The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 82: The Truth About Filler, Facial Aging & the Future of Aesthetic Medicine with Dr. Kathleen Welsh

The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 82: The Truth About Filler, Facial Aging & the Future of Aesthetic Medicine with Dr. Kathleen Welsh

One of the biggest misconceptions in aesthetics right now is that filler is a problem — the problem. Spend a few minutes online and you’ll find countless videos blaming filler for everything from facial puffiness to “filler migration.” But according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Kathleen Welsh, the real issue isn’t filler — it’s how filler has been used. In this episode of The Skincarma Pod, Carmine sits down with Dr. Kathleen Welsh, founder of Bay Area Cosmetic Dermatology, alongside Roxanne Krempa, Director of Bay Area Body & Wellness, for a fascinating conversation about how aesthetic medicine is evolving beyond volume alone. Drawing on nearly three decades of clinical experience, Dr. Welsh explains why she believes the backlash against filler is actually a backlash against overfilling, how social media has distorted public perception of injectables, and why today’s most natural results come from treating aging as a multi-layered process involving skin, fat, muscle, and structure. Together, Carmine, Dr. Welsh, and Roxanne explore the rise of Emface, the role muscle loss plays in facial aging, the importance of prevention, and why sunscreen remains the single most powerful anti-aging intervention available. The conversation then shifts into one of the most intriguing developments in aesthetics today: Exomind. Dr. Welsh and Roxanne explain how this neurotechnology is helping patients address stress, anxiety, focus, and emotional well-being — and why caring for the whole person may be becoming just as important as treating the face itself. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Dr. Welsh believes people aren’t moving away from filler — they’re moving away from being overfilled; What “filler migration” actually is and why it may be widely misunderstood; How facial aging involves changes to skin, fat, muscle, and even bone structure; What Emface is and how it helps support the underlying architecture of the face; Why prevention remains the most effective anti-aging strategy; The surprising role sunscreen plays in long-term facial aging; What Exomind is and how it supports neuroplasticity, focus, and emotional well-being; How stress, anxiety, and mental wellness increasingly intersect with aesthetic medicine; And, why the future of beauty may be less about chasing perfection and more about supporting overall health. Key Takeaway The future of aesthetic medicine isn’t about finding a single miracle treatment. It’s about understanding aging as a structural, biological, and even emotional process. Dr. Welsh reminds us that the best outcomes come from prevention, thoughtful intervention, and treating the whole person — not simply chasing volume, trends, or quick fixes. Connect with Dr. Welsh and Roxanne at Bay Area Cosmetic Dermatology on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bay-area-cosmetic-dermatology/] and on Instagram @bayareacosmeticdermatology. [https://www.instagram.com/bayareacosmeticdermatology?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Discover their cutting-edge treatments – including Emface and Exomind – on the Bay Area Cosmetic Dermatology website at weloveskin.com [http://weloveskin.com/] (or via the links below). — Follow Skincarma on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/skincarma?igsh=d2JmemE3aXo0a3Fw&utm_source=qr] and on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@skincarma?_t=ZT-8ubN2Gvz7xS&_r=1]. Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. [http://www.skincarma.com] You can also connect with Carmine on Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carminemontalto/] – and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here [https://www.cminknyc.com]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-skincarma-pod/id1793186495] Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast], or Spotify [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bGZdDAmYChhO1-WsRyu26PVGe9WFToy&si=H9AqKo1fDbAiToeA] to help Carmine reach more curious listeners. Cutting-edge treatment links: Emface [https://weloveskin.com/procedures/body-treatments/emface-san-francisco-ca] Exomind [https://weloveskin.com/procedures/body-treatments/exomind-san-francisco-ca] Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog: Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-sunscreens-for-face]. Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-retinol-face-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-vitamin-c-serums-for-face]. Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-brightening-serums-for-face-1]. Explore the Best Acne Treatments here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-acne-treatments]. Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-anti-aging-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-dry-skin]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-oily-skin]. The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter. The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare junkie and Brooklyn writer Carmine Montalto. With 25 years of expertise in beauty across every category, Carmine has helped build multiple consumer brands from the ground up. He’s named 100s of skincare, haircare & makeup products – some of which are probably in your bathroom cabinet right now! And, he’s tested 1,000s of products, the best of which can be found reviewed on his blog at skincarma.com. [https://www.skincarmanyc.com] With the right skincare routine including sunscreen...You CAN change your skin’s destiny!™ Get full access to Skincarma® at skincarma.substack.com/subscribe [https://skincarma.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 81: Beauty Doesn't Need More Products. It Needs Better Ones — with Shannaz Schopfer

