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Host
Hey, guys.
Co-host/Announcer
This is a very, very special day because we are launching our fourth volume of Yoojin today. I am so excited. This is such a special moment because for the last four years, we have had such an amazing time featuring some of the best voices in this industry, bringing you content that goes way far beyond just peripheral ideas and concepts of beauty and. And really dives into some of the brands, some of the people that are redefining how we look at this world in this industry. So when you guys explore the fourth volume, the first thing you're going to notice is our I cover star. I am so excited to introduce Jenny McCarthy as our cover star for volume four. Jenny is such an icon. I mean, that is the biggest understatement in itself because she has literally spanned so many industries.
Host
You know, she's been an actress, she.
Co-host/Announcer
Has been a model. She has been just somebody that in pop culture that has stood out for being herself, for obviously representing beauty in the most obvious way, but then going so much deeper than that, where she brought her personality forward in a time where nobody was doing that, you know, and she really defined an entire cast category, and so many people have followed.
Host
Her footsteps ever since.
Co-host/Announcer
And so when I interviewed Jenny this year, it was such an iconic moment for me just to speak to her and to learn from her and. And her experiences. We really wanted to capture that in her cover story. So it's a beautiful Q and a with Jenny McCarthy that you will find in this volume. I cannot wait for you guys to read it and to really dive into her world. Also, her beautiful brand, Formless Beauty, is featured in there, where I think Jenny is probably one of the only people.
Host
In the space that is doing clean.
Co-host/Announcer
Beauty in a way that is so, so meaningful. She is redefining in a lot of ways what Clean Beauty actually stands for. So I'm gonna let you guys read the spread and really dive in. I don't want to give any spoilers, but if you are curious about her episode, stay tuned after this announcement to listen to her full episode. Also in the volume, you're gonna see some amazing personalities featured. You know, we had the honor of hosting names like Aisha Curry, Patrick star, Michaela Naguera. This year we have so many wonderful moments that we've highlighted throughout the volume with their features. And so I really urge you guys, check out the entire volume. Share it with somebody who, you know, loves magazines, loves beauty, loves this entire industry. I think there's something here for everybody. And so I can't wait for you to get your Hands on it. If you're interested in downloading it, Everything is free, so it's open access, 100%. It's available on Apple Books as a free download, so if you have any Apple device, you can download it. And we will be linking everything in our Instagram bio, so make sure you go check that out. But if you just want to go to the website, it's available as open access for a few months, so go to www.saueugen.com. all one word, S A Y-U G E N.com and you can just flip.
Jenny McCarthy
Through it right there.
Co-host/Announcer
It's open access, so I really encourage you guys check it out. And also one more thing is that every single spread in here is dynamic, meaning that there are links. So if you want to shop the brand that you're looking at the spread for, if you want to listen to the episode of the person that's being featured, you can do that. There's links in there for all of it, so make sure you utilize that and you really kind of interact with the volume because that's when you're going to get the most out of it. But I hope you love it as much as we love designing it and bringing it to life. I also request that you go check us out on our socials. We are on Instagram. We are on TikTok. We create content that is published every single day in the areas of beauty, fashion, travel, food, financial literacy, cultural literacy. I mean, you name it and we talk about it.
Host
So I really urge you guys, follow.
Co-host/Announcer
Along on our socials. Show us some love.
Host
Leave us your feedback.
Co-host/Announcer
And again, thank you so much for all of the wonderful support and encouragement.
Host
You have shown us.
Co-host/Announcer
I cannot be more humbled and grateful for your time, for your attention, and.
Host
All of the wonderful feedback you guys.
Co-host/Announcer
Provide every single day. Thank you so much. And stay tuned for Jenny's full interview coming up.
Host
Hey, guys. Welcome back to Skin Anarchy. I am so thrilled to be hosting our guest today. She is such an icon. She started her career in the 90s as a legendary Playboy cover star, and then she went on to host MTV Singled out and also joined the panel of the View. She's built such a remarkable career. She's an accomplished author, an actress, an advocate, and also an entrepreneur with her own beauty brand. So without further ado, please welcome Jenny McCarthy. Welcome, Jenny. I'm so honored to host you. It's such a pleasure to have you on the show.
Jenny McCarthy
I am, too. Thank you so much. I love being here.
Host
No, I love that you're here. I can't wait to talk all about your brand. I'm a huge fan, by the way, but I want to really start with what got you interested in the beauty industry. I know you have a amazing career, but like becoming a founder and going into entrepreneurship, what was the spark that made you want to go this direction?
Jenny McCarthy
You know, there. There wasn't necessarily a goal in mind at all. And throughout my career saying, you know, someday I'm going to start my beauty brand, it literally came out of a desperate need for health. My health. Especially as we get older, especially as we go through perimenopause and menopause, we notice a lot more of our underlying conditions either get worse or we decide to throw on a few. They're like a la carte. As we get older, I'm like, oh, I'll take a little bit more of this autoimmune, this problem, new rashes. So things started happening to me that I realized, okay, I've got to make a choice here. And that choice is I can follow a path of prevention or I can be chasing a path looking for cures. So I took health in my own hands and cleaned up my own life. I stopped drinking. I don't eat sugar. I eat organic. I eat as clean as possible. All because I've got multiple issues such as maybe people can relate. I have an MTH of our gene mutation. What that means is basically I have a hard time kind of detoxing. Exposures, chemicals, toxins, they tend to lay around my system, and I see that in my blood work. They just don't want to go anywhere unless I really put forth the effort and be mindful about what I'm putting in me. Along with things like celiac disease, I have candida, I have leaky gut. I've got some autoimmune arthritic conditions. So there was a lot, and it was a lot for, you know, someone in their 40s. So I decided to go researching for super uber clean brands. And I was kind of shocked when I first started this company. It's a little bit more trend right now where people are taking notice to clean. But a while ago it was still kind of, you know, you might be able to find them only on environmental working group ewg. And now people kind of use that term a little bit too loosely for my comfort. There's no regulations in terms of the word clean. Who's. Yeah, who's monitoring that? And that's the problem I had. I was like, wait a minute, these people. I go to sephora and there's a clean section. But when you actually do the research underneath those ingredients, you go, wait a minute. That isn't clean. How. How can a phthalate be considered clean? Or formaldehyde or things like that? So I, out of my own desperate need, I said, I'm gonna start my own company. And I'm not one of those people who have millions of dollars at all to start my own company. I didn't even go to a bunch of investors. I had myself and a buddy of mine that I said, let's start with three lip glosses, super clean. And I just want to see if people care about it as much as me. And so we started formless with just three glosses, and now, what is it, five years? It's gone by. We've expanded the line to now have skin care mascara, which I would love to, because we have enough time to get into those products. What I love about them, but I don't want to be too verbose, so you'll have to tell me.
Host
No, no, I love it. First of all, I love that you actually went on this journey for yourself, because that's meaningful. And, you know, being a physician myself, I've seen a lot of people have this. We all go through these frustrations, right, where it's like, the medical system is not set up to give us preventative options. It's just not. Allopathic medicine is all about, oh, something's broken. Okay, cool, we'll start fixing it now. You know, it's like that. And so if we keep going down that road, we're never going to come to this realization that, you know what, health is dynamic. It's always changing. And if I don't do something personally and take that into my own hands, in some ways, we're never going to reach the solutions. I'm a huge advocate for that as well. I don't love that you have to deal with, you know, so many things going on with your health, but I love that you had that in you to say, I need to figure this out. Because many people don't do that, or when they do, it's too late, unfortunately. So that's huge.
Jenny McCarthy
And, you know, the thing is, I'm in this business where I pound myself with makeup and I'm a lover of it. I love it. I just don't want to die for it.
Host
Yeah.
Jenny McCarthy
So I'm like, I know enough about it, about being in this industry for 30 years, and I just decided to partner up with my own makeup artist. So she has that keen eye for performance, because this is what happened when I would look into organic or clean. Things might be clean, but they didn't perform well. So I was like, well, let me see if I can combine those two worlds. Because we all like our granola and clean stuff. But then you're like random mascara. You know, it flakes. So I asked my partner, crime, my makeup artist, to be my director of products and help me develop. Together, I feel like we're a little bit of a superhero group because she won't pass anything until it performs well, and I won't pass anything until it meets environmental working group guidelines. And to me, ewg, and I'm sure you're familiar with them.
Host
Yeah, I interviewed Ken Cook.
Jenny McCarthy
Oh, I love it, you guys. Just for people that might not know, you know, like, the FDA isn't really into regulating makeup. Like, they did something back in 1918, and then they made an amendment, I think, about seven years ago. Don't quote me on that. But it's in the last decade where the amendment was, where they just call companies to make sure we're basically not making makeup in our basement. That's as far as the fda. We get a call, where's your manufacturer located? And we're, of course, in the United States. So I can be hands on, and I'm very hands on. So ewg, though, to me, is what I leaned into, to know what's clean and what's not. They have the team, and I'm sure you know this, they have such a remarkable team for decades that go in and do the work. So when I met with them, I said, I have an idea to create an entire beauty brand around your restrictions. And they were so excited, and they said, good luck. Because not many people come in here because it's almost impossible for brands to do this. That's why a lot of brands don't have that certification. So they handed me, I'm not Even kidding you, 900 pages of restricted ingredients that you cannot use. And me and my chemist were like, what did we get ourselves into?
Host
It's like everything's. Can't use anything.
Jenny McCarthy
You know, it's like trying to bake a cake without any of the ingredients, and then you still want it to perform well. So that's where, you know, it takes our company a long time to put out products, because batch after batch after batch, trying to perfect it, make sure it's good, because, like I said, it could be clean, but it's got to be just as good or better than the other Brands.
Host
Yeah, no, absolutely. I think that's so awesome, though, that you did this, because honestly, tell you, first of all, I love every product and formulas. I've tried them. I love the formulas. Like, they're so nice. And it doesn't feel like the brand is lacking, you know what I mean? That's where I think you really did such a great job. Job is that you guys obviously did this approach of it has to be clean, but you're setting an example, you know, in the industry where it's like, you can do this. We don't have to think that it's. It's going to be crap.
Co-host/Announcer
You know what I mean?
Host
The products are going to. They can be great. They just have to be well thought out. So I think that's huge. But more importantly, I think showing people that there are these options is so powerful because I feel like, especially like women. I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've had either a patient or somebody I know, right? Be like, well, I can't go without my mascara. That's like the one thing I need, you know, in my routine. I have to have. Have this. They won't part with it because they're like, I. I know it's bad for me, you know, I know it might not have the best ingredients, but I have to use this, and that's my routine. And so I think that's where it's so powerful because it's like, well, you can still have that.
Jenny McCarthy
And I remember, doctor, I remember when I first started, and I was like, okay, where do we start after our glosses? I had people in big makeup say to me, you know, good luck trying to make a mascara. They said, it's almost impossible to make a good mascara without some toxins in there. So when we went to work, I was more determined than ever, especially when people tell me, no or I can't do something. It's probably why I'm still around after 30 something years in this business.
