Episode Overview

Podcast: ASCP Esty Talk
Episode: 375 – The Rogue Pharmacist: Clean Beauty from a Pharmacist's Perspective
Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Maggie Stasik (ASCP Program Director)
Guest: Ben Fuchs (Pharmacist, Skincare Formulator)

Main Theme:
In this episode, host Maggie Stasik interviews Ben Fuchs, "The Rogue Pharmacist," on the meaning and reality of "clean beauty" from a pharmacist and cosmetic formulator’s perspective. Together, they dissect industry buzzwords like "clean" and "natural," clarify common misconceptions, and discuss what truly matters in effective skincare: science and results, not marketing catchphrases.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Myth of ‘Clean Beauty’ (01:12–06:58)

• "Clean beauty" lacks a scientific or regulatory definition.

  • Ben Fuchs immediately challenges the premise:

    “You don't. That's the answer. There's no such thing. I don't even know what it means. Do you know what it means?” (01:27, Ben)

  • Maggie admits confusion, echoing many consumers:

    “I don't know. I know what the marketing says mean.” (01:33, Maggie)

• From "Natural" to "Clean": Buzzwords Rebranded.

  • Ben reminisces about the days when "natural" was the term du jour—now replaced by "clean."

    “But really, what does that mean? ... So it's just this gibberish word, this meaningless word...” (01:50, Ben)

  • The allure of terms like clean or natural rests on their emotional and marketing impact, not science.

• The Pharmacist’s Core Priority: Efficacy Over Labels.

  • Ben draws a sharp line between pharmacy/medicine and beauty marketing:

    “From a pharmacist perspective, what we care about ... is one thing ... Does it work?” (02:52, Ben) “You don't care about any of that. You want [products] to work.” (02:54, Ben)

• The Innovation Crisis in Beauty (03:51)

  • The industry is running out of new things to hype, leading to "an innovation crisis":

    “You can only use so much snail slime and bee venom and snake poison … they're always looking for something that's going to be different … Instead of ... a different strategy … they're coming up with all kinds of ways to make their products sound like they're better than they are ... This is what clean beauty is really all about.” (03:51, Ben)

  • Marketing, not new science, creates these trendy distinctions.

• What’s Actually ‘Clean’? Ben’s Criteria: Friendliness to Cells

  • If anything is “clean,” it’s nutrients: vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids—ingredients essential to the cell:

    "That's as clean as it gets. ... The cleanest of all ingredients are the essential nutrients. So what I'm looking at and what I'm formulating is not necessarily cleanliness, but friendliness." (04:42, Ben)

  • Focus should be on what skin cells "love," not on vague marketing definitions.

• Marketing vs. Clinical Reality

  • Ben urges estheticians and consumers to see past "marketing contamination":

    “Today’s esthetician … has to be able to … tease out the marketing from what’s really happening in the skin. When you hear clean beauty, you’ve got this complete integration of verbiage and marketing and messaging and what really happens in the skin.” (05:32, Ben)

2. Ingredients Labeled “Dirty” or Misunderstood (06:58–11:24)

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): Demonized, But Not the Worst

  • While SLS is often cited as a “bad” ingredient, Ben calls out the hype:

    “There are probably milder surfactants, but [SLS is] just a surfactant … there’s way worse ingredients.” (08:00, Ben)

  • The real issue is surfactancy, which can disturb the skin’s oil-water balance.

• Preservatives: Necessary but Problematic

  • Preservatives can harm the skin microbiome, but they’re needed for shelf life. Formulation choices can minimize their use.

• Plant Materials: ‘Natural’ But Not Always Safe

  • Ben challenges the assumption that botanicals are inherently better:

    “Plant material can be very allergenic and very irritating … Even things that are soothing ingredients like lavender can sometimes be problematic for some people.” (09:22, Ben)

• Essential Oils vs. Fragrances

  • Essential oils, while “natural,” can be highly active and trigger immune responses—sometimes more so than synthetic fragrances.

• Vegetable Oils: Oxidation Dangers

  • Ben’s “pet peeve” is the widespread use of plant/seed oils, especially luxury ones:

    “Vegetable oils are a real problem because they oxidize, they become rancid, and they can oxidize right on the skin.” (10:20, Ben) “Ironically … mineral oil ... while it's not clean, I would not call it clean, is benign, it's inert and it has much less biochemical activity on the skin and it never oxidizes than a vegetable oil, ironically.” (11:00, Ben)

  • Jojoba oil is the exception; it does not oxidize and is generally safe.

• Ingredient Deck Vigilance

  • Ben encourages ingredient deck reading and skepticism—especially about "pretty" or trending oils:

    "If you see a vegetable oil on the skin in the ingredient deck ... you can assume that's a poorly formulated product, especially ... the fancy schmancy vegetable oils, hazelnut oil and macadamia nut oil.” (10:40, Ben)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Definition of Clean Beauty:

  “There’s no such thing. I don't even know what it means.”
  — Ben Fuchs (01:27)

• On What Matters Most:

  “From a pharmacist perspective … all I care about is, is the ingredient or the product going to have an effect ... that I want on the skin.”
  — Ben Fuchs (02:58)

• On Industry Trends:

  “This is what clean beauty is really all about. … They're coming up with all kinds of ways to make their products sound like they're better than they are.”
  — Ben Fuchs (04:14)

• On Essential Nutrients:

  “The cleanest of all ingredients are the essential nutrients.”
  — Ben Fuchs (05:01)

• On Marketing vs. Science:

  “Marketing contaminates everything. And today’s esthetician … has to be really savvy and … tease out the marketing from what's really happening in the skin.”
  — Ben Fuchs (05:18)

• Vegetable Oils vs. Mineral Oil:

  “Vegetable oils … they oxidize, they become rancid, and they can oxidize right on the skin ... Mineral oil ... is benign, it's inert and it has much less biochemical activity on the skin and it never oxidizes than a vegetable oil, ironically.”
  — Ben Fuchs (10:20, 11:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:55–01:12 — Episode introduction, guest welcome.
• 01:12–03:51 — The meaningless nature of “clean beauty”; focus on what works.
• 03:51–06:58 — The innovation crisis, marketing hype, focus on nutrients, and how “clean” conflates marketing with efficacy.
• 06:58–11:24 — Ingredient misconceptions: exfoliants, SLS, preservatives, botanicals, essential oils, vegetable oils, mineral oil.
• 11:24 — Closing information and resources.

Conclusion

This episode pulls back the marketing curtain, urging estheticians and skincare professionals to focus on ingredient efficacy and cellular compatibility—not vague or trendy claims like “clean beauty.” Ben Fuchs provides a science-first approach, reminding listeners to read ingredient lists critically and remember that ingredients often praised for being “natural” or “clean” can actually be more problematic than their synthetic or less glamorous counterparts. For those navigating the confusing skincare marketplace, the episode offers clarity and actionable insight grounded in science and formulation expertise.