Beautytap Podcast

On the next episode of Beautytap Luminary Spotlight, meet Stephanie Farsht, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Small Wonder, the award-winning haircare brand shaking up the beauty aisle with a revolutionary take on shampoo, conditioner, and hair serum.Farsht shares how she turned a bold idea into one of beauty's most innovative startups, discussing entrepreneurship, product innovation, sustainability, and what it takes to challenge an industry built around water. Small Wonder's breakthrough formulas begin as a powder and, with the addition of water, transform into a rich, luxurious lather—delivering salon-quality performance with dramatically less waste.Discover how Small Wonder is proving that the future of beauty is smarter, cleaner, and anything but ordinary.

Get ready for one of the most eye-opening skincare conversations yet! Alec Batis, Chemist, Co-Founder, and CEO of Sweet Chemistry is seriously shaking up the beauty world with science-first, no-fluff skincare formulations.After decades as a chemist and marketing executive for some of the world’s top beauty brands, he shines a spotlight on the industry’s many ubiquitous marketing ploys—like “Advanced Peptide Complex”—that sound impressive, but rarely move the needle when it comes to real, measurable results. For Batis, it’s all about deep rooted transparency and potency. The star of Sweet Chemistry’s growing collection of products (including Barrier Repair Hydra-Serum and Elasticity Reinforcing Hydra-Cream) is Matrikynes® - a proprietary peptide complex derived from upcycled bovine extracellular matrix. These bioactive peptides act as cellular signals to repair and regenerate, giving skin real science-backed rejuvenation, not just promises.Batis breaks down what functional levels of actives really mean, why so many products promise results but fall short, and how Sweet Chemistry’s trailblazing approach is resonating with consumers and creating lasting brand loyalty. If you’re passionate about skincare that actually works, this is one conversation you can’t miss.

Matthew (Matt) Berkson is the co-founder and CEO behind the luxury fragrance and clean beauty brand Maison Louis Marie, where his marketing savvy and brand-building instincts have helped transform a passion project into a globally recognized scent house. Alongside his partner Marie du Petit Thouar, who is the perfumer and comes from a family rooted in botanicals (her Great-Great Grandfather Louis-Marie Aubert Du Petit-Thouars was an acclaimed French botanist in the late 18th century), Berkson has helped steer the brand’s growth from a modest line of six candles to a respected lineup carried by major retailers like Sephora, goop, Bergdorf Goodman and more — all while remaining independent and bootstrapped.Matt and Marie's strategic focus on authentic storytelling, visual content, and sustained organic growth has cultivated a loyal community around the brand’s clean, botanical ethos without compromising its minimalist aesthetic or evolving core values.Discover how Marie and Matt have embedded authenticity into their brand, connecting deeply with consumers in today’s competitive beauty landscape. Plus, learn why working with honest reviewers has become the new frontier of influence for brands. 

Talk about turning a dream into a mega business!Courtney Claghorn founded SUGARED + BRONZED in 2010 with $1,000 and a spray tan gun from her Santa Monica apartment.What started as a scrappy hustle is now a nationwide empire with 35+ locations and growing.Her mission? Deliver smooth, hairless skin and a sun-kissed glow while also making it effortless and enjoyable. From sugar pots to bronzing booths, Courtney has turned self-care into a lifestyle and has launched a clean, covet-worthy product line along the way. Tune in and get inspired.

Once upon a time, hair tools such as the all-mighty blow drier and flat iron were unattractive, weak and locked away far from any bathroom countertop. Cut to 2004 and the industry experienced a mega shake up with the debut of T3.T3 revolutionized the industry with ultra high performing, luxury hair tools that are not only sleek and technologically advanced, they’re also stylishly designed. In other words, worthy of placing on display and capable of delivering supreme salon-worthy hairstyles at home. Their new Aire 360 Ceramic Air Styler, Aire IQ Intelligent Hair Dryer and Singlepass Smooth X Flat Iron are sought after and in the talented hands of the world’s top hair stylists. In this episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with Julie Chung, who co-founded T3 with her husband Kent Yu.  A multihyphenate, Julie is not only steering the company’s growth and brand identity, she is also a skilled ophthalmologist. Julie reveals the journey of launching a new, industry-disrupting haircare brand, strategies for building brand awareness through creating relationships with hair stylists and salons, and her insider tips for enduring customer loyalty.Learn more about T3 - www.t3micro.comJulie Chung - https://www.instagram.com/juliechung_t3