Host
So it's being.
Jenny McCarthy
It's being not believed or, you know, So I went to work with my chemist, and I was like, talk about the nasty ingredients that are in mascara. And he said, well, besides the phthalates, the formaldehydes, aluminum powders, they used sometimes to blacken it, but there's also almost all hormone disruptors in mascara. And I said, you're kidding me. The endocrine disruptors? Why? And he said, because waterproof. Anything Waterproof, of course. And you probably know this has those hormone endocrine disruptors and they're so I don't, you know, need my hormones disrupted anymore.
Host
Yeah, we don't. None of us.
Jenny McCarthy
And they already are. Especially, you know, in perimenopause menopause, the estrogen dominance is a real thing, as you know, that could be linked to breast cancer, so on and so forth. So we made ours water resistant. And the remarkable thing in that is it works just as good. It works just as good. And. And that's what. When I go online, I go on live twice a week for about four hours a night. Because when I say I'm hands on, I'm hands on. So I am educating people every week on my TikTok on Formless Beauty's TikTok about ingredients. And everyone always says to me about the mascara, well, I don't want it to flake. I'm like, ours doesn't flake. Well, I need waterproof, because I just do. And then I break it down. Well, why? Why? Well, I'm afraid of, you know, having the flake sent at the end of the day. And I'm like, ours doesn't. Ours is water resistant. If you just bend out of that. We all got sucked into that water resistant because we're afraid if we sweat, if we cry.
Host
Anything. Anything. Yeah. Tearing up. Yeah.
Jenny McCarthy
We think it's gonna. We think it's gonna run now. Water resistant, remarkably, at least ours. I haven't tested other people's works. Remarkable. And it's our number one bestseller. It's our MVP of our company. We sold out in the first month. It took us four months to restock because we did it like, we cracked the code. And that's another one where I go, oh, crap, look at. She actually did it. She's able. Now I just need to educate people. Like, you don't need to have the water resistant. Just break out of that brainwashing and give it a try. Because I was like that, too. I. I was crying to my chemist going, you don't understand. I'm a menopausal actress. I need waterproof.
Host
Yeah. And I mean, no, but, you know, it's so relatable. And I think a lot of us are like that. And that's what I meant. I feel like people don't believe it till they see it. You know, we have to tangibly hold something for us to say, wait a minute. This possible. Here we go. And I think that's where, like, I love you had brought this up earlier about the whole clean movement and what clean beauty actually means. And I think this is such an important discussion because I've tried to, like, talk about this a little bit on the show where it's like, you know, clean doesn't tell you anything. You know what I mean? Like, that word doesn't tell you anything. So you're saying things like, this is water resistant, you know, and, like, really explaining what the product is supposed to do. I feel like that's going to be what gets people more on board with clean beauty than the word clean. That's just my opinion. If we keep. Keep telling people, like, okay, this is just clean, I don't think people are gonna resonate as much as they would if we showed them, hey, listen, this is a healthier option for you, you know, rather than. Yeah, like your drugstore mascara.
Jenny McCarthy
And don't buy into the word clean. Like, do a little bit of research. And this is another thing I'd like to uncover, and this is a great podcast to talk about it. When I was doing my own research in, like, other brands, how do they determine what's clean? Because I'm using the Environmental Working Group. To me, they are the top dog in this business. So what other brands are doing is that they make their own certification in house. So basically, I'm going to make up a brand and call it Sarah's Makeup. Okay, so Sarah's website, you can scroll to the bottom because it says, like, oh, we're s verified. We're clean Beauty. We're s verified now. That sounds like, oh, they got a verification from somewhere. That means it's really clean. Then you go into the weeds and as verified is Sarah. Like, I couldn't believe it. I'm like, wait a minute. They're making their own verification and bragging about it. No one's looking over them. There's no one verifying it. There's no one saying it's clean except for them.
Host
The FD doesn't give a shit. Like, the FDA is like, what? You have all these verifications. No worries. Like, we're. We still have Mokra, though. We're here somewhat. It's crazy to me. I hear you. I've seen it myself. And I don't know if you remember, Sephora had that whole debacle with the clean seal or whatever it was, and, like. And everybody was like, oh, my God, all the products aren't clean.
Jenny McCarthy
And I just.
Host
I'm sitting here just like, what did you guys think was happening? I mean, look at the ingredients. You know what I mean? Like, read these ingredients, and you can see that they're not Clean. And everybody's got a freaking check mark these days. Like, oh yeah, I'm good. You know, like, says who? So I agree with you. I completely agree.
Jenny McCarthy
100. And then you know the other thing that gets me also, and this is a hard thing because we love our fragrance. We love the way, you know, our cleansers, our moisturizers smell and we want it to smell good and la la la. Well, just the homework on fragrance alone, I was like dead. I was like, my God. Because, and I'm sure you've covered this before, fragrance is considered an ip. It's an intellectual property. So companies get to hide all of their toxic ingredients inside of the word fragrance. So they don't need to disclose it on the back of the bottles. If you pick up a bottle and you go, oh, it's got this and got this, it's got aloe and it's got fragrance. Well inside of that word fragrance could be the hormone disruptors, could be the parabens, could be. It's kidding. Inside there they are protected and that's what stinks. So I, of course we're fragrance free because we're a company that's gluten free, fragrance free, vegan, all of it free except for the price.
Host
No, I mean, I love that though. And I love that you brought up fragrance because this has been a huge pet peeve of mine. I know a lot of people that tune in. Like, I know a lot of you are very educated about this as well, where it's like, you know, it's very hard these days to actually find truly fragrance free products. And it's exactly what you said, Jenny. It's because everything's hidden. There's no transparency. And as much as we are like kind of sticklers about parabens, phthalates, the nasty, nasty ingredients, we don't really question fragrance. For some reason. Like I still see skincare brands that are very science forward. They'll come out and I'm like, well, why does this have fragrance though? You know, like you cut all the dyes out and you cut out all these great, you know, the ingredients that shouldn't be in there. But then you still got the sting. Like fragrances, absolutely unnecessary in cosmetics. Like, there's no reason for that.
Jenny McCarthy
It's true. And guess what? Essential oil. We use essential oil and they smell even better and they have a purpose. A lot of them are anti inflammatory. So it's like, why wouldn't you? And I guess also the reason is it's more expensive. Like if I went the route of cheap ingredients that I didn't care about, I would actually be way more profitable than I am right now. Like, my intention was, was, you know, about health. It wasn't about profit, it was about clean in the hopes of being profitable.
Host
I love this because I want you to really speak on this because I have a very different viewpoint about celebrity brands because I don't think celebrity brands are bad. Okay? I. I don't. And I know a lot of people out there are. Like, if it's a celebrity brand, obviously they've skimped on something or it's their cash cow or, you know, they have all these negative opinions about this. And I just disagree with that. You know, I don't think all celebrity brands are the same. And I would love for you to speak on this because you have such a passion for what you're doing and you've come at this with such an informed mindset. And I would love for you to speak about this kind of misunderstanding around the whole topic of like a celebrity founded brand.
Jenny McCarthy
Could I understand why people are hesitant with celebrity brands? Absolutely. I mean, even me being a celebrity has some doubts sometimes. But the ones that I trust are the ones that have the origin story behind it. You can really tell the celebrity brands from the ones that, you know, just slap their name on it. They might get a, you know, a package in the mail where they go, yes, no, yes, no, yes, no. You can kind of tell that. And that's where I feel like discernment is important, even with celebrities. Like, check out the meaning of why they created a brand. What, what was the purpose behind it. And for me, I think if people just do a little bit of digging, you can check the history of my son. I've been a health advocate for him. And now into myself, into my perimenopause year years that I'm just madly dedicated to it. And the whole reason I started for it was like, you know what? I'm going to make this for me. And if there's people that care about it as much as me, they can join in and be part of our formless beauty family. That was my intention. It wasn't like, boy, I'm going to try to make millions of dollars. It was a selfish need for health and for hoping that other people care as well. And the thing that I love even more is the community of, of trust that I've built with our chemotherapy patients that are lupus patients, our autoimmune patients, like you. Don't mess with that group. You know, What I mean, you give all the care and the respect, and it helps me, drive me even further to create more products for them because they're like, jenny, you know, I need such clean. And I'm like, so do I. So my passion is. Is honestly to help. That is it. That is to help and bring honesty, transparency, and hopefully be a trailblazer for a lot of these, maybe other celebrities that want to come up and create their own brand. Like, hey, if Jenny McCarthy can do it, maybe I can be another alternative. There's room for everybody. Because people would say to me, why are you in this? This is a crowded market. I'm like, first of all, there's room for everybody in this world. Everybody is allowed to have an effort to at least try, including celebrities, including, you know, people we've never heard of yet. But I'm hoping that I can be a little bit of an inspiration of, like, wow, if she did it. And also an inspiration of being in it, not just around it. I am in the lab, I have meetings, I work. And I'm not exaggerating. Probably 50 hours a week on formless beauty. Five zero.
Host
Wow.
Jenny McCarthy
I'm the CEO. Not just in my LinkedIn, I am in it. I am a founder, I'm a CEO. I travel, I'm doing interviews, I educate. Eight to 10 hours a week online. So you can tell I'm really passionate about it.
Host
Yeah, like, you're in it. You're, like, knee deep. And I love that, though. And I really think you are a trailblazer, especially right now, the way the beauty industry is. I can tell you, as a consumer, when I look out into this world, I personally, as a woman of color as well, I see. See very few real options. People say it's crowded, and people say there's so many brands. There are a lot of brands, but if you really look, and I know a lot of people listening, you guys can relate, you know, like, when we really look for truly good brands, you're not gonna find that many. You know what I mean? Like, there's a lot of fluff and there's a lot of. I call it, like, background noise. And I. I see this a lot in the podcast. I feel like there's a lot of packaging out there. More than anything, it's a bunch of packaging. You know, everyone's got things coming in from Asia every day, you know, when it comes to components and stuff, and that's what they just bottle all the. These, the same formula over and over again. But when you look for something that is grounded in, like, functionality and, like, solving a true problem, right? Or like a white space in your own life. It doesn't have to be, like, even broad, but, like, you mentioned, for example, like autoimmune or like, you know, compromised people, immunocompromised people. Like, that is a real white space. You know, that's still an area where it's not being catered to. And I can't imagine going through something like chemo and then looking out and being like, I need my essential items in my life and there's like five options. You know what I mean? And then everyone's screaming from the rooftops, hey, we're in a crowded industry. Like, no, we're not.
Jenny McCarthy
You know, it's really. I'm glad. I'm so glad you said that because it is true. Because, you know, think about my chemo patients that write me and they're like, I want to be able to wash my face and put moisturizer on, knowing I'm not absorbing toxins. Because that's the crazy. The juxtaposition of just a cleanser alone in terms of you're supposed to clean your face, but you're adding toxins to it makes my brain go crazy.
Host
It's wild. Yeah.
