparently;</li> <li>How going the extra mile spending time with your customers, listening to their needs and giving advice is not a waste of time at any stage in business, but rather a valuable investment in your future;</li> <li>Why it is worth working towards organic, or other ethical, sustainable or quality certification awards for your products and/or business. However, Jem also explains that your certification goals should not burden your own suppliers and partners; try to work with them and help them to help you so it's a win-win for all;</li> <li>How selling internationally is more than just about translating a website. You should seek to understand the countries and cultures you are trading in and put in some 'face time' visiting your trading partners to really grasp your international customers' needs.</li> </ul> Key takeouts from this episode include: <ul> <li>Ethical business is built on honest, open communications and being sensitive to your partners' needs and goals, whether they are those of your staff or of the numerous other entities that you rely on to do business.</li> <li>Don't underestimate the tax and legal side of growing a business, especially once you trade internationally. But do pay your dues in each country you operate to ensure you support people on the ground there.</li> <li>Help everyone in your business chain profit, improve and share in your success as your business grows.</li> <li>Be sensitive to the daily life and realities of the communities from which you source your organic skincare ingredients. A Shea butter collective, for example, might be eight hours from an airport or port and have to deal with all sorts of issues in delivering your product or raw material.</li> </ul> Naissance-Formula Botanica Starter Kit Naissance has teamed up with us to create the <a href="https://www.discoveringbetter.com/uk/formula-botanica-starter-kit.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Formula Botanica starter kit</a> for students completing their award-winning online <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/diploma-in-organic-skincare-formulation/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation</a>. The diploma teaches you how to develop your own unique formulations so that you can start the skincare business of your dreams. It contains a good range of essential ingredients including carrier and essential oils, floral waters and functional ingredients like emulsifiers, exfoliants, gums, pH adjusters and surfactants. Find out more about Naissance, its range of organic skincare ingredients and its commitment to ethical business: <a href="https://discoveringbetter.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Naissance website</a>. Naissance on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/naissancetrading" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Naissance on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/naissancetrading/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Naissance on <a href="https://twitter.com/Naissanceuk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Naissance on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMJTuVO602YZCjrTw4vqH0w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Youtube</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP33. Sourcing Sustainable Organic Skincare Ingredients

At Formula Botanica, we receive a good many queries from prospective students wanting to know if they need to be a qualified cosmetic chemist to formulate skincare products.  The cosmetic chemist vs skincare formulator conundrum has gone higher up the agenda in recent years as we've seen ever more non chemists as formulators and founders of indie beauty businesses. At Formula Botanica, we teach diplomas and certificates in cosmetic product formulating. An increasing number of our graduates go on to formulate beautiful, high-performance products as well as run successful indie beauty businesses having been inspired and empowered by the courses they took with us. This is possible because in nearly all parts of the world, irrespective of whether the formulator is a cosmetic chemist or skincare formulator, the cosmetic products themselves must meet strict  compliance regulations to be sold legally. What we teach at Formula Botanica are the key concepts of chemistry; a competent cosmetic product formulator would need to know to create products that are safe, stable and meet - and often exceed - consumer expectations. Some core components of cosmetic chemistry that we include in our Diplomas are pH measurement and monitoring, emulsification, methods of natural cosmetics' preservation, and the use of solubilisers and surfactants. Some Differences between a cosmetic chemist vs skincare formulator There are of course some fundamental differences between a cosmetic chemist and skincare formulator. A cosmetic chemist would be steeped in the science of how cosmetic ingredients work together and would know the likely outcome of any formula even without a practical lab trial. A cosmetic chemist would need formal, recognised, usually graduate-level qualifications in chemistry along with a specialist training (a post-graduate qualification) in cosmetic science. They may well end up working in the R&amp;D lab of a large cosmetics' firm. A cosmetic product formulator would not necessarily know the in-depth science of how ingredients work but could, through applied study and practical application of their formulating skills coupled with detailed observation, build up a considerable knowledge bank about their ingredients and formulation outcomes. A cosmetic chemist working in a large lab might not be the one who dreams up the lovely new formulas as they might be more restricted in how much of the route from first creative idea to marketable product they get their hands on. However, they may be at the forefront of R&amp;D bringing innovative cosmetic ingredients to market. It is inevitable that there is some overlap in roles and also a lot of grey areas and misconceptions about what both careers involve. In this podcast, Formula Botanica School Director, Lorraine Dallmeier and podcast host and Relationship Manager Gemma discuss the two roles and career paths along with their respective pros and cons. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone wondering about the training and career options in formulating cosmetics' products especially if looking to focus on natural, organic formulation. In this episode tackling the roles of a cosmetic chemist vs skincare formulator, you'll hear about:  Why your decision to choose one training route over the other may be more down to personal circumstances such as lifestyle, finances, commitments and time, and your desired career in the cosmetics' industry; How a cosmetic chemist has the chance to work in world-leading beauty brand labs but conversely how a product formulator may enjoy more freedom and creativity in formulating products and in career options; Why a cosmetic product placed for sale in most parts of the world, whether it is formulated by a chemist or product formulator, will have had to undergone the safety, stability and microbial testing to be placed legally on the market for sale; Why it is imperative that any cosmetics' business founder is transparent about their own personal or their employees' cosmetic formulating qualifications and must be confident in explaining how and why their qualifications  - whichever route they choose - enable them to do their job professionally; Why building a successful cosmetics' brand requires a swathe of skills that are not inherent in either product formulation nor chemistry backgrounds and would require extra skill sets; Why the lack of formal, tertiary-level cosmetic chemistry courses worldwide and the costs entailed in continuing in higher education might make a shorter-term, distance-learning formulation course a more accessible option for some.  Key take-outs include the three main steps to becoming a competent, natural cosmetics' skincare formulator:  Step one: First, get to know your ingredients thoroughly and learn how to research their properties. This will give you a sound basis on which to build your formulating skills. Step two: Practice formulating and never stop testing out new combinations and ratios of ingredients. Only through practice can you create more advanced formulas that consumers demand. Step three: Learn how to test your formulations professionally (safety, stability and microbial tests are mandatory). Develop the patience to test and make understanding testing one of your most important learning goals as a cosmetics formulator.  If you enjoy this podcast, you may also like our podcast on  How to Comply with Cosmetics' Regulations and our post Why I love natural, by a Cosmetic Chemist. 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 on Instagram.

