The Day My Favourite Balm Broke My Heart
Host: Eva | Botanical Skincare Secrets

What happens when your ride-or-die skincare product turns out to be... 95% petroleum jelly? In this personal and surprisingly juicy episode, Eva—founder of The Very Good Goo and botanical skincare nerd—shares the story of how her favorite balm became her biggest ingredient heartbreak. What starts as a confession quickly unfolds into a deep dive into the truth about petroleum jelly, how it works (or doesn’t), and why it’s not the skin-loving savior it’s been made out to be.

Along the way, Eva unpacks the history of petroleum jelly (spoiler: it started on an oil rig), discusses the difference between occlusion and nourishment, and explains why modern skin deserves better than a glossy coat of mineral oil. From ingredient label confusion to the endocrine disruptor rumors, she covers the science, the myths, and the marketing tricks that still hide in plain sight on many skincare shelves.

But it doesn’t stop there.

This episode also traces the gooey origin story of The Very Good Goo’s most loved product: a truly natural, multi-purpose balm made from cold-pressed oils, beeswax, calendula, and other skin-recognized botanicals. Eva shares her years-long process of testing, tweaking, and nerding out over every gram and drop to create a formula that doesn’t just coat—but communicates with your skin.

You’ll learn:

• Why petroleum jelly creates a seal, but offers no nourishment

• The science behind botanical oils like jojoba, rosehip, and olive oil

• Why the skin barrier matters—and how to support it naturally

• What “biocompatibility” really means in skincare

• How plant-based ingredients go beyond protection to deliver healing

• Why packaging and label transparency should be your new obsession

• How one spreadsheet-loving skincare nerd created a cult-favorite balm from her kitchen

Whether you’re a lifelong balm-lover, a zero-waste ingredient sleuth, or just starting to rethink what you’re putting on your skin, this episode is an honest, educational, and slightly gooey wake-up call. No shame. Just curiosity, transparency, and plenty of skincare love.

👉 Learn more at theverygoodgoo.com.au
👉 Discover the balm that sparked it all
👉 Follow us for more nerdy skincare chats, ingredient breakdowns, and modern botanical rituals

Keywords: natural skincare, petroleum jelly, botanical balm, occlusive vs nourishing, plant-based skincare, rosehip oil, jojoba, clean beauty podcast, skincare ingredients explained, barrier repair, multipurpose balm, sustainable skincare, natural ingredients, skincare nerd, ingredient transparency

Episode 11 – Short & Melancholic: Soul Conversation About Scars
with Eva from Botanical Skincare Secrets

In this slower, more melancholic episode of Botanical Skincare Secrets, Eva invites you into a quieter kind of glow-up—one that doesn’t come from a serum or a scrub, but from a moment of reflection, stillness, and softness.

This isn’t your typical skincare chat. There are no glow hacks or 10-step routines here. Instead, this is a meditation on memory, scars, and the stories our skin holds—with the gentle chirp of crickets in the background and a voice that says, “You’re not doing this alone.”

Eva speaks candidly about her own facial scars, how we’re taught to view them as flaws, and how deeply that narrative is shaped by external noise—magazines, mothers, partners, trolls, and culture. She shares tender memories of her grandmother, who never tried to “fix” her face, only care for it. And reminds us that skincare isn’t about self-improvement, it’s about self-connection.

Inside this episode:

✨ Why scars aren’t flaws—they’re landmarks.
✨ What it means to slow down and notice your skin instead of trying to fix it.
✨ The radical power of softness in a world obsessed with “thick skin.”
✨ Why your skin doesn’t need to be perfect to be seen, felt, and loved.
✨ A gentle reframe: skincare as ritual, not rescue.

Whether you’re walking, driving, or lying on the floor avoiding your inbox, this episode is for the days when life feels like a lot and your skin is quietly reflecting it back at you. This is a melancholic love letter to your body’s largest organ—and a reminder that sometimes a balm isn’t just skincare, it’s a form of care.