Jenny McCarthy
It just makes my brain. I'm like, how can you be cleaning your face with toxins? It's nuts. So that's why I made sure there's our skin care. I'm not sure if you tried all our.
Host
I did. I love it. I love your skincare line, by the way, and I want to dive into that, actually. I just, you know, I. Before we get there, though, one thing I. Do I have to ask you this because this is something that's on my mind a lot. We all want to fit in to the world of beauty, you know, in somewhere. I mean, you've been in the limelight for so long, so I'm just curious, like, I like, how was your view of beauty shaped? You know, and when you look at the world now, especially, like, TikTok people, right? Like, there's teens on TikTok. There's so much makeup going on where everyone's got this full beat all the time, you know, like, what's your opinion about all of that?
Jenny McCarthy
I am so glad you brought that up because literally, it was on my mental list to discuss because of the amount of young, young girls that I see walking around Sephora, that. And now Sephora has all of these giant, you know, point of purchase stands that are catered to towards these. The Eight year olds.
Host
Yeah.
Jenny McCarthy
And I'm absolutely shocked. And sometimes I've approached some parents that are in the store because their daughters are all like picking out stuff, and I said, listen, just do me a favor. I don't even mention my brand, of course. I just go, just make sure you're checking out the ingredients. Because even though the packaging is pink and colorful and, and they're trying to, you know, lure your daughter in, it's very important. Since all of our daughters out there are starting so young. They're starting so young because they're influenced on social media. We didn't have that back in the day. I had Noxema. That's what we had back then.
Host
Right, right. I remember Noxzema.
Jenny McCarthy
Yeah, Noxzema, pretty much. And now there's just so many choices and to be bombarding your face with that amount of chemicals as these girls, even before puberty, that's pre puberty, that I see them pounding their face with all of these chemicals makes me crazy. Now this is a sign of the times because of what we're seeing on social media. And it's another reason why I try to educate so much each week to say, listen, you guys, if you have daughters, please consider looking into the ones without hormone disruptors, without all these chemicals, because it's going to be really hard to sway your daughter when they turn 13 or 14 or 15. They're going to be like, like, we're not wearing your makeup choices, mom. You know, at 8 and 9 and 10, you can kind of educate them. Like my son, I educated very early on, and he approaches people in restaurants. I'm like, don't do that. He's like, you wish. Shouldn't have that bread, that gluten. I'm like, evan, you can't do that. But if, if you can make an impact when they're young and educate them on choices, then they can pick out what they want based off of that, based off of knowledge, information. Because it's only going to get worse. It's only going to get worse as they get older and they don't listen to you anymore. But if you at least educate them on the toxins, you'll be ahead of everybody in your family.
Host
Yeah, no, that's solid. I love that you said that. And I, I couldn't agree more because, yeah, that whole thing going on with the tweens, you know, like the 8 year olds, the 11 year olds, and buying like, like, I don't even know what they're buying.
Jenny McCarthy
I mean, it's Scary. It's scary. I see.
Host
It's so scary. Yeah.
Jenny McCarthy
The thing is, I'm like, oh my God, does a nine year old need an exfoliant? They don't.
Host
No, never.
Jenny McCarthy
Does a nine year old need toners? No, they don't. They need a clean little cleanser and if you want to get them a little moisturizer. Do they need those under eye gel pads? No, they don't. It's just wild to me of what I see, the forecast and what they're doing in the beauty industry to grab your daughter, daughters or your sons. You know, whoever wants to wear makeup at a young age is scary. So be so mindful parents if you are out there listening.
Host
Also, Jenny, I feel like it's this systematic thing going on where not only is it bad for you, obviously, like all the chemicals, but I always think about like the psychology of the kids too, because I remember being 8 or, you know, 11 years old and I wasn't even thinking about makeup. Like I was thinking about like I saw it. My mother had makeup. We play around. I think every little girl is like this. Like, you play around, you have fun. But like going into a store, buying a whole.
Co-host/Announcer
You know what I mean?
Host
Like a basket full of makeup, what is that?
Jenny McCarthy
Yeah, you know, doesn't help. Is the, the apps that you, you, you put makeup on and you can see what you look like. You know, the face app. App or Snapchat alone, you can see what you look like with a glam face. So what does that do? It makes you want to go out and, and be that 10 year old girl that goes and buys makeup.
Host
Exactly, exactly. And it's just the most disgusting. Like, and we're literally preying on these children. I don't know why. Certain things just need to be flat out banned. You know, I really believe in that. It's crazy because, and I'm not a huge TikTok person, you know, so when I go on there, it's like research for the podcast or something. But when I do and I'm scrolling, I'm like shocked because they don't just have lip gloss, they've got foundation, they've got fake lashes, They've got every, like the whole thing, you know, it's all laid out and they're following their favorite influencer who might be like 30 years old, and it's like, where are your parents that they're not watching this? Let's put some parental controls on the phone or something. You know, like, let's do something here, right?
Jenny McCarthy
Truth be Told we need a teen influencer that's as brave as Pamela Anderson is without wearing makeup.
Host
Oh, my God, yes, we need.
Jenny McCarthy
I admire her so much because people ask me, because Pamela, good. I grew up together, you know what I mean? And we were at many appearances together having our, you know, big old fake lashes, big old cleavage out there, you know, and being the pinups for many, many, many decades. And watching her have the confidence to be the trailblazer of this is me. And I love me. And I don't care what you think is beautiful.