At Formula Botanica, we receive a good many queries from prospective students wanting to know if they need to be a qualified cosmetic chemist to formulate skincare products.  The cosmetic chemist vs skincare formulator conundrum has gone higher up the agenda in recent years as we've seen ever more non chemists as formulators and founders of indie beauty businesses. At Formula Botanica, we teach diplomas and certificates in cosmetic product formulating. An increasing number of our graduates go on to formulate beautiful, high-performance products as well as run successful indie beauty businesses having been inspired and empowered by the courses they took with us. This is possible because in nearly all parts of the world, irrespective of whether the formulator is a cosmetic chemist or skincare formulator, the cosmetic products themselves must meet strict <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-comply-cosmetics-regulations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> compliance regulations</a> to be sold legally. What we teach at Formula Botanica are the key concepts of chemistry; a competent cosmetic product formulator would need to know to create products that are safe, stable and meet - and often exceed - consumer expectations. Some core components of cosmetic chemistry that we include in our Diplomas are pH measurement and monitoring, emulsification, methods of natural cosmetics' preservation, and the use of solubilisers and surfactants. Some Differences between a cosmetic chemist vs skincare formulator There are of course some fundamental differences between a cosmetic chemist and skincare formulator. A cosmetic chemist would be steeped in the science of how cosmetic ingredients work together and would know the likely outcome of any formula even without a practical lab trial. A cosmetic chemist would need formal, recognised, usually graduate-level qualifications in chemistry along with a specialist training (a post-graduate qualification) in cosmetic science. They may well end up working in the R&amp;D lab of a large cosmetics' firm. A cosmetic product formulator would not necessarily know the in-depth science of how ingredients work but could, through applied study and practical application of their formulating skills coupled with detailed observation, build up a considerable knowledge bank about their ingredients and formulation outcomes. A cosmetic chemist working in a large lab might not be the one who dreams up the lovely new formulas as they might be more restricted in how much of the route from first creative idea to marketable product they get their hands on. However, they may be at the forefront of R&amp;D bringing innovative cosmetic ingredients to market. It is inevitable that there is some overlap in roles and also a lot of grey areas and misconceptions about what both careers involve. In this podcast, Formula Botanica School Director, Lorraine Dallmeier and podcast host and Relationship Manager Gemma discuss the two roles and career paths along with their respective pros and cons. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone wondering about the training and career options in formulating cosmetics' products especially if looking to focus on natural, organic formulation. In this episode tackling the roles of a cosmetic chemist vs skincare formulator, you'll hear about: <ul> <li>Why your decision to choose one training route over the other may be more down to personal circumstances such as lifestyle, finances, commitments and time, and your desired career in the cosmetics' industry;</li> <li>How a cosmetic chemist has the chance to work in world-leading beauty brand labs but conversely how a product formulator may enjoy more freedom and creativity in formulating products and in career options;</li> <li>Why a cosmetic product placed for sale in most parts of the world, whether it is formulated by a chemist or product formulator, will have had to undergone the safety, stability and microbial testing to be placed legally on the market for sale;</li> <li>Why it is imperative that any cosmetics' business founder is transparent about their own personal or their employees' cosmetic formulating qualifications and must be confident in explaining how and why their qualifications  - whichever route they choose - enable them to do their job professionally;</li> <li>Why building a successful cosmetics' brand requires a swathe of skills that are not inherent in either product formulation nor chemistry backgrounds and would require extra skill sets;</li> <li>Why the lack of formal, tertiary-level cosmetic chemistry courses worldwide and the costs entailed in continuing in higher education might make a shorter-term, distance-learning formulation course a more accessible option for some.</li> </ul> Key take-outs include the three main steps to becoming a competent, natural cosmetics' skincare formulator: <ul> <li>Step one: First, get to know your ingredients thoroughly and learn how to research their properties. This will give you a sound basis on which to build your formulating skills.</li> <li>Step two: Practice formulating and never stop testing out new combinations and ratios of ingredients. Only through practice can you create more advanced formulas that consumers demand.</li> <li>Step three: Learn how to test your formulations professionally (safety, stability and microbial tests are mandatory). Develop the patience to test and make understanding testing one of your most important learning goals as a cosmetics formulator.</li> </ul> If you enjoy this podcast, you may also like our podcast on <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-comply-cosmetics-regulations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> How to Comply with Cosmetics' Regulations</a> and our post <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/love-natural-cosmetic-chemist/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why I love natural, by a Cosmetic Chemist</a>. 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: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>; and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP37. Do you need to be a Cosmetic Chemist to Formulate Skincare?

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.

In our very first <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/category/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green Beauty Conversations</a> podcast, we discussed <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-what-does-natural-skincare-mean/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> what natural means in skincare</a> 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, <a href="https://thegreenchemist.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Green Chemist Consultancy.</a> 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 <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/biobased-packaging-cosmetics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bio-based packaging</a> 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: <ul> <li>Why the label 'green' or 'natural' does not mean a cosmetic product or brand is a sustainable beauty entity;</li> <li>Benchmarking your own formulations and green beauty business against <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">17 UN sustainable development goals</a>;</li> <li>How unsustainable practices can lurk in the most unlikely corners of the green cosmetics industry;</li> <li>How the food industry is influencing and helping drive sustainability in beauty;</li> <li>Why there is no 100% sustainable natural or synthetic ingredient; and</li> <li>Why there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to implementing sustainable practices. </li> </ul> 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: <ul> <li>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.</li> <li>Zero waste is desirable but the cosmetics' industry needs to use packaging that protects both product life and consumer health and safety.</li> <li>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.</li> </ul> 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 <a href="https://thegreenchemist.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a>. Dr Barbara Olioso on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-barbara-olioso-mrsc-b32a3411/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. Dr Barbara Olioso on <a href="https://twitter.com/Dr_Barbara1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP14. Sustainable Beauty: Discussing the Top Challenges & Concerns