Eva also introduces her S.O.S. Squad—a minimalist, 3-product skincare set from her brand The Very Good Goo, designed for anyone who’s overwhelmed, burnt out, or just needs their skin to feel held.

Mentioned in this episode:
🧡 S.O.S. Squad: A minimal skincare set with 3 hard-working natural products for dry, inflamed, stressed-out skin. Think of it as your skin’s support system.
🌿 Shop at theverygoodgoo.com.au

Perfect for you if you're looking for:

• Skincare for scars

• Emotional skincare & healing

• Minimalist natural skincare routine

• Skin positivity & self-love

• Herbal skincare rituals

• Podcasts about skin, memory & femininity

• Slow living + soulful wellness

🎧 Listen now if you’ve ever looked in the mirror and wondered if you had to change everything to be worthy of love. (Spoiler: you don’t.)

Ever wondered why your skin freaks out during an emotional spiral—even when your routine hasn’t changed? Why a heartbreak, burnout, or fight with your mum can show up as breakouts, redness, dryness, or an all-over dull, inflamed face?

This episode is your gentle, no-BS guide to understanding the deep connection between your skin and your nervous system—and how emotional stress can quite literally show up on your face before you even know what’s wrong.

Join Eva, founder of The Very Good Goo (and recovering perfectionist with a seriously reactive skin barrier), as she shares her own story of skin chaos during an emotionally devastating time. Through personal storytelling and skincare science, she explores why emotional stress, nervous system dysregulation, and hormonal imbalances are often at the root of persistent skin issues.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why emotional stress and anxiety trigger skin flare-ups

• The science behind the skin–nervous system connection (yes, it's real)

• What cortisol, inflammation, and neuropeptides do to your skin barrier

• How your skin can mirror internal emotional turmoil—before your brain even catches on

• What Eva’s babcia taught her about skin repair with chamomile compresses

• How ancestral rituals, science-backed skincare, and nervous system care can work together

• Eva’s no-fuss calming skincare ritual (featuring the Skin SOS Squad) for hormonal, emotional, and inflammatory skin moments

Whether you’re dealing with stress acne, sensitive skin, perioral dermatitis, or mystery flare-ups that no product seems to fix—this episode will help you connect the dots between what’s happening in your body and what’s showing up on your skin.

Key search-friendly takeaways:

• How stress affects your skin barrier

• Best skincare for emotional burnout and inflammation

• Natural remedies to calm skin triggered by anxiety

• Nervous system regulation tools for reactive or sensitive skin

• How to tell if your skin issues are hormonal, emotional, or both

• Why simple, supportive skincare (not 12 steps) helps your skin heal faster

You’ll leave this episode feeling seen, soothed, and way more equipped to care for your skin in the moments when your life feels like an emotional landslide.

✨ Featured in this episode: The Skin SOS Squad
Created by Eva for the times when your skin’s screaming “help”—and you’ve got zero energy to figure it out. This 3-product routine calms inflammation, supports barrier repair, and restores glow with minimal effort.

Explore the Skin SOS Squad now at theverygoodgoo.com.au

Welcome back to Botanical Skincare Secrets, where we blend ancient herbal wisdom with modern skin science—and occasionally take a dramatic detour through the haunted hallways of beauty history. This is Episode 9: Deadly Skincare Part 2, and yes, the tea is still piping hot and mildly toxic.

I’m Eva, founder of The Very Good Goo—your botanical skincare bestie and unofficial historian of beauty’s most unhinged moments. Last week, we exposed the glamorously grotesque past of arsenic face powders and radioactive creams. This week? We’re going deeper, darker, and just a little bit grosser (in the best way).

💄 What’s Inside This Episode:

• Heroin Lip Balm: Yep, this was a thing. In the early 1900s, European beauty brands (and Bayer, the same company that gave us aspirin) were marketing opiate-laced lip salves as calming, chic, and nerve-soothing. Literal heroin—sold in gorgeous tins and nestled between lace gloves and perfume atomizers. Soft lips and emotional sedation? The patriarchy really said, “why not both?”