One of the biggest misconceptions in beauty is that innovation and newness are the same thing. The industry launches thousands of products every year. New ingredients dominate social media feeds. New brands appear almost daily. But according to beauty industry veteran Shannaz Schopfer, more products don’t necessarily mean better products — and in many cases, they simply create more noise. In this episode of the Skincarma Pod, Carmine sits down with Shannaz Schopfer, founder of The Beauty Architects and a beauty industry insider with more than 40 years of experience spanning product development, manufacturing, formulation, and brand building. Drawing on decades of experience — from growing up in her father’s skincare business in Switzerland to launching her own brand and advising manufacturers and founders around the world — Shannaz offers a candid look at what happens behind the scenes of modern beauty. Together, Carmine and Shannaz explore why some ingredients lose effectiveness before they ever reach the skin, how social media and low barriers to entry have transformed the industry, what founders consistently underestimate about launching a brand, and why genuine innovation has become increasingly difficult to find. They also discuss sustainability, packaging waste, ingredient trends, alcohol-free fragrance, the rise of Korean beauty, and the growing tension between experience and disruption in an industry obsessed with what’s next. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why having an ingredient on an INCI list doesn’t guarantee efficacy; What most founders misunderstand about launching a beauty brand; How social media transformed the pace of beauty innovation; Why Shannaz believes the industry is producing too many similar products; The hidden challenges of sustainable packaging; What excites her most about the future of fragrance; And, why experience remains one of the most undervalued assets in beauty. Key Takeaway The future of beauty isn’t about launching more products. It’s about creating products that genuinely solve problems, earn loyalty, and stand the test of time. In an industry increasingly driven by speed and novelty, Shannaz reminds us that quality, integrity, and experience still matter. Connect with Shannaz on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannaz/] and on Instagram at @shannazschopfer [https://www.instagram.com/shannazschopfer?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==]. Explore her work with brands and manufacturers through The Beauty Architects at thebeautyarc.com [https://www.thebeautyarc.com/]. — Follow Skincarma on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/skincarma?igsh=d2JmemE3aXo0a3Fw&utm_source=qr] and on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@skincarma?_t=ZT-8ubN2Gvz7xS&_r=1]. Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. [http://www.skincarma.com] You can also connect with Carmine on Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carminemontalto/] – and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here [https://www.cminknyc.com]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-skincarma-pod/id1793186495] Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast], or Spotify [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bGZdDAmYChhO1-WsRyu26PVGe9WFToy&si=H9AqKo1fDbAiToeA] to help Carmine reach more curious listeners. Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog: Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-sunscreens-for-face]. Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-retinol-face-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-vitamin-c-serums-for-face]. Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-brightening-serums-for-face-1]. Explore the Best Acne Treatments here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-acne-treatments]. Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-anti-aging-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-dry-skin]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-oily-skin]. The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter. The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare junkie and Brooklyn writer Carmine Montalto. With 25 years of expertise in beauty across every category, Carmine has helped build multiple consumer brands from the ground up. He’s named 100s of skincare, haircare & makeup products – some of which are probably in your bathroom cabinet right now! And, he’s tested 1,000s of products, the best of which can be found reviewed on his blog at skincarma.com. [https://www.skincarmanyc.com] With the right skincare routine including sunscreen...You CAN change your skin’s destiny!™ Get full access to Skincarma® at skincarma.substack.com/subscribe [https://skincarma.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 80: Beauty Runs on Data: Ingredient Trends, AI & the Truth Behind the Marketing with Monieka Bos

