Welcome to the very first episode of "Faces of the Beauty Industry", a Beauty Beat special interview series in which we put the personalities of the Personal Care industry in the spotlight. In this exclusive series we go beyond the surface, revealing the human voices, inspiration, and passions that shape the beauty world as we know it. Get ready for an insider's perspective as Yann Chilvers, co-founder of Covalo, discovers the remarkable personalities behind this vibrant industry.

In this episode, join us as we embark on a fragrant journey with the remarkable Richard Illi, a visionary entrepreneur who traded an heritage of vineyards for the enchanting world of fragrances.

Richard is not just the owner and CEO of Essencia, a renowned Swiss natural fragrance company; he's a passionate storyteller who has seamlessly woven his love for scents into the fabric of his life. Tune in as he shares the pivotal moments and challenges that led him to Essencia.

If you know anyone who would be a perfect fit for this intimate interview series, let us know! Email us at [email protected] and tell us why this person should be in the spotlight.

Will AI completely take over the world?

Well, maybe it won't be that drastic, but Pierre-Yves Morvan believes that AI has already completely transformed the 21st century and is now an integral part of our daily lives. The cosmetics industry is no exception here: AI can help us to go further more rapidly and more efficiently when it comes to beauty product development.

In this episode, Lisa and Pierre-Yves dive into the world of AI in the cosmetics industry. Pierre-Yves explains how AI technologies can be involved in different steps within the development of an active ingredient or finished cosmetic products.

Pierre-Yves is the R&D Director of CODIF. He holds a MA in Biochemistry and a PhD in Biology from the University of Rennes in France.

CODIF Technologie Naturelle is a French company, created in 1971. They develop and produce natural active ingredients for the cosmetics industry whilst actively using AI technologies.

Find CODIF on Covalo: https://covalo.com/company/codif

Today we step beyond the usual boundaries of The Beauty Beat as we delve into uncharted territory together with Kate Deacon. While we're typically immersed in the world of beauty and personal care, today's discussion is bound to inspire you to journey into the realm of home care.

At Covalo, we've always had a pulse on innovation, and our listed home care ingredients and services boast nearly 4k entries. Join us as we sit down with Kate to unravel the complexities of formulating eco-friendly home care products and uncover the surprising parallels — and differences! — between the beauty and home care industries.

Kate and Lisa explore the hurdles that arise when seeking the perfect ingredients, ensuring products uphold eco-friendly standards, and the intriguing role that packaging can play. So, if you've ever wondered how sustainability can be achieved in home care, or if you're seeking inspiration to expand your horizons, tune in to this episode.

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in-cosmetics Global, held in Barcelona this year from March 28-30, was a whirlwind of inspiration and new trends.

In this episode, our host Lisa is joined by Cathy Laporte and Lorna Radford to discuss the latest beauty industry trends and developments observed during the show, as well as their favorite moments from in-cosmetics Global. They also delve into Discover, an online platform created by in-cosmetics in collaboration with Covalo, which promises to revolutionize the way the beauty industry connects. Curious? Tune in!

Cathy Laporte is the Portfolio Director (in-cosmetics and Imbibe) at Reed Exhibitions, with over 20 years of industry experience.

Lorna Radford is the Managing Director at Enkos Developments Ltd., and Official Technical Advisor at in-cosmetics Global. She is also one of the judges for the in-cosmetics Global awards.

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While many consumers are increasingly seeking out cruelty-free beauty brands, the Chinese market's former mandatory animal testing requirements have presented a challenge for companies looking to expand their reach. But what if we told you it's possible to bring your cruelty-free beauty products to China?

In this episode of The Beauty Beat, we had the pleasure of speaking with Kim from Leaping Bunny about how beauty brands can get their products certified cruelty-free. What's more, we discovered something truly mind-blowing: Leaping Bunny is helping beauty brands bring their products to the Chinese market without animal testing. This is a huge step forward for the industry and animal welfare.

Discover how to bring your cruelty-free beauty products to market with the Leaping Bunny certification.

PS. If you're looking for cruelty-free ingredients for your beauty products, why not use Covalo? With our search filters, you can filter by sustainability claim. Currently we list 1k+ ingredients categorized as cruelty-free.