• Snake Venom Serums: Enter SYN-Ake—a synthetic peptide based on the venom of the temple viper. Marketed as “Botox in a bottle” in the early 2000s, this cult-status ingredient promised to freeze wrinkles with a whisper instead of a jab. But does it work? We unpack the science behind the snakebite chic.

• Nightingale Poop Facials (Uguisu No Fun): Geishas and kabuki actors once swore by this enzyme-rich mask made from sterilised bird droppings. Yes, really. We explore how poop became a prestige beauty treatment and why this ancient Japanese ritual might’ve been an early version of biotech skincare—gross, but weirdly genius.

• Belladonna Eye Drops: This Renaissance-era poison gave women dilated pupils and that soft, dreamy, submissive look men just couldn’t resist (🙄). We get into why beauty ideals often involve actual suffering—and why Belladonna is the ultimate femme fatale plant.

🌪 Themes We Tackle (Because It’s Not Just About the Products):

• The myth of “beauty through pain” and how it still echoes in modern trends like injectables and acid peels

• How colonialism, capitalism, and misogyny have shaped dangerous beauty standards for centuries

• The way glamour has historically been used to mask control, sedation, and harm

• Why we keep romanticizing poison when it’s packaged in pearlescent tins and promises perfection

✨ Whether it’s opiate-laced lip balm or neurotoxic pupil drops, history proves one thing: the beauty industry has always had a dark side. But knowledge is power—and glowier skin. So let’s keep unlearning the BS and choosing skincare that actually loves you back.

📍 Perfect For:

• Lovers of weird beauty history

• Skincare nerds with a dark sense of humour

• Anyone wondering if their serum is gaslighting them

• Listeners seeking real talk on how not to die for pretty

💬 If this episode made you gasp, laugh, cringe, or yell “WTF?!” in public, please leave a review, share with your smartest skincare bestie, and remember: Pain is not a prerequisite for beauty.

🔮 Stay smart, stay skeptical, and don’t die for good skin.

💻 Website / Shop
https://theverygoodgoo.com.au

📖 Blog Post / Wellness Journal
👉 https://theverygoodgoo.com.au/blogs/wellness-journal

📸 Instagram
https://instagram.com/theverygoodgoo

Free shipping + juicy skincare stories? Sign up to our newsletter, babe.

Go to website here:

https://theverygoodgoo.com.au⁠

In today’s episode of Botanical Skincare Secrets, we’re diving into the toxic beauty secrets of the past—and no, we’re not being dramatic. From radioactive face creams to lead-laced powders, the skincare industry has literally glowed with danger.

We’re talking about the kinds of products that promised radiance… and delivered it, right up until the point they started killing people.

💀 Inside this episode:
— The tragic tale of radium-based beauty creams (yes, actual radiation)
— Why women were brushing their teeth with radioactive toothpaste in the 1930s
— How lead and mercury became the unsung villains of “complexion perfection”
— A quick science rant on polonium (not “polon”, soz—it’s a Polish thing)
— A look at how the legacy of toxic beauty still lingers in modern skincare marketing

This episode explores the high price of beauty when society said, “Better dead than dull.”

🧪 FACT CHECKS + FURTHER READING:
You know I bring receipts. Here are a few sources to deep-dive into the history of poisonous beauty products:

• Smithsonian Magazine: The Dark History of Radium Girls

• Science History Institute: The Dangers of Lead in Cosmetics

• BBC Future: The Deadly Cosmetics Women Used

• Atlas Obscura: A Glowing History of Radioactive Beauty Products

😳 A Little Note About Pronunciation…
OK, so I mispronounced polonium as “Polon” in this episode. That’s not a new element—it’s just the way we pronounce polonium in Polish. (Yes, it sounds exactly like that in Polish science class. Blame the Slavic tongue, not the podcaster.)

