1 00:00:04,206 --> 00:00:06,246 Welcome back to the Live Lightly podcast. 2 00:00:06,246 --> 00:00:09,856 Today I'm joined by Melodie Reynolds, founder of Elate Beauty. 3 00:00:09,856 --> 00:00:11,452 Welcome, Melodie. 4 00:00:11,452 --> 00:00:13,294 Thank you so much for having me, Jessica. 5 00:00:13,294 --> 00:00:14,514 Thank you for joining me. 6 00:00:14,514 --> 00:00:19,234 I appreciate you coming to talk about the beauty world and how it relates to 7 00:00:19,234 --> 00:00:22,874 sustainability and ethical business practices. 8 00:00:22,874 --> 00:00:33,574 And before we jump into all of that I really just want to know about you. 9 00:00:33,574 --> 00:00:39,408 what brought you to wanting to start a sustainable and ethical beauty brand. 10 00:00:39,676 --> 00:00:45,116 Yeah, so I actually fell into the beauty industry by accident. 11 00:00:45,336 --> 00:00:50,476 I wanted to be an accountant, but that is clearly very different from what I'm doing 12 00:00:50,476 --> 00:00:51,983 now. 13 00:00:52,096 --> 00:00:57,616 at the time, I ended up leaving school because I just wasn't prepared for what it 14 00:00:57,616 --> 00:01:01,936 would mean to be a first year university student at only 17. 15 00:01:01,936 --> 00:01:05,416 And I was working at a bar. 16 00:01:05,416 --> 00:01:09,020 I still make the world's best cocktails, by the way. 17 00:01:09,312 --> 00:01:12,562 I was also working at McDonald's, you know, in the daytime. 18 00:01:12,562 --> 00:01:15,352 So I had two jobs and was kind of trying to figure things out. 19 00:01:15,352 --> 00:01:20,652 And, you know, it was actually my mom who said, why don't you go to hair school? 20 00:01:20,652 --> 00:01:22,332 And I was like, hair school? 21 00:01:22,332 --> 00:01:26,872 No, like that's not even, I mean, I was a teenager in the nineties. 22 00:01:26,872 --> 00:01:31,292 So my beauty routines were not necessarily that great. 23 00:01:31,292 --> 00:01:35,192 If you can look back at, you know, some of the, the, the beauty routines we had back 24 00:01:35,192 --> 00:01:36,672 in like 1994. 25 00:01:38,032 --> 00:01:38,522 but. 26 00:01:38,522 --> 00:01:39,762 you. 27 00:01:40,102 --> 00:01:40,405 Yes. 28 00:01:40,405 --> 00:01:45,305 so I don't even think I wore makeup until my prom, you know, like it just wasn't 29 00:01:45,305 --> 00:01:48,345 something that I really had in my every day. 30 00:01:48,665 --> 00:01:53,565 And but she was right, you know, and her and my grandmother, you know, my 31 00:01:53,565 --> 00:01:55,885 grandmother, especially were really big influences in my life. 32 00:01:55,885 --> 00:01:59,945 And one of the things my grandma always used to say was, you know, just do 33 00:01:59,945 --> 00:02:06,065 something, you know, it doesn't matter where you expect to go, but you have to 34 00:02:06,065 --> 00:02:06,765 take a first step. 35 00:02:06,765 --> 00:02:08,060 So you have to do something. 36 00:02:08,060 --> 00:02:10,900 even if that's not necessarily what you wanted to do. 37 00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:13,900 And so I was like, okay, I guess I'll do something. 38 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:17,960 I'll enroll in this vocational trade program and see where it takes me. 39 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,020 Now I am the world's worst hairstylist. 40 00:02:21,020 --> 00:02:23,070 So I found that out very quickly. 41 00:02:23,070 --> 00:02:26,700 I'm not good at cutting or styling or doing hair. 42 00:02:26,700 --> 00:02:28,940 But what I am good at is talking to people. 43 00:02:28,940 --> 00:02:29,820 I love people. 44 00:02:29,820 --> 00:02:31,740 I love hearing your stories. 45 00:02:31,740 --> 00:02:37,372 I love, you know, seeing the way that someone's... 46 00:02:37,372 --> 00:02:41,142 you know, hair or makeup could actually transform them and transform their mood. 47 00:02:41,142 --> 00:02:44,562 That was really what got me sucked into the beauty industry. 48 00:02:44,562 --> 00:02:48,512 And so I started managing salons and spas when I was about 18. 49 00:02:48,512 --> 00:02:55,152 And really what I focused on was just creating that amazing customer experience. 50 00:02:55,152 --> 00:03:01,820 And I actually started my career off at a salon that was very eco -conscious. 51 00:03:01,820 --> 00:03:06,720 you know, we were doing refills of shampoo and conditioner bottles before it was even 52 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:07,180 a thing. 53 00:03:07,180 --> 00:03:09,200 Again, this was like 1998. 54 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:15,660 And so that was really what set me on the path to recognizing that there's a way to 55 00:03:15,660 --> 00:03:20,580 do beauty better and that, you know, we each have the power to create that. 56 00:03:20,580 --> 00:03:24,780 But, you know, but of course, fast forward, I, you know, had many different 57 00:03:24,780 --> 00:03:29,600 hats and worked for a large corporate beauty brand as their director of 58 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,356 education for North America. 59 00:03:31,356 --> 00:03:35,676 And that was really when I started to become a bit disillusioned with the 60 00:03:35,676 --> 00:03:36,206 industry. 61 00:03:36,206 --> 00:03:40,296 You know, so I went from working at a small, you know, family owned salon to 62 00:03:40,296 --> 00:03:42,576 working for a large global beauty brand. 63 00:03:42,576 --> 00:03:45,976 And, you know, the disconnect between those two things, I started to feel like 64 00:03:45,976 --> 00:03:50,636 maybe I'd made a mistake and that I'd lost my way in this industry because every time 65 00:03:50,636 --> 00:03:54,976 I would talk to, you know, the executives or the chemists or whoever, you know, 66 00:03:54,976 --> 00:03:58,676 would listen to me for more than five minutes about things like sustainability 67 00:03:58,676 --> 00:03:59,612 and. 68 00:03:59,612 --> 00:04:04,532 marketing and greenwashing and these things that were important to me, I kind 69 00:04:04,532 --> 00:04:05,682 of got brushed off. 70 00:04:05,682 --> 00:04:09,532 You know, like, it's, you know, we always have done things this way, so we're not 71 00:04:09,532 --> 00:04:12,712 going to change, or you don't know what you're talking about. 72 00:04:12,712 --> 00:04:16,652 You know, being the only woman in a room full of men trying to decide how to sell 73 00:04:16,652 --> 00:04:19,992 me a lipstick, and yet my ideas weren't valid. 74 00:04:19,992 --> 00:04:24,988 And so, yeah, so then I actually left that job. 75 00:04:24,988 --> 00:04:27,708 not with the intention of starting my own company at that point. 76 00:04:27,708 --> 00:04:31,488 I just knew that I needed to do something different and maybe move on a different 77 00:04:31,488 --> 00:04:32,728 trajectory. 78 00:04:32,948 --> 00:04:37,168 Because my why has always been helping people, helping the planet. 79 00:04:37,288 --> 00:04:41,888 And so it was that time when I wasn't working. 80 00:04:41,888 --> 00:04:44,608 And when I say wasn't working, I wasn't a ukulele band. 81 00:04:44,608 --> 00:04:48,948 So I was working, but just in a different aspect. 82 00:04:49,428 --> 00:04:49,834 Right? 83 00:04:49,834 --> 00:04:50,556 Yeah. 84 00:04:50,556 --> 00:04:54,106 That was when I had the experience that would really change my life. 85 00:04:54,106 --> 00:04:56,976 And it was, I was still doing some makeup. 86 00:04:56,976 --> 00:05:00,716 I became a certified makeup artist along that journey and did a lot of editorial 87 00:05:00,716 --> 00:05:01,976 and runway work. 88 00:05:01,976 --> 00:05:05,256 And so I was still working as a makeup artist casually. 89 00:05:05,256 --> 00:05:09,316 And I went out to buy a new lipstick to restock my kit. 90 00:05:09,316 --> 00:05:12,796 And of course, I ended up coming home with more than one lipstick because that's just 91 00:05:12,796 --> 00:05:14,124 what you always do. 92 00:05:14,254 --> 00:05:14,856 huh. 93 00:05:14,856 --> 00:05:19,196 always say that I had a lipstick -shaped hole in my heart that could just never be 94 00:05:19,196 --> 00:05:23,476 filled, no matter how many lipsticks I bought, you know, it was still there. 95 00:05:23,476 --> 00:05:28,096 And that was when I bought this lipstick and, you know, got it home and I took it 96 00:05:28,096 --> 00:05:31,776 out of the plastic bag and I unwrapped the plastic around the box and then I took it 97 00:05:31,776 --> 00:05:36,956 out of the box and the little tube itself had more plastic around it and then I had 98 00:05:36,956 --> 00:05:40,196 this pile of garbage that I had created. 