EP283. Will AI replace the cosmetic chemist?

What if the future of beauty didn't come at the cost of rainforests? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier talks with Alexander van Oord, Chief Commercial Officer at Forestwise, about how wild-harvested illipe nuts are transforming the beauty industry. Discover how these sustainable ingredients – already used in products by major brands like Lush – help protect forests, support smallholder farmers, and offer a forest-friendly alternative to cocoa butter. Tune in now to learn about Forestwise's mission to safeguard 100,000 hectares of rainforest, the story behind illipe butter, and how consumers and brands alike can drive real change for people and the planet.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

The beauty industry has sold us the idea that natural automatically means good – good for us, good for the planet, good for everyone. But is that really true? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier asks whether it's time to break up with natural beauty. From deforestation to monocultures, the word natural is unregulated and often meaningless – it can hide a thousand sins. Listen now to rethink what natural beauty really means and discover how we can create a beauty industry that truly honours the ecosystems it depends on.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

Discover the story of Hawaii Sandalwood and how it's restoring one of the rarest forests on Earth in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations. This week on the podcast, Asa Suguitan, co-founder of Hawaii Sandalwood, shares how his family is regenerating Hawaii's tropical dryland forest by harvesting only dead or dying sandalwood trees and replanting 16 native species. Learn how this unique approach funds reforestation, creates eco-certified sandalwood beauty ingredients, and connects beauty with real sustainability.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

What if your moisturiser wasn't mass-produced, but printed for you on demand? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier explores the futuristic – and very real – idea of 3D-printed skincare. From personalised products that evolve with your age and lifestyle, to biotech-powered actives "printed" fresh at home or in pharmacies, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Could 3D-printed skincare be the frontier that takes green beauty to a whole new level? Find out in this episode!   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

What if your skincare didn't come in a jar – but in a gummy? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, CEO of Formula Botanica, interviews Melissa Snover, award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Nourished, the world's first 3D-printed personalised gummy stacks. If you've ever wondered whether ingestible beauty is just a hype or genuinely works, this episode is for you.   Special offer: Get 20% off your first month of Nourished's collagen range subscription. Visit the Nourished website and use the code COLLAGEN20 at checkout. Offer valid for 8 months from October 2nd.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

Walk into any beauty store today, and shoppers can tell you about the benefits of peptides, retinoids or hyaluronic acid with ease. Yet ask about seaweed and you'll often be met with blank stares or vague memories of green face masks. And that's the case with many skincare ingredients, despite years of research and traditional use. In this week's episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier asks a provocative question: why do some skincare ingredients make it big almost overnight, while others take decades to gain mainstream traction? If you're a formulator, brand founder or curious beauty consumer, this is one for you.      Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

Could kelp be the future of beauty? Listen to this episode of Green Beauty Conversations with Samantha Garwin, Director of Market Development at GreenWave, to discover the untapped potential of kelp in beauty. Sam reveals why kelp offers benefits land-based plants simply can't, how the beauty industry can harness this ocean-grown powerhouse, and the hurdles still keeping it from going mainstream. If you're curious about the future of sustainable ingredients, this is an episode you won't want to miss.   Special opportunity for beauty brand founders: Apply to GreenWave's Kelp Innovation CoLab, which is offering up to $50,000 in funding to help pioneering brands bring kelp-powered products to market.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

AI has levelled up – and if you've been playing with tools like ChatGPT lately, you've probably noticed it too. Two years ago, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier challenged ChatGPT to create a cosmetic formulation for her, and it was a frustrating merry-go-round of vague advice, incorrect safety limits, and an irritating insistence that she should "hire a cosmetic chemist." Fast-forward to today, and Lorraine decided it was time for a rematch… only this time, she listened. Here's what happened.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a futuristic buzzword – it's already shaping the way cosmetics are researched, formulated, and launched. In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier talks to Hejab Malik, co-founder of Potion AI – a San Francisco-based technology company with over 10,000 global users. Together, they explore how AI is already embedded in beauty R&D, what it can (and can't) do, and whether it will ever replace the cosmetic chemist. If you want to know how AI might transform your own formulation process – and how to stay ahead – you won't want to miss this fascinating conversation. Special offer for listeners: Get 10% off a Potion subscription using the code 'FORMULABOTANICA'.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

Behind the glossy claims and Instagram-friendly campaigns of beauty brands, there's a serious problem: most brands aren't actually measuring their environmental impact. And without hard data, all those 'sustainable' promises risk being little more than marketing spin. In this week's episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier pulls back the curtain on the beauty sector's sustainability gap – the uncomfortable truth that without measurement, the industry can't meaningfully improve. Tune in now to find out the truth.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram