Episode Overview

Title: Talc, Sulfates & Luxury Products Worth the Price with Cosmetic Chemist Ramya Viswanathan
Podcast: Gloss Angeles
Hosts: Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan
Date: August 29, 2025
Guest: Ramya Viswanathan, Cosmetic Chemist & Founder of Compressed Beauty

This episode welcomes cosmetic chemist Ramya Viswanathan for a comprehensive, myth-busting conversation about hair care bars, ingredient trends, the science behind “luxury” beauty products, controversial ingredients like talc and sulfates, and practical advice for skincare enthusiasts. Alongside her insights as founder of the zero-waste haircare brand Compressed Beauty, Ramya shares her expertise from years of product development, answers listener questions, and offers honest takes on what’s worth spending on in the beauty aisle.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Rise (and Challenge) of Hair Care Bars

• The "Bar" Journey:
  Ramya discusses why she developed a shampoo bar and the different methods of making bars, shedding light on why previous iterations often failed consumer expectations.

  • Most bars are either “rebranded soap,” wax-heavy surfactant bars, or pressed surfactant formulas. Only the last can closely mimic the performance of liquid shampoo.
  • Quote: “A lot of bars are rebranded soap...high pH, not suitable for hair, but people will use it because it’s a bar, but they don’t really like it.” — Ramya (02:12)

• Why She Chose Hair over Skincare:
  Saturation and innovation played a role—"We have enough serums...there's a lot of good moisturizers and things like that.”

• Sensory Experience and Formulation:

  • Lather and ease of use are key. Her bar avoids wax, lathers richly, and rinses clean, working on all hair types.
  • Unique upright design helps the bar dry out and last longer.
  • Tip: For use, rub in hands to lather first, or swipe a couple times on hair, then lather. (04:21)

Career & R&D Inside Beauty

• How She Got into Cosmetic Chemistry:
  Ramya grew up fascinated by beauty ingredients, inspired by seeing chemist Ron Robinson quoted in Allure. She entered the industry via a contract manufacturer, learning to develop for various brands, before joining Biossance to lead in-house R&D.

• Developing at Biossance:

  • Proud of the “underrated” lactic acid product: “If you have the right optimized percentage with the right pH... it kind of exfoliates and moisturizes at the same time.” (09:57)
  • Building R&D in-house at Biossance allowed “ideas upstairs” to turn into formulas quickly, versus outsourcing.

Ingredient Trends: How & Why They Happen

• Why Ingredients Trend:
  It’s often about ingredient availability (e.g., retinaldehyde was rare until “a company made a stabilized version”), or compelling data from suppliers, not just retailer or social buzz. (13:23)

• Overrated and Underrated Ingredients:

  • Most ingredients have data, but chemists love the basics: “If you ask any cosmetic chemist, most of us are going to say our favorite ingredient is glycerin. It’s cheap, it works, super underrated.” — Ramya (15:13)

• Emerging/Curious Trends:

  • PDRN (Salmon DNA): Popular in K-beauty, especially post-procedure, but its everyday benefits remain questionable.
    • “Is it life changing? I’m not sure. Does it sound interesting and intriguing? Yes, because it’s unfamiliar…” (17:17)
  • Volufiline: Used for facial volume—reportedly can “help with increasing fat in certain areas in vitro,” but evidence is anecdotal. (17:48)

Ingredient Myths & Real Talk

• Sulfates:
  Sulfates are not inherently bad. At low levels they’re effective and can require less formula manipulation than so-called 'safer' alternatives.

  • “Sometimes it’s better to use a lower level of sulfates. If they’re used carefully, there’s nothing wrong with them. They work, they're effective, maybe misunderstood.” (19:04)

• Talc:
  The talc controversy is complex. In pressed powders, uncontaminated talc is functionally great; consumers are wary largely due to negative associations.

  • “If it doesn’t have any contaminants in a pressed powder, it probably should be fine to use, but people are terrified of using it.” (19:57)

• Performance of Replacements:
  The By Terry setting powder (silica + hyaluronic acid) is highly recommended for those wanting talc-free.

Luxury vs. Dupes: When Is the Splurge Worth It?

• Luxury Product Praise:
  Even with plenty of dupes on the market, Ramya highlights products that are truly innovative or exceptionally well-formulated:

  • Omorovicza Cleansing Foam: “It takes off all of my makeup and I don’t think it’s promoted to do that, but it does.” (22:01)
  • Sisley Rose Moisturizer: Great for summer, “really well made.” (23:03)
  • “I don’t say that to justify the price because it’s really well made...this brand, all their products seem innovative.” (22:35)

• What Makes a Product Worth It:

  • Innovation, ingredient quality, and formulation techniques matter beyond the simple ingredient list.
  • Products can appear similar on paper due to private labeling; innovation isn’t always visible in an INCI.

• Sourcing & Dupes:
  Purity, source, and method of ingredient integration all affect performance.