Host
It is. No, it is. I love that. And I think that it's going to. I hope it starts resonating, though, because I think there's hope, you know, there's still hope. I think people can get behind this idea of really. I believe if you take care of your skin first and foremost, and this is not for the young kids, obviously, but for anybody. If you take care of your skin, you kind of pass that down to your kids. Just be healthy, you know, and when you're healthy and you're glowing and you feel beautiful, like makeup is just an add on. And I'm really hoping that that trickles down, you know, at some point, because right now, it's a scary world. But I want to talk about your skincare line. I'm super excited that you have a skincare lineup. It's beautiful. I've tried it all. I love it. I. Tell us all about it.
Jenny McCarthy
Well, it was just kind of. I started everything kind of at the same time, but sometimes things take longer in skincare. I really wanted to perfect. So the cleanser. Well, actually, I started with my exfoliator. I don't know if you tried our luminous exfoliant yet, but it smells like the world's greatest spa. It's got aloe, it's got rose geranium, essential oils. Have you ever sprayed rose water on your face? You know what that smells like? We have volcanic scrub in there. Volcanic sand, I should say, instead of micro beans, beads. A lot of people use plastics in there. We also use cocoa nut oil, olive oil, avocado oil. So your skin is super hydrated afterwards. Because I am super dry. And my director of products, Angie, is super oily. So we're like, how can we create a scrub? Because I don't want to feel like sandpaper old lady after a scrub. I want to be exfoliated, buffed, but moisturized. And she wanted to leave smooth and not oily. And. And we blew this out of the park. I think it's got Five stars by every single person that has tried it. It's so good because you use it once and you can feel the difference. Like, I beg people, try it once and then feel your cheek afterwards. Mind you, this is also for men and women, so I encourage men as well. I tell everyone to, like, buy it for your husband. Steal it for yourself.
Host
Yes, yes, you should.
Jenny McCarthy
But it's such a clean, beautiful exfoliant, especially in these, like, perimenopause menopause years. When you dry out, this will leave you moisturized. And again, like I said, so clean. Such good ingredients. All environmental working group guidelines. And then our cleanser. Ah, I love it. Super.
Host
I have tried your cleanser. It's amazing. It's such a good cleanser.
Jenny McCarthy
Yeah, we've got weara. We've got anti inflammatory collagen production, brightened skin production. Wild geranium is in there. That is our essential oil in place of any fragrance. And we've got salt in there, which is rich in minerals. Everything's plant based, rich in vitamin A and C and potassium. So again, for our sensitive people out there, because there's a lot of people with sensitivities like rosacea, eczema, just rashes alone, celiac disease. Like I have, everything's gluten free. And then our moisturizer. You know, me and my makeup artist were discussing, how do we go about making the world's greatest moisturizer? I go, well, let's start with the world's greatest moisturizer. There is a moisturizer that I'm not going to name the brand that's in every single makeup artist kit around the globe. There's this one that every makeup artist has because it just melts in your skin. It's perfect to put on before makeup. It works on all skin types, but when you look at the ingredients, they are nasty. So I sat with my canvas. I go, we like the way this makes us feel. We like how it's lightweight, but it's deep and it works. Everything in there is toxic, sick. But can you get us there? So after many, many, many, many, many test trials, we knocked it out of the park. We've gave it to some makeup artists who know that other brand, and they're like, oh, my God, you guys really did it. It's moisturizing, it doesn't leave you greasy, but it also is very hydrating for people that are really, really dry. I don't know if you had a chance to try that.
Host
Yeah, I love it. I was just going to say something. I Love it because it's really lightweight. For me, it's still very nourishing, but I hate, like, I love thick moisturizers at night, but when it's like a day moisturizer, I want it to be, like, versatile. And this is beautiful. A very nice day to night. You can layer it if you want at night, but in the day it's not going to leave you greasy or overwhelmed. And it really nourishes. I love it so much. I've been using it, actually. Yeah, that's really, really true.
Jenny McCarthy
And you notice everything that we have is in glass bottles because it's as clean as possible. We are going to be moving our lip glosses over into glass too, if you can believe it. So everything will be glass because that's how paranoid I am of toxins in our moisturizer. It's called a silk moistur. And I feel like you can tell that's what it feels like. Your face.
Host
Yeah, it leaves it super soft. Like, I was going to ask you because the line almost feels like a skin prep line for makeup. Because the whole canvas is super soft, super smooth, the texture is improved. It's such a nice way to start your beauty routine. Like, even if you're not wearing makeup. Yeah, it's one.
Jenny McCarthy
What's in that is like aloe vera. We've got shea butter, we've got green tea, vitamin E, B5. Good, good stuff. Stuff for your face. Then lastly is our hyaluronic acid. I love a good hyaluronic acid. And when I was doing the research on hyaluronic acid, I said to my chemist, I'm about to throw up, because I had no idea hyaluronic acid is created from fermented bacteria. I was like, that's just so gross to me. So he said, well, no, dummy, we're going to do a botanical. Let me make you a botanical. So it's natural, natural, plant based, beautiful hyaluronic acid. And you can tell it's high end when you use it. It's a powerhouse formula. And it's just your skin. Let me back up. Why do you need hyaluronic acid? Well, it helps lock in moisture. So if anyone feels like they're dry all the time or just want that to lock in, like, it almost makes it plump. So I use that, it goes cleanser. Then I use the scrub. Then I'll keep my face wet, wet. And then I'll use the hyaluronic acid and then I'll put moisturizer on right after. Because it is asking for liquid, so you want to use it on a damp face. And it does. It locks in that moisture, and it helps with collagen. It helps with skin firmness. And that wrapped up our. I still want to do. People are requesting for a brightener because our age group has a lot of.
Host
Skin hyperpigmentation and softness.