It is hard to imagine today with organic-certified beauty products readily available a time when launching a high-performance organic skincare brand would have required the founder to make the market, educating customers to the benefits of organic beauty. Now, barely a week passes without us hearing of a big brand in the personal care industry buying up clean, green, organic beauty brands as well as creating their own ranges on the naturals' spectrum. However, we might not know just how difficult it was for organic brands entering the market a couple of decades ago when their voices and valid claims would fall on deaf ears. Our guest in this episode, serial wellness entrepreneur Karen Behnke, took a leap of faith back in 2004 to start a high-performance organic skincare brand under the name 'Juice Beauty'. Now a highly-acclaimed international beauty brand, Juice Beauty offers award-winning skincare and make-up products that meet rigorous USA organic regulations. Karen's declared mission at the outset was to create high-performance organic skincare with scientifically-proven efficacy that was also backed by solid eco values. She found herself in the early noughties pitching Juice Beauty against an industry largely sceptical of natural and organic products' ability to match, let alone exceed the benefits of traditional personal care products whose formulas were composed largely of synthetic ingredients. As an exemplar for emerging, organic beauty brands, Karen talks us through the secrets of success in building and growing a truly high-performance organic skincare brand. She explains that it is as important as ever, if not more so, to stay true to your declared, transparent mission and ensure you create truly high-performance organic skincare products that do deliver on promise. In this episode on high-performance organic skincare, you'll find out about:  Why it's best not to rush your products to market. Dedicating budget, time and effort to creating something innovative can be key to your brand's point of difference in the market. Why efficacy is the holy grail of high-performance organic skincare if you wish to grow your beauty business and gain loyal customers in the increasingly crowded naturals' sector. Why budgeting for scientific tests to prove any efficacy claims your formulations offer can be the most important decision you make in starting an organic skincare brand. Formulating high-performance skincare is also about creating the right emotional and sensual consumer experiences. How a cream, for example, glides on - the 'slip' - is just one criterion that customers will review your products' performance on. Why transparency in how and where you source ingredients - from field to supplier  - gives you more control over your supply chain, valuable insights into the provenance of your organic products and messages that can empower your brand.  Key take-outs include:  Science-led innovation helps you stay ahead in the organic beauty sector. Be aware that any organic, vegan, or other business claims will be investigated, so ensure you have a declared mission statement and principles guiding your business from the start. Decide which certification and/or claims are more important to your mission - whether vegan, sustainability, ethical business and so on - and be prepared to go the extra mile to ensure your brand adheres rigorously to your mission. Consumers are very demanding these days so understand the implications of any 'way of life' you or your brand project in your marketing messages.  You might like to see some of our other podcasts and articles on aspects of sourcing and formulating with high-performance organic skincare ingredients, including:  Sourcing sustainable organic skincare ingredients (podcast with Jem Skelding of Naissance)  How to research cosmetic ingredients for organic skincare How to make a high-performance vitamin E serum The benefits of vitamin C in high-performance skincare Find out more about Juice Beauty, its range of high-performance organic skincare products and make-up and its commitment to sustainable, organic practices: Juice Beauty website. Juice Beauty on Facebook. Juice Beauty on Instagram. Juice Beauty on Twitter. Juice Beauty on Youtube. Juice Beauty 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.

It is hard to imagine today with organic-certified beauty products readily available a time when launching a high-performance organic skincare brand would have required the founder to make the market, educating customers to the benefits of organic beauty. Now, barely a week passes without us hearing of a big brand in the personal care industry buying up clean, green, organic beauty brands as well as creating their own ranges on the naturals' spectrum. However, we might not know just how difficult it was for organic brands entering the market a couple of decades ago when their voices and valid claims would fall on deaf ears. Our guest in this episode, serial wellness entrepreneur <a href="https://juicebeauty.com/pages/about-us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Karen Behnke</a>, took a leap of faith back in 2004 to start a high-performance organic skincare brand under the name 'Juice Beauty'. Now a highly-acclaimed international beauty brand, <a href="https://juicebeauty.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Juice Beauty</a> offers award-winning skincare and make-up products that meet rigorous USA organic regulations. Karen's declared mission at the outset was to create high-performance organic skincare with scientifically-proven efficacy that was also backed by solid eco values. She found herself in the early noughties pitching Juice Beauty against an industry largely sceptical of natural and organic products' ability to match, let alone exceed the benefits of traditional personal care products whose formulas were composed largely of synthetic ingredients. As an exemplar for emerging, organic beauty brands, Karen talks us through the secrets of success in building and growing a truly high-performance organic skincare brand. She explains that it is as important as ever, if not more so, to stay true to your declared, transparent mission and ensure you create truly high-performance organic skincare products that do deliver on promise. In this episode on high-performance organic skincare, you'll find out about: <ul> <li>Why it's best not to rush your products to market. Dedicating budget, time and effort to creating something innovative can be key to your brand's point of difference in the market.</li> <li>Why efficacy is the holy grail of high-performance organic skincare if you wish to grow your beauty business and gain loyal customers in the increasingly crowded naturals' sector.</li> <li>Why budgeting for scientific tests to prove any efficacy claims your formulations offer can be the most important decision you make in starting an organic skincare brand.</li> <li>Formulating high-performance skincare is also about creating the right emotional and sensual consumer experiences. How a cream, for example, glides on - the 'slip' - is just one criterion that customers will review your products' performance on.</li> <li>Why transparency in how and where you source ingredients - from field to supplier  - gives you more control over your supply chain, valuable insights into the provenance of your organic products and messages that can empower your brand.</li> </ul> Key take-outs include: <ul> <li>Science-led innovation helps you stay ahead in the organic beauty sector.</li> <li>Be aware that any organic, vegan, or other business claims will be investigated, so ensure you have a declared mission statement and principles guiding your business from the start.</li> <li>Decide which certification and/or claims are more important to your mission - whether vegan, sustainability, ethical business and so on - and be prepared to go the extra mile to ensure your brand adheres rigorously to your mission.</li> <li>Consumers are very demanding these days so understand the implications of any 'way of life' you or your brand project in your marketing messages.</li> </ul> You might like to see some of our other podcasts and articles on aspects of sourcing and formulating with high-performance organic skincare ingredients, including: <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-sustainable-organic-skincare-ingredients/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Sourcing sustainable organic skincare ingredients</a> (podcast with Jem Skelding of Naissance) <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/research-cosmetic-ingredients-organic-skincare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> How to research cosmetic ingredients for organic skincare</a> <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/how-to-make-vitamin-e-serum/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to make a high-performance vitamin E serum</a> <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/vitamin-c-high-performance-skincare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The benefits of vitamin C in high-performance skincare</a> Find out more about Juice Beauty, its range of high-performance organic skincare products and make-up and its commitment to sustainable, organic practices: <a href="https://juicebeauty.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Juice Beauty website</a>. Juice Beauty on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JuiceBeauty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Juice Beauty on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/juicebeauty//" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Juice Beauty on <a href="https://twitter.com/juicebeauty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Juice Beauty on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/juicebeauty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Youtube</a>. Juice Beauty on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/juicebeauty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP35. Can organic skincare ever be high performance?

