Well Made
Lindsay Dahl, Beautycounter: Fixing Broken Beauty Laws – Well Made E93
August 28, 2019 · RSS · Apple Podcasts
In the U.S., federal regulations are lagging decades behind the science of the beauty industry. That's why Beautycounter hired its own lobbyist.
The last time the beauty industry had a significant regulatory update was in 1938, so Beautyconuter founder Gregg Renfrew hired Lindsay Dahl to lead the charge and bring U.S. beauty regulations into this century. As a self-proclaimed "professional agitator" and veteran public health lobbyist, Lindsay is in the trenches. She travels back and forth to D.C., holding strategic meetings with elected officials, and presenting Beautycounter's science-backed issues and proposed solutions.
In just five years since she started as the Beautycounter SVP of Social Mission, Lindsay has already helped pass laws that have changed how beauty products are regulated — and this is only the beginning.
“If you listen enough, you can find something that the person you're trying to convince cares about. You can connect your issue to their values.”
Hear how Lindsay got started working with Beautycounter and the first policy she helped to pass, banning 66 toxic chemicals from baby products (12:15). The U.S. only has 38 restricted beauty ingredients, while the EU has 1,400. Lindsay talks about beauty as a nonpartisan issue and how the FDA needs more authority to keep up with the demands of the marketplace (19:57). Lindsay explains the process behind adding ingredients to Beautycounter's Never List of 1,500 harmful or toxic chemicals (24:15). Even brand new companies can take a stance on toxic chemicals. Lindsay gives some advice on where to start (32:50).
Anyone can lobby for their own cause. Right now, Lindsay is working on a bill to give the FDA more authority and closing the fragrance loophole. She shares the strategies that lead to meaningful conversations with the right people. Finally, she talks about the advocate's power duo — data and emotion — and how both are essential to getting traction for an impactful movement (43:42).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Taking Sunscreen Seriously, an episode of Well Made with the President of Supergoop!
- Formaldehyde and the FDA
- The Toxic Free Kids Act, passed in 2015 in Oregon
- US cosmetics are full of chemicals banned by Europe
- Environmental Health News
- Skin Deep cosmetics database
- Beautycounter's Never List
- LindsayDahl.com
- Unboxing Beautycounter
Header photos via Beautycounter.
You can find this and all future episodes on iTunes, Google Play, and here on the Lumi blog. This episode was edited by Evan Goodchild.
