Podcast 286: Why do some skin care ingredients take decades to go mainstream?

Walk to any beauty store today, and buyers can ring the benefits of peptides, retinoids or hyaluronic acid with ease. However, ask about algae and will often meet empty looks or vague memories of green facial masks. And this is the case with many skin care ingredients, despite years of research and traditional use.

In this week’s Green Beauty Conversations episode, Lorraine Dallmeier asks a provocative question: Why do some skin care ingredients do it almost a day in the other, while others take decades to gain mainstream traction?

Based on last week’s fascinating conversation with Sam Garwin of Greenwave, this episode explores the hidden forces that form the adoption of the ingredient – from missing infrastructure and regulatory barriers to the brand’s narrative power.

If you are a manufacturer, a brand founder or a curious beauty consumer, this is one for you. In this episode, you will find out why innovation is not only for science, but for who is brave enough to defend a component and tell its story.

“The difference between an ingredient that lasts decades to break and one that is necessary for one night is often not science. It is if anyone was brave enough to believe in it, to talk about it and to help others understand why it matters.” – Lorraine Dallmeier

KEYS PRODUCTION:

• The slow rise of algae reveals hidden obstacles: KELP has been used for centuries in skin care, from Irish algae to the stories of soft hands between algae. However, unlike Bakuchiol or retinoids, it has not been broken on the mainstream. The reason lies in the “middle waist” – infrastructure, processing specialization and regulatory clarity. All the essentials before a component can be moved from interesting to widely available.
• Bakuchiol shows how timing and storytelling: Bakuchiol didn’t just appear from nowhere. It had a traditional history of use and years of research. Its rise was perfectly timed for consumer demand for the softest alternatives to the retinoids and hunger of industry for effective “clean” active. Its clear history and its immediate significance meant that it hit the market, while skin care ingredients such as KELP are still looking for their narrative.
• Large brands can adopt rapid route: Companies such as L’Oréal can accelerate the journey of one -component by financing clinical trials, navigating regulations and executing resources in marketing. Their huge scale and distribution power mean they can compress the innovation schedule, making an ingredient feel necessary almost overnight.
• Independent brands can create their own purchases: The drunken elephant transforms Marula oil from obscurity into a hero ingredient, while the usual niainamide into a favorite consumer. These brands did not expect the market to be ready – they made it ready with consumer training, lifting the selected skin care ingredients and weaving in fascinating brand stories.
• Championing Skincare Actives is a strategic choice: Whether you are a brand founder or a curious consumer, waiting for the “market” to embrace an ingredient is not enough. The adoption of the ingredients depends on the champions who are willing to train, support and build a story about it. As Lorraine Challenges in this episode: Don’t only use one ingredient – make your story.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Podcast Formula Botanica Green Beauty. If you liked to hear, share, register and review this episode Podcasts Apple; Note or YouTube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and log in with us Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier is a biologist, a chartered environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award -winning online school cosmetics school. Read more about Lorraine and Formula Botanica.