  • “So much goes into it.” (25:04)

Makeup & Discontinued Product Gripes

• Foundation FOMO:

  • Ramya mourns Guerlain’s discontinued round-bottle foundation and Charlotte Tilbury’s Rock ‘N’ Kohl eyeliner in Barbarella Brown.
  • “Every time I find something I love, it gets discontinued.” (25:24)

• Potential for a Brand:

  • Ramya jokes about launching a brand “To Be Continued” just to resurrect discontinued favorites. (28:54)

• Haircare Nostalgia:

  • Terax’s Crema conditioner, known for its hydrogenated tallow glycerides, was a cult favorite for making “straw into silk.” (29:15–31:17)

Practical Listener Q&A (Timestamps refer to question start)

• Teen vs. Mature Skin ([33:24])

  • Teens: Avoid strong actives; protect barrier; treat acne carefully.
  • Mature: Can tolerate more actives like retinoids, may need richer hydration.
  • “The best thing you can do for your skin is just keep it really well hydrated and don’t go down the super active path.” (34:14)

• Skincare in Hot Weather ([34:51])

  • Most stability testing is done to ∼40°C (104°F); higher temps (e.g., in Sacramento mailboxes) can degrade sensitive actives.
  • Moisturizers generally safe; be cautious with vitamin C, retinoids, lip balms.
  • “Certain ingredients might degrade with heat...it’s probably better to just be cautious when you’re ordering in summer.” (36:13)

• Why So Many Coconut Derivatives? ([37:06])

  • Abundance and chemistry: “Most of the starting materials are either coming from petroleum, coconut, or palm.” (37:17)

• Mixing Silicone and Water-Based Products ([38:09])

  • Layer water-based first, silicone-based after. (38:17)

• Ingredient Layering — What Not to Mix ([38:35])

  • Hypochlorous acid doesn’t mix well (stability), but can be layered with time between applications.
  • General rule: “I’m always a big fan of less is more…” Consider alternating actives by day (skin cycling).
  • “Things that focus on hydration usually play well with everything else.” (40:25)

• Silicone in Oily Skin Products ([41:11])

  • Used for sensory feel, but “People assume oily skin doesn’t need hydration, it actually needs water.”
  • “I don’t like silicone primers...I like a primer that’s more tacky and dries down.” (41:44)

• Finishing/Setting Sprays ([42:03])

  • Ramya doesn’t use them; most are like “hairspray for your face.”
  • Hairspray analogy makes Sarah & Kirbie cringe, but agree they have their uses for special events.

• Sunscreen Reapplication ([43:01])

  • Chemical filters degrade after UV exposure; minerals (zinc, titanium) can be lost via wear or suspension medium.
  • Realistically, almost no one perfectly reapplies on the face, but do your best, especially outdoors.
  • “The recommendation is to keep reapplying. It’s not the worst thing if people aren’t reapplying when they’re indoors.” (44:12)

• Favorite Sunscreens? ([45:14])

  • Disappointed by most U.S. offerings; loves certain French/European formulas (especially Tatcha Silken in the blue bottle, La Mer SPF, Vacation mineral).
  • “I think sunscreens are just okay...I want to be impressed.” (45:39)
  • Calls for brands to stop claiming mineral formulas won’t leave a white cast.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you ask any cosmetic chemist, most of us are going to say our favorite ingredient is glycerin. It’s cheap, it works, super underrated.” — Ramya (15:13)
• “Sometimes it’s better to use a lower level of sulfates...If they’re used carefully, there’s nothing wrong with them.” — Ramya (19:04)
• “It’s so boring, but it works so well.” — Ramya on glycerin (15:30)
• On discontinued favorites and product nostalgia:
  “Every time I find something I love, it gets discontinued. I don’t know why…” — Ramya (25:24)
• “So much goes into it.” — Kirby, about the complexity of sourcing and formulation (25:04)
• “Most people assume oily skin doesn’t need hydration, it actually needs water.” — Ramya (41:11)
• “I treat it like it’s La Mer or something, warm it in my hands to make it more enjoyable.” — Ramya, on making basic sunscreen feel luxe (46:24)
• Proposal for a brand: “To Be Continued—where we just recreate discontinued products.” (28:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:10] – How shampoo bars are made and why most fail consumer expectations
• [05:35] – Ramya’s career path, fascination with ingredients
• [09:36] – Lactic acid: an underrated but effective ingredient
• [13:23] – How ingredient trends emerge (e.g., retinaldehyde)
• [15:13] – Glycerin: Cosmetic chemist’s secret MVP
• [19:04] – Sulfates: Not the villain they're made out to be
• [19:57] – Talc: Real risks vs. public fears
• [22:01/23:03] – High-end product recommendations and what makes them worth it
• [28:54] – Idea for a “To Be Continued” brand recreating discontinued faves
• [33:24] – Listener Q&A: Skincare for teens vs. mature skin
• [34:51] – Stability of skincare in extreme temperatures
• [36:13] – How heat affects actives like vitamin C, retinoids, lip balms
• [43:01] – Why sunscreen must be reapplied—and why most don’t
• [45:14] – Sunscreens Ramya recommends (and why she’s not wowed by U.S. formulas)

Closing

Ramya’s blend of technical expertise and approachable advice made this episode a goldmine for beauty enthusiasts and skeptics alike. With clear-eyed honesty, she debunked ingredient myths, praised products worth their price, and encouraged thoughtful, less-is-more routines. For those wanting more, follow her on TikTok at @breakingbeakers and buy Compressed bars at compressedbeauty.com.

For further details, check out the show notes & links in the episode description.