Gloss Angeles Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Even Sustainability Has Downsides (With Amika's CEO Chelsea Riggs)
Release Date: January 31, 2025
Hosts: Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan
Guest: Chelsea Riggs, CEO of Amika

Introduction

In this episode of Gloss Angeles, co-hosts Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan welcome Chelsea Riggs, the founding member and CEO of Amika, a renowned hair care brand. The discussion delves into Amika's journey, sustainability efforts, challenges in the beauty industry, and the introduction of Amika's latest product, the Super Fruit Star Lightweight Hair Styling Oil.

1. Welcome and Chelsea Riggs’ Introduction (00:38 - 02:02)

Kirbie and Sara introduce Chelsea Riggs, highlighting her achievements:

• Brand Growth: Under Chelsea's leadership, Amika has expanded into Sephora, established a robust Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) business contributing over 25% of revenue, and achieved a 10x revenue growth.

• Industry Impact: Chelsea is recognized as a young CEO (36 years old) making significant strides in the professional hair industry.

Notable Quote:

"You've built the brand's distribution from the ground up by focusing on supporting the hairstylist community, which I think, you know, we, you know, know is so, so important."
— Kirbie Johnson [00:48]

2. Amika’s Branding and Market Position (06:03 - 11:00)

Chelsea discusses Amika's unique positioning in the market:

• Founder Story Absence: Unlike many beauty brands, Amika thrives without a prominent founder narrative, focusing instead on product excellence and community-driven ethos.

• Diversity and Inclusivity: Amika emphasizes diversity in their team and branding, making the brand relatable to a wide audience.

• Salon Presence: Amika is deeply rooted in the salon industry, being the number four salon brand in the US market, which reinforces its professional credibility.

Notable Quotes:

"Amica is the number one hair care brand on Sephora and the number five prestige brand in America, but don't have a founder story."
— Kirbie Johnson [05:52]

"Amika is a salon raised brand. We started actually selling hair tools. So we before we even had hair care products."
— Chelsea Riggs [09:07]

3. Sustainability Efforts and Challenges (17:41 - 26:20)

Chelsea outlines Amika’s sustainability initiatives and the complexities involved:

• B Corp Certification: Amika is a B Corp company, encompassing environmental responsibility, fair wages, employee treatment, and governance.

• Carbon Emissions Reduction: Aim for Net Zero by 2035, achieved by moving production to the US and Canada to reduce shipping-related emissions.

• Life Cycle Analysis (LCA): Amika conducts LCAs to evaluate the environmental impact of packaging and ingredients, striving for the most sustainable options.

• Challenges with Greenwashing: Chelsea criticizes industry practices where brands misuse terms like "natural," "non-toxic," and "chemical-free," leading to consumer confusion.

Notable Quotes:

"We are a B Corp Company, which definitely comes to environment, but it has five different factors along with it."
— Chelsea Riggs [17:41]

"Natural does not mean non-toxic. There's plenty of natural ingredients that are just not safe."
— Chelsea Riggs [20:29]

"We think about everything through that lens. We do what's called an LCA where it's like a life cycle analysis."
— Chelsea Riggs [18:36]

4. Designing for Sustainability and Aesthetics (12:59 - 16:14)

Chelsea delves into Amika’s approach to product design:

• Unique Packaging: From the outset, Amika aimed to break the mold with vibrant, art-inspired packaging using techniques like water printing.

• Signature Colors: Pink and orange dominate Amika’s signature line, symbolizing universal appeal and reflecting the brand’s ethos.

• Functional Design: Packaging is both aesthetically pleasing and practical, ensuring products are user-friendly and environmentally considerate.

Notable Quotes:

"We wanted it to evoke joy and, you know, when you look at it, just like make you happy."
— Chelsea Riggs [13:55]

"It's like a cereal box as well. Like, if you look at it hard enough, you'll find an I love. And a rabbit, which is hair."
— Chelsea Riggs [15:57]

5. Super Fruit Star Lightweight Hair Styling Oil (30:38 - 35:34)

The highlight of the episode is the introduction of Amika’s latest product:

• Product Features:

  • Sea Buckthornberry: The star ingredient, rich in Omega-7, aids in rebuilding collagen and moisturizes hair without buildup.
  • Versatility: Can be used on wet or dry hair, as a pre-styling treatment, or as a nighttime moisturizer.
  • Fragrance: Combines grapefruit, vanilla, and floral notes for a pleasant scent.