One of the most interesting questions in beauty right now isn’t which ingredient is trending — it’s who decides what becomes a trend in the first place. In an industry flooded with marketing claims, ingredient buzzwords, social media hype, and now AI-generated content, separating signal from noise has never been more difficult. But beneath every launch, every trend, and every positioning strategy lies something much less glamorous — data. In this episode of this Skincarma Pod, Carmine sits down with Monieka Bos, co-founder of SKINSKOOL Beauty [https://skinskoolbeauty.com] and CosmeticIQ [https://cosmetic-iq.com], to explore the growing role of data intelligence in modern beauty. Drawing from a proprietary database of more than 60,000 beauty products and years of human-verified ingredient tracking, Monieka offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how brands monitor competitors, identify opportunities, track ingredient adoption, and navigate an increasingly crowded marketplace. Together, they discuss the difference between clean data and AI, why ingredient trends like exosomes, PDRN, and NAD+ often become more complicated than their marketing suggests, and how brands balance innovation, positioning, and transparency in a market where thousands of products launch every year. Along the way, they explore what consumers actually care about, why some ingredients become enduring successes while others quickly disappear, and whether greater transparency is truly improving the beauty industry. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Monieka Bos went from practicing law to building SKINSKOOL Beauty and CosmeticIQ; Why AI is only as powerful as the quality of the data behind it; How brands use data to identify ingredient trends, benchmark competitors, and refine product positioning; Why ingredients like exosomes, PDRN, and NAD+ are generating so much attention right now; The difference between marketing ingredients and meaningful formulation choices; How beauty companies track competitors — and why many still rely on surprisingly manual methods; Why transparency remains one of beauty’s most complicated and misunderstood topics; And, what separates brands that succeed from those that quickly disappear. Key Takeaway The future of beauty won’t belong to the brands with the loudest marketing claims — it will belong to the brands that can combine data, insight, creativity, and trust. As AI accelerates the pace of information, clean data and human judgment may become more valuable than ever. Connect with Monieka on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniekabos/] and on Instagram at @moniekamaria [https://www.instagram.com/moniekamaria?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==]. Explore Skinskool on Instagram at @skinskool [https://www.instagram.com/skinskool?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] and discover Skinskool’s Beauty Alternatives Finder at skinskoolbeauty.com [https://skinskoolbeauty.com/] — Follow Skincarma on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/skincarma?igsh=d2JmemE3aXo0a3Fw&utm_source=qr] and on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@skincarma?_t=ZT-8ubN2Gvz7xS&_r=1]. Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. [http://www.skincarma.com] You can also connect with Carmine on Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carminemontalto/] – and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here [https://www.cminknyc.com]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-skincarma-pod/id1793186495] Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast], or Spotify [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bGZdDAmYChhO1-WsRyu26PVGe9WFToy&si=H9AqKo1fDbAiToeA] to help Carmine reach more curious listeners. Product links: Skinskool Beauty Alternative Finder [https://skinskoolbeauty.com] Skinskool Excellence Award Winners [https://skinskoolbeauty.com/discover/match-excellence] Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog: Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-sunscreens-for-face]. Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-retinol-face-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-vitamin-c-serums-for-face]. Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-brightening-serums-for-face-1]. Explore the Best Acne Treatments here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-acne-treatments]. Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-anti-aging-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-dry-skin]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-oily-skin]. The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter. The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare junkie and Brooklyn writer Carmine Montalto. With 25 years of expertise in beauty across every category, Carmine has helped build multiple consumer brands from the ground up. He’s named 100s of skincare, haircare & makeup products – some of which are probably in your bathroom cabinet right now! And, he’s tested 1,000s of products, the best of which can be found reviewed on his blog at skincarma.com. [https://www.skincarmanyc.com] With the right skincare routine including sunscreen...You CAN change your skin’s destiny!™ Get full access to Skincarma® at skincarma.substack.com/subscribe [https://skincarma.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 79: When the Surgeon Became the Patient: Healing from the Inside Out with Dr. Kami Parsa