But for the record:
✔️ English = po-LOH-nee-um
✔️ Polish = PO-lon
✔️ Both = Deadly AF

⚰️ WHY THIS MATTERS:
Because beauty trends don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen in a world obsessed with youth, whiteness, and perfection—and sometimes, that obsession becomes lethal. This episode is a love letter to everyone who's ever felt pressure to chase “flawless” and a reminder that marketing can be as dangerous as any ingredient list.

Also: if your great-grandmother was glowing in old photos... it may not have been the lighting.

🧴THE GOO THAT WON’T KILL YOU:
Not all beauty is deadly. In fact, at The Very Good Goo, we make skincare that’s botanical, lush, and radiantly safe.
Check out our Radiance Booster Serum (with actual glow, zero radiation) and explore our Wellness Journal for more juicy skincare lore.

📣 LISTEN, SHARE, SCREAM:
Loved the episode? Leave a review, scream into the void, or send it to your cousin who still uses old cold cream from 2003.
Tag us @theverygoodgoo and tell us: What’s the wildest skincare trend you’ve ever tried?

Welcome to Botanical Skincare Secrets, the podcast where nature meets science, and your skin gets to breathe again. In this episode, Eva—founder of The Very Good Goo and your botanical-obsessed big sister in the skincare storm—dismantles six common skincare myths that are wasting your money, stressing your skin, and stealing your glow.

Let’s get real: if you’ve ever chased the burn, bought into the 15-step routine hype, or felt like your skin was just too broken to fix, this episode is your permission slip to opt out of the chaos and return to calm.

We’re diving deep into the most popular (and damaging) skincare lies, including:

• “If it tingles, it’s working” – when pain became the metric for performance (and why your barrier is begging you to stop)

• “Natural products don’t do anything” – the disrespect is real. We’re talking bakuchiol, reishi, calendula, and why botanical actives actually work

• “Expensive = better” – newsflash: you’re paying for packaging, not potency

• “You need a 10-step routine to glow” – minimalism is the new flex

• “My skin is just bad” – trauma, not truth. Let’s unpack where that belief came from

• “Skincare will fix everything, no matter how I treat my body” – yep, we’re going there

You’ll also learn why soothing skincare is more effective than harsh actives, what ingredients your skin actually understands, and how internal health (sleep, stress, sugar—hello!) shows up on your face.

🧴 Eva shares her personal journey from overwhelmed consumer to skincare formulator, and how she found clarity, calm, and radiance through simplicity and botanically-rich skincare. Expect honesty and practical advice you can actually use.

✨ Related resources:

• Read: The Beginner-Friendly Night Routine

• Shop: The Very Good Goo Skincare – barrier-loving balms, oils, and moisturisers that heal, not harm

• Follow: @theverygoodgoo for more myth-busting skincare content

  
  

  💌 P.S. Join our subscriber list and get free shipping on everything, always. Just a little thank-you for being part of the Goo gang.

🔍 Keywords: skincare myths, natural skincare, barrier repair, minimalist skincare routine, gentle actives, bakuchiol vs retinol, botanical ingredients, anti-inflammatory skincare, sensitive skin tips, best skincare ingredients for glow

Welcome to Botanical Skincare Secrets — where plant-based rituals meet real-life chaos.

Hosted by Eva, founder of The Very Good Goo, this podcast is your cozy evening companion when your face feels dry, your brain is buzzing, and your skincare routine is... non-existent, inconsistent, or just plain confusing.