99 00:05:40,456 --> 00:05:40,796 And... 100 00:05:40,796 --> 00:05:46,416 It really affected me in that moment that I realized even though I had always 101 00:05:46,416 --> 00:05:49,556 considered myself to be a really good environmental citizen and that I was 102 00:05:49,556 --> 00:05:52,676 making conscious choices, I wasn't making conscious choices. 103 00:05:52,676 --> 00:05:56,416 You know, I went out and bought that lipstick, not thinking about the packaging 104 00:05:56,416 --> 00:05:57,576 that it came in. 105 00:05:57,576 --> 00:06:02,766 And so then I got mad because, you know, first I was sad and then I was mad. 106 00:06:02,766 --> 00:06:07,756 And what I got mad about was why is it now my responsibility to dispose of all this 107 00:06:07,756 --> 00:06:08,590 garbage? 108 00:06:08,590 --> 00:06:09,564 Mm -hmm. 109 00:06:09,564 --> 00:06:10,194 to do that. 110 00:06:10,194 --> 00:06:13,484 There isn't anywhere around me that will recycle soft plastics. 111 00:06:13,484 --> 00:06:17,684 And furthermore, I probably won't use this whole lipstick, which means I'm going to 112 00:06:17,684 --> 00:06:20,064 have to throw the whole thing away at the end of it anyway. 113 00:06:20,064 --> 00:06:25,044 And that was really the seed that allowed me to start thinking about the bigger 114 00:06:25,044 --> 00:06:30,884 problem in the beauty industry of waste, where it starts, how it comes to me as a 115 00:06:30,884 --> 00:06:32,524 customer, and then where it finishes. 116 00:06:32,524 --> 00:06:37,788 And what it starts with is fear and shame based marketing that's designed. 117 00:06:37,788 --> 00:06:40,708 to make us feel less than, so we buy more. 118 00:06:40,708 --> 00:06:46,608 It's the, you are not good enough, so buy my product, in fact, buy more than one, so 119 00:06:46,608 --> 00:06:48,028 then you can be good enough. 120 00:06:48,028 --> 00:06:50,118 But we all know that that's not how it works. 121 00:06:50,118 --> 00:06:53,648 You can't buy a product to suddenly feel self -worth, right? 122 00:06:53,648 --> 00:06:58,168 But then you buy said product and maybe two or three, and you bring them home, and 123 00:06:58,168 --> 00:07:01,808 now you are the proud owner of piles of garbage. 124 00:07:01,808 --> 00:07:05,532 And then at the end of its life, whether you used it up or not, 125 00:07:05,532 --> 00:07:07,462 none of that packaging can be recycled. 126 00:07:07,462 --> 00:07:09,162 Most of it is multi -material. 127 00:07:09,162 --> 00:07:13,192 And so it just ends up in the landfill or becomes what I like to call your dirty 128 00:07:13,192 --> 00:07:16,712 little secret, which is a product that you've had for 10 years that you just 129 00:07:16,712 --> 00:07:18,792 can't throw away because you feel bad about throwing it away. 130 00:07:18,792 --> 00:07:21,612 And so it just kind of rots at the bottom of your beauty bag. 131 00:07:21,632 --> 00:07:26,512 And so because of all those problems, I was like, that's a big thing to tackle. 132 00:07:26,512 --> 00:07:29,792 But looking around, nobody else seems to want to do anything about it. 133 00:07:29,792 --> 00:07:30,952 So I guess I have to. 134 00:07:30,952 --> 00:07:32,796 And that was... 135 00:07:32,796 --> 00:07:34,776 why I started my company. 136 00:07:34,976 --> 00:07:37,266 I clearly, I dropped out of university. 137 00:07:37,266 --> 00:07:39,576 I do not know anything about business. 138 00:07:39,756 --> 00:07:43,006 I managed hair salons and worked for a global beauty brand. 139 00:07:43,006 --> 00:07:47,176 So I had ideas of how things worked in terms of supply chain. 140 00:07:47,176 --> 00:07:52,476 I think what I came armed with when I started my company was just that I knew 141 00:07:52,476 --> 00:07:54,236 what I didn't want to do. 142 00:07:54,236 --> 00:07:55,216 I knew, right? 143 00:07:55,216 --> 00:07:58,146 I knew all the things that, here's the list of things that are done. 144 00:07:58,146 --> 00:07:59,956 I don't want to do any of that. 145 00:07:59,956 --> 00:08:02,300 I want to do something completely different. 146 00:08:02,300 --> 00:08:07,240 you know, because again, to quote my grandmother, if you want to get what 147 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,520 you've always got, then do what you've always done, right? 148 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:13,460 So if we want to continue to fill our landfills full of garbage, then we can 149 00:08:13,460 --> 00:08:15,320 just maintain the status quo. 150 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:19,370 But if we want to do something different and we want to envision a brighter future, 151 00:08:19,370 --> 00:08:21,680 then we need to do something completely different. 152 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:23,886 And so that is how ELATE was born. 153 00:08:23,886 --> 00:08:26,846 I love that and I love your grandmother. 154 00:08:27,966 --> 00:08:31,486 She's a wise soul Yeah. 155 00:08:31,486 --> 00:08:32,826 Yeah. 156 00:08:32,826 --> 00:08:37,986 She gave you some really sound advice and again, just leading back to the first 157 00:08:37,986 --> 00:08:41,846 thing that she told you is just start something, just take that first step. 158 00:08:41,846 --> 00:08:45,266 And so you did it and here you are today. 159 00:08:45,266 --> 00:08:47,036 10 years later, is that right? 160 00:08:47,036 --> 00:08:48,666 10 years later, yeah. 161 00:08:48,666 --> 00:08:50,816 2014 was when we launched. 162 00:08:50,816 --> 00:08:54,196 Now, I did start building my business plan, you know, about 2012. 163 00:08:54,196 --> 00:08:57,896 So it did take me two full years to sort of figure things out before we launched, 164 00:08:57,896 --> 00:08:59,854 but we launched in 2014. 165 00:08:59,870 --> 00:09:04,930 Tell me a little bit about that process, because it can't be easy to be doing 166 00:09:04,930 --> 00:09:09,770 something that's completely off track of what everybody else is doing in this 167 00:09:09,770 --> 00:09:10,340 industry. 168 00:09:10,340 --> 00:09:14,470 And I'm sure that there were some things that you came up against, some walls that 169 00:09:14,470 --> 00:09:19,940 you hit when you were thinking about packaging and sourcing materials. 170 00:09:19,940 --> 00:09:24,820 So if you could maybe talk a little bit about that experience prior to launch. 171 00:09:25,276 --> 00:09:29,195 Yeah, I mean, I'm going to start from two places here. 172 00:09:29,195 --> 00:09:34,656 So first is a quote from one of my old business mentors, which is start as you 173 00:09:34,656 --> 00:09:35,776 want to continue. 174 00:09:35,776 --> 00:09:39,576 And what that means is that if you're going to do something, you should start it 175 00:09:39,576 --> 00:09:42,816 the way that you actually envision yourself being able to continue it 176 00:09:42,816 --> 00:09:43,816 forever. 177 00:09:43,916 --> 00:09:48,516 But then on the other hand, perfect is the enemy of done. 178 00:09:48,996 --> 00:09:53,788 So those are two opposing viewpoints because. 179 00:09:53,788 --> 00:09:57,678 I knew that here is where I want the end goal to be. 180 00:09:57,678 --> 00:10:00,368 I want a zero waste beauty products, right? 181 00:10:00,368 --> 00:10:05,838 But I couldn't start like that because the technology didn't meet my dreams, 182 00:10:05,838 --> 00:10:07,288 unfortunately. 183 00:10:07,428 --> 00:10:12,868 And this is the thing about ingredients and packaging and supply chains and 184 00:10:12,868 --> 00:10:19,348 sustainability in all aspects is that there's always new things happening when 185 00:10:19,348 --> 00:10:23,416 we learn that, wow, this thing that we thought was good. 186 00:10:23,772 --> 00:10:25,292 isn't actually that good. 187 00:10:25,292 --> 00:10:28,672 So here's a new thing that's better because we just invented it. 188 00:10:28,672 --> 00:10:29,132 Right. 189 00:10:29,132 --> 00:10:33,512 And then, you know, going back over to the perfect is the enemy of done is that if I 190 00:10:33,512 --> 00:10:38,472 had waited until I had the perfect zero waste solution, I would not be in business 191 00:10:38,472 --> 00:10:39,492 today. 192 00:10:39,652 --> 00:10:43,832 Because even now, 10 years later, exactly, I never would have started. 193 00:10:43,832 --> 00:10:47,752 And 10 years later, there still is no perfect zero waste solution that does not 194 00:10:47,752 --> 00:10:48,492 exist. 