Did you know that one of the most effective ways to pitch your beauty products to a buyer is to formulate your cosmetics' range from the start with your ideal retailer in mind? Understanding what a retailer is looking for in your beauty brand and getting to know their retail space inside out is just some of the groundwork you need to do before approaching a buyer. After all, they get hundreds of email pitches every day and you need to grab their attention. In this near hour-long episode of Green Beauty Conversations, our guest Gemma Harling of Lumi Consultancy provides a goldmine of information for the beauty entrepreneur serious about getting stocked in top retailers. As a former senior buyer for one of the UK's largest beauty retailers, Gemma gives us insights into the role of the time-poor beauty buyer. She knows what gets buyers to sit up and take notice of a new beauty brand and has seen also just about every pitfall eager start-up founders make. As Gemma says, she has seen "the good, the bad and the ugly" of brand pitches, and is here to see your brand stands out and gains traction with your target retailers. Getting a reply to an email, let alone a foot in the door to pitch your beauty products to a buyer in person is tougher than ever in a fast-moving beauty retail world where brands can come and go off shelves in less than six months. Buyers are on the look out for the 'next big thing' and while they don't wish to miss the chance of discovering a truly innovative, exciting indie brand, they also need to keep their large, established cosmetics' brands happy. Your pitch needs to be strategic if you're to get noticed! Be prepared to take notes as Gemma walks us through her top 5 tips on how to pitch your beauty products effectively, from first email to buyer presentation.  Gemma has kindly prepared a workbook to download -   'Race to Retail' - which is a brilliant roadmap to follow in preparing to get retail ready. In this episode on how to pitch your beauty products, you'll hear about:  Why it is important to be clear about who your  target customers are. Don't just think of an avatar but drill into any data you have to back up your brand's customer profile. Understand too the retailers' customers and see if yours match their customers' profile. How to select your target retailers with intention. For example, a luxury-end department store with one branch might not be appropriate for your brand even if it seems a glittering prize. Think laterally and do your homework on which retailers are more suited to your brand. Why you need a clear retailer USP: understand how your product range and brand give the retailer an edge, perhaps by filling a gap in their current offer. Why you need to know your target retailers inside out. Walk the walk by going into their stores and seeing which brands and trends they promote. How visiting some live beauty events or trade fairs can be a great way to meet your target retailers and buyers. They are also brilliant opportunities to understand retail trends. See our post on latest indie beauty trends in our round up of  In-Cosmetics Global 2019.  Key take-outs on your brand's pitch include:  Find the right buyer to contact. Try using LinkedIn to research them and then follow them on social media. Many beauty buyers have their own accounts. You will pick up on what they are looking for in a brand and understand more about their approach to retailing. Include a 'power statement' about your brand in your initial email. You could use impressive sales statistics, testimonials or press coverage. Don't be woolly about your business projections in your pitch; present sales' forecasts for each retailer but don't pluck figures out of the air - do your homework! Include your pitch presentation in the first email, but ensure it's clear, concise and visually impressive. Some buyers might be curious about your power statement and want to see immediately whether your brand is worth following up on. Be persistent in following up any communications with prospective buyers, but don't pester them.  If you enjoy this podcast, see also our post  10 Tips to Attract Retail Beauty Buyers to your Skincare Brand. Find out more about Gemma Harling and Lumi Consultancy's services to indie beauty brands here: Lumi Consultancy website. Lumi 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 on Instagram.

Did you know that one of the most effective ways to pitch your beauty products to a buyer is to formulate your cosmetics' range from the start with your ideal retailer in mind? Understanding what a retailer is looking for in your beauty brand and getting to know their retail space inside out is just some of the groundwork you need to do before approaching a buyer. After all, they get hundreds of email pitches every day and you need to grab their attention. In this near hour-long episode of Green Beauty Conversations, our guest <a href="https://lumiconsultancy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gemma Harling of Lumi Consultancy</a> provides a goldmine of information for the beauty entrepreneur serious about getting stocked in top retailers. As a former senior buyer for one of the UK's largest beauty retailers, Gemma gives us insights into the role of the time-poor beauty buyer. She knows what gets buyers to sit up and take notice of a new beauty brand and has seen also just about every pitfall eager start-up founders make. As Gemma says, she has seen "the good, the bad and the ugly" of brand pitches, and is here to see your brand stands out and gains traction with your target retailers. Getting a reply to an email, let alone a foot in the door to pitch your beauty products to a buyer in person is tougher than ever in a fast-moving beauty retail world where brands can come and go off shelves in less than six months. Buyers are on the look out for the 'next big thing' and while they don't wish to miss the chance of discovering a truly innovative, exciting indie brand, they also need to keep their large, established cosmetics' brands happy. Your pitch needs to be strategic if you're to get noticed! Be prepared to take notes as Gemma walks us through her top 5 tips on how to pitch your beauty products effectively, from first email to buyer presentation.  Gemma has kindly prepared a workbook to download -  <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/mxuf6au78vpc15u/RACE%20TO%20RETAIL%20WORKBOOK-%20To%20send.pdf?dl=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 'Race to Retail'</a> - which is a brilliant roadmap to follow in preparing to get retail ready. In this episode on how to pitch your beauty products, you'll hear about: <ul> <li>Why it is important to be clear about who your  target customers are. Don't just think of an avatar but drill into any data you have to back up your brand's customer profile. Understand too the retailers' customers and see if yours match their customers' profile.</li> <li>How to select your target retailers with intention. For example, a luxury-end department store with one branch might not be appropriate for your brand even if it seems a glittering prize. Think laterally and do your homework on which retailers are more suited to your brand.</li> <li>Why you need a clear retailer USP: understand how your product range and brand give the retailer an edge, perhaps by filling a gap in their current offer.</li> <li>Why you need to know your target retailers inside out. Walk the walk by going into their stores and seeing which brands and trends they promote.</li> <li>How visiting some live beauty events or trade fairs can be a great way to meet your target retailers and buyers. They are also brilliant opportunities to understand retail trends. See our post on latest indie beauty trends in our round up of <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-reviewing-indie-beauty-trends-events/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> In-Cosmetics Global 2019</a>.</li> </ul> Key take-outs on your brand's pitch include: <ul> <li>Find the right buyer to contact. Try using LinkedIn to research them and then follow them on social media. Many beauty buyers have their own accounts. You will pick up on what they are looking for in a brand and understand more about their approach to retailing.</li> <li>Include a 'power statement' about your brand in your initial email. You could use impressive sales statistics, testimonials or press coverage.</li> <li>Don't be woolly about your business projections in your pitch; present sales' forecasts for each retailer but don't pluck figures out of the air - do your homework!</li> <li>Include your pitch presentation in the first email, but ensure it's clear, concise and visually impressive. Some buyers might be curious about your power statement and want to see immediately whether your brand is worth following up on.</li> <li>Be persistent in following up any communications with prospective buyers, but don't pester them.</li> </ul> If you enjoy this podcast, see also our post <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/10-tips-to-attract-retail-beauty-buyers-to-your-skincare-brand/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 10 Tips to Attract Retail Beauty Buyers to your Skincare Brand</a>. Find out more about Gemma Harling and Lumi Consultancy's services to indie beauty brands here: Lumi Consultancy <a href="https://lumiconsultancy.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>. Lumi on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv6aZDJHHsu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. 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: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>; and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP36. How to Pitch your Beauty Products to Buyers

