Multiplying Beauty Myths, featuring Michelle Wong PhD AKA @labmuffinbeautyscience
Release Date: 04/08/2025
The Hidden Crisis of Bad Science, featuring James Heathers PhD
The Eco Well podcast
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
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Inside Cosmetic Manufacturing, with Richie Rubin
The Eco Well podcast
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...
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Quality Control in Beauty Explained: Safety, Testing, and Responsibility, with Geoff Waby
The Eco Well podcast
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...
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Cosmetics Regulations 101 with Meredith Petillo
The Eco Well podcast
A rapid fire cosmetics regulatory 101 with Meredith Petillo, VP of Technical Regulatory Affairs at Independent Beauty Association. We covered as much as we could - if you're have a indie brand, this episode will be super helpful to you. It will also be helpful for anyone else wanting to get a good lay of the land. 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
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IS MAKEUP DISRUPTING YOUR HORMONES!? (no) with Chris Borgert PhD
The Eco Well podcast
In this episode, we dive deep into the complex and often misunderstood world of endocrine disruption with toxicologist, pharmacologist and endocrine disruption researcher, Chris Borgert PhD. We unpack how the science has evolved, what we actually know about real-world risks, and how public fear has outpaced scientific consensus. From moral panics around masculinity and fertility to the rise of science sensationalism and skewed research incentives, this conversation explores how a nuanced scientific topic became a cultural flashpoint.
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Sunscreen Gate 2025 Roundtable, with Michelle Wong PhD, Hannah English and Brian Ecclefield
The Eco Well podcast
By now you have probably heard about the sunscreen testing scandal. Earlier this year in June, CHOICE tested a bunch of sunscreen products in the Australian market, and many came back well under their marketed SPF. The one that really caught everyone’s attention was from Ultraviolet, with a claimed SPF of 50+, results came back at 4. What came next was some of the most bizarre behaviour I think I’ve ever observed in the beauty industry. First with some of the brand responses, then to the dynamics on social media. Things evolved quickly, where now the TGA has stepped in, a bunch of...
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Trending Ingredients VS Science with Lanesa Mahon
The Eco Well podcast
There are so many new trendy ingredients - from exosomes to PDMR, peptides to tranexamic acid… But do they actually work? In my first episode of the season, I thought it would be fun to kick things off with an ingredient trends vs science conversation, featuring PhD candidate and cosmetic scientist, Lanesa Mahon. What works, what's over hyped, and what even is "science based"? We explored all that and more! Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at
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Beauty's Issue with Snowballing Misinformation with Michelle Niedziela PhD
The Eco Well podcast
Beauty has a misinformation problem. In my latest podcast, we take a look at the issue from a behavioural science POV with behavioural neuroscientist and consumer researcher, . How is misinformation influencing consumer AND brand behaviour, why has misinfomation snowballing been such an issue, how is misinformation impacting beauty innovation and business bottom lines, and more. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at
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Truth in Beauty - Surfactants Edition! World Surfactants Conference Panel Replay
The Eco Well podcast
Last week I moderated the Truth in Beauty Panel, Surfactants Edition, at the 15th ICIS World Surfactants Conference, brought to you by the Independent Beauty Association. This episode features that conversation! How has misinformation impacted the surfactants sector? Disclaimer - surfactants are chemicals that are fundamental for much of what we have become accustomed to societally, from transportation to infrastructure and more. In cosmetics, they enable many of the different product formats, such as lotions and cleansing products. The panel included Dennis Abbeduto from Colonial Chemical,...
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Copy Cats, Counterfeit and Culture; the Ethics of Perfume. Roundtable with Christophe Laudamiel & Pia Long
The Eco Well podcast
This conversation featured perfumers Christophe Laudamiel & Pia Long. We talked about some of the structural challenges that the fragrance sector currently faces; from intellectual protection, perfumery education, issues of plagiarism, duping culture and more. Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at
info_outlineBeauty myths multiply! My latest podcast episode features OG beauty myth buster, Michelle Wong PhD, aka @labmuffinbeautyscience. What’s the latest trending beauty misinformation, where is it coming from, how is it growing and how does it impact both consumers and the beauty sector writ large. Probably not great - probably important for the industry to get behind addressing. We also dive into the importance of scicomm, current barriers for good independent scicomm - from the fact that so many of us do it for no pay on top of full-time jobs, how it impacts us personally when we debunk, to the rampant issues of plagiarism that adds to scicomm burnout. And what can be done from the beauty sector to better support independent beauty scicomm.
Interested in supporting the podcast? Please share, subscribe and write a review! If it's accessible, we also have a Patreon which you can find at patreon.com/theecowell