195 00:10:48,492 --> 00:10:53,596 And so I think for me, it was really about what 196 00:10:53,692 --> 00:10:57,592 can I do my absolute best at? 197 00:10:57,592 --> 00:11:02,852 And so taking a look around, the first thing I noticed was all makeup comes in 198 00:11:02,852 --> 00:11:09,872 plastic pallets or plastic containers, but the actual product that's inside is just 199 00:11:09,872 --> 00:11:11,612 in a very tiny little pan. 200 00:11:11,612 --> 00:11:15,652 So there's a tiny little pan of product, and then there's a big plastic thing 201 00:11:15,652 --> 00:11:18,992 around it, and then it's probably put into a box, and it probably has plastic around 202 00:11:18,992 --> 00:11:19,310 it. 203 00:11:19,310 --> 00:11:20,198 Right. 204 00:11:20,236 --> 00:11:24,276 I actually thought for a long time that all of that was like mandated by your 205 00:11:24,276 --> 00:11:28,656 governing bodies like packaging governing bodies because when you think about like a 206 00:11:28,656 --> 00:11:33,296 bottle of Tylenol or a bottle of acetaminophen You know, that's a drug and 207 00:11:33,296 --> 00:11:38,436 that actually has very specific packaging guidelines Whereas cosmetics don't 208 00:11:38,436 --> 00:11:42,856 necessarily have packaging guidelines We have we do have labeling guidelines in 209 00:11:42,856 --> 00:11:46,476 terms of making sure that we can keep our customers safe by letting them know what's 210 00:11:46,476 --> 00:11:47,099 in it 211 00:11:47,099 --> 00:11:51,039 But there's no guideline that says it has to have plastic around it. 212 00:11:51,379 --> 00:11:59,839 And so exactly, yeah, it doesn't need to have a plastic vacuum seal around it. 213 00:11:59,839 --> 00:12:03,799 And so for the most part, it's just superfluous plastic. 214 00:12:03,799 --> 00:12:10,949 It's just a shelf life thing, or it's often unnecessary. 215 00:12:10,949 --> 00:12:14,268 And so that was the first thing I dove into was what is 216 00:12:14,268 --> 00:12:18,308 necessary to keep my product safe, right? 217 00:12:18,308 --> 00:12:22,888 And once I discovered that what is absolutely necessary to keep my product 218 00:12:22,888 --> 00:12:28,348 safe is very minimal, then I right away was like, well, this is great. 219 00:12:28,348 --> 00:12:34,068 I can take that little bit of makeup that's in that big plastic package. 220 00:12:34,068 --> 00:12:36,718 First of all, I can get rid of the outer plastic lining. 221 00:12:36,718 --> 00:12:37,568 Don't need that. 222 00:12:37,568 --> 00:12:40,748 I can get rid of the box because I don't need that either. 223 00:12:40,748 --> 00:12:42,510 The box is just marketing. 224 00:12:42,510 --> 00:12:43,084 Okay. 225 00:12:43,084 --> 00:12:46,894 then I can just now have the product in the compact. 226 00:12:46,894 --> 00:12:49,064 Okay, except the compact is plastic. 227 00:12:49,064 --> 00:12:50,384 Well, I don't want that. 228 00:12:50,384 --> 00:12:53,214 And the compact also gets thrown away, cannot be recycled. 229 00:12:53,214 --> 00:12:54,524 I don't want that either. 230 00:12:54,524 --> 00:12:58,364 And so that was when I came up with the idea of refillable compacts that were made 231 00:12:58,364 --> 00:13:00,124 of an organic material. 232 00:13:00,124 --> 00:13:03,924 And so we use bamboo and we use water treated bamboo, not chemical treated 233 00:13:03,924 --> 00:13:06,510 bamboo, which is really, there's a big distinction there. 234 00:13:06,510 --> 00:13:07,430 Yes. 235 00:13:07,936 --> 00:13:09,686 they are refillable. 236 00:13:09,686 --> 00:13:12,696 So it's an asset -based system is what we say. 237 00:13:12,696 --> 00:13:16,796 So the compact is something you keep forever and you refill it with your 238 00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:17,356 makeup. 239 00:13:17,356 --> 00:13:20,296 Not only is this better for the environment because you're not throwing 240 00:13:20,296 --> 00:13:26,476 away the outer shell of the makeup, but it also means that you get to customize what 241 00:13:26,476 --> 00:13:29,116 goes in your palette. 242 00:13:29,116 --> 00:13:33,616 So an individual makeup unit is just like an eyeshadow or a blush and it's your 243 00:13:33,616 --> 00:13:34,016 color. 244 00:13:34,016 --> 00:13:37,796 But sometimes you get those palettes that have more than one color in them, right? 245 00:13:37,796 --> 00:13:40,306 And this is another fun story, again, from my prom. 246 00:13:40,306 --> 00:13:42,116 I'm talking about my prom a lot today. 247 00:13:42,116 --> 00:13:49,396 But I remember going to a makeup counter, who shall remain nameless, and getting 248 00:13:49,396 --> 00:13:53,052 really pressured into buying this palette that had four shades in it. 249 00:13:53,052 --> 00:13:54,042 I only wanted one. 250 00:13:54,042 --> 00:13:58,632 I only wanted the silvery white so I could have silvery white eyelids because in 1997 251 00:13:58,632 --> 00:14:00,492 that was really cool. 252 00:14:00,652 --> 00:14:05,732 And so I bought the whole palette because that was the only way I could get the one 253 00:14:05,732 --> 00:14:07,072 color that I wanted. 254 00:14:07,072 --> 00:14:12,712 And I carried that palette with only one shade gone out of it around for almost 20 255 00:14:12,712 --> 00:14:12,992 years. 256 00:14:12,992 --> 00:14:13,812 I'm not joking. 257 00:14:13,812 --> 00:14:18,112 I just got rid of it a few years ago because I felt so much guilt about having 258 00:14:18,112 --> 00:14:21,392 this thing that I bought that I didn't use that was just plastic that would have to 259 00:14:21,392 --> 00:14:22,620 go in the garbage. 260 00:14:22,620 --> 00:14:27,740 And so, you know, it was really thinking about, you know, what can we do to 261 00:14:27,740 --> 00:14:31,060 minimize the amount of packaging, you know, make sure the products stay safe, 262 00:14:31,060 --> 00:14:35,140 but minimize the amount of packaging, and then also create opportunities for the 263 00:14:35,140 --> 00:14:39,040 customers to have more ability to customize what they're buying. 264 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,360 Because that's the other thing about sustainability. 265 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:47,600 And this is when, you know, when I really dive deep into our process, we actually 266 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,580 have an equation, it's called the sustainability relationship or the 267 00:14:50,580 --> 00:14:52,028 sustainability journey. 268 00:14:52,028 --> 00:14:55,868 And basically it's from end to end, every single product has to go through this 269 00:14:55,868 --> 00:14:58,828 equation to make it as an elite product. 270 00:14:58,828 --> 00:15:02,968 And it starts with two things that you wouldn't necessarily think about in terms 271 00:15:02,968 --> 00:15:07,108 of sustainability, desirability and user experience. 272 00:15:07,108 --> 00:15:12,538 So I want to make product A, does anybody want this product? 273 00:15:12,538 --> 00:15:17,868 Because if nobody wants the product, it doesn't matter how sustainable it is. 274 00:15:17,868 --> 00:15:19,516 The sustainability is moot. 275 00:15:19,516 --> 00:15:19,836 Right? 276 00:15:19,836 --> 00:15:23,996 You've made a bunch of products that nobody wants that are ultimately, even if 277 00:15:23,996 --> 00:15:28,096 they're compostable, there was energy that went into making that product and there's 278 00:15:28,096 --> 00:15:29,716 going to be energy to dispose of it. 279 00:15:29,716 --> 00:15:31,476 So desirability is key. 280 00:15:31,476 --> 00:15:33,596 Is this a product that's necessary? 281 00:15:33,596 --> 00:15:37,896 Is somebody else making it and doing a really good job of keeping it sustainable? 282 00:15:37,896 --> 00:15:39,486 We're always looking at that. 283 00:15:39,486 --> 00:15:41,336 And then two is user experience. 284 00:15:41,336 --> 00:15:44,148 So if somebody wants it, but it sucks, 285 00:15:47,186 --> 00:15:47,756 Right. 286 00:15:47,756 --> 00:15:54,256 with sustainable products is they can't be just as good as the regular alternative. 287 00:15:54,256 --> 00:15:59,536 They have to be better because often it does come at a cost of convenience or a 288 00:15:59,536 --> 00:16:00,556 cost of price. 289 00:16:00,556 --> 00:16:05,856 And so we have to make sure that it is the user experience is, you know, chef's kiss. 290 00:16:05,856 --> 00:16:07,096 I just forgot this is audio. 291 00:16:07,096 --> 00:16:08,596 I just made a chef's kiss. 292 00:16:08,666 --> 00:16:09,606 great. 