Clean Beauty Revolution: Ingredient Safety, Transparency, and Sustainability with Christina Ross

In this episode, host Jennifer Cookson, an R&D expert in the beauty industry, talks with Christina Ross, Director of Science at Credo Beauty, about clean beauty standards, product safety, and sustainability in the cosmetics industry. Christina shares insights from her experience overseeing the Credo Clean Standard and offers a deep dive into industry challenges, particularly around ingredient safety, transparency, and the environmental impact of cosmetics.

Key Takeaways:

• Clean Beauty Standards: The Credo Clean Standard is a 30-page document that includes guidelines for brands on clean formulations. It focuses on four pillars: people, packaging, planet, and ingredients.

• Regulatory Gaps: The US cosmetics industry is under-regulated, with no mandatory safety testing for new ingredients. Brands are responsible for ensuring their products' safety, which often leads to inconsistent standards.

• Ingredient Transparency: There’s a push for more transparency from raw material suppliers and manufacturers, especially concerning synthetic and natural ingredients. Christina emphasizes the need for more data on environmental and human health impacts.

• Sustainability and Packaging: Christina discusses the challenges of recycling cosmetic packaging and the need for more sustainable options in the industry, from ingredient sourcing to packaging.

• Consumer Safety: Consumers should be able to trust the products they buy, but there’s a need for more public education on ingredient safety, transparency, and the overall environmental impact of cosmetics.