Sunscreen Gate 2025 Roundtable, with Michelle Wong PhD, Hannah English and Brian Ecclefield
Release Date: 10/15/2025
Dodgy Hair Growth Claims VS Science with Dr Leona Yip MD PhD
The Eco Well podcast
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...
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Is microplastic misinformation harming environmental outcomes and science literacy? Roundtable with Oli Jones PhD and Rick Stafford PhD
The Eco Well podcast
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...
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A hair research deep dive: hair bond repair. Roundtable with Jennifer Marsh PhD and Ernesta Malinauskyte PhD
The Eco Well podcast
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...
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BENZENE IN BEAUTY!? w/ Michelle Wong PhD and Lyle Burgoon PhD ATS
The Eco Well podcast
Kicking our new season off with a conversation about BENZENE IN BEAUTY!??? This convo features the POVs of chemist, (AKA Labmuffinbeautyscience), and toxicologist, . 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 . Big...
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When Beauty Testing Goes Wrong, Who’s Responsible? ROUNDTABLE with Avril Love and Rania Ibrahim PhD
The Eco Well podcast
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...
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Where Beauty Trends Are Really Going, with Jonathan Reynolds
The Eco Well podcast
This week's episode features , 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...
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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
info_outlineBy 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 sunscreens have been recalled, and it looks like there may have been some testing fraud. To help us understand this mess, I brought together an expert roundtable with the people I thought were best positioned to do the topic justice - in conversation with Brian Ecclefield, industry testing expert who also has firsthand experience with PCR, the lab behind the scandal. Dr. Michelle Wong from Labmuffin Beauty Science, science content creator who’s pretty much the sunscreen science queen of the interwebs in my books. And finally, Hannah English, sunscreen and science content creator, also coming with the brand founder POV. Michelle and Hannah collectively did some of the best scicomm on this story on social media as it all unfolded, they were my steadfast voices of reason. If you work in beauty, this conversation probably should be a must listen!
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