In this episode, we're winding down with purpose. Forget the pressure of 12-step routines and ingredient alphabet soup. We’re giving you permission to keep it simple, sensory, and soul-soothing. Discover the three types of nighttime routines—Ritual, Results, and Repair—so you can choose exactly what you (and your skin) need tonight:

✨ A calming moment with a luxurious rose oil ritual
🌿 A visible-results night powered by gentle, plant-based Bakuchiol
🧴 A deep-repair session with comforting botanical balms and masks

Whether you’re new to skincare or just too tired to deal, you’ll learn:
— How to cleanse without a fuss (yes, even with emotional support mascara still on)
— Why your skin is a night owl (collagen party = 11pm to 4am)
— Why pressing in your products beats rubbing (hands down)
— The real magic of a rose quartz mask: stillness, softness, and saying no to your notifications
— What to skip when your face is fire-truck red and feeling attacked

This episode features some of our most-loved Very Good Goo products, including:
🌙 Night Bakuchiol Serum – a natural alternative to retinol without the peeling or drama
🌹 7 Times Luxurious Rose Oil – made with seven high-grade botanical oils, including queenly Damask rose
💧 Intensive Care Skin Balm – your go-to for cranky, wind-burnt, eczema-prone, or dry skin
💎 Rose Quartz Eye Mask – a literal chill button for your nervous system
💖 Damask Rose Set (Mask + Oil) – your grounding ritual in a bundle

Find them all at: www.theverygoodgoo.com.au

🛏️ So if you're in your pajamas, hair up, makeup off—perfect. You're right where you're meant to be. Pour a tea, press in that oil, or slather that balm like the beautiful, slightly-tired botanical goddess you are.

You don’t have to earn softness. You deserve to feel good.
Listen now, breathe deep, and let your skincare be the slow exhale you’ve been waiting for.

In this vibrant and cheeky episode of Botanical Skincare Secrets, founder of The Very Good Goo, Eva, takes you on a personal, hilarious, and deeply nourishing journey into one of skincare’s most powerful natural ingredients: sea buckthorn.

From Babcia’s (grandma’s) folk wisdom to accidental orange face masks (yes, there was a pillowcase casualty), this episode blends Eastern European heritage, childhood chaos, and modern skincare science into one unforgettable story. It's raw, funny, and loaded with real skincare knowledge, especially if you're looking to understand the magic behind sea buckthorn oil and why it deserves a starring role in your routine.

• What sea buckthorn actually is (spoiler: it’s not seaweed!)

• Why this bright orange berry is a natural multivitamin for your skin

• The difference between omega 3, 6, 7, and 9—and why sea buckthorn has all four

• How sea buckthorn supports collagen, repairs your skin barrier, reduces inflammation, and boosts radiance

• The skincare science behind vitamin C, beta-carotene, plant sterols, and antioxidants in sea buckthorn oil

• How cosmonauts used sea buckthorn oil to protect against cosmic radiation (yes, space skincare is real)

• Eva’s first “glow up” disaster story and why it’s the origin of the Radiance Booster Serum

• How to use sea buckthorn safely in your skincare without staining everything you own 🍊

This episode isn’t just about skin—it’s about ancestral wisdom, botanical resilience, and turning a childhood “Oompa Loompa incident” into a luxury face oil with real results.

Whether you’re already a sea buckthorn fangirl or just skincare-curious, you’ll walk away with glowing insight and a new appreciation for nature’s most powerful berry.

✨ What You’ll Learn:🔍 SEO Highlights (for the skincare search queens):

• Sea buckthorn for skin

• Benefits of sea buckthorn oil

• Omega 7 skincare

• Natural anti-inflammatory skincare ingredients

• Best facial oil for sensitive skin

• Radiance Booster Serum ingredients

• Skincare secrets from Eastern Europe

• Natural ways to strengthen skin barrier

• Glow-boosting botanical skincare

  💛 Product Mentioned:

Radiance Booster Serum by The Very Good Goo
Crafted with cold-pressed, unrefined sea buckthorn oil sourced from sustainable farms in Poland, this serum is your skin’s all-inclusive retreat. Light, potent, and wildly effective—just like Babcia would’ve wanted.

👵🏽 Grandma knew. The science agrees. And now your skin gets to reap the benefits.

🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to leave a review if this episode made you smile or sparked your skincare curiosity!

If your skincare routine feels more chaotic than calming, this episode is for you.

