Skincare’s Dirty Secrets - From a Clean Beauty Chemist
- Julia Chang
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Ever wondered what really goes into that $100 serum on your shelf or what brands DON’T tell you about that “clinically approved” label slapped on your products? In this week’s GlowJob, we sit down with Krupa Koestline— cosmetic chemist, pioneer in “Clean Beauty”, and founder of KKT Labs, to unpack the beauty industry from the inside out.
Krupa reveals the shocking truth about product costs (spoiler: that $50 serum probably costs $5 to make), why vitamin C might be the most overhyped ingredient in skincare, and the underrated actives she actually swears by. We get into clean beauty versus fear-mongering, loopholes in U.S. ingredient labeling, and the real difference between dermatologist-tested and chemist-approved.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s really behind that influencer-backed launch, this episode will blow your mind—and maybe your bathroom shelf.
00:00 – Welcome & Goop Kitchen pit stop
02:40 – How Krupa went from biotech to Bobby Brown’s lipstick lab
05:15 – The real cost of formulating beauty products
07:30 – The most Expensive vs. Cheapest ingredients
09:40 – Overhyped vs. underrated ingredients (vitamin C, ectoin, astaxanthin)
12:05 – Why inflammation is the root of many skin issues
14:20 – Dupes, innovation, and the limits of “ingredient lists”
16:50 – Brands aren't legally required to list ALL ingredients (“incidental ingredients”)
18:55 – Defining clean beauty & FDA blind spots
21:30 – Hydroquinone, cancer risks, and why choice matters
23:40 – The rise of MAHA (meat and holistic alternatives) & beef tallow skincare
25:59 – Buzzwords decoded: “clinically proven” & “dermatologist tested”
28:23 – Why cosmetic chemists know more than derms (about products)
30:21 – How long does it take to make a product from scratch?
32:44 – Krupa’s hot takes: underrated & overrated brands
37:28 – Who really owns your formula (hint: not you if it’s white label)
39:52 – Rapid fire: beauty priorities, desert island products, life advice
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