293 00:16:10,146 --> 00:16:12,766 no, it's video too. 294 00:16:12,766 --> 00:16:14,028 So, yeah. 295 00:16:14,028 --> 00:16:19,788 so we have to make sure that it is like a better user experience than what the 296 00:16:19,788 --> 00:16:21,258 alternative might be. 297 00:16:21,258 --> 00:16:26,808 And again, with the Elate and with brands like ours that are doing refillables, that 298 00:16:26,808 --> 00:16:28,268 is what makes it a better experience. 299 00:16:28,268 --> 00:16:31,788 You have to have a really high performing product and you have to have the ability 300 00:16:31,788 --> 00:16:37,428 to make it fun, exciting, and then the person gets to actually create their own 301 00:16:37,428 --> 00:16:38,036 power. 302 00:16:38,414 --> 00:16:39,614 And that's super fun. 303 00:16:39,614 --> 00:16:44,814 I love that you give people the ability to not only have something that they can keep 304 00:16:44,814 --> 00:16:50,794 forever, but also, you know, over time, interests change and you know, you might 305 00:16:50,794 --> 00:16:57,024 want to try something new, but it's new on your terms, not whatever, like you said, 306 00:16:57,024 --> 00:17:01,054 four or five colors is just being given to me because I like the one. 307 00:17:01,054 --> 00:17:13,118 So really love that about Elate. 308 00:17:13,118 --> 00:17:16,658 being able to customize it is amazing. 309 00:17:19,938 --> 00:17:26,998 I think that we wanna know a little bit more about the ingredients because I think 310 00:17:26,998 --> 00:17:31,948 that ingredients are an important piece of the puzzle for a lot of people. 311 00:17:31,948 --> 00:17:35,630 They don't really understand what's going on their skin every day. 312 00:17:35,630 --> 00:17:38,990 and they're starting to become aware that what's going on in their skin every day 313 00:17:38,990 --> 00:17:44,710 might not be beneficial to them and they're starting to look for alternatives 314 00:17:44,710 --> 00:18:27,342 but not really maybe knowing where to begin with that 315 00:18:27,342 --> 00:18:33,270 So can you give people a starting point Melodie for where to begin? 316 00:18:33,916 --> 00:18:39,076 I think the thing about ingredients is that you know what we put on and in our 317 00:18:39,076 --> 00:18:44,616 bodies is a personal journey right and everyone has a threshold for what level of 318 00:18:44,616 --> 00:18:52,496 good or bad they will allow right so when I was formulating our products I really I 319 00:18:52,496 --> 00:18:56,196 recognize this that every person is different that you know some people may be 320 00:18:56,196 --> 00:18:58,908 totally fine with artificial fragrance. 321 00:18:58,908 --> 00:19:06,968 Some people may be totally fine with preservatives, specifically paraben -style 322 00:19:06,968 --> 00:19:12,088 preservatives, because maybe they have a thing about making sure that the product 323 00:19:12,088 --> 00:19:13,688 is preserved properly. 324 00:19:13,688 --> 00:19:17,348 And so they're like, I don't want this, but I'm OK with parabens. 325 00:19:17,348 --> 00:19:22,900 And so the thing that I'm always letting people know is, 326 00:19:23,548 --> 00:19:25,928 figuring out what your threshold is, is hard. 327 00:19:25,928 --> 00:19:29,708 It takes a lot of research too, because there's a lot of stuff that we do that, 328 00:19:29,708 --> 00:19:34,978 you know, it's like the whole, you give your kids a red freezey. 329 00:19:34,978 --> 00:19:40,168 Well, that's got red dye number seven in it, and that is not good, right? 330 00:19:40,168 --> 00:19:42,508 But maybe it doesn't bother your kid at all. 331 00:19:42,508 --> 00:19:44,148 Like this is the thing. 332 00:19:44,148 --> 00:19:46,648 So you might not know, you might not ever find out. 333 00:19:46,648 --> 00:19:52,750 And so the thing about being aware of ingredients for me is that as a brand, 334 00:19:52,750 --> 00:19:53,578 Mm -hmm. 335 00:19:53,578 --> 00:20:00,228 as a brand and as a company, it's my responsibility to use the best ingredients 336 00:20:00,228 --> 00:20:01,548 possible. 337 00:20:01,548 --> 00:21:58,828 And so that way, when you, as a customer come to me, 338 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:03,900 it's our responsibility as a brand to make sure that we are using the best possible 339 00:22:03,900 --> 00:22:05,040 ingredients. 340 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:09,240 And so the way that I've done this, recognizing that again, everybody is 341 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,640 different, is we've followed the... 342 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:20,180 So davidsuzuki .org has a really fantastic list of the top 12 cosmetic ingredients to 343 00:22:20,180 --> 00:22:20,860 avoid. 344 00:22:20,860 --> 00:22:25,420 And this is all heavily backed by research, because here's the thing. 345 00:22:25,420 --> 00:22:26,684 I also... 346 00:22:26,684 --> 00:22:33,024 don't like Google research because Google will, you know, if I have a sore throat 347 00:22:33,024 --> 00:22:35,344 and I ask Google, I suddenly have cancer. 348 00:22:35,344 --> 00:22:40,984 So I always ask people to be really careful about like, I researched this. 349 00:22:40,984 --> 00:22:44,824 I'm like, okay, was it Google or was it like a peer reviewed white paper from a 350 00:22:44,824 --> 00:22:46,424 reputable laboratory? 351 00:22:46,424 --> 00:22:48,584 So, you know, these are the things. 352 00:22:48,584 --> 00:22:50,504 But again, everyone has a threshold. 353 00:22:50,504 --> 00:22:54,144 And if you are like, I've never read anything that tells me this is bad, but my 354 00:22:54,144 --> 00:22:56,156 gut tells me it's bad, then great. 355 00:22:56,156 --> 00:22:57,466 then you listen to your gut. 356 00:22:57,466 --> 00:22:58,636 I think that's important. 357 00:22:58,636 --> 00:23:03,176 But for me as a brand, we have voted the top 12 according to David Suzuki because I 358 00:23:03,176 --> 00:23:05,436 know for sure I don't want those in my products. 359 00:23:05,436 --> 00:23:14,276 And they're things like parabens, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfates, 360 00:23:14,356 --> 00:23:17,770 fragrance, perfume, which is also known as a phthalate. 361 00:23:17,770 --> 00:23:18,512 Mm -hmm. 362 00:23:18,512 --> 00:23:23,072 that messes with your brain, I don't like, you know, and artificial fragrances trick 363 00:23:23,072 --> 00:23:25,322 our brains into thinking we're smelling something we're not. 364 00:23:25,322 --> 00:23:25,892 That's weird. 365 00:23:25,892 --> 00:23:27,012 I don't like that. 366 00:23:27,012 --> 00:23:30,492 And also a lot of those things are actually made with animal ingredients that 367 00:23:30,492 --> 00:23:31,872 you didn't even realize. 368 00:23:31,872 --> 00:23:35,162 Like you remember that Bonnie Bell strawberry lip gloss that we all love? 369 00:23:35,162 --> 00:23:40,132 The reason it smells like strawberry is because of like ground up animal things. 370 00:23:40,132 --> 00:23:42,372 Like it's not, not great. 371 00:23:42,372 --> 00:23:45,112 And then of course we followed the EU standards. 372 00:23:45,112 --> 00:23:46,364 So the standard for 373 00:23:46,364 --> 00:23:50,124 creation of cosmetics in the European Union is the highest globally. 374 00:23:50,124 --> 00:23:51,774 And so we followed those standards. 375 00:23:51,774 --> 00:23:56,084 But I think the key thing for me is that, you know, the best ingredients possible 376 00:23:56,084 --> 00:24:00,184 may not always be the ingredient, you know, grown in the ground and harvested by 377 00:24:00,184 --> 00:24:00,694 a person. 378 00:24:00,694 --> 00:24:04,744 It might be an ingredient that was actually synthesized in a lab. 379 00:24:04,744 --> 00:24:11,274 And the example that I use is we use marshmallow or sorry, not marshmallow. 380 00:24:11,274 --> 00:24:12,054 It comes from marshmallow. 381 00:24:12,054 --> 00:24:15,766 We use hyaluronic acid in some of our products. 382 00:24:15,766 --> 00:24:16,688 Mm -hmm. 383 00:24:16,688 --> 00:24:22,528 is not an acid, but HLA is a hydration tool and it's fantastic for the skin. 384 00:24:22,528 --> 00:24:26,448 We use it in a lot of our foundational products so they act more like a skincare. 385 00:24:26,728 --> 00:24:31,008 And one of the things about HLA is that it actually comes from an animal. 386 00:24:31,008 --> 00:24:33,108 It comes from a rooster comb. 387 00:24:33,108 --> 00:24:36,068 You know that funky little red bit on the top of a rooster's head? 388 00:24:36,068 --> 00:24:37,728 That's where it comes from. 389 00:24:37,728 --> 00:24:41,628 And so we, of course, as a vegan company, do not use anything sourced from an 390 00:24:41,628 --> 00:24:42,188 animal. 