I’m Eva, founder of The Very Good Goo, formulator, botanical obsessive, and your skin’s unofficial emotional support person. And in this episode, I’m walking you through the exact three products that changed everything for my skin—and how you can use them to build a skincare routine that actually works.

Not one that takes 45 minutes. Not one that drains your bank account. A simple, smart, no-fuss approach that helps your skin feel supported, calm, and properly cared for.

Because skincare doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to layer eight different serums or memorise an acid schedule to see results. You just need to understand what you’re using, why, and how to listen to your skin.

Here’s what we get into:

• Why most moisturisers only hydrate on the surface—and what makes Whipped Glow different

• How a flexible, barrier-supporting base product can simplify your entire routine

• The power of an antioxidant-rich, glow-boosting oil like the Radiance Booster Serum

• Why I created a multi-use skin balm that replaced half the things in my bathroom

• How to layer products properly for morning and night

• A flexible plan for different skin types: dry, sensitive, combo or reactive

• What your skin actually needs when it’s stressed, tired, or just feeling “off”

• How to slowly expand your routine when you feel ready—with things like Bright As Day Serum or Bakuchiol Night Serum—without overwhelming your face (or your brain)

I’ll also share one of the most common questions I get in the DMs—“How do I know if my moisturiser is working?”—and walk you through a really simple way to tell.

And if you’ve got Whipped Glow nearby, I even guide you through a quick moment of using it: warming it between your palms, pressing it into your skin, and actually feeling how it works. Because skincare is about more than just results—it’s about tuning in.

Whether you’re starting from scratch, coming back from a bad product reaction, or just ready to simplify—it starts here. With three thoughtfully designed, skin-friendly products. That’s it.

No noise. No pressure. Just skincare that works with your skin, not against it.

Mentioned in this episode:
✔ Whipped Glow Moisturiser
✔ Radiance Booster Serum
✔ Intensive Care Skin Balm
✔ Bright As Day Serum (optional add-on)
✔ Bakuchiol Night Serum (optional add-on)

💻 Learn more at theverygoodgoo.com.au
💌 Want skin tips in your inbox? Subscribe to the newsletter for updates, rituals, and exclusive offers.
📷 Follow @theverygoodgoo on Instagram for behind-the-scenes blends, before-and-afters, and skin stories from the community.

Is your skin red, reactive, or constantly throwing mini tantrums? Welcome to the club—also known as sensitive skin. But don’t worry, in this episode of Botanical Skincare Secrets, I’m sharing gentle, natural ways to calm the chaos.

Hi! I’m Eva, founder of The Very Good Goo, a botanical skincare brand made in Australia and inspired by European herbal traditions. And today, I’m walking you through exactly how to support sensitive skin without harsh ingredients or complicated routines.

✨ You'll learn:

• What your skin barrier is and why it matters

• The real reasons your skin might be flaring up (hint: it's not always what you think)

• How to build a soothing skincare routine for sensitive skin

• Why ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, chamomile, rosehip, and calendula are skin superheroes

• How to use natural remedies at home, simply and effectively

• What to avoid (spoiler: synthetic fragrances are a big one)

Whether you’re dealing with dryness, irritation, or that tight, itchy feeling you can’t shake, this episode will help you understand what your skin needs—and what it really doesn’t.

I also share my go-to morning and evening skincare routines, along with how to use ingredients like aloe vera and sea buckthorn to restore radiance naturally. Plus, we touch on the connection between skincare and gut health, because what you eat absolutely shows on your skin.

If you’re looking for natural skincare tips, botanical solutions for sensitive skin, and a routine that doesn’t overwhelm, this episode is for you. And if you’ve been wondering what “less is more” actually looks like for skincare—you’ll find it here.

🎧 Listen now, and let your sensitive skin breathe a little easier.

💚 Explore our range of gentle, synthetic fragrance-free skincare: theverygoodgoo.com.au
📸 Follow along on Instagram: @theverygoodgoo