Jenny McCarthy
That's next on our list. And then. Yeah. So we also listen to our customers. We create based on what you guys have ask for. So please, if anyone wants a specific item, I urge them to just request it, because we take all those seriously and we take critique seriously.
Host
I wanted to say this, too, because I love the hyaluronic serum, by the way, because one, I've tried, like, a million. And here's what I've noticed about hyaluronic serums. Either they perform really, really well, like yours, or they will leave a film on your face. And I hate that. Like, I don't know what people. And this is a question I have for all the cosmetic chemists out there is like, what goes on when people the wrong type of hyaluronic serum. You know what I mean? I don't know if you've had that experience. Like, there's some serums, and it's supposed to be a hyaluronic serum they're selling, but then it leaves this weird, like.
Jenny McCarthy
Yes.
Host
I don't know how to describe it. Like, it's a film on your film.
Jenny McCarthy
I do in the past wash my face after I put it on, Right? Yeah. Put my makeup on. Otherwise I see a film underneath my foundation.
Host
Yeah, exactly. And I'm like, this is a hyaluronic serum. It should not be doing that. But yours is awesome. I love it. It sinks right in. And again, it's such good skin prep. Like, no matter what you're doing, whether you're just putting on SPF after the whole routine, or if you're gonna do your makeup, like, it just plays so nice with whatever's coming next. And so I really appreciate that you've put so much energy and love into these formulas, because I think that's where you're really kind of breaking this. This misunderstanding, you know, that people have that they're like, oh, celebrities don't care about their brands, and they don't care what, where. No, they do. Like, you just have to find the right ones, you know, and you have to really look at the founder. Like you said, like, what they're doing and why they're doing it, and it shines through. So, I mean, I think you've created such a beautiful line, by the way. Like, truly hats off.
Jenny McCarthy
Yeah, thank you. I mean, and it's my baby. It's like, I'm so proud of it. I work so hard on it and will continue to work so hard on it because I just. I always describe this as. When we were little, we used to draw a picture for our mom and show it to her, and we want her. Yeah, it's so amazing. It's like, I work so hard, and so when people compliment the brand, it feels like my mom going, that's a beautiful picture. Because you want to hear, especially from your customers and people who use it, the feedback. And I'm so grateful. That's why I'm still able to keep going. It's because of the support from the community that are buying it, supporting it, and asking for more.
Host
No, I love that, and I love that you've done it in such a genuine way. I can't tell you how much that means. Means to consumers like myself. I literally started this podcast, Jenny, because I was so sick of this, like, not finding anything for myself. Like, that's why I started the show, because I wanted to talk to the people who created the brands, you know, and being able to listen to a founder story, like, you can see it, having spoken to you just now, I can see your passion. I can see why you're creating this and why it matters so much. Especially everything you said, talking about, you know, people who go through chemo or anyone who has any kind of autoimmune problem going on, anything that flares up, your skin, like, that hits so close to home for me because I see people every day. Like, I myself have Hashimoto's. I remember my whole life transformed after I got it because everything changes as soon as you get anything that's systemic. Like, your whole body changes. And then I started reacting to things like benzoyl peroxide. You know what I mean? Like, that's the kind of stuff that happened with me. And so I can't imagine when you're going through something so harsh like chemo or any treatment.
Jenny McCarthy
That's right. That's right. I have Hashimoto's as well, by the way.
Host
Oh, you do? Yeah, it's tough. Like, everybody's getting it now because of the foods that we eat and stuff, but. But no, I mean, it just changes your life because you become so different. Like, your skin reacts differently to everything. So I don't know. I think there needs to be a lot more energy put into this People need real products. Like, we don't need fluff. And I just. For all the brand founders out there, because I know a lot of you listen in. If you're creating something, please do it from this place of research. Like, really dig in. You know, because, like, there's.
Jenny McCarthy
There's plenty of room for all of us to be clean. Like, there really, really is. And yes, your, you know, your margin won't be as beautiful. I will say that. But. But I feel like when I die someday, I'm going to close my eyes knowing I left behind a product for generation that is good, that is doing good in the world, and that's what matters to me.
Co-host/Announcer
I love that.
Host
I love that so much. Well, I'm a huge fan. Anyone listening out there, if you guys are looking for a really, really solid line that you can come back to day after day, and it's a routine and you can stick to it, this is a great place for you to be. And you should check out the whole brand. But especially for skin care. I love it. And I wanted to say that, actually, Jenny, I didn't to mention that, that I love that you kept it simple because there's so many people right now creating 17 step routines. It's driving me crazy.
Jenny McCarthy
Like, I can't do it.
Host
I can't do it. So I love that you kept it simple but effective. But for everyone listening, you know, you guys got to check it out. It's really good.
Jenny McCarthy
Thank you. I really appreciate that.
Host
Yeah, no, thank you so much. Any. And before we go, I just want to get your advice. I'd love for you to share some words of wisdom for anybody out there who's maybe, you know, wanting to go into entrepreneurship or like, start their own thing or just. Just, you know, anything that you can say that would help them on this journey.
Jenny McCarthy
Oh, wow. You know what? It's a hard journey, but it is so rewarding. It's kind of like having kids. If you have kids, you might not understand, but it's such a beautiful, exploratory, wonderful journey to go on. But you must have a true purpose behind it. You have to have an honest reason, because that is what it's going to get you through all of those hard times. Times. That's what's going to get you through those moments where you feel like you're going to break. You have to make sure your truth, your origin story, your passion, your vision stays front and foremost. Because there's going to be so many things that come in the way that can knock you down and your truth and your origin story and your purpose is the reason why you're going to break through.