• Clinical Benefits:

  • 86% Less Breakage: Clinically proven to reduce hair breakage.
  • Seven Times Stronger: Strengthens hair significantly when used regularly.

• User Experience: The oil is lightweight, non-sticky, and absorbs quickly, making it suitable for various hair types and styling routines.

Notable Quotes:

"It's like a face oil, right. It, like, really replenishes the lipids that are missing in the hair, which causes dryness."
— Chelsea Riggs [31:04]

"It has this great flash off, so it leaves that really, like, silky feeling."
— Chelsea Riggs [32:46]

"A styling oil is something you can use at multiple steps of your styling routine."
— Chelsea Riggs [33:25]

6. Addressing Industry Challenges and Innovation (26:20 - 34:40)

Chelsea discusses the hurdles in driving sustainable innovation within the beauty industry:

• Ingredient Restrictions: Regulatory differences across regions complicate product formulation. Ingredients banned in one country may still be allowed in another.

• Retailer Influence: Large retailers often impose restrictions based on consumer trends rather than scientific evidence, stifling innovation.

• Balancing Safety and Sustainability: Finding ingredients that are both environmentally friendly and safe for consumers is challenging.

• Cost Implications: Sustainable practices can increase production costs, affecting product pricing and brand profitability.

Notable Quotes:

"I think people get really confused or look for natural as something of, okay, that's a seal of it being safe."
— Chelsea Riggs [20:38]

"We think about it as overall carbon emissions."
— Chelsea Riggs [22:31]

"It's a business choice. Like what is the profit and the margin that you want to make on your brand."
— Chelsea Riggs [24:04]

7. Overcoming Misinformation and Social Media Challenges (29:56 - 30:29)

Chelsea addresses the impact of misinformation propagated through social media:

• Misinformation Spread: Viral claims about harmful ingredients (e.g., Dimethicone causing hair loss) without scientific backing create unnecessary panic and misconceptions.

• Consumer Education: Emphasizes the importance of relying on factual, scientific information over anecdotal social media posts.

• Brand Responsibility: Amika strives to educate consumers about product ingredients and their effects based on research and clinical studies.

Notable Quotes:

"I think people approach it as like, this is the gold standard. It comes almost from like a scare tactic point of view."
— Chelsea Riggs [21:48]

"Sometimes I. Sometimes, you know, you're on social media too, right? You're on. You're like, wow. And you start to believe it yourself."
— Chelsea Riggs [30:17]

8. Closing Remarks and Future Directions (35:34 - End)

The episode concludes with a focus on social media engagement and promoting the Super Fruit Star Lightweight Hair Styling Oil:

• Product Endorsement: Hosts and guest share their personal experiences and positive feedback on the hair oil.

• Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to try the new product on Sephora and engage with honest, thorough reviews.

• Personal Touch: Chelsea shares a heartfelt moment about balancing her professional role with personal life, highlighting her human side.

Notable Quotes:

"You can use it in multiple parts of your routine. It's like a three in one product."
— Chelsea Riggs [31:04]

"We'll clip it. Clip it? Yeah, we'll clip it for you."
— Kirbie Johnson [38:28]

Conclusion

This episode of Gloss Angeles offers an insightful look into Amika's sustainable practices, the challenges of innovation in the beauty industry, and the introduction of an exciting new product. Chelsea Riggs provides an authentic perspective on maintaining brand integrity while striving for environmental responsibility, making this a valuable listen for beauty enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.

Connect with Amika and Chelsea Riggs:

• Amika Socials: loveamica.com
• Chelsea Riggs Instagram: @chelseamriggs
• Amika Instagram: @amikaofficial
• TikTok: Amika Official