The Happi Podcast

Hair loss over the course of one’s life is a complex issue. Whether the culprit of hormone issues related to menopause or postpartum, telogen effluvium triggered by chronic stress, traction alopecia from tight hairstyles, nutrient deficiency or genes, hair fall is an often-complicated condition. Causes can’t be summed up in a single sentence. Treasured tresses deserve their own manuscript.

So goes the name of a new scalp and hair longevity brand founded by former Google employees Ye Jin and Nick Burns.

On this Happi Podcast, Jin and Burns discuss how their serendipitous meeting sharing their own trials with hair loss morphed into a promising haircare brand addressing pro-aging and hair longevity. The brand is among a dozen beauty brands part of Sephora Accelerate, the retail giant’s incubator program. 

What if a skincare product could read your skin and blend a formula just for you? Nuon Medical Technology is bringing diagnostics and personalized formulation into at-home beauty.

In this special co-production with our sister publication Beauty Packaging, Editor-in-Chief Jamie Matusow talks with Alain Dijkstra, Founder and CEO of Nuon Medical Technology, about the technology behind at-home beauty devices and where skin tech is headed.

What we cover:
- How light-based sensors diagnose the skin, and why they're now small and affordable enough for everyday products
- Personalized formulation: mixing raw ingredients based on a skin reading, at home and in professional settings
- "Charms" that add features like UV exposure tracking and foundation shade matching
- How brand demand for beauty tech has shifted over the past few years

This episode is sponsored by Nuon Medical Technology.

Links:
- Nuon Medical Technology: https://bit.ly/4y70Jm6
- Alain Dijkstra on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4jsLQaf
- Related Beauty Packaging coverage: https://www.beautypackaging.com/company-profile/nuon-llc/

For more conversations like this, subscribe to The Beauty Packaging Podcast wherever you listen.

Since its founding 11 years ago, the sky is the limit for clean fragrance brand Lake & Skye. 

The brand was founded by Courtney Somer in 2015 after tinkering with aromatherapy as part of her healing journey during an ongoing health condition. Named for the middle names of her two children, the brand began with an Ulta partnership and was acquired by Tru Fragrance & Beauty last year. 

This past September, the fragrance brand was among the dozens of emerging and established brands that arrived at Target’s new Beauty Studio, landing a spot on its Prestige Fragrance Wall, which will shelve its signature 11 11 line.

The brand is now available in more than 4,000 retail doors across North America.

Happi sat down with Somer to discuss the brand's fascinating origin story with regard to numerology and what's next.

Courtney Somer, founder, Lake & Skye, sits down to discuss her the growth of her 11-year-old fragrance-wellness brand. 

Happi sits down with Colin Pinto, VP, product development, skin health North America, to learn about Kenvue’s R&D philosophy, new research from Neutrogena and Aveeno, and how Kenvue stays connected to the dermatology community in meaningful ways, such as Lab to Label.

Siltech has unique chemistries in addition to flexibility and support that runs throughout their growing organization. Featured is Matthew Sygo, global manager of sales and marketing and Oleg Gorya, a chemist. 

Longevity, driven by the larger conversation around wellness, is changing how consumers are looking at their skin and skin care products. They want the latest longevity breakthroughs, but without leaving behind the actives they trust in their routine.

In this Happi Podcast we explore how brands can bring longevity to life in their next formulation with Bakuchiol NAD⁺ BCR.

Designed to deliver on prejuvenation, performance and formulation ease, Bakuchiol NAD⁺ BCR is a fusion of bakuchiol and nicotinic acid together into one ester molecule. It achieves new benefits unfound in the individual components and offers leadership performance in both longevity and familiar antiaging pathways, giving the best of both worlds.

Our guests are Mehran Ghadim and Naomi Bedford of Grant Industries. They discuss longevity science and share details about this novel component.

To start your journey with Bakuchiol NAD+ BCR, request samples or book a Grant Design Gallery Session. Contact Grant at [email protected] or visit www.grantinc.com.

Evolving regulations, such as EU’s initiative to phase out microplastics in personal care products, together with rising consumer demand for safer, healthier, and more sustainable alternatives, are reshaping how beauty brands formulate their products. In this Happi podcast, we explore:

• The impact of EU microplastics regulation on color cosmetics;
• Why 2026 is pivotal year for reformulation; and
• How a readily biodegradable cellulose ester micropowder (Esmeri™ CC1N10) can be a novel solution for color cosmetic applications like lipsticks, liquid foundations and pressed powders.

Our guests are Lauren Leonard, global market development manager, and Marty Boykin, director of care solutions and SFE Technology Division, with Eastman.

They provide insights into consumer expectations and regulatory timelines, and explain how Esmeri CC1N10 (cellulose acetate butyrate), sourced from sustainably managed forests, helps brands meet regulatory requirements while supporting biodegradability goals without compromising the high-quality performance consumers expect.

More info: http://www.eastman.com/esmeriCC1N10

Back from California Suppliers’ Day, Happi sat down with the BASF Personal Care Team team to discuss all the buzz from the show, including reaction to Ameriflor™ Calm, a new soothing active ingredient designed to make sensitive skin more resilient as well as the forward-thinking formulations featured in BASF’s “Reshaping Beauty” concept. These trending formulas reflect the evolving landscape of wellness, body confidence and selfcare—think solutions for the changes associated with the GLP-1 journey.  Plus, hear some news about BASF’s APG portfolio and what’s on the horizon for 2026.