I was sitting quietly at my desk, head-down, getting on with my work (as all good working-from-home employees should do) when I received a message from Formula Botanica's Director Lorraine: ‘Two of our graduates from Daughter of the Soil are on Dragons' Den right now! You need to watch it.’ I stopped what I was doing right away, tuned in and watched Hellen Lawuo-Meena and Maria Magembe from Daughter of the Soil pitch to the Dragons. (For our readers/listeners who aren't in the UK - Dragons' Den is the UK's version of Shark Tank where entrepreneurs pitch to a panel of 'dragons' to raise funding for their business). It was nail biting and the entire Formula Botanica team was rooting for them. After watching their epic performance, I said to Lorraine: "we need to interview these two very inspiring women". We were so proud of them and what they had achieved so far and we really wanted to share their story with the rest of our community. Daughter of the Soil is a UK-based African Heritage natural beauty brand with a simple philosophy – to give back to the earth and communities celebrating the natural treasures within our rich soils. Their pledge is to make a real difference to the lives and future of African rural women in Africa – providing them with an ability to earn a sustainable and protected income. Hellen and Maria's brand goes full circle - it showcases some of Africa’s most unique and treasured ingredients so that women can look supremely beautiful on the outside – and it helps them to support the communities who give those treasures to us, so that they can harness their power and beauty from the inside too, and give something back. In this podcast you will:  Hear how Maria and Hellen came up with the name and inspiration for their brand (SPOILER: it’s a great story. Like, really great). Find out how they started working together. Hear what REALLY happened on Dragon’s Den and how they supported each other through the entire process. Learn the ethos and values behind the Daughter of the Soil brand. Find out what it's like growing a natural African Heritage brand and why Hellen and Maria see such a huge gap in the market.    Visit Daughter of the Soil online:  Daughter of the Soil website Daughter of the Soil on Facebook Daughter of the Soil on Instagram Daughter of the Soil on Twitter  We hope you enjoyed listening to the interview with Daughter of the Soil founders Hellen and Maria as much as we did. Maybe you now feel brave enough to dare Dragon’s Den or a similar programme in your country? We hope that you enjoyed listening to this episode and please get in touch with us if you have any question or comments. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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.

I was sitting quietly at my desk, head-down, getting on with my work (as all good working-from-home employees should do) when I received a message from Formula Botanica's Director Lorraine: ‘Two of our graduates from Daughter of the Soil are on Dragons' Den right now! You need to watch it.’ I stopped what I was doing right away, tuned in and watched Hellen Lawuo-Meena and Maria Magembe from Daughter of the Soil pitch to the Dragons. (For our readers/listeners who aren't in the UK - Dragons' Den is the UK's version of Shark Tank where entrepreneurs pitch to a panel of 'dragons' to raise funding for their business). It was nail biting and the entire Formula Botanica team was rooting for them. After watching their epic performance, I said to Lorraine: "we need to interview these two very inspiring women". We were so proud of them and what they had achieved so far and we really wanted to share their story with the rest of our community. Daughter of the Soil is a UK-based African Heritage natural beauty brand with a simple philosophy – to give back to the earth and communities celebrating the natural treasures within our rich soils. Their pledge is to make a real difference to the lives and future of African rural women in Africa – providing them with an ability to earn a sustainable and protected income. Hellen and Maria's brand goes full circle - it showcases some of Africa’s most unique and treasured ingredients so that women can look supremely beautiful on the outside – and it helps them to support the communities who give those treasures to us, so that they can harness their power and beauty from the inside too, and give something back. In this podcast you will: <ul> <li>Hear how Maria and Hellen came up with the name and inspiration for their brand (SPOILER: it’s a great story. Like, really great).</li> <li>Find out how they started working together.</li> <li>Hear what REALLY happened on Dragon’s Den and how they supported each other through the entire process.</li> <li>Learn the ethos and values behind the Daughter of the Soil brand.</li> <li>Find out what it's like growing a natural African Heritage brand and why Hellen and Maria see such a huge gap in the market.</li> </ul> Visit Daughter of the Soil online: <ul> <li><a href="https://daughterofthesoil.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daughter of the Soil website</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Daughterofthesoil/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daughter of the Soil on Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/daughterof_soil/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daughter of the Soil on Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/daughterof_soil" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daughter of the Soil on Twitter</a></li> </ul> We hope you enjoyed listening to the interview with Daughter of the Soil founders Hellen and Maria as much as we did. Maybe you now feel brave enough to dare Dragon’s Den or a similar programme in your country? We hope that you enjoyed listening to this episode and please get in touch with us if you have any question or comments. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP5. Growing a Natural African Heritage Beauty Brand

The thought of selling beauty products on Amazon either gets indie beauty brands excited or in a tailspin. The behemoth of e-tailing may be our go-to place to shop for everything these days, yet for all our familiarity with it as consumers, many new beauty brand entrepreneurs find Amazon an impenetrable platform and beyond their grasp. A few years ago, the mantra used to be 'if you're not on social media, you don't exist'. However, our guest in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations would be more likely to say 'if you're not on Amazon, you don't exist'. Marc Bonn, senior account manager at Expert Edge a London-based, digital consultancy focused on Amazon retailing, generously gives us a tip-packed hour of practical advice in this episode on the whys and wherefores of selling your beauty products on Amazon. If there is one single, valuable piece of advice to come away with from our interview with Marc, it is that it's never too early in your beauty brand's life to get selling on Amazon. If you don't stake your claim on your retail space on Amazon, the chances are that in time, middlemen will be selling your products and will probably not present them in line with your brand values and positioning. Marc admits that Amazon has its own particular e-tailing eco-system and that brands need to adopt a totally different approach to selling there compared to dealing with regular online, or off-line stores. However, he says that the benefits of potential reach and volumes can outweigh the costs involved in that initial learning curve. Even as we start to see Amazon selling its own brand beauty products on its platform, the opportunities are there for new brands. In many respects, Amazon presents smaller brands with a level playing field vis a vis established names, so long as indie brands learn how to work the Amazon system. Plus, beauty brands need to be on Amazon even if just for PR purposes, rather than ramping up sales. In this episode on selling your beauty products on Amazon, you'll hear about:  Why getting on Amazon early in your brand's retail life is ideal as you will learn the ropes and also protect your brand from erosion by middlemen reselling your products on Amazon. Amazon's three selling options and learn which is best for you: seller accounts, which are ideal for new entrants and where you, the merchant, fulfill deliveries; seller status but where orders are fulfilled by Amazon (FBA); and vendor status, which Amazon itself fulfills and which includes the bonus of attracting Prime customers. How Amazon's lowest price-match mechanism works and why it isn't something to fear as a small or indie brand. The key aspects of your seller's page to focus on such as quality product imagery, optimised Amazon SEO and well-honed content.  Key take-outs from our chat with Marc Bonn include:  Details of how Amazon helps smaller, niche beauty brands on its platform with initiatives such as its 'Launchpad', and its Indie Beauty and Luxury Beauty zones. Why you may need expert help in listing your brand and products on Amazon successfully as even what seem like simple issues such as choosing relevant retail categories or keywords can be make or break. Why you need an advertising strategy and to promote branded adverts to ensure you make the most of the platform and counter the big, established names in beauty. Why Amazon is useful to have a presence on even if you don't have sales as a main aim; remember, consumers  will often search on Amazon to read about your brand and check prices even if completing a purchase in high-street stores. Amazon may be a PR tool for you instead.  Find out more about Expert Edge consultancy and how it can help beauty brands sell on Amazon: Expert Edge website. Expert Edge on LinkedIn.  Expert Edge 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 on Instagram.