391 00:24:42,188 --> 00:24:44,418 And so the alternative is marshmallow root. 392 00:24:44,418 --> 00:24:45,372 And marshmallow root... 393 00:24:45,372 --> 00:24:47,072 First of all, it's a plant alternative. 394 00:24:47,072 --> 00:24:48,712 It's not as potent. 395 00:24:48,712 --> 00:24:53,712 And it also has a lot of issues in terms of pesticides and harvesting. 396 00:24:53,712 --> 00:24:55,872 It takes up a lot of land to create. 397 00:24:55,872 --> 00:24:59,432 And so the alternative for us was a lab. 398 00:24:59,432 --> 00:25:01,562 It's like a bio, it's called biomimicry. 399 00:25:01,562 --> 00:25:05,652 It's when we use synthetic ingredients to mimic something from nature. 400 00:25:05,652 --> 00:25:08,912 And the hyaluronic acid is more potent. 401 00:25:08,912 --> 00:25:10,752 It's completely cruelty -free. 402 00:25:10,752 --> 00:25:14,908 It is completely human -free because any time there is, 403 00:25:14,908 --> 00:25:21,248 farming or agriculture involved, there's often the potential for human trafficking. 404 00:25:21,648 --> 00:25:26,668 So it's end to end supply chain sustainability is really about weighing 405 00:25:26,668 --> 00:25:28,228 off the alternatives. 406 00:25:28,228 --> 00:25:32,008 It's the same way what people are like, are your products organic? 407 00:25:32,228 --> 00:25:38,008 I say, well, depending on the availability of the ingredients, we will choose organic 408 00:25:38,008 --> 00:25:39,668 when it makes sense. 409 00:25:39,668 --> 00:25:43,580 But again, just because a product is organic doesn't mean that the 410 00:25:43,580 --> 00:25:46,120 people who harvested it were paid a fair wage. 411 00:25:46,120 --> 00:25:49,580 So we really have to make good decisions based on that. 412 00:25:49,580 --> 00:25:54,280 And so super high quality ingredients coming from the best source possible. 413 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,400 And because we are so transparent about that, you know, that's why I always say 414 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,140 try to choose brands that are honest about what they're doing. 415 00:26:01,140 --> 00:26:04,140 And also honest about when they've made mistakes. 416 00:26:04,140 --> 00:26:11,080 You know, we had a really, a few years ago, we were really excited about this new 417 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:12,010 technology. 418 00:26:12,010 --> 00:26:13,276 It was like, 419 00:26:13,276 --> 00:26:17,476 Pearl powder, which is really apparently really good for the skin. 420 00:26:17,476 --> 00:26:18,756 We did a whole bunch of testing with it. 421 00:26:18,756 --> 00:26:22,176 We were getting really excited to formulate some products with it until 422 00:26:22,176 --> 00:26:25,416 somebody on my team was like, wait a minute, pearls are animals. 423 00:26:25,416 --> 00:26:26,246 Pearls come from animals. 424 00:26:26,246 --> 00:26:27,916 I was like, no, they don't. 425 00:26:27,916 --> 00:26:29,395 And then, yeah, they do. 426 00:26:29,395 --> 00:26:31,296 That's an animal based ingredient. 427 00:26:31,296 --> 00:26:35,886 So, you know, we're always trying to choose the best that we possibly can. 428 00:26:35,886 --> 00:26:41,196 And again, just avoiding things that we definitely wouldn't want to put on 429 00:26:41,196 --> 00:26:42,204 ourselves. 430 00:26:42,204 --> 00:26:47,024 but also recognizing that everyone has differences in just trying to create the 431 00:26:47,024 --> 00:26:50,292 best products possible for people and the planet. 432 00:26:50,894 --> 00:26:53,884 Yeah, I think that is amazing that you took that. 433 00:26:53,884 --> 00:26:59,414 It's the hard path because I'm sure that all of these ingredients are not easy to 434 00:26:59,414 --> 00:27:01,234 find or to source. 435 00:27:01,634 --> 00:27:08,174 And you're doing it right on every level by the people who may be farming the land 436 00:27:08,174 --> 00:27:12,914 to create that naturally grown organic ingredient and how they're paid and how 437 00:27:12,914 --> 00:27:17,646 they're treated all the way to, like, hey, well, 438 00:27:17,646 --> 00:27:18,886 you know, that's not great. 439 00:27:18,886 --> 00:27:23,406 So can we make it in a way that's not going to harm people or the land? 440 00:27:23,406 --> 00:27:29,866 I just think that that's amazing because, that's part of, making something is 441 00:27:29,866 --> 00:27:36,586 deciding, what is better for people and what is better for animals. 442 00:27:36,686 --> 00:27:39,566 And, there's so many different layers involved. 443 00:27:39,566 --> 00:27:45,766 When I was looking for a beauty brand, I have certain criteria that I look for 444 00:27:45,766 --> 00:27:46,766 before I, 445 00:27:46,766 --> 00:27:53,166 choose anything and obviously first off I'm looking at packaging and ingredients. 446 00:27:53,166 --> 00:28:00,306 And so that eliminates like 99 % of what Google tells me I should be looking at, 447 00:28:00,306 --> 00:28:01,406 right? 448 00:28:01,406 --> 00:28:05,566 Because you can type in the word sustainable and green and all natural and 449 00:28:05,566 --> 00:28:11,206 non -toxic and you get different lists depending on what your keywords are. 450 00:28:12,606 --> 00:28:14,254 And, and, 451 00:28:14,254 --> 00:28:20,214 what you're given on the first page or two doesn't necessarily always match up with 452 00:28:20,214 --> 00:28:23,694 what your intentions are as a customer. 453 00:28:24,074 --> 00:28:26,944 You're getting a lot of sponsored ads. 454 00:28:26,944 --> 00:28:29,154 First off, I never click on those. 455 00:28:29,194 --> 00:28:32,494 That's kind of my key tip. 456 00:28:32,494 --> 00:28:37,354 But also I do a lot of digging once I do look at something. 457 00:28:37,354 --> 00:28:42,254 I see the face value, which is the first page, and then I keep going and I start 458 00:28:42,254 --> 00:28:43,182 looking at. 459 00:28:43,182 --> 00:28:47,392 deeper about us and sustainability and are they transparent? 460 00:28:47,392 --> 00:28:51,322 There's so many different things to look at when you're looking at finding 461 00:28:51,322 --> 00:28:57,102 something that's packaged mindfully and sustainably as well as having ingredients 462 00:28:57,102 --> 00:29:01,162 that are clean, but are those ingredients also sourced well? 463 00:29:01,162 --> 00:29:07,222 Is another layer that I think that kind of doesn't come onto the radar right away, 464 00:29:07,222 --> 00:29:09,070 but it's there. 465 00:29:09,070 --> 00:29:13,410 You know, there are people involved, there are sometimes animals involved, there is 466 00:29:13,410 --> 00:29:14,590 land involved. 467 00:29:14,590 --> 00:29:20,990 And so in order to be truly sustainable, there's many different layers to look at. 468 00:29:20,990 --> 00:29:27,590 And so many brands that are out there that are very well advertised and touted to be 469 00:29:27,590 --> 00:29:29,550 green and all natural. 470 00:29:29,550 --> 00:29:36,020 After, clicking through several times, it seems very convincing and very like, yeah, 471 00:29:36,020 --> 00:29:37,970 this is it, I found one. 472 00:29:38,318 --> 00:29:44,818 And then I'd return to it the next day, you know, just ok I'm going to look at it 473 00:29:44,818 --> 00:29:46,238 again and just make sure. 474 00:29:46,238 --> 00:29:48,618 And then I'd be like, oh, well, I don't know about that. 475 00:29:48,618 --> 00:29:53,358 And so I researched and looked deeper and deeper and it took a very long time to 476 00:29:53,358 --> 00:29:55,798 narrow down my list to like top five. 477 00:29:55,798 --> 00:29:59,038 And then I'd have to say from there, it was top three. 478 00:29:59,038 --> 00:30:03,068 And then it ended up being really like for makeup. 479 00:30:03,068 --> 00:30:07,358 That's not just like kind of a one and done crayon type situation. 480 00:30:08,046 --> 00:30:21,246 really just to give the same experience as what people I think are used to as makeup, 481 00:30:21,246 --> 00:30:23,666 You were it, this is it. 482 00:30:23,666 --> 00:30:30,186 I was left with one at the end of the day and so congratulations, all of your hard 483 00:30:30,186 --> 00:30:33,466 work has passed all of my check boxes. 484 00:30:33,742 --> 00:30:38,042 But can you talk a little bit about greenwashing? 485 00:30:38,042 --> 00:30:42,982 Because I think that that's what took me probably a good week or two of sifting 486 00:30:42,982 --> 00:30:48,682 through in order to get to my list of five and then narrowing it down after more and 487 00:30:48,682 --> 00:30:53,182 more looking and digging and research. 