The Eco Well podcast

Is hair care really the cause of hair loss that a lot of people attribute it to be? How does this vary, and how do hair care brands navigate this so that this isn't a problem? To help us navigate the topic, this week's episode features cosmetic chemist and hair care product developer, Dr Cicely Shillingford PhD. We get into the science, what's behind hair loss and how hair care may or may not be involved with that, the class action lawsuits we've seen over the years, and more.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

Is formaldehyde in cosmetics something everyday consumers actually have to be worried about? What does the science actually have to say about this? To help me unpack the topic, this week's episode features the POVs of toxicologist, Dr Joe Zagorski, and cosmetic chemist, Gabrielle Dwyer. The right expertises - which are often missed in popular reporting - to help do this topic justice. This convo will give you a run down of what you should know about formaldehyde in cosmetics. Spoiler: this topic has a ton of misinformation around it that's had pretty profound impacts on the cosmetics industry...

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

This podcast features another roundtable discussion, this time on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is becoming increasingly important to the beauty industry. If you are a beauty brand that hasn't heard of EPR yet, you need to change that ASAP, trust me! Some of the potential fines of not complying with the new rules that are cropping up are upwards of 50k USD PER DAY! This convo featured general EPR consultant Dr Michael Washburn, and the beauty industry specific view point of Dr Akemi Ooka, who is the CEO of the trade association independent beauty association, who's been doing a lot of work on the EPR front. My hope is that by the end of this discussion, you'll have a good 101 of what's been happening, and if you're a brand, a good diving board so you can take the right steps to keep up!

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

There is a lot to unpack when it comes to skin cancer and preventative measures against it. It's a huge and complicated topic that I think has sometimes been oversimplified to the point where the messages have become problematic... This podcast will give you a 101 on skin cancer, to hopefully help you cut through the noise. This is a roundtable convo, featuring skin cancer researchers David Whiteman PhD and Ade Adamson MD - both of whom are doing some big work in this research area and towards sound health policy to address skin cancer.

Covered in this episode: what is skin cancer? how does it happen and how does that vary depending on the cancer and person? how do we prevent skincancer, and how may that vary? what should people know? why are public health guidelines different for this stuff? and lots more!

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

If you're not aware, you probably should be - expert led misinformation is a really big problem that is supercharging some of the misinformation that's out there. So, this is a problem, but… should other experts be correcting them? Is that more damaging because it sows more doubt in science? Inspired by some feedback I've gotten over the years, I figured it was high time to flesh it out in a roundtable to kick off this podcast season. This episode features registered dietitian, Dr Kevin Klatt, toxicologist, Dr Joe Zagorski, and chemist, Dr. Michelle Wong.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

This episode is a 2026 update on where things are at with animal testing in beauty. A roundtable discussion featuring the POV of regulatory expert from the brand side of things, Jonathan Reynolds & regulatory toxicologist from the ingredient supply side, Barae Jomaa PhD ERT. What has happened, is happening and is on the way, and why? Where are we at with non-animal safety testing methods, what is up with China, what does cruelty free even mean, what are common misconceptions about this topic? We covered all this and lots more!

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

A roundtable on women in science communication - and some of the often unspoken barriers in this space. Featuring Dr Jen Gunter, Dr Michelle Wong and Emily Graslie. There's a lot here, I think the points raised in the discussion are really important for everyone to be aware of.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

This week's episode is all about influencer marketing, and what everyone needs to know. There are rules, and very real potential repercussions, for brands AND influencers for not getting them right. This podcast features a roundtable discussion with Jennifer Santos from BBB National Programs, now program director of the Center for Industry Self-Regulation, C-I-S-R, and Meredith Petillo, VP of technical regulatory affairs at Independent Beauty Association.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

This week's episode covers skin aging and skin longevity as a trend in beauty. How much can cosmetic regulated products really do, how do skin longevity claims fit within what cosmetics are allowed to say, from testing to ingredients to formulas - what innovation is happening in this space and more. Coming at the topic from the product development perspective with Kailey Bradt, the clinical testing perspective with Rania Ibrahim PhD and dermatologist Omer Ibrahim MD for a roundtable conversation.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

There has been A LOT happening with talc - from class action lawsuits, regulatory action, a testing proposed rule and its subsequent withdrawal, and so on. There's also been a huge amount of incorrect or misleading reporting on what's been happening, making everything extra confusing... This episode will serve as a 101 update on talc in beauty + a breakdown on WTF is happening. There's a lot! To help me do the topic justice, this weeks episode features toxicologist Lyle Burgoon PhD ATS.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

Last year, in our deep dive into the research available, Lanesa Mahon (PhD candidate/cosmetic scientist) came to the conclusion that exosomes are quack science. In this episode, Ryan Kudla PhD will try to change our minds. We covered a lot of ground in this episode - from what exosomes are, the different types in beauty, how they're made, and the research to support them. Why is so much of that research behind corporate doors, and are we meant to just trust companies? I really enjoyed this podcast format, props to Ryan for agreeing to literally be grilled by Lanesa and I. Now the question to our audience - after you listen to the episode, let us know if Ryan changed your mind!