The thought of selling beauty products on Amazon either gets indie beauty brands excited or in a tailspin. The behemoth of e-tailing may be our go-to place to shop for everything these days, yet for all our familiarity with it as consumers, many new beauty brand entrepreneurs find Amazon an impenetrable platform and beyond their grasp. A few years ago, the mantra used to be 'if you're not on social media, you don't exist'. However, our guest in this episode of <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/category/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green Beauty Conversations</a> would be more likely to say 'if you're not on Amazon, you don't exist'. Marc Bonn, senior account manager at <a href="https://www.expertedge.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Expert Edge</a> a London-based, digital consultancy focused on Amazon retailing, generously gives us a tip-packed hour of practical advice in this episode on the whys and wherefores of selling your beauty products on Amazon. If there is one single, valuable piece of advice to come away with from our interview with Marc, it is that it's never too early in your beauty brand's life to get selling on Amazon. If you don't stake your claim on your retail space on Amazon, the chances are that in time, middlemen will be selling your products and will probably not present them in line with your brand values and positioning. Marc admits that Amazon has its own particular e-tailing eco-system and that brands need to adopt a totally different approach to selling there compared to dealing with regular online, or off-line stores. However, he says that the benefits of potential reach and volumes can outweigh the costs involved in that initial learning curve. Even as we start to see Amazon selling its own brand beauty products on its platform, the opportunities are there for new brands. In many respects, Amazon presents smaller brands with a level playing field vis a vis established names, so long as indie brands learn how to work the Amazon system. Plus, beauty brands need to be on Amazon even if just for PR purposes, rather than ramping up sales. In this episode on selling your beauty products on Amazon, you'll hear about: <ul> <li>Why getting on Amazon early in your brand's retail life is ideal as you will learn the ropes and also protect your brand from erosion by middlemen reselling your products on Amazon.</li> <li>Amazon's three selling options and learn which is best for you: seller accounts, which are ideal for new entrants and where you, the merchant, fulfill deliveries; seller status but where orders are fulfilled by Amazon (FBA); and vendor status, which Amazon itself fulfills and which includes the bonus of attracting Prime customers.</li> <li>How Amazon's lowest price-match mechanism works and why it isn't something to fear as a small or indie brand.</li> <li>The key aspects of your seller's page to focus on such as quality product imagery, optimised Amazon SEO and well-honed content.</li> </ul> Key take-outs from our chat with Marc Bonn include: <ul> <li>Details of how Amazon helps smaller, niche beauty brands on its platform with initiatives such as its 'Launchpad', and its Indie Beauty and Luxury Beauty zones.</li> <li>Why you may need expert help in listing your brand and products on Amazon successfully as even what seem like simple issues such as choosing relevant retail categories or keywords can be make or break.</li> <li>Why you need an advertising strategy and to promote branded adverts to ensure you make the most of the platform and counter the big, established names in beauty.</li> <li>Why Amazon is useful to have a presence on even if you don't have sales as a main aim; remember, consumers  will often search on Amazon to read about your brand and check prices even if completing a purchase in high-street stores. Amazon may be a PR tool for you instead.</li> </ul> Find out more about Expert Edge consultancy and how it can help beauty brands sell on Amazon: Expert Edge <a href="https://www.expertedge.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>. Expert Edge on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/expert-edge-amazon-consultancy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. Expert Edge on <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpertEdgeAmz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. 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: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>; and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP40. Selling Beauty Products on Amazon

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, the deadline for applications is 31 October. Sign up for their enews to keep updated. Abhati Suisse &amp; Formula Botanica Give-away To celebrate the release of this podcast, Formula Botanica and Abhati Suisse are hosting a give-away. For your chance to win a Nomads Kit plus full-sized bottles of the Periya Body cleanser and Kanva Body Lotion simply:  Follow the Formula Botanica and Abhati Suisse Instagram pages. Comment on the give-away post on the Abhati Suisse Instagram page and leave a #myabhati comment below about why you love Abhati Suisse.  This give-away is open to European countries only (sorry, rest of world...we’ll get you next time!). The contest closes Wednesday 28 November, 18:00 GMT and the winner will be announced Thursday, November 29th by Abhati Suisse in their Instagram stories. Find out more about Abhati Suisse and its ethical business values here: Abhati Suisse website. Abhati Suisse on Instagram. Abhati Suisse on Facebook. Abhati Suisse on Twitter. Abhati Suisse on YouTube. 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.

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 <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/sustainable-botanical-ingredients-skincare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> sustainable sourcing of botanical ingredients</a> and also discussed the true meaning of formulating with <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-defining-green-cosmetic-chemistry/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> green chemistry</a> credentials. We've also reviewed some of the trending, <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/sustainable-botanical-ingredients-skincare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> top environmental and sustainability issues facing the green beauty industry</a>. 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. <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-zero-waste-green-beauty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zero waste</a> 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 <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/category/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green Beauty Conversations podcast</a> 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 <a href="https://abhatisuisse.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abhati Suisse</a>, 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 <a href="https://www.sephorastands.com/accelerate/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sephora Accelerate</a> 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: <ul> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> </ul> Anju has some key insights on the Sephora Accelerate programme too, including: <ul> <li>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.</li> <li>The programme now extends to Europe and Asia so beauty entrepreneurs worldwide can apply.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>The initiative fosters a fabulous network of women founders and entrepreneurs who share expertise and experiences as well as offer support.</li> </ul> Find out more about <a href="https://www.sephorastands.com/accelerate/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sephora Accelerate</a>. Based on previous years, the deadline for applications is 31 October. Sign up for their enews to keep updated. Abhati Suisse &amp; Formula Botanica Give-away To celebrate the release of this podcast, Formula Botanica and Abhati Suisse are hosting a give-away. For your chance to win a Nomads Kit plus full-sized bottles of the Periya Body cleanser and Kanva Body Lotion simply: <ol> <li>Follow the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Formula Botanica</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abhatisuisse/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abhati Suisse</a> Instagram pages.</li> <li>Comment on the give-away post on the Abhati Suisse Instagram page and leave a #myabhati comment below about why you love Abhati Suisse.</li> </ol> This give-away is open to European countries only (sorry, rest of world...we’ll get you next time!). The contest closes Wednesday 28 November, 18:00 GMT and the winner will be announced Thursday, November 29th by Abhati Suisse in their Instagram stories. Find out more about Abhati Suisse and its ethical business values here: <a href="https://abhatisuisse.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abhati Suisse website</a>. Abhati Suisse on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abhatisuisse/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Abhati Suisse on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/abhatisuisse/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Abhati Suisse on <a href="https://twitter.com/abhati" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Abhati Suisse on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkk1I9q4K7ucBZJse8SfG0A" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP23. Starting an Ethical Skincare Business