488 00:30:53,182 --> 00:30:58,162 And I think that that's something that a lot of consumers are not aware of. 489 00:30:58,162 --> 00:31:02,982 They're intending to buy products with less packaging or better packaging. 490 00:31:02,982 --> 00:31:04,058 And... 491 00:31:04,058 --> 00:31:10,018 better ingredients and there's a lot out there telling them, this is me, you found 492 00:31:10,018 --> 00:31:11,238 me, I'm it. 493 00:31:11,238 --> 00:31:14,228 But it's not necessarily true. 494 00:31:14,228 --> 00:31:21,938 Like what kind of regulations are there on labeling when it comes to making claims in 495 00:31:21,938 --> 00:31:23,342 the beauty industry? 496 00:31:23,936 --> 00:31:29,016 so that's a really good question and none. 497 00:31:29,836 --> 00:31:33,336 So, you know, as I mentioned before, there are labeling laws. 498 00:31:33,336 --> 00:31:39,236 You know, you can't not put things on your label. 499 00:31:39,236 --> 00:31:43,276 Everything that is in the product, it is required to be registered with. 500 00:31:43,276 --> 00:31:46,296 We're in Canada, so registered with Health Canada. 501 00:31:46,296 --> 00:31:50,016 In the US, it's with the FDA. 502 00:31:50,514 --> 00:31:50,684 huh. 503 00:31:50,684 --> 00:31:54,644 And you have to register your products, say what's in them, and then that label 504 00:31:54,644 --> 00:31:57,744 needs to match what is in that product. 505 00:31:57,984 --> 00:32:07,484 But other than that, you know, claims of things like natural, clean, non -toxic, 506 00:32:07,644 --> 00:32:09,764 none of these words are regulated. 507 00:32:09,764 --> 00:32:16,224 And that is really where greenwashing comes in hard and strong, is because we 508 00:32:16,224 --> 00:32:19,548 use fear and shame -based marketing. 509 00:32:19,548 --> 00:32:23,968 to manipulate people into thinking that something is better for them or better for 510 00:32:23,968 --> 00:32:24,808 the planet. 511 00:32:24,808 --> 00:32:29,908 So think your favorite shampoo gets a makeover and now it's in a green bottle. 512 00:32:29,908 --> 00:32:34,808 Even if they don't use the words natural, clean, green, eco -friendly, you still 513 00:32:34,808 --> 00:32:38,968 think that it is more eco -friendly than it was before. 514 00:32:38,968 --> 00:32:44,660 And so this is a serious problem because that is how... 515 00:32:44,924 --> 00:32:50,704 the onus of the waste gets transferred from the brand that created the product to 516 00:32:50,704 --> 00:32:52,504 the person who bought the product. 517 00:32:52,504 --> 00:32:55,904 Is you think that this is better for you and the planet, so you purchase it and 518 00:32:55,904 --> 00:32:58,884 then at the end you're still just left with garbage. 519 00:32:58,984 --> 00:33:03,544 And so that is actually something that we're working on, however. 520 00:33:03,684 --> 00:33:05,254 So Elate is a B Corp. 521 00:33:05,254 --> 00:33:09,424 And if you're not sure what that is, it's a benefit corporation and we balance 522 00:33:09,424 --> 00:33:10,844 people, planet and profit. 523 00:33:10,844 --> 00:33:15,544 and we're all about creating a future where business is a force for good. 524 00:33:15,544 --> 00:33:20,744 And so one of the things that we do is in the B Corp world, there's a beauty 525 00:33:20,744 --> 00:33:23,484 coalition and I sit on that board. 526 00:33:23,484 --> 00:33:27,424 And some of the work that we're doing is globally actually trying to regulate these 527 00:33:27,424 --> 00:33:28,324 terms. 528 00:33:28,324 --> 00:33:33,364 Because that's part of the issue is that every country has a regulatory body when 529 00:33:33,364 --> 00:33:38,284 it comes to its products and they all need to agree on what's safe, what's not safe 530 00:33:38,284 --> 00:33:41,006 and what we're allowed to say and what we shouldn't be saying. 531 00:33:41,006 --> 00:33:41,956 Okay. 532 00:33:41,956 --> 00:33:47,376 so we as you know as a global coalition are working to try to make this better 533 00:33:47,376 --> 00:33:54,696 because it's not Okay, that company a says this is 100 % natural What does that even 534 00:33:54,696 --> 00:33:55,216 mean? 535 00:33:55,216 --> 00:33:59,036 Right, like it means so many different things to so many different people But if 536 00:33:59,036 --> 00:34:03,776 you are trying to be a more intentional purchaser you look at that and you think 537 00:34:03,776 --> 00:34:07,164 you're making a better choice right and so 538 00:34:07,164 --> 00:34:09,494 You know, sorry, this sounds really doom and gloomy. 539 00:34:09,494 --> 00:34:10,714 I'm like, sorry, there's no hope. 540 00:34:10,714 --> 00:34:12,644 There's no way to know. 541 00:34:13,204 --> 00:34:19,544 I think the biggest thing about greenwashing is, you know, first of all, 542 00:34:19,544 --> 00:34:22,214 you said something earlier that I have to touch on. 543 00:34:22,214 --> 00:34:24,644 You use the word consumer. 544 00:34:25,264 --> 00:34:28,744 So we're all used to this word, right? 545 00:34:28,744 --> 00:34:30,484 And we know what it means. 546 00:34:30,484 --> 00:34:32,394 It means to consume, right? 547 00:34:32,394 --> 00:34:34,044 To take something and use it. 548 00:34:34,044 --> 00:34:36,988 And ultimately there is waste left behind, right? 549 00:34:36,988 --> 00:34:39,928 And that is a product of extractive capitalism. 550 00:34:39,928 --> 00:34:44,728 So extractive capitalism is businesses take resources, make money, and then put 551 00:34:44,728 --> 00:34:47,828 that money somewhere else, maybe in their super yacht, I'm not sure. 552 00:34:47,828 --> 00:34:53,548 And so it really removes things from the ecosystem and doesn't put anything back 553 00:34:53,548 --> 00:34:54,228 in. 554 00:34:54,228 --> 00:34:58,888 And so what we're looking to create is conscious or more circular capitalism 555 00:34:58,888 --> 00:35:02,168 where we can extract resources in a positive way. 556 00:35:02,168 --> 00:35:05,500 We can utilize those to make products that also give back. 557 00:35:05,500 --> 00:35:09,840 in all ways, social, environmental, and then that leave as little waste as 558 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,800 possible behind and then reinvest those profits into the communities that support 559 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:14,540 us. 560 00:35:14,540 --> 00:35:20,420 And so when you think about it that way, as a customer of one of these brands, you 561 00:35:20,420 --> 00:35:24,120 know, and this is something that we talk about a lot is rather than considering 562 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:29,040 yourself a consumer, you can now consider yourself a citizen because that's a big 563 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:29,540 difference, right? 564 00:35:29,540 --> 00:35:32,850 If you're an environmental consumer, you are consuming resources. 565 00:35:32,850 --> 00:35:34,940 If you are an environmental citizen, 566 00:35:34,940 --> 00:35:36,980 you are making informed choices. 567 00:35:36,980 --> 00:35:41,420 And so that's really one of our big mandates is to recognize that our 568 00:35:41,420 --> 00:35:44,080 customers are not consumers, they are citizens. 569 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,640 Because even if, and when I say customer, I don't actually mean everyone who's 570 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:48,350 purchased from me. 571 00:35:48,350 --> 00:35:53,020 I mean everyone who is in our community, who follows us on social media, who talks 572 00:35:53,020 --> 00:35:53,820 about us to our friends. 573 00:35:53,820 --> 00:35:56,000 You don't have to have ever bought one of my products. 574 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:00,960 But it's just the idea that greenwashing is a huge topic, that even those of us 575 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:04,156 that are professionals in the industry have a hard time. 576 00:36:04,156 --> 00:36:07,416 figuring out how to avoid it. 577 00:36:07,416 --> 00:36:11,056 But if we can all just be a little more intentional and a little more conscious 578 00:36:11,056 --> 00:36:14,996 with the way that we purchase and partner with brands that are out there talking 579 00:36:14,996 --> 00:36:18,396 about our name used to be Elate Clean Cosmetics. 580 00:36:18,396 --> 00:36:20,026 That was the name I launched with. 581 00:36:20,026 --> 00:36:23,936 And then I was like, I don't feel I don't think I can use that word because I don't 582 00:36:23,936 --> 00:36:24,876 even know what that means. 