The Eco Well podcast
In this show, Jen Novakovich, Canadian cosmetic chemist from The Eco Well, interviews international cosmetic scientists and industry leaders to bring you a fresh new conversation a week about all things beauty!
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An Oral Care 101 with Natalie Hendrix
04/19/2024
An Oral Care 101 with Natalie Hendrix
Somehow I still haven't covered oral care on the podcast, so to help fix that, this week's episode features oral care formulation chemist Natalie Hendrix! This episode was a 101 on the topic - hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, write a review and subscribe! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at
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Cosmetic Formulation Myth Busting with Gabriella Baki PhD
04/17/2024
Cosmetic Formulation Myth Busting with Gabriella Baki PhD
This episode is an extension of the cosmetic formulation myth busting fireside chat with Gabriella Baki PhD that happened at the Skincare E-Summit in December! 20 minutes just wasn't enough! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write us a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at
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Diversity and Inclusion, feat Milan Scott @thecosmescientist
04/02/2024
Diversity and Inclusion, feat Milan Scott @thecosmescientist
This podcast features Milan Scott, otherwise known as @thecosmescientist in a conversation about diversity and inclusion. From the POV of what’s happening in the wider industry, formulations and what’s currently available on the market, to current gaps that should be addressed. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, write a review and subscribe! If it's accessible, we also have a patreon page that you can find at Patreon.com/theecowell
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Future of indie Beauty Panel
04/01/2024
Future of indie Beauty Panel
This podcast features a conversation about the current state, and future, of indie beauty, in conversation with Kelly Kovack from BeautyMatter, Rob Akridge PhD from OPULUS Beauty Labs, and Akemi Ooka PhD from Independent Beauty Association. This was the closing panel for our So, You Want to Start a Beauty Brand? E-Summit - find the full replay on our blog! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and consider writing a review. If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at
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Silicone sustainability with Mike Fevola PhD
03/18/2024
Silicone sustainability with Mike Fevola PhD
This episodes features a deep dive conversation into silicones in cosmetics; what are they, why are they so useful, and what are some of the environmental draw backs we're currently contending with. To help me tackle the topic, this week I was joined by Mike Fevola PhD. Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, write a review and subscribe! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at
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The current state of animal testing in beauty with Barae Jomaa PhD
03/12/2024
The current state of animal testing in beauty with Barae Jomaa PhD
This pocast features a 101 on the current state of animal testing in cosmetics featuring toxicologist Barae Jomaa PhD. We cover why animal testing testing started in the first place and what prompted all the animal testing bans we see today, the history of animal testing bans globally, alternative test methods, misconceptions, the REACH vs EC conflict we're seeing today, and lots more! Interested in supporting the show? Please leave us a review wherever you listening, subscribe and share! If it's accessible to you, we also have a Patreon page which you can find at
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A Cosmetics Formulation 101 with Ava Perkins
03/03/2024
A Cosmetics Formulation 101 with Ava Perkins
This week's episode is a 101 on cosmetics formulations; what are the ingredient types that make your products work and why? What’s up with surfactant and preservative systems? What’s the difference between skin and hair care, what’s an emulsion, and what do you need to know about pH? o help me cover the topic, this week featured Ava Perkins, PhD student at the University of Cincinnati in their cosmetic science program. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share and give us a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page that you can find at
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An acne 101 with Dr Mara Evangelista-Huber, AKA @dermomtology
02/19/2024
An acne 101 with Dr Mara Evangelista-Huber, AKA @dermomtology
This podcast features an acne 101 conversation with dermatologist Dr Mara Evanglista-Huber MD, otherwise known as @dermomtology. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please subscribe, review and share! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page which you can find
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Is "Both-Sidism" Really Killing Us? Featuring Tim Caufield
12/06/2023
Is "Both-Sidism" Really Killing Us? Featuring Tim Caufield
This podcast was about false balance; what it is, how to spot it and what the greater issue with it is. What's wrong with public form debates on science? Particularly on topics that have a lot of evidence to support one POV vs a fringe viewpoint. For example, sunscreens aren't the cause of coral bleaching, widely supported by the evidence, vs it is, supported by outlier data. This episode features Canadian sci-comm treasure, Tim Caulfield for our 2023 finale!