We recently came across a  New York Times article on the risks of making 100% natural claims in food and beauty. The article in question drew attention to the fact that there has been a spate of lawsuits against natural and organic skincare brands and retailers (particularly in the US). These lawsuits came about largely as a result of there being no legal definition of the word natural.  They specifically targeted brands who made claims about being 100% natural, all natural or having ‘all-natural ingredients’. The reason why we found this topic so thought-provoking, is because it showcases how much confusion there is around the term natural and the problems it causes in the green beauty sector. We discussed this topic in our podcast on  What does natural skincare mean? and addressed the fact that the definition of natural can take on very different meanings depending on who you talk to. This confusion and lack of clarity over the word natural is ripe for exploitation as well as misrepresentation. Now imagine expanding that term further to include 'all-natural' or 100% natural, and you see why so many consumers are confused.   In this podcast you will learn:  What the recent spate of lawsuits against natural brands and retailers could mean for the green beauty industry moving forward. Some examples of recent lawsuits and what the issues were with their claims. Why some of the 100% natural claims made by natural skincare brands are problematic  Key takeaways:  Recent lawsuits that targeted brands for using synthetic preservatives are fuelling fear around the safe use of preservatives. Always make sure you examine the marketing terminology you are using when you sell your products. Before you start selling or marketing, define what natural means to you. Some law firms are ‘robo-filing’ almost identical lawsuits, which may start to spill over to the green beauty sector.    We felt that it was important to openly discuss this issue within our community and talk about what steps a green beauty brand can take to protect its business. We have seen lawsuits start to spill over from the food industry into the natural beauty industry, so we feel this is an important topic that indie formulators need to discuss openly and honestly. Unfortunately, there are quite a few misnomers and myths that circulate within the green beauty sector (Listen to: Are you looking for chemical-free cosmetics?). It is important for us as a community to work at questioning what they are, to determine if they are misleading and to assess if they open up the industry to further litigation. We hope that you find this episode interesting and thought provoking and please do get in touch if you have any feedback. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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 recently came across a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/business/natural-food-products.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> New York Times</a> article on the risks of making 100% natural claims in food and beauty. The article in question drew attention to the fact that there has been a spate of lawsuits against natural and organic skincare brands and retailers (particularly in the US). These lawsuits came about largely as a result of there being no legal definition of the word natural.  They specifically targeted brands who made claims about being 100% natural, all natural or having ‘all-natural ingredients’. The reason why we found this topic so thought-provoking, is because it showcases how much confusion there is around the term natural and the problems it causes in the green beauty sector. We discussed this topic in our podcast on <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-what-does-natural-skincare-mean/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> What does natural skincare mean?</a> and addressed the fact that the definition of natural can take on very different meanings depending on who you talk to. This confusion and lack of clarity over the word natural is ripe for exploitation as well as misrepresentation. Now imagine expanding that term further to include 'all-natural' or 100% natural, and you see why so many consumers are confused.   In this podcast you will learn: <ol> <li>What the recent spate of lawsuits against natural brands and retailers could mean for the green beauty industry moving forward.</li> <li>Some examples of recent lawsuits and what the issues were with their claims.</li> <li>Why some of the 100% natural claims made by natural skincare brands are problematic</li> </ol> Key takeaways: <ol> <li>Recent lawsuits that targeted brands for using synthetic preservatives are fuelling fear around the safe use of preservatives.</li> <li>Always make sure you examine the marketing terminology you are using when you sell your products.</li> <li>Before you start selling or marketing, define what natural means to you.</li> <li>Some law firms are ‘robo-filing’ almost identical lawsuits, which may start to spill over to the green beauty sector.</li> </ol> We felt that it was important to openly discuss this issue within our community and talk about what steps a green beauty brand can take to protect its business. We have seen lawsuits start to spill over from the food industry into the natural beauty industry, so we feel this is an important topic that indie formulators need to discuss openly and honestly. Unfortunately, there are quite a few misnomers and myths that circulate within the green beauty sector (Listen to: <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/podcast-chemical-free-cosmetics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Are you looking for chemical-free cosmetics?</a>). It is important for us as a community to work at questioning what they are, to determine if they are misleading and to assess if they open up the industry to further litigation. We hope that you find this episode interesting and thought provoking and please do get in touch if you have any feedback. Please share, subscribe and review on iTunes 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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP8. Why 100% Natural Claims Could Get You Into Trouble

