EP283. Will AI replace the cosmetic chemist?

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  

Behind every beauty product lies a hidden challenge: a complex data problem that makes true sustainability nearly impossible to measure. In this week's episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier talks with Evan Peters, CPO of Fairglow, to uncover why the beauty industry struggles to put real numbers behind environmental claims – and why that matters more than ever. Discover how data gaps hold brands back, the power of product-level impact measurement, and what the future of transparent, data-driven beauty looks like. If you care about real change in beauty, this conversation is a must-listen.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

In an industry dominated by multinationals and million-unit launches, it's easy to feel like being a “small” beauty brand is synonymous with being insignificant. But what if this wasn't true? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier unpacks the true meaning of “small” in the indie beauty industry and challenges the mindset that sometimes holds brands back. Whether you're just launching your brand or you’ve been in business for years, this is your reminder that small beauty brands aren’t just capable of change – they’re often the ones driving it.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

What really happens behind the scenes of contract manufacturing in the beauty industry? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier goes inside the buzzing world of large-scale beauty production with Dan Williams, CEO of Orean Personal Care – the UK’s only B Corp-certified beauty manufacturer. Whether you're just starting your beauty brand or ready to scale, this episode is packed with practical insights, powerful advice, and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the industry’s top contract manufacturers.   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

What if the thing holding your indie beauty brand back wasn't failure – but success? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, host Lorraine Dallmeier explores why, for many indie beauty founders, achieving success feels more terrifying than falling short. We often talk about fear of failure, but rarely do we acknowledge that fear of success can be just as paralysing. In this episode, Lorraine challenges people to think differently about what success means, and how visibility, money, and mindset play into it. Tune in now!     Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram  

What does success really look like for a beauty entrepreneur? In an industry that often celebrates rapid growth, aggressive fundraising, and influencer-heavy marketing, there’s a quieter, more sustainable path – one that values creative control, profitability, and long-term impact over flashy headlines. In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier – Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica – is joined by Chinelo Chidozie, co-founder of Bolden, a beauty entrepreneur who bootstrapped her brand into over 1,000 Walmart stores across the United States, without any external funding. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can grow a beauty brand on your own terms, this episode is for you. Tune in now!      Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

Everywhere you turn in beauty, you get the same message: results, results, results. Products promise to brighten, firm, and smooth – fast. But what happens when efficacy becomes the only measure of a product’s worth? In this thought-provoking solo episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO, Biologist, and Chartered Environmentalist Lorraine Dallmeier invites us to rethink one of the beauty industry’s most entrenched standards. Tune in now!     Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

Have you heard the news? Clean beauty is out. Dirty beauty is in. This week on Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica, speaks with Stephen Smith, the regenerative entrepreneur behind Nuturn – a pioneering skincare ingredient complex that redefines what it means to be effective, ethical, and elemental. If you’ve ever questioned whether clean beauty has become too clinical, too sanitised, and too disconnected from nature, then this episode is for you.     Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram

What if the next big breakthrough in beauty wasn't hidden deep in a jungle, but growing in your own back garden? In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier asks whether the industry’s obsession with exotic ingredients is no longer serving us – or our planet. Must beauty always come wrapped in mystique and flown halfway across the world? Or could the future lie in ingredients that are local, familiar and often overlooked? Tune in now to find out!   Free Resources Free formulation course | Green Beauty Conversations Podcast | Blog | YouTube Socials: Formula Botanica on Instagram | Lorraine Dallmeier on Instagram