You were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in your thirties. Can you walk us through the moment you decided to start a clean beauty company?

I was listening to a story on NPR. and Ken Cook, one of the co-founders of the Environmental Working Group, was talking about endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in babies’ cord blood. The study proved that what we put on our skin goes into our body.

I’d already looked into what was in my personal care products, and,after listening to Ken, I thought, why would I want these endocrine-disrupting chemicals in my personal care products, especially after a thyroid cancer diagnosis? Once I understood that those chemicals that were going into my body bioaccumulate, so they remain there, and that they disrupt the endocrine system, I decided the beauty industry needed to shift so it would better serve women. That didn’t mean I wanted to scare everybody into using clean products. I wanted to inspire with a brand that would outperform leading conventional brands and offer a beautiful sensorial experience. I was convinced we wouldn’t need toxic ingredients to deliver on that mission and we have proven my conviction through many clinical studies.

In the beginning, was it hard to get into the clean beauty space?

At that time there was a lot of excitement around products that didn’t contain concerning ingredients. There was a big push for clean, and less clean washing, so it was kind of easy to amplify our messaging and reach an interested audience.

For me, the opportunity was never about leveraging a white space. It was about reimagining what beauty could and should be. The mission for us has always been  about intentionality: building a brand that truly serves women and the health of the environment, both of which are incredibly important to me personally and, I believe, should be more important globally. We’re building a timeless brand that we want to last for generations. With that in mind, we didn’t want to hang our hat on clean. We were focused on delivering the results we all seek and a beautiful sensorial experience and we’ve always known that we can make exceptional products while considering the health of people and the planet at every step.

How did sustainability come into play in your company?

When you think about what is healthy for us, we so often forget that we are nature. What is good for us is good for the environment. Chemicals that bioaccumulate in our bodies also bioaccumulate in the environment, so sustainability was always at the core of our effort.

Plastic has become a hot topic recently and I’ve long had huge concerns about plastic. The more scientists study plastic, the more we learn that it’s a significant  health and environmental concern. Plastic was never developed to be recycled. Recycling became a necessity as people grew more concerned about plastic, but recycling does not solve the fact that plastic isn’t good for human health or environmental health. And once it is manufactured, it never goes away. We take a 360-degree approach to health and environmental health, whether it’s how we source our ingredients or our packaging, which is glass and only plastic when absolutely necessary, like the closures. It’s been important to us to be thoughtful about how we build this business from every angle.Our entire team is incredibly committed to sustainability and that is so rewarding.

What is your message to consumers that might not be thinking about clean beauty brands?

That’s a really interesting question, and one I don’t think about a lot, because I think people have generally given up on clean: all of a sudden everything is presented as clean. So my message would be for people who are interested in supporting their health and the health of the environment, the best way to assure product safety is with independent certifications. Certifications that cut through the noise and provide credible information backed by scientists whose only job is to have the consumer’s back.

The other thing I’d say is that the myth that we need to sacrifice results for a safe product is 100 percent inaccurate. Think about how we choose to eat: beautiful, whole, organically farmed ingredients are best for our bodies, and the same is true for our skin. It all comes down to the quality and efficacy of the ingredients. That’s our focus. There’s no reason to believe that the most potent ingredients from around the world, curated to meet our skin’s biology, would not be the most effective way to take care of our skin. One of the most exciting things for me is that we’re pushing the industry in a direction that supports  human and environmental health.

How do you define “clean” or “sustainable” for your brand, and has that definition changed over time for you?

We’ve set what I believe is the highest bar in the industry by having Made Safe certify that every single ingredient in our products and every sub-ingredient is safe for people and the planet.

We’ve been asked how it will be for us with the stricter European regulations. And the answer is easy, because we’ve been far exceeding those standards for many years. The Made Safe standards are very strict, but they don’t impede our ability to deliver extraordinary results. It’s exciting to be creative and innovative in a way that proves we can honor those standards and still deliver products that exceed the performance of leading conventional brands.

What do you think the beauty industry still gets wrong?

For so long the beauty industry has been focused on incredible marketing, beautiful packaging, and a lot less on what’s inside the bottle. To me, innovation around what’s inside the bottle is where it should all begin, and creating products that work with the biology of our skin is at the core of what we do.