Head over to Covalo.com to find the right beauty ingredient for you!

Formulating scalp care products can be tricky, because you'll want to avoid ingredients leaving residue. What are some beauty ingredients that benefit both scalp and hair?

In this episode, Lisa is joined by award-winning stylist Nikolai Krivolutski, to get to the roots of hair and scalp care (pardon the pun!).

They explore the emerging trend of the "skinification" of hair care, which refers to the holistic approach of treating the scalp with the same care as the skin of our faces. They discuss how beauty brands are introducing new products that target specific scalp concerns with ingredients traditionally found in skincare, such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides.

PS. If you're looking for hair or scalp care ingredients for your beauty products, why not use Covalo? With our search filters, you can filter by performance claims, including scalp care. Currently we have 1k+ scalp care related ingredients listed. Head over to Covalo.com to find the right beauty ingredient for you!

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You've created a vegan beauty product and want to let the world know. How do you go about getting that vegan certification?

To celebrate #Veganuary, Lisa is joined by Martin and Nazanin from V-Label, the world's leading vegan & vegetarian trademark. Across the globe, more than 50.000 products from more than 4.300 licensees now carry V-Label. V-Label is an internationally recognized, registered seal for labelling vegan and vegetarian products and services established in Switzerland in 1996. It is a reliable, go-to shopping guide for consumers. 

In this episode, Martin (Co-Director of V-Label International) and Nazanin (Quality Manager at V-Label International) tell us how to get V-Label certified. 

Important questions are answered: what is the difference between vegetarian and vegan? What are some ingredients used in beauty products that make a product not suitable for vegetarians and vegans? What are the criteria for a product to carry the V-Label? And what should you do if you see the V-Label on a product that isn't vegetarian or vegan?

Listen to this episode to find out how to apply for the V-Label.

PS. If you're looking for vegan or vegetarian ingredients for your beauty products, why not use Covalo? With our search filters, you can filter by sustainability claims. We've got almost 2,5k ingredients listed as vegan, and almost 5k ingredients listed as plant-based. Head over to Covalo.com to find the right beauty ingredient for you!

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Finding the perfect fit when it comes to sunscreen can be quite a hassle. Luckily there's Julian Sass, also known as @Scamander14, trying out sunscreens so you don't have to! Julian is a sunscreen educator to his almost 23k followers on Instagram. He is a biomathematician, statistician, data scientist and researcher. Julian breaks down ingredient lists on his platform and posts resources explaining ingredients and information about how different kinds of studies are carried out.

In this ninth episode of The Beauty Beat, Lisa and Julian dive deep into sunscreen. Discover how Julian picks a product to review, what his criteria are for a product to receive a good review, and some bad and exceptionally good experiences he's had when it comes to sunscreens. They also touch upon (misleading) claims like "reef safe", or "no white cast".

When it comes to sustainability, the beauty industry has proven to be very innovative. Lots of beauty brands are going the extra mile to minimize their impact on the environment. One of these beauty brands is CleanO2 - not your average soap company! They're working to solve climate change, one soap bar at a time. Their founders invented a revolutionary device, Carbin X, that captures carbon dioxide emissions from building heating systems and turns it into non-toxic pearl ash, also known as potassium carbonate.

But they decided to take it one step further - capturing carbon just wasn't enough! As advocates of the circular economy, they decided to upcycle the pearl ash and put it to good use in new products. That's how their soap and cleansing products came about. CleanO2 is the first company to turn carbon dioxide emissions into natural soap.

In this eighth episode of The Beauty Beat, Lisa is joined by Michelle, Soap Master at CleanO2, and Kathi, one of the founders of the company. Together they dive into how CleanO2 came about, what they're currently working on and how they see their future (spoiler alert: very green!). They also touch upon the topic of greenwashing and how companies can avoid greenwashing practices. 

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We're kicking off #PlasticFreeJuly with Martina from Getblackmarket.com!

In this episode, Lisa and Martina talk about Getblackmarket's products, her latest product that is made from upcycled ingredients, and how Getblackmarket addresses concerns about product and user safety when it comes to clean water and contamination. Martina also gives us three tips on how to live as plastic-free as possible. Tune in and celebrate with us! 

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