583 00:36:24,876 --> 00:36:26,626 And so we stopped using that word. 584 00:36:26,626 --> 00:36:27,116 Right. 585 00:36:27,116 --> 00:36:31,356 So I think it's all about, you know, recognizing. 586 00:36:31,356 --> 00:36:37,556 who you want to support and what brands are speaking up about the things that can 587 00:36:37,556 --> 00:36:41,716 be better and being honest and transparent about their own journeys. 588 00:36:41,716 --> 00:36:46,476 And so what I always say is, well, like what you did, go to the About Us page on 589 00:36:46,476 --> 00:36:47,635 any website. 590 00:36:47,635 --> 00:36:51,516 Do they have a third party certification that is recognizable, that isn't just pay 591 00:36:51,516 --> 00:36:52,436 to play? 592 00:36:52,436 --> 00:36:56,616 So anybody can pay for certification A, B, or C. 593 00:36:56,616 --> 00:36:58,492 But B Corp, for instance, that's... 594 00:36:58,492 --> 00:37:04,832 You know, there is a fee to pay after you've passed, but you have to pass first, 595 00:37:04,872 --> 00:37:05,382 right? 596 00:37:05,382 --> 00:37:09,532 Like you actually have to, you have to go through the whole process to prove because 597 00:37:09,532 --> 00:37:11,092 it's a third party audit. 598 00:37:11,092 --> 00:37:15,132 So are you putting yourself out there and saying, here's all this stuff I do. 599 00:37:15,132 --> 00:37:17,472 Can you tell me if it's good or not? 600 00:37:17,472 --> 00:37:20,512 And if it's not good, they say no. 601 00:37:20,772 --> 00:37:25,772 And so third party certifications that are not pay to play are really important to me 602 00:37:25,772 --> 00:37:28,526 as a customer when I'm looking to support a brand. 603 00:37:28,526 --> 00:37:29,268 Yes. 604 00:37:29,268 --> 00:37:31,888 know, are they transparent about their operations? 605 00:37:31,888 --> 00:37:34,828 How do they treat their their employees? 606 00:37:34,828 --> 00:37:37,648 Are they aware of the issues in their supply chain? 607 00:37:37,648 --> 00:37:40,288 Because every supply chain has issues, right? 608 00:37:40,288 --> 00:37:43,228 Do they talk about how they're trying to make those things better? 609 00:37:43,228 --> 00:37:48,368 And so I think that when it comes to avoiding greenwashing, you can't avoid it. 610 00:37:48,368 --> 00:37:53,768 But what you can do is is try to be as informed about, you know, what's important 611 00:37:53,768 --> 00:37:58,076 to you and who are the companies that you want to support because they're 612 00:37:58,076 --> 00:38:02,076 trying to do the best thing that we can all do with the information that we have 613 00:38:02,076 --> 00:38:02,958 right now. 614 00:38:02,958 --> 00:38:05,878 Yeah, it's all about awareness, right? 615 00:38:05,878 --> 00:38:11,698 Yeah, and I think too, just talking about it and having these kinds of conversations 616 00:38:11,698 --> 00:38:16,598 is bringing people to a point where they can start to feel a little bit more 617 00:38:16,598 --> 00:38:22,338 confident about what it is that they are putting their money out there and, you 618 00:38:22,338 --> 00:38:28,498 know, as a customer, deciding to purchase with their hard earned dollars. 619 00:38:28,538 --> 00:38:31,918 And, think that we're moving into a time where, 620 00:38:31,918 --> 00:38:41,418 speaking with our dollar is very important and it is going to shape how companies 621 00:38:41,418 --> 00:38:44,898 move forward. 622 00:38:44,898 --> 00:38:55,566 you've done an amazing job helping to define greenwashing 623 00:38:55,566 --> 00:39:03,626 And maybe just talking a little bit about what ELATE beauty is doing right now, 624 00:39:03,626 --> 00:39:09,844 moving forward, what is on your plate as far as the future. 625 00:39:09,948 --> 00:39:11,148 Yeah. 626 00:39:11,148 --> 00:39:17,148 So, you know, as a makeup company, we're always thinking about what are the best, 627 00:39:17,148 --> 00:39:20,208 you know, best products that we can offer our customers. 628 00:39:20,208 --> 00:39:25,848 So this is our 10th anniversary year and we don't launch traditional collections 629 00:39:25,848 --> 00:39:30,228 because again, we try to stay away from colors that are like a fad or a drop in 630 00:39:30,228 --> 00:39:30,848 the pan. 631 00:39:30,848 --> 00:39:35,668 We're really trying to focus on helping people simplify their beauty rituals by 632 00:39:35,668 --> 00:39:38,236 creating a capsule beauty system. 633 00:39:38,236 --> 00:39:42,136 So this is our, it's almost like a capsule wardrobe, you know, where you have limited 634 00:39:42,136 --> 00:39:45,336 pieces because they're the ones that you mix and match and wear every day. 635 00:39:45,336 --> 00:39:50,536 And so that's really what we try to help people do and really to educate and 636 00:39:50,536 --> 00:39:57,136 empower and inspire everyone to simplify, you know, all the rituals in their days to 637 00:39:57,136 --> 00:39:59,236 make better choices, to help reduce waste. 638 00:39:59,236 --> 00:40:04,556 And I think for me, it's because it's not those big grand gestures that actually 639 00:40:04,556 --> 00:40:05,596 make a difference. 640 00:40:05,596 --> 00:40:15,746 You know, not all of us can own a Tesla. 641 00:40:15,746 --> 00:40:20,456 But all of us can maybe change the toothpaste that we use so we're not 642 00:40:20,456 --> 00:40:22,436 throwing away a plastic tube every month. 643 00:40:22,436 --> 00:40:43,516 You know, maybe you can stop using plastic floss. 644 00:40:43,516 --> 00:40:45,706 these are the things that we use every single day. 645 00:40:45,706 --> 00:40:49,816 And if you can make more conscious choices about those products, the ingredients and 646 00:40:49,816 --> 00:40:55,176 how they're made and the packaging around them, then all of those little steps add 647 00:40:55,176 --> 00:40:57,336 up to a global impact, right? 648 00:40:57,336 --> 00:40:59,286 They can all add up to a positive impact. 649 00:40:59,286 --> 00:41:03,502 And so for us at Elate, that's always in our mind with the products that we launch. 650 00:41:03,502 --> 00:41:04,260 Mm -hmm. 651 00:41:04,260 --> 00:41:10,020 we do have a couple of new product launches this year in recyclable and 652 00:41:10,020 --> 00:41:12,020 refillable glass containers. 653 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:14,720 I'm very excited about those. 654 00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:18,140 We're always looking at improving our pallet system. 655 00:41:18,140 --> 00:41:23,420 So bamboo is a wonderful ingredient to create our pallets out of, but it does 656 00:41:23,420 --> 00:41:25,800 come from China because that's where bamboo grows. 657 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:30,170 And so that means that it has a long, a big carbon footprint to get here. 658 00:41:30,170 --> 00:41:32,710 Now we do pay to offset that carbon footprint. 659 00:41:32,710 --> 00:41:33,324 Mm -hmm. 660 00:41:33,324 --> 00:41:34,694 not have that carbon footprint. 661 00:41:34,694 --> 00:41:38,984 So we're looking at partnering with a company in Spain to use a different 662 00:41:38,984 --> 00:41:40,673 material to create our products. 663 00:41:40,673 --> 00:41:46,624 This is a little bit closer, and creating some new opportunities for refillable 664 00:41:46,624 --> 00:41:48,464 pallets that are unique and different. 665 00:41:48,464 --> 00:41:54,084 So as we move forward, really it's just building upon what we've been doing for 666 00:41:54,084 --> 00:41:55,864 the last 10 years. 667 00:41:55,884 --> 00:42:00,980 And I start every day with the same question, how can I be? 668 00:42:01,532 --> 00:42:03,912 a little bit better today than I was yesterday. 669 00:42:03,912 --> 00:42:07,372 And sometimes the answer is, well, there is actually nothing I can do today to be a 670 00:42:07,372 --> 00:42:08,632 little bit better than I was yesterday. 671 00:42:08,632 --> 00:42:10,552 So I'm just going to maintain the status quo. 672 00:42:10,552 --> 00:42:13,082 But often it is, well, I can do this. 673 00:42:13,082 --> 00:42:15,382 I can look at this or I can look at that. 674 00:42:15,382 --> 00:42:20,872 And so I think the thing for us is every time we do something and we celebrate a 675 00:42:20,872 --> 00:42:26,572 win, we reduced our landfill waste by 17 % last year. 676 00:42:26,572 --> 00:42:30,364 Just here at our office, we reduced our water usage by 10%. 