This week we’re talking all things cosmetic chemistry with someone who really knows her way around a science lab: Ramya Viswanathan, founder of CMPRESSD Beauty — the zero-waste hair care brand making solid shampoo and conditioner bars that actually perform like your favorite salon formulas on all hair types. With over a decade in product development, formulation, and manufacturing, Ramya’s here to school us on ingredient “green flags,” misunderstood actives, and the real tea on shampoo bars.
We dig into listener-submitted questions from our Glamgelenos Slack, covering everything from the future of U.S. sunscreen regulations to the next big ingredient trend, whether skincare “dupes” can actually deliver, and if multi-active formulas are really worth it (or just marketing fluff). If you’ve ever stood in the aisle decoding an ingredient list or wondered what a chemist actually thinks about your favorite products, this episode is your backstage pass to beauty R&D.