An example would be retinol. It’s been believed that when you use retinol, inflamed red skin is just part of what happens, that irritation shows you’re getting results. In reality, redness and irritation are  a sign of inflammation, and inflammation causes aging. So it’s counterproductive to irritate skin with a retinol. The same is true for cleansers that strip your skin and cause irritationThe best skincare routine starts with a very gentle and effective cleanser. Get everything off, but don’t end up with squeaky clean skin. The best retinol delivers results without inflammation.

I think the industry is waking up to working with our bodies in a way that is synergistic. We’ve been talking about that since inception by honoring our skin’s barrier function, and innovating with incredibly potent antioxidants like chubula. Working with nature will shift the industry in a direction that’s better for people and the environment.

‍What would you tell a founder who wants to put their values first but is worried that their company is not going to survive?

Living by your values and building a brand around them is incredibly rewarding  and that is ultimately an important part of what makes a brand successful. It may not be an overnight success, but I do believe those values will match with a community seeking them. Of course, it is important to create products that deliver what people are seeking. Values alone are not going to build a brand, but values plus an incredible product, and clear communication around both, will.

As a founder, when do you decide to bring on a CEO, and what are some things you need to look at before you actually do that?

I think it’s different for everybody. One of my favorite quotes is “we need to be willing to live the question before we’re ready to live the answer.” There was just a day when I knew I was ready to have somebody else lead the company, and for me to do what I know I can do best, which is to be a North Star: to continue to fuel the vision for the brand, to focus on how we build our community, and create the most gorgeous products. I just knew one day it was time.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is how important it is to be clear about the brand’s positioning, its differentiation in the marketplace, and where I as a founder am willing to stretch the brand and where I’m not. Having a partner who can honor that and bring it to life in ways even more impactful than I could imagine is where the magic happens. I feel really lucky to partner with people who have a skill set I do not, and for them to respect that I bring something that’s really important as well.

I’m board chair, and I’ve always been able to honor my voice, which is really important to me.  And,building a team around you who can help take it to the next level is a really exciting thing to do.

As your company grew, was it ever difficult to stick to your values, and if so, how did you overcome that?

For me, as the company’s North Star, it was never hard. That’s where clear values are so important: as a founder, it is so important to have that clarity. I did have moments where I needed to employ my marketing skills to bring everybody along and help them understand why certain elements of our values were particularly important. So I wouldn’t say it was hard, but it was important to be curious about pushback wherever it was happening, to listen, and then to bring people along.

What are you hoping the beauty industry looks like in 10 years?

Ultimately, I want True Botanicals to help redefine what modern beauty leadership looks like: transparent, evidence-based, and rooted in women’s wellbeing. If we can raise the standard for what “safe” and “effective” mean in this industry, we’ve done our job.

Why did you decide to become a co-founder of Food Forest Collab?

My interest in co-founding Food Forest Collab was born of my desire to source regenerative-farmed ingredients whenever possible, or our products at True Botanicals, knowing how important that is for the health of the planet and what a positive impact regenerative farming can have on communities

For our pilot project in Kenya, together with our partners, Seed Savers Network,

we built more than a program: we built the

foundations of a women-led economic system.

Women organized into a farming cooperative, gained

access to shared processing equipment, earned

globally recognized organic, regenerative, and fair-

trade certifications, and secured a three-year U.S.

purchasing contract for their avocado oil.

In just one year, women moved from producers within

a system to owners, decision-makers, and architects of

what comes next.

Did you ever think in your life that you would be making such a big difference like you are now?

No, I don’t think I would have envisioned the impact being as broad as it has been so far. It’s one of the things that inspired me to help found Food Forest Collab as well. When you see  the power of women supporting women in action, anything feels possible.

Who is a woman you admire?

Diane von Furstenberg. I deeply admire her values and, especially, the way she has brought them to life by championing other women. There’s something truly magical about her.

What is your productivity secret?

Rest and taking time to stay grounded, whether through a hike or meditation. My decisions are so much stronger when I’m rested and grounded.

What’s one thing you can’t live without?

My family.

What is one big trend you’re excited about in 2027?

A shift toward recognizing that our well-being and the planet’s well-being are inextricably linked.

What book or film/show has been the most impactful in your career or life?

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. The message of that book is one I try to carry with me always. He showed us that even in the most unimaginable circumstances, we can find purpose and meaning in life. I can hardly imagine a story of greater adversity than his. After losing his family in the Holocaust, he went on to share what he learned as a psychiatrist about the human capacity to endure and find meaning. It’s a truly beautiful book.