When an emergency physician decides on a radical shift in life to choose natural skincare as a career over medicine, you begin to realise just how powerful a sector green beauty is becoming. However, as Dr Sarah Villafranco, founder of Osmia organics and our guest in this episode says, while her career change certainly raised some eyebrows back in 2012, it proved a logical move that had parallels with her role as a doctor. As as an emergency physician, I felt I was a fire fighter and I wasn't sure I was helping people prevent disease. I wanted to intervene sooner in people’s health and their daily choices and focus on the important pillars of good health that Western medicine had largely forgotten, such as diet, stress management, joy and fitness. The more medical research I did on effect of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the more I realised what a big piece of medicine was involved in skincare. Sarah Villafranco launched Osmia Organics as a way to help people not only choose natural skincare, but also as a space to learn about a more holistic approach to health and self care. Osmia's blog and social media offers insights and advice on developing a health-focused, positive-living mindset to generate the conversation on what Sarah says traditional medicine sees as 'alternative' routes to health. Transitioning from a high-stress, emergency physician's role where split-second decisions can be life determining, to running a natural skincare business designed to impact our longer-term health and well-being is quite a leap to make. Sarah Villafranco says it can be scary to follow your dreams but adds that building a natural skincare business isn't about dreaming, but hard realities. "You can’t leave a career that makes money for one that won’t. You need to plan your dreams as it takes time to build a business." Dr Sarah Villafranco has a unique vantage point from which to assess the current shape of the green beauty movement. Her medical background and ability to interpret and filter the science enables her to cut through the scepticism and also the green washing that can surround green beauty. In this wide-ranging interview, Dr Sarah Villafranco gives invaluable advice to budding natural skincare entrepreneurs, from whatever walk of life. In this episode on choosing natural skincare as a career, you'll hear about:  Why the natural, organic skincare sector is a rigorous, demanding yet rewarding a career choice for someone from any background; Why the green beauty sector needs more people involved in the industry who are prepared to train, hone their professional skills as formulators and dig deep into the science of skincare to tackle green washing and strengthen the industry as a whole; How becoming a skincare entrepreneur and running a business and a team is not something to be scared of but a role you grow into and make part of your lifelong learning; Why honesty and transparency in your business dealings with everyone from suppliers to customers and staff is paramount to your success; and How being courteous to other business leaders and brands in the naturals' sector and sharing the green space amicably will help your brand and others grow mutually: "A rising tide lifts all boats' should be your motto.  Key take-outs include:  As a product formulator, you will need the patience and resilience to persevere and to take formulation failures in your stride. See any failure as learning your trade. Think consciously about the environment in all aspects of your business. Realise that there is no such thing as 'eco friendly' but rather prefer to use the term eco conscious. Don't green wash - be prepared to answer consumers, trade and media queries about your products or business honestly and research before you reply. If you don't know something, admit it and say you will find out. Try to enjoy life's sensory moments and the ride that being an entrepreneur brings with it.  Find out more about Dr Sarah Villafranco and her brand Osmia Organics: Osmia Organics website. Osmia Organics on Facebook. Osmia Organics Instagram. Osmia Organics Twitter. Osmia Organics Pinterest. Why not choose natural skincare as your next career move? If you are thinking of building a natural, organic cosmetics business and would like to develop your entrepreneurial skills in the beauty sector, enrol in our  BRAND NEW Diploma in Beauty Brand Business Management - the ultimate online training programme in starting or growing your indie beauty brand. Our newest and biggest online course is a combination of award-winning teaching materials and a web summit with 30+ influential speakers drawn from the best in the beauty and business community. Sign up for news of our next term dates. Why wait to start your dream beauty business?  Find out more now!. 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 on Instagram.

When an emergency physician decides on a radical shift in life to choose natural skincare as a career over medicine, you begin to realise just how powerful a sector green beauty is becoming. However, as Dr Sarah Villafranco, founder of <a href="https://osmiaorganics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Osmia organics</a> and our guest in this episode says, while her career change certainly raised some eyebrows back in 2012, it proved a logical move that had parallels with her role as a doctor. As as an emergency physician, I felt I was a fire fighter and I wasn't sure I was helping people prevent disease. I wanted to intervene sooner in people’s health and their daily choices and focus on the important pillars of good health that Western medicine had largely forgotten, such as diet, stress management, joy and fitness. The more medical research I did on effect of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the more I realised what a big piece of medicine was involved in skincare. Sarah Villafranco launched Osmia Organics as a way to help people not only choose natural skincare, but also as a space to learn about a more holistic approach to health and self care. Osmia's blog and social media offers insights and advice on developing a health-focused, positive-living mindset to generate the conversation on what Sarah says traditional medicine sees as 'alternative' routes to health. Transitioning from a high-stress, emergency physician's role where split-second decisions can be life determining, to running a natural skincare business designed to impact our longer-term health and well-being is quite a leap to make. Sarah Villafranco says it can be scary to follow your dreams but adds that building a natural skincare business isn't about dreaming, but hard realities. "You can’t leave a career that makes money for one that won’t. You need to plan your dreams as it takes time to build a business." Dr Sarah Villafranco has a unique vantage point from which to assess the current shape of the green beauty movement. Her medical background and ability to interpret and filter the science enables her to cut through the scepticism and also the green washing that can surround green beauty. In this wide-ranging interview, Dr Sarah Villafranco gives invaluable advice to budding natural skincare entrepreneurs, from whatever walk of life. In this episode on choosing natural skincare as a career, you'll hear about: <ul> <li>Why the natural, organic skincare sector is a rigorous, demanding yet rewarding a career choice for someone from any background;</li> <li>Why the green beauty sector needs more people involved in the industry who are prepared to train, hone their professional skills as formulators and dig deep into the science of skincare to tackle green washing and strengthen the industry as a whole;</li> <li>How becoming a skincare entrepreneur and running a business and a team is not something to be scared of but a role you grow into and make part of your lifelong learning;</li> <li>Why honesty and transparency in your business dealings with everyone from suppliers to customers and staff is paramount to your success; and</li> <li>How being courteous to other business leaders and brands in the naturals' sector and sharing the green space amicably will help your brand and others grow mutually: "A rising tide lifts all boats' should be your motto.</li> </ul> Key take-outs include: <ul> <li>As a product formulator, you will need the patience and resilience to persevere and to take formulation failures in your stride. See any failure as learning your trade.</li> <li>Think consciously about the environment in all aspects of your business. Realise that there is no such thing as 'eco friendly' but rather prefer to use the term eco conscious.</li> <li>Don't green wash - be prepared to answer consumers, trade and media queries about your products or business honestly and research before you reply. If you don't know something, admit it and say you will find out.</li> <li>Try to enjoy life's sensory moments and the ride that being an entrepreneur brings with it.</li> </ul> Find out more about Dr Sarah Villafranco and her brand Osmia Organics: Osmia Organics <a href="https://osmiaorganics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>. Osmia Organics on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/osmiaorganics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Osmia Organics <a href="https://www.instagram.com/osmiaorganics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Osmia Organics <a href="https://twitter.com/OsmiaOrganics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Osmia Organics <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/osmiaorganics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. Why not choose natural skincare as your next career move? If you are thinking of building a natural, organic cosmetics business and would like to develop your entrepreneurial skills in the beauty sector, enrol in our <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/diploma-beauty-brand-business-management/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> BRAND NEW Diploma in Beauty Brand Business Management</a> - the ultimate online training programme in starting or growing your indie beauty brand. Our newest and biggest online course is a combination of award-winning teaching materials and a web summit with 30+ influential speakers drawn from the best in the beauty and business community. Sign up for news of our next term dates. Why wait to start your dream beauty business? <a href="https://formulabotanica.com/diploma-beauty-brand-business-management/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Find out more now!</a>. 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: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FormulaBotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/formulabotanica" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>; and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/formulabotanica/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.

EP41. Why Choose Natural Skincare as a Career?

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