If you’re ever dreamed of turning one of your ideas or passions into a business, Lejla Cas will inspire you to make it a reality. A Reiki master, sought after esthetician and makeup artist, Lejla envisioned a holistic skincare brand infused with her background in the healing arts. Her creation, KNESKO, launched in 2012 and available in the most luxurious spas and resorts in the world, is built around the brand’s proprietary GEMCLINICAL® technology which incorporates the energies of minerals such as gold, amethyst, diamond, and black pearl with science-backed actives and clinical-grade ingredients. You’ve no doubt seen her show-stopping, biodegradable collagen hydrogel masks that have elevated the category to soaring new heights while simultaneously creating a new skincare technology through the use of powerful gem stones. Meticulously designed in collaboration with chemists and board-certified dermatologists and free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, and petroleum, KNESKO products are what Lejla describes as high-vibrational skincare, combining the best of what nature and science have to offer along with heaps of self-love.Lejla reveals her game changing strategy for landing KNESKO in Four Seasons Hotels early on. She also shares valuable marketing strategies, how to make noise in a crowded marketplace and the key to establishing relationships with the pro community in order to help grow a brand. Lejla’s story and insights are certain to motivate you to realize your dream.

If you’ve been in need of a stimulating kick in the rear, you’re in luck.  In this episode we are getting a high dose of motivation from Leah Garcia, founder and CEO of Nulastin - the most innovative hair and skincare solutions company in the beauty industry built around ethically-derived proprietary elastin regeneration technology. A former professional athlete, adventure seeker and media personality, Leah embarked on her own journey of discovery after struggling with hair loss which lead her to Nulastin’s Elastaplex Technology - a biodentical human elastin protein clinically proven to deliver results.We dive into the benefits and science behind elastin and how this revolutionary formulation is the force behind stronger, healthier hair thanks to its ability to anchor the follicle to the root system.Leah also shares some of the secrets to her success, including embracing scrappiness, quick decision making, and never quitting (“Even if you come in last or fail, you just can’t quit”).If you’re an entrepreneur longing to create your own brand or just appreciate learning from an industry pioneer whose motto is “What can I conquer today?” - listening to Leah is certain to spark mega inspiration.  

Are you interested in slowing down the aging process?  Would you like to learn more about some of the most exciting buzz words in the aesthetic industry - exosomes, growth factors and stem cells? In this riveting episode, we sit down with Drew Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO of Acorn Biolabs, the regenerative medicine company at the forefront of a new era in anti-aging and longevity. Acorn Biolabs offers people the ability to preserve their own stem cells for use in future cosmetic treatments, including skin rejuvenation and hair regrowth, via a process called cryopreservation. While further research is underway, these advanced treatments also show promise in benefiting orthopedic conditions and the treatment of certain diseases in the future. After harvesting your own stem cells by plucking 50 hairs from the back of the head, Acorn then cryopreserves (freezes) them to be later utilized in topical formulations to rejuvenate our bodies. Taylor, who has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto, takes us on a deep dive into regenerative medicine and explains more about stem cells and how exosomes work “Think of them as a delivery system, as the Amazon Prime of the human body,” he says.What we’re witnessing is a non-invasive solution to leverage our own stem cells for personalized regenerative medicine. Are you ready to harness your body’s ability to rejuvenate your skin and hair?

During this enchanting episode, Elycia sits down with Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza, Founder and CEO of Omorovicza, the celebrity loved luxury skincare brand rooted in the transformative, mineral-charged healing waters of Hungary.These waters, created thousands of years ago by tectonic collisions were, according to ancient lore, said to have helped heal wounded soldiers during the time of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who had these now globally revered Hungarian baths built.Skincare and wellness are in Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza’s DNA - his family founded the Racz Spa in Budapest in the 19th century. Along with his wife Margaret, they oversee the business together and have built Omorovicza into a world-renowned luxury skincare brand sold in the most prestigious spas, hotels, digital platforms, and retailers.Thanks to this powerful mineral-rich thermal water and its effectiveness in healing skin, Stephen and Margaret created The Healing Concentrate™  (formulated by a Nobel prize-winning dermatology lab) to strengthen and heal the skin barrier, delivering a firmer, younger-looking complexion. Stephen reveals how Omorovicza is using data to inform digital and retail strategies, tactics for creating brand awareness and the importance of speaking to and connecting with your customer base.  

Many years before clean beauty became a beacon of the beauty industry,  ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND was formulating sustainable skincare products in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest. This pioneering, family-run brand dates back to 1959 and is revered for their sustainability, social responsibility and immensely effective formulations that are beloved around the world. Manufactured with plant-based raw ingredients and thoughtful earth-friendly packaging, this is the true essence of clean beauty.  Beautytap’s Global Head of Content Strategy Elycia Rubin sits down with Alicia Lindner, third generation Co-CEO and Co-Founder of ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND to learn about the roots of this heritage skincare brand and how they continue to lead the way and make noise in the highly competitive beauty industry.  As the granddaughter of founder Annmarie Lindner, Alicia preserves her visionary grandmother’s motto: “If I can’t eat it I won’t put it on my face.”