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Cosmetic Chemists Reacts: Beauty Trends. Feat. Lanesa Mahon
11/29/2023
Cosmetic Chemists Reacts: Beauty Trends. Feat. Lanesa Mahon
This week's episode is a cosmetic chemists reaction episode, featuring the POV of cosmetic science PhD student Lanesa Mahon @raya.faces and myself. Topic: beauty trends. Trends we reacted to include: microbiome skincare, biotech beauty, menopausal skincare, dermatologist brands, green beauty and more! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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A microplastics 101 with Laura Markley PhD
11/22/2023
A microplastics 101 with Laura Markley PhD
This podcast episode is a 101 on microplastics in beauty. What do we mean when we say "plastic" and "microplastic"? What's the microplastic issue like in beauty? To help me cover the topic, this week I was joined with microplastic researcher, Laura Markley PhD. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on patreon at
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Truth in Beauty Panel Replay
11/15/2023
Truth in Beauty Panel Replay
This is a replay of a panel I moderated at the SCC California Suppliers Day, presented by Independent Beauty Association. The conversation was broadly about the impacts of misinformation in beauty, and opportunities for course correction. Panelists included some of my favorite LA based sci-commers; Allison Kent-Gunn @allisonturquoise, Javon Ford @javonford16, Jane Tsui @janethechemist and Valerie George @cosmetic_chemist. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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An update on animal testing in cosmetics, featuring Carol Treasure PhD
11/07/2023
An update on animal testing in cosmetics, featuring Carol Treasure PhD
What is the current state of animal testing in cosmetics? Why has it happened, does it still happen - if so, where and why? And where are we at with alternatives? New podcast alert! Our latest episode featured Dr. Carol Treasure from XCellR8, an animal-free in-vitro safety testing lab. There’s so much complexity to this topic, and I think there have been some seriously missed opportunities from the cosmetics industry for communicating what’s happening and has happened. I hope the episode does the topic justice. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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A claims 101 with Craig Weiss of Consumer Product Testing
10/31/2023
A claims 101 with Craig Weiss of Consumer Product Testing
A deep dive into claims with claims expert, Craig Weiss of Consumer Product Testing. What do the claims you see on labels actually mean? What's a strong claim and what's just puffery? And how can you as a consumer more effectively read labels? This podcast explored all this and more! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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A Toxicology 101 with Pushpa Rao PhD
10/17/2023
A Toxicology 101 with Pushpa Rao PhD
This podcast features a 101 episode on toxicology, featuring toxicologist Dr Pushpa Rao. With all the noise and confusion about product safety out in the zeitgeist, I thought this was an important topic to cover. We covered the basics of what toxicology is, how it’s applied to cosmetics, fundamental toxicology themes like hazard and risk, safety substantiation, misconceptions, and more! Interested in supporting the podcast on Patreon? Find us at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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The Rise of Class Action Lawsuits in Beauty with Avril Love
10/11/2023
The Rise of Class Action Lawsuits in Beauty with Avril Love
There have been so many class action lawsuits in beauty over the last few years. What does it all mean? Are products on the market unsafe? Have these lawsuits become a cost of business in the USA? Are they making products safer? To help me unpack the topic, this weeks episode featured Avril Love, counsel at K&L Gates. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us at Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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A Deep Dive into Curly Hair with Dr Crystal Porter
10/04/2023
A Deep Dive into Curly Hair with Dr Crystal Porter
This episode featured hair scientist, Dr Crystal Porter from Mane Insights, in a deep dive into curly hair. We dove into the nitty gritty of the structure of curly hair, and the science behind keeping it in good shape. Hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did! Quick edit - in this episode, Crystal mentioned "consumer scientist." She meant "citizen scientist" :). Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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State Law - The Good, the Bad, the Ugly. With Dr. Simone Swafford
06/06/2023
State Law - The Good, the Bad, the Ugly. With Dr. Simone Swafford
This episode features a deep dive into state law, featuring Dr. Simone Swafford, regulatory consultant at Vogue Regulatory. What’s happening at the state level in terms of cosmetic regulations, and how does that impact both industry as well as consumers? We specifically dive into how misinformation is driving some of the recent legislative developments. Big thanks to Essential Labs for sponsoring this episode. Use the code for 15% off! Interested in supporting the podcast on Patreon? Find us at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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Diversity & Inclusion through the Lens of Disability with Bart Maxon
05/30/2023
Diversity & Inclusion through the Lens of Disability with Bart Maxon
This week's episode featured Bart Maxon - cosmetic scientist, creator of 20 patents, and recent recipient of the SCC Merit Award. Important to this conversation, he's achieved all of this as a 4’6” achondroplasia dwarf who's had several spinal surgeries, operating in an industry where accessibility has been an ongoing improvement for those with disabilities. I'm really inspired by Bart's story. From being told that he'd never work in a lab, to becoming a Senior Development Scientist at Dow. In this conversation, we talked about diversity and inclusion, through the lens of individuals with disabilities. What are we doing right as an industry, and where do we need to improve? Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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Challenges and Opportunities for the Suncare Sector, Panel
05/23/2023
Challenges and Opportunities for the Suncare Sector, Panel
This episode featured the closing panel from Michelle @labmuffinbeautyscience and my Sunscreen E-Summit, which happened a few weeks ago. On the topic of Challenges and Opportunities for the Suncare Sector. In conversation with Meredith Petillo, Senior Director of Technical & Regulatory Services at IBA, Stan Krus, Senior Technology Manager Sun Care at BASF, Carl D’Ruiz, Head of Personal Care and Pharma Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at DSM, and Michelle Wong, PhD. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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Beauty Sci-Comm with Michelle Wong, Ph.D. of @labmuffinbeautyscience
05/17/2023
Beauty Sci-Comm with Michelle Wong, Ph.D. of @labmuffinbeautyscience
This episode was about beauty science communication, from the perspectives of Michelle @labmuffinbeautyscience and me. What is sci-comm, why is it important, what are some of the challenges, and importantly, why are there so few sci-commers able to make sci-com a full-time, long-lasting endeavor? In this episode, Michelle and I announce the social enterprise we've been working on together: . Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us at Patreon at . Massive thank you to all of our Patreon supporters for helping make this show possible!
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Toxicologist Reacts to Headlines, featuring Tony Simion, Ph.D.
04/26/2023
Toxicologist Reacts to Headlines, featuring Tony Simion, Ph.D.
New podcast! This week, we tried something a little different with a Toxicologist Reacts episode, featuring Tony Simion, Ph.D. Industry veteran and adjunct professor. You guys sent in media headlines and posts, and we responded. Disclaimer, before I go on here; all the views expressed in this post and podcast are all in our honestly held opinions. I hope by the end of this episode, it’s clear who that is for when it comes to cosmetic product safety. Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon.com/theecowell
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MoCRA - What does it all mean? With Kerry Tassopoulos
04/18/2023
MoCRA - What does it all mean? With Kerry Tassopoulos
This week’s episode took a look at MoCRA - What’s happening? What do we know? How is going to impact industry, and also consumers? There has been a lot of noise about MoCRA, what does it all mean? To help me do this topic justice, for this podcast I was joined by Kerry Tassopoulos, Of Counsel and a corporate, regulatory and compliance attorney with Platt Cheema Richmond PLLC. Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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Sustainability Challenges & Opportunities for the Cosmetics Sector, Roundtable.
04/12/2023
Sustainability Challenges & Opportunities for the Cosmetics Sector, Roundtable.