One of modern medicine’s greatest strengths is its ability to intervene. We can replace joints, bypass blocked arteries, remove tumors, resurface skin, and perform procedures that would have seemed impossible just a generation ago. But what happens after the intervention? In this episode of the Skincarma Pod, Carmine welcomes board-certified oculoplastic surgeon and Mendora Health founder Dr. Kami Parsa for a conversation about a question that rarely gets the attention it deserves: how does the body actually heal? What begins as a discussion about skin health quickly expands into a much broader exploration of recovery, nutrition, inflammation, and the remarkable biological intelligence of the human body. Dr. Parsa shares how a seemingly minor finger injury sent him down a years-long rabbit hole into wound healing research, nutritional science, and the protocols used in burn units and intensive care settings to support recovery. That research ultimately transformed not only his approach to patient care, but also his understanding of medicine itself. Then life delivered an unexpected twist. While preparing to publish his book Heal, Dr. Parsa discovered he had a 100% blockage in a major coronary artery and would require open-heart surgery. Suddenly, the surgeon became the patient, forcing him to apply the very principles he had spent years studying. Together, Carmine and Dr. Parsa explore why nutrition remains one of the most overlooked aspects of modern healthcare, what critical care medicine can teach us about healing, the relationship between inflammation and recovery, and why supporting the body’s internal repair systems may be just as important as any procedure, treatment, or topical product. At its core, this is a conversation about what happens when we stop viewing healing as something medicine does to us — and start recognizing it as something the body is designed to do for itself. In this episode, you’ll learn: How a finger injury unexpectedly transformed Dr. Parsa’s approach to medicine and patient care; What burn units and ICU teams understand about recovery that much of healthcare overlooks; Why nutrition plays a critical role in wound healing, tissue repair, and surgical recovery; How inflammation influences both skin health and overall health outcomes; Why many physicians receive surprisingly little nutrition education during medical training; How Dr. Parsa’s own open-heart surgery reshaped his perspective as a surgeon; The connection between skin repair, collagen production, and nutritional support; And, why the future of skin health may depend as much on supporting biology from within as treating skin from the outside. Key Takeaway Healing is not a passive process. As Dr. Kami Parsa explains, the body is constantly working to repair, regenerate, and restore itself — but that process depends on having the resources it needs to do so. While modern medicine excels at intervention, recovery is often treated as an afterthought. His journey — from surgeon, to researcher, to patient — offers a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t begin when symptoms disappear or a procedure ends. It begins when we create the conditions that allow the body to do what it has been designed to do all along. Sometimes the most important question isn’t how we treat the problem. It’s how well we support the body’s ability to heal from it. Connect with Dr. Parsa on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamiparsamd/] and on Instagram at @kamiparsamd [https://www.instagram.com/kamiparsamd?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==]. Explore Mendora Health on Instagram at @mendorahealth [https://www.instagram.com/mendorahealth?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] and discover Mendora’s products and brand ethos at https://go.skimresources.com/?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.staminacosmetics.com%2F%3Fgad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D23238913388%26gbraid%3D0AAAAA9fdfowKR8IJQTV6GTxmtslMewcXc%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjw2YDQBhD_ARIsAE1qeSeLWADpIB5kNoYzw0iqlZWBq-_Sxlyu3SpesPbFqFZjwg61e75fD6EaAnahEALw_wcBmendorahealth.com. [https://go.skimresources.com/?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fmendorahealth%3Figsh%3DNTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D] — Follow Skincarma on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/skincarma?igsh=d2JmemE3aXo0a3Fw&utm_source=qr] and on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@skincarma?_t=ZT-8ubN2Gvz7xS&_r=1]. Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. [http://www.skincarma.com] You can also connect with Carmine on Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carminemontalto/] – and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here [https://www.cminknyc.com]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-skincarma-pod/id1793186495] Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast], or Spotify [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bGZdDAmYChhO1-WsRyu26PVGe9WFToy&si=H9AqKo1fDbAiToeA] to help Carmine reach more curious listeners. Product links: Mendora - The Skin Repair Formula [https://go.skimresources.com/?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmendorahealth.com%2Fproducts%2Fthe-skin-repair-formula] Mendora - The 7-Day Skin Reset Cleanse - Download for Free [https://go.skimresources.com/?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmendorahealth.com%2Fpages%2Fskin-reset-cleanse] HEAL: Your Recovery Blueprint with 100+ Healing Recipes for Surgery and Injury [https://go.skimresources.com/?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHEAL-Recovery-Blueprint-Healing-Recipes%2Fdp%2FB0G4XGL9LM]by Kami Parsa MD [https://www.amazon.com/Kami-Parsa-MD/e/B0G543KSDQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1] (Author) Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog: Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-sunscreens-for-face]. Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-retinol-face-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-vitamin-c-serums-for-face]. Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-brightening-serums-for-face-1]. Explore the Best Acne Treatments here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-acne-treatments]. Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-anti-aging-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-dry-skin]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-oily-skin]. The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter. The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare junkie and Brooklyn writer Carmine Montalto. With 25 years of expertise in beauty across every category, Carmine has helped build multiple consumer brands from the ground up. He’s named 100s of skincare, haircare & makeup products – some of which are probably in your bathroom cabinet right now! And, he’s tested 1,000s of products, the best of which can be found reviewed on his blog at skincarma.com. [https://www.skincarmanyc.com] With the right skincare routine including sunscreen...You CAN change your skin’s destiny!™ Get full access to Skincarma® at skincarma.substack.com/subscribe [https://skincarma.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 78: Waterless Beauty Isn’t About Sustainability — It’s About Potency with Stephanie Farsht of Small Wonder

We tend to think about innovation in beauty as adding more — more actives, more steps, more complexity. But what if the next frontier in formulation is actually about removing something fundamental instead? In this episode of the Skincarma Pod, Carmine sits down with Small Wonder [https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallwonder.world%2Fcollections%3Fgad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D20363110681%26gbraid%3D0AAAAApujqcQpUol6PH0NJUDkEDhhv-0V9%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjww8rQBhDjARIsAE43KPP1Y5NRrPuFrDjGE7_yMQBpx66gvQMcfLlQ3sHpfi0p0d4hlCWaFgoaAvXxEALw_wcB] Co-Founder and CEO Stephanie Farsht to explore one deceptively simple question: What if water — the foundation of most beauty products — is actually making them less effective? Drawing from her background in strategy and innovation at Target, along with years teaching entrepreneurship and innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Stephanie explains how she approached beauty not as a traditional founder, but as a systems-level problem solver. The conversation explores the hidden trade-offs inherent to conventional water-based formulations — from ingredient degradation and oxidation to the need for preservatives — and why powder-based products offer a fundamentally different approach to potency, stability, and performance. Together, Carmine and Stephanie unpack the science and philosophy behind Small Wonder’s powder-to-lather haircare system, including the challenge of preserving active ingredients in their most stable form, redesigning packaging from the ground up, and rethinking how consumers interact with products in the shower. But the episode also goes beyond formulation science into broader questions around innovation itself: why truly disruptive ideas often require rethinking the entire user experience, why sustainability should be a byproduct of smart design rather than a marketing headline, and how failure became one of Stephanie’s most important tools as a founder. At its core, this is a conversation about challenging assumptions — and reconsidering whether beauty products are being designed primarily for convenience, tradition, or actual performance. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why water-based beauty products may compromise ingredient potency over time;• How oxidation, degradation, and preservatives impact formulation performance;• Why powder formulations help preserve active ingredients in their most stable form;• How Small Wonder redesigned not just the formula, but the entire shower experience;• Why packaging can function as part of the efficacy system — not just the aesthetic experience;• Why consumer behavior change is often the biggest hurdle in product innovation;• Why sustainability alone rarely drives consumer adoption in beauty;• And, how the future of beauty may increasingly center on intentional, systems-level design rather than endless product launches. Key Takeaway Sometimes the most meaningful innovation doesn’t come from adding more — it comes from questioning assumptions that no one else thinks to challenge. As Stephanie Farsht explains, Small Wonder wasn’t built simply to create a more sustainable product. It was built around a deeper question: what if the conventional way beauty products are formulated is inherently limiting their performance? That shift in thinking led not only to a new type of haircare formula, but to a complete reimagining of packaging, user experience, and ingredient stability itself. The result is a broader reminder that true innovation rarely happens by optimizing the existing system. More often, it happens when someone is willing to redesign the system entirely. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniefarsht/] and on Instagram at @sfarsht. [https://www.instagram.com/sfarsht?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Explore Small Wonder on Instagram at @smallwonder.world [https://www.instagram.com/smallwonder.world?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] and discover Small Wonder’s products and brand ethos at https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.staminacosmetics.com%2F%3Fgad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D23238913388%26gbraid%3D0AAAAA9fdfowKR8IJQTV6GTxmtslMewcXc%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjw2YDQBhD_ARIsAE1qeSeLWADpIB5kNoYzw0iqlZWBq-_Sxlyu3SpesPbFqFZjwg61e75fD6EaAnahEALw_wcBsmallwonder.world. [https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallwonder.world%2F] — Follow Skincarma on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/skincarma?igsh=d2JmemE3aXo0a3Fw&utm_source=qr] and on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@skincarma?_t=ZT-8ubN2Gvz7xS&_r=1]. Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. [http://www.skincarma.com] You can also connect with Carmine on Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carminemontalto/] – and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here [https://www.cminknyc.com]. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-skincarma-pod/id1793186495] Substack [https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast], or Spotify [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bGZdDAmYChhO1-WsRyu26PVGe9WFToy&si=H9AqKo1fDbAiToeA] to help Carmine reach more curious listeners. Product links: Small Wonder Signature Shampoo & Conditioner Set [https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallwonder.world%2Fproducts%2Fsignature-shampoo-conditioner-set%3Fvariant%3D45919400591575] Small Wonder Signature Shampoo [https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallwonder.world%2Fproducts%2Fsignature-shampoo-wonder%3Fvariant%3D44509120823511] Small Wonder Signature Conditioner [https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallwonder.world%2Fproducts%2Fsignature-conditioner-copy-1] Small Wonder Magic Perfecting Serum [https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallwonder.world%2Fproducts%2Fmagic-perfecting-serum%3Fvariant%3D48587112087767] SURI 2.0 Electric Toothbrush [https://go.skimresources.com?id=153039X1618868&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trysuri.com%2Fen-us%2Fproducts%2Fsuri-2-sonic-toothbrush-uv-c-led-case] Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog: Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-sunscreens-for-face]. Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-retinol-face-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-vitamin-c-serums-for-face]. Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-brightening-serums-for-face-1]. Explore the Best Acne Treatments here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-acne-treatments]. Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-anti-aging-creams-and-serums]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-dry-skin]. Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here [https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-face-creams-oily-skin]. The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter. The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare junkie and Brooklyn writer Carmine Montalto. With 25 years of expertise in beauty across every category, Carmine has helped build multiple consumer brands from the ground up. He’s named 100s of skincare, haircare & makeup products – some of which are probably in your bathroom cabinet right now! And, he’s tested 1,000s of products, the best of which can be found reviewed on his blog at skincarma.com. [https://www.skincarmanyc.com] With the right skincare routine including sunscreen...You CAN change your skin’s destiny!™ Get full access to Skincarma® at skincarma.substack.com/subscribe [https://skincarma.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]