677 00:42:30,364 --> 00:42:34,024 You know, so we're always setting targets, again, set by, we have a third party 678 00:42:34,024 --> 00:42:37,984 auditor other than B Corp that also audits all of our environmental practices. 679 00:42:37,984 --> 00:42:41,444 You know, so we're always setting targets to try to be better. 680 00:42:41,444 --> 00:42:46,164 And I think, you know, that's what's really important to me is that, you know, 681 00:42:46,164 --> 00:42:50,464 if we can keep moving together one foot in front of the other, try to be a little bit 682 00:42:50,464 --> 00:42:55,064 better today than we were yesterday, then that is really what will create the 683 00:42:55,064 --> 00:42:59,484 movement of all of us to leave less behind. 684 00:42:59,484 --> 00:43:04,904 and still get to enjoy the joyful and delightful things in life. 685 00:43:04,904 --> 00:43:07,974 Makeup for me is a joyful and delightful thing. 686 00:43:07,974 --> 00:43:12,464 And I still want to be able to use it, but still feel like I'm being a good 687 00:43:12,464 --> 00:43:13,464 environmental citizen. 688 00:43:13,464 --> 00:43:16,079 And that's ultimately who it is for. 689 00:43:16,174 --> 00:43:18,184 Yeah, that's beautiful. 690 00:43:18,184 --> 00:43:21,224 And I love what you say about ritual. 691 00:43:21,224 --> 00:43:24,494 Can you elaborate on that a little bit? 692 00:43:24,494 --> 00:43:29,314 Because it plays into what you're talking about right now as well with habits. 693 00:43:29,436 --> 00:43:36,596 Yeah, I think for me it was the discovery of the idea that everyday routines become 694 00:43:36,596 --> 00:43:39,676 ritual when the action is more important than the result. 695 00:43:39,676 --> 00:43:46,576 And so this was something that came to me because, you know, I put on makeup, you 696 00:43:46,576 --> 00:43:48,256 know, not because I want to be beautiful. 697 00:43:48,256 --> 00:43:49,106 I already am. 698 00:43:49,106 --> 00:43:49,666 I'm great. 699 00:43:49,666 --> 00:43:51,016 I look great without makeup. 700 00:43:51,016 --> 00:43:54,936 I'm putting on makeup because it's part of my self -care ritual that allows me to 701 00:43:54,936 --> 00:43:57,756 spend moments in the mirror with myself. 702 00:43:57,756 --> 00:44:00,536 And I think that that's something that we don't think about. 703 00:44:00,536 --> 00:44:04,436 We treat all the other humans in our lives with such care and attention, and we don't 704 00:44:04,436 --> 00:44:06,116 often extend that to ourselves. 705 00:44:06,116 --> 00:44:10,496 And so whatever your beauty ritual is, whether it's a bit of skincare, whether 706 00:44:10,496 --> 00:44:14,876 it's water on a washcloth and you're out the door, whether it's deodorant or 707 00:44:14,876 --> 00:44:17,896 hopefully brushing your teeth, we should all be doing that. 708 00:44:17,896 --> 00:44:25,276 No matter what it is, when it moves from routine into ritual, that is where that 709 00:44:25,276 --> 00:44:26,670 intention comes in. 710 00:44:26,670 --> 00:44:27,756 Mm -hmm. 711 00:44:27,756 --> 00:44:30,356 less mindless and becomes more mindful. 712 00:44:30,356 --> 00:44:35,496 And once we can, you know, create those rituals over the routines, the purchasing 713 00:44:35,496 --> 00:44:38,586 of those products also becomes, you know, more mindful. 714 00:44:38,586 --> 00:44:42,484 And I think that that's really where the intention of the ritual comes in. 715 00:44:42,574 --> 00:44:44,154 Yeah, that's beautiful. 716 00:44:44,154 --> 00:44:45,634 I love that. 717 00:44:45,634 --> 00:44:52,514 It makes it more of a purposeful act instead of just something that you do 718 00:44:52,514 --> 00:44:54,894 every day because you've always done it. 719 00:44:54,894 --> 00:45:00,674 Instead, I really love that perspective of looking at it like that because it is 720 00:45:00,674 --> 00:45:05,534 something that is special and it's a privilege, you know, to be able to wear 721 00:45:05,534 --> 00:45:12,800 makeup and have a beauty ritual and to have products that support you in that. 722 00:45:12,846 --> 00:45:15,426 if that's something that you do. 723 00:45:16,286 --> 00:45:19,366 Yeah, so this has been amazing. 724 00:45:19,366 --> 00:45:24,226 We've learned so many things and I love your story and I just love all the little 725 00:45:24,226 --> 00:45:31,006 nuggets that we learned from you and gained from just everything that you've 726 00:45:31,006 --> 00:45:32,166 shared with us today. 727 00:45:32,166 --> 00:45:38,414 You speak so beautifully about this topic and I know I learned so much. 728 00:45:38,414 --> 00:45:43,334 And coming into this, I knew what I knew from the research that I did in this 729 00:45:43,334 --> 00:45:43,994 realm. 730 00:45:43,994 --> 00:45:48,714 But really, that was just a very little bit of the whole picture. 731 00:45:48,714 --> 00:45:53,494 And so thank you for elaborating and creating a bigger picture for us. 732 00:45:53,494 --> 00:45:57,184 Because I think that as consumers, we really want to know these things now. 733 00:45:57,184 --> 00:46:02,014 We're starting to become aware of what's in our products and how they're packaged. 734 00:46:02,014 --> 00:46:05,874 And thank you for doing what you do out in the world, because you're making a 735 00:46:05,874 --> 00:46:06,574 difference. 736 00:46:06,574 --> 00:46:12,694 and you're helping each individual as a customer make a difference with what they 737 00:46:12,694 --> 00:46:15,454 choose to purchase as well. 738 00:46:15,454 --> 00:46:22,334 So I think it's just beautiful and thank you so much for being here and thank you 739 00:46:22,334 --> 00:46:23,702 for what you're doing. 740 00:46:23,868 --> 00:46:24,418 Thank you. 741 00:46:24,418 --> 00:46:27,787 I really appreciate you, you know, allowing me to tell my story. 742 00:46:27,787 --> 00:46:30,668 It's so great when, you know, people can hear about what we're doing. 743 00:46:30,668 --> 00:46:32,814 So I appreciate you as well. 744 00:46:32,814 --> 00:46:33,584 Thank you. 745 00:46:33,584 --> 00:46:35,854 And how can we connect with you? 746 00:46:35,854 --> 00:46:38,706 How can people find your products? 747 00:46:38,908 --> 00:46:42,398 You can find us online at elitebeauty .com. 748 00:46:42,398 --> 00:46:44,588 You can connect with us on Instagram. 749 00:46:44,588 --> 00:46:47,818 It's @elatecosmetics You can connect with me. 750 00:46:47,818 --> 00:46:50,628 I'm @MelodieElated on Instagram. 751 00:46:50,628 --> 00:46:55,368 And we do have about 200 partners around North America. 752 00:46:55,368 --> 00:46:59,808 And if you go on our website, you can also find the partner closest to you with our 753 00:46:59,808 --> 00:47:01,300 wholesale locator. 754 00:47:01,860 --> 00:47:04,870 OK, so you are in some stores. 755 00:47:05,450 --> 00:47:06,300 OK, amazing. 756 00:47:06,300 --> 00:47:12,110 And also, I was going to mention that some of the products do leave behind some sort 757 00:47:12,110 --> 00:47:17,010 of a container, even though they may be more mindfully packaged. 758 00:47:17,430 --> 00:47:22,030 And can you just, there's, on your website, there's information about how to 759 00:47:22,030 --> 00:47:25,290 take care of those empty packages as well. 760 00:47:25,290 --> 00:47:28,622 So how can we learn a little bit more about how to. 761 00:47:28,622 --> 00:47:35,768 to properly dispose of some of the other materials that are used in your packaging. 762 00:47:36,380 --> 00:47:40,220 So all of the glass can be recycled but if you don't have municipal recycling in your 763 00:47:40,220 --> 00:47:44,360 area you can choose to return it to PACT. 764 00:47:44,360 --> 00:47:51,160 PACT is a cosmetic recycling program and they will take back basically anything and 765 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:52,340 help it get to the right place. 766 00:47:52,340 --> 00:47:55,800 So we've partnered with them for a few years now and it's a great partnership to 767 00:47:55,800 --> 00:48:00,220 have because yeah there are small components that sometimes can't be 768 00:48:00,220 --> 00:48:04,756 recycled in all areas and so it's nice to have some place that you can take them. 769 00:48:05,038 --> 00:48:07,598 Yes, and they have physical locations as well. 770 00:48:07,598 --> 00:48:13,378 So if you go onto your website, you link to them and then they tell you exactly 771 00:48:13,378 --> 00:48:17,998 where they're at or how to send it back if you don't have something local. 772 00:48:18,178 --> 00:48:35,023 Yeah, I love it. 773 00:48:38,638 --> 00:48:45,147 thank you again for joining me today, Melodie. 774 00:48:45,147 --> 00:48:46,187 Thank you so much.