Host
I love that. I love that so much. Well, thank you so much. This has been such an honor to host you and to learn from you, and I'm just such a fan and I'm always cheering you on. Please keep doing what you're doing because we need you to do it.
Jenny McCarthy
We need you, too. So thank you for spreading the word out there. I appreciate what you do.
Host
Thank you so much.
Jenny McCarthy
All right, talk to you soon.
Host
Hey, guys. So I hope you love that episode.
Co-host/Announcer
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Skin Anarchy with Dr. Ekta | Aired: October 15, 2025
This episode of Skin Anarchy spotlights actress, author, advocate, entrepreneur, and clean beauty brand founder Jenny McCarthy, who discusses her journey from pop culture icon to the founder of Formless Beauty, a line dedicated to true ingredient transparency and high-performance, toxin-free products. The conversation dives into the meaning of "clean beauty," industry greenwashing, challenges faced by those with health conditions, the growing impact of beauty marketing on youth, and the realities behind celebrity-founded brands.
Personal Health as Catalyst: Jenny explains that launching her beauty brand was never a long-planned business move; it arose from necessity as she confronted multiple health issues (autoimmune conditions, celiac disease, MTHFR gene mutation, leaky gut) that affected her skin and systemic health.
Challenges in Detoxing: She shares her struggle with detoxification and needing to minimize chemical exposure, leading her to overhaul her diet and personal care routines.
Clean Beauty’s Loose Definitions: Jenny critiques the lack of regulation in the term "clean beauty." She notes how the label is often misused and not always substantiated by real ingredient safety.
Performance vs. Purity: Jenny and her makeup artist aimed to create products that met the strict Environmental Working Group (EWG) ingredient standards and performed as well as mainstream alternatives.
EWG Collaboration: Jenny recounts approaching EWG to build her formulas upon their most stringent ingredient restrictions, receiving a 900-page list of "no-go" ingredients. She describes the formulation process as “trying to bake a cake without any of the ingredients.”
Mascara—A Case Study: Despite being told clean, high-performance mascara was “impossible,” Jenny and her chemist created a water-resistant version that avoids common toxins (phthalates, parabens, hormone disruptors, plastics).
Brands Make Their Own 'Certifications': Jenny exposes how many “clean” beauty claims are based on self-issued verifications with no third-party oversight.
Fragrance as a Loophole: She explains how “fragrance” on labels can mask dozens of undisclosed toxins due to intellectual property protections.
Not All Celebrity Brands Are Equal: Jenny distinguishes between superficial celebrity involvement and founders with authentic purpose (“origin story”).
Serving Vulnerable Communities: Serving chemo patients, those with lupus, or autoimmune issues motivates her deeply, fueling her desire to be transparent and offer clean alternatives.
Founder’s Labor: Jenny emphasizes her hands-on role: R&D, education, and daily engagement—“I work…probably 50 hours a week on Formless Beauty. Five-zero.” (22:24, Jenny McCarthy)
Tweens in Sephora & Early Makeup Adoption: The host and Jenny discuss concerns over children as young as eight being targeted with beauty marketing and complex routines, noting social media’s role in accelerating this trend.
Parental Responsibility and Education: Jenny advocates for parents to educate themselves and their kids on ingredients early, to foster life-long informed choices.
Beauty Filters & Pressure: She reflects on apps that alter kids’ appearances, creating unrealistic expectations (“What does that do? It makes you want to go out and…be that 10-year-old girl that goes and buys makeup.” (28:43, Jenny McCarthy))
Call for Role Models: Jenny praises Pamela Anderson’s makeup-free confidence as the kind of public influence young people need.
Product Formulations: Jenny gives a comprehensive walkthrough of the Formless lineup:
Packaging: Moving toward glass for all products to further reduce potential toxin exposure (34:31).
Responsive Development: Requests for a brightener/serum to address hyperpigmentation noted—Jenny encourages direct consumer feedback.
Host and Jenny connect over managing Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the difficulty of finding adaptable products in an industry dominated by fluff and filler.
The importance of a product’s origin and the founder’s motivation is emphasized for consumer trust.
On the EWG's Ingredient List:
“They handed me, I’m not even kidding you, 900 pages of restricted ingredients that you cannot use. And me and my chemist were like, what did we get ourselves into?”
(09:38, Jenny McCarthy)
On Clean Beauty Marketing:
“I’m going to make up a brand and call it Sarah’s Makeup… you can scroll to the bottom because it says, like, ‘Oh, we’re S verified. We’re clean beauty.’ …Then you go into the weeds and S verified is Sarah.”
(15:25, Jenny McCarthy)
The Power of Community:
“The thing that I love even more is the community of, of trust that I’ve built with our chemotherapy patients that are lupus patients, our autoimmune patients, like you. Don’t mess with that group.”
(21:10, Jenny McCarthy)
Advice to Parents:
“If you can make an impact when they’re young and educate them on choices, then they can pick out what they want based on knowledge, information. Because it’s only going to get worse as they get older.”
(26:51, Jenny McCarthy)
On Inspiration and Mission:
“When I die someday, I’m going to close my eyes knowing I left behind a product for a generation that is good, that is doing good in the world, and that’s what matters to me.”
(40:21, Jenny McCarthy)
This episode stands out for its candor and practical insight—Jenny McCarthy’s story combines vulnerability and empowerment, offering a blueprint for how personal challenge can drive truly meaningful innovation. The conversation is a must-listen for anyone invested in cleaner, more honest beauty—and anyone interested in the intersection of personal health and entrepreneurship.