This episode featured the closing panel for our Sustainable Beauty E-Summit that happened back in January on Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities for the Cosmetics Sector. We came at the topic of sustainability challenges and opportunities from a wide scope of expertise. Featuring Akemi Ooka, Ph.D., Head of Global Supply Chain and Sustainability Resources at the Independent Beauty Association, Mike Fevola, Ph.D., Vice President of R&D at Inolex, and Mark Trexler, Ph.D., director at The Climatographers. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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Corporate Sustainability - is it actually helping? Feat Dr. Mark Trexler
04/04/2023
Corporate Sustainability - is it actually helping? Feat Dr. Mark Trexler
This week, we covered the topic of corporate sustainability management and reporting through the lens of… is this actually going to help combat climate change? From measuring greenhouse gases to carbon offsetting, is current corporate sustainability and policy pointing us in the right direction? Or is there potential for it to do more harm than good? Joining me for this conversation is Dr. Mark Trexler from The Climatographers. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please subscribe and write a review. If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page. Find us at . Massive thank you to all of our Patreon supporters for helping make this podcast possible!
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The Industry of Misinformation with Tim Caulfield
03/29/2023
The Industry of Misinformation with Tim Caulfield
This episode featured a conversation with Tim Caulfield, Canadian sci-comm treasure, prof at the University of Alberta, and author of books like Is Gwenyth Paltrow Wrong about everything? A few months ago Tim participated in a “clean” beauty debate - he was anti-clean, against someone else who was pro-clean… In this episode, Tim and I talked about his experience in the debate, his thoughts on why misinformation gains the traction it does, and tips to decipher fact from fiction. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please subscribe and write a review. If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page. Find us at . Massive thank you to all of our Patreon supporters for helping make this podcast possible!
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AMA with cosmetic chemists, featuring Javon Ford
03/17/2023
AMA with cosmetic chemists, featuring Javon Ford
Our latest episode featured Javon Ford - fellow cosmetic chemist and beauty scicommer - in an AMA style interview. You guys sent in questions, we tried our best to answer! From bunk marketing claims to how to become a cosmetic chemist, we covered a lot! Hope you enjoy the convo as much as I did. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please subscribe and write a review. If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page. Find us at . Massive thank you to all of our Patreon supporters for helping make this podcast possible!
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A USA Regulation 101 with Karen Yarussi-King
03/13/2023
A USA Regulation 101 with Karen Yarussi-King
For this week's episode, we take a deep dive into regulations that impact the cosmetics industry, with a focus on the USA market and the many misconceptions people have about it. Are products sold in the EU actually safer than those in the USA? Spoiler alert, the answer is no, and in this conversation, we dive into the why that’s the case. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER - THIS PODCAST WAS RECORDED BEFORE MOCRA. THE FDA NOW HAS RECALL AUTHORITY. Interested in supporting the podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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LIVE Beauty Sci-Commer Panel, Brought to you by the IBA
03/06/2023
LIVE Beauty Sci-Commer Panel, Brought to you by the IBA
This was a live panel discussion in LA, hosted by the Independent Beauty Association and moderated by yours truly, about science communication in the cosmetics space. In conversation with Esther Olu (@themelaninchemist), Gloria Lu and Victoria Fu (@chemist.confessions), and Valerie George (Co-host of The Beauty Brains Podcast, @cosmetic_chemist). Extra shout out to the Gold sponsor for this event, Federal Package, Silver sponsors, Prestige Testing, CIS (insurance), NYSCC Suppliers Day, and other event sponsors, Gordon Labs, Coptis, Croda, and Beauty Matter. Interested in supporting The Eco Well Podcast? Find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theecowell
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An Intimate Hygiene 101 w/ Dr Tanaya, AKA Dr. Cuterus
02/20/2023
An Intimate Hygiene 101 w/ Dr Tanaya, AKA Dr. Cuterus
Kicking off our first episode back for 2023 with a deep dive into intimate care and hygiene - a space gaining a lot of traction in the beauty industry. There are so many products launching of late to purportedly address all of your sexual wellness needs - from vulvar washes to enlargening breast creams. To give us a lay of the land, I was joined by Dr. Tanaya, aka Dr. Cuterus. Enjoy! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please subscribe and write a review. If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon page. Find us at . Massive thank you to all of our Patreon supporters for helping make this podcast possible!
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