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

This episode digs deep into hair growth and scalp care - specifically, the dodgy advice online VS the science. What actually works, what doesn't, why so much dodgy advice, and what's the greater issue with it. This episode features Dr Leona Yip MD PhD, dermatologist and alopecia specialist. If you are someone struggling with hair thinning or loss, this episode is a must listen. Big thanks to my Patreon audience who submitted so many amazing questions for this episode!

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

Is microplastic misinformation harming environmental outcomes and science literacy? This episode features a roundtable in response to the responses the Guardian got for their recent article highlighting the uncertain science of microplastics. Turns out a lot of the headlines that went viral didn't actually represent reality. I was happy to see the Guardian making a correction, but then I saw the responses they got… A lot of people were really convinced the article was brought to you by "big plastics". And when I did my own recap on social media, I was also accused of being funded by the plastic industry. To help cover what unfolded, and what this all means for broader science and environmental outcomes, this convo features Oli Jones PhD from the microplastic research POV, and Rick Stafford PhD from the environmental science and policy POV.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

This episode is a deep dive into hair research - how it works, where it's done and why, its interdisciplinary nature and how the moving pieces all come together. The first part of the episode focuses on the wider picture, with the second half digging in on the specifics of hair bond related research. Do hair bond repair products work? What is the evidence that supports these products, where are the gaps in our understanding, has marketing moved past the science, and so much more. To help me break things down, this episode features a roundtable with Dr Jennifer Marsh, hair research fellow at P&G beauty, and Dr Ernesta Malinauskyte, hair research director at TRI Princeton. With International Women's Day just behind us, I thought this was a really nice convo to feature since these two women are some of the leading voices in the hair research space. Disclaimer, because I guess it's important due to current talk online about sponsorships biasing information presented: this episode is not sponsored. Featured in this episode are the two people I knew I could trust to do the topic justice.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

Kicking our new season off with a conversation about BENZENE IN BEAUTY!??? This convo features the POVs of chemist, Michelle Wong, PhD (AKA Labmuffinbeautyscience), and toxicologist, Lyle Burgoon, PhD, ATS. Is benzene in cosmetic products actually something people should be worried about? Long story short, probably not. IMO the real concern is around the bad science, sensationalism and unscrupulous reporting that drove all the fear that is now widespread...

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review if you haven't already! If it's accessible, you can also support my work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell. Big thank you to all of my patreon supporters for supporting my scicomm!

Thank you also to CM Studio+ for supporting this podcast episode as a sponsor. CM Studio+ has a free formulation, costing and PLM software that could be super helpful in product development. Check them out here: https://cmstudioplus.com/

A roundtable discussion follow up on the CHOICE SPF testing scandal - a response to some bad takes I've seen circulating on social media about how the brands involved aren't responsible, and that the responsibility lies entirely with the testing lab that was committing fraud. Unfortunate and unpopular truth: that's not how that works. This discussion featured Dr Rania Ibrahim PhD, coming at it from the clinical testing expert POV, and Avril Love, from the legal and regulatory POV. If you are a brand, this episode is probably an important one for you to tune into to understand what your responsibilities are, and how you can carry them out. For consumers, the takeaways of this convo would be super helpful in learning how to find trustworthy brands. This episode was almost entirely led by audience questions - thank you to everyone who submitted thoughtful prompts and comments!

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell

This week's episode features Jonathan Reynolds, Director of Scientific Development at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, on product development to meet future beauty trends. We get into what actually goes into forecasting claims, where claims and ingredient trends are headed as consumer expectations and regulations shift, and which trends have real staying power versus those that won't survive the development pipeline. Plus: the constraints and realities that shape beauty innovation behind the scenes.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell

How does bad science get published, and why does it matter? This week's conversation with Dr. James Heathers PhD dives into the cracks in our scientific publishing system, the rise of research fraud, and the ripple effects of flawed evidence. If you've ever wondered how misinformation travels through "peer-reviewed" channels, this episode offers a candid look behind the scenes.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell

In this episode, we're continuing our "need-to-know" series for indie beauty founders with a deep dive into one of the most crucial parts of building a beauty brand: manufacturing. Featuring Richie Rubin from the contract manufacturer Garcoa for a "Contract Manufacturing 101", unpacking how brands and manufacturers work together, what the current landscape looks like of CMs, red flags to watch out for, and how broader challenges like tariffs and labor shortages are impacting beauty production.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell

Quality control might not be the flashiest topic in beauty, but it is one of the most important. In this episode, I'm joined by industry expert Geoff Waby for a deep dive into what really goes on behind the scenes to make sure products are safe, stable, and consistent. We unpack what happens when things go wrong, where brand responsibility begins and ends, the unique challenges of refillable products, how consumer use plays into the equation and more! If you've ever wondered what "quality" actually means in beauty, or taken it for granted, this episode will change that.

Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at https://www.patreon.com/theecowell