91: The "Clean" Brand You're Using Might Not Be So Clean | Melanie Petschke

Speaker: 00:00:06

Hey, I am your host, Mari Wagner,

and you're listening to The Ever Be

2

: 00:00:11

Podcast where Faith Meets Lifestyle.

3

: 00:00:14

I'm so excited you're here.

4

: 00:00:16

Whether you're a new listener

or a longtime follower, I know

5

: 00:00:19

there's something here for you.

6

: 00:00:20

Pull up a chair and listen in for

insightful, real life conversations and

7

: 00:00:24

actionable steps on how to claim the.

8

: 00:00:26

Full life God created you for.

9

: 00:00:28

If you're a woman desiring to live

a Christ-centered life in today's

10

: 00:00:32

modern world, then this is for you.

11

: 00:00:36

Welcome to ever be.

12

: 00:00:42

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

Welcome back to The Ever Bee Podcast.

13

: 00:00:44

It's your host, ma Wagner, and

today I'm here with a special guest.

14

: 00:00:48

Melanie Petchi, one of the co-founders

of Crunchy, which y'all have

15

: 00:00:52

probably heard about from my end.

16

: 00:00:54

At this point, if you hear any

podcasts or follow me on Instagram,

17

: 00:00:57

I rave about it all the time, so I

am so pumped for this conversation.

18

: 00:01:00

Welcome, Melanie, to ever be.

19

: 00:01:02

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Oh, thank you so much.

20

: 00:01:03

It's an honor to be here.

21

: 00:01:05

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Can

you share a little bit about yourself,

22

: 00:01:07

maybe where you're at, what you do,

even though I kind of already gave a

23

: 00:01:11

little sneak peek of that, just so we

all know a little bit more about you.

24

: 00:01:14

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Absolutely.

25

: 00:01:15

So I am originally a family nurse

practitioner, but I had a little

26

: 00:01:20

bit of a career change after Kelly

and I launched Crunchy, which we

27

: 00:01:25

just celebrated our 10 anniversary.

28

: 00:01:27

I cannot believe that.

29

: 00:01:28

But yeah, so prior to that, I was

in healthcare for over 12 years.

30

: 00:01:32

I am a mom of two amazing children.

31

: 00:01:35

I've got an almost 15-year-old

boy and a 12-year-old girl, and

32

: 00:01:40

I, my amazing husband, Carl, we

live in South Florida currently.

33

: 00:01:43

Um, we've lived kind of

all over the place, but.

34

: 00:01:46

Currently we reside in South Florida.

35

: 00:01:49

And, um, I'm just grateful to be at the

stage of life that I'm in because every

36

: 00:01:53

day is an adventure and every day is new.

37

: 00:01:56

And, um, it's, it's great to have a, a

mission like Crunchy 'cause it's really

38

: 00:02:01

truly a mission more than it is a company.

39

: 00:02:03

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

I love hearing that and

40

: 00:02:04

congratulations, by the way.

41

: 00:02:06

10 years is such a huge accomplishment.

42

: 00:02:09

I'm a business owner myself,

and we're going into our

43

: 00:02:11

seventh year and I just like.

44

: 00:02:13

You just, every year you just feel

the excitement and you feel like the

45

: 00:02:17

accomplishment of getting to another

year and continuing to keep going.

46

: 00:02:22

'cause entrepreneurship life

is, is not for everybody.

47

: 00:02:25

It's so challenging, but

it's so, so rewarding.

48

: 00:02:27

So congrats.

49

: 00:02:29

10 years is so amazing.

50

: 00:02:31

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Thank you, and yes, you

51

: 00:02:32

described it perfectly.

52

: 00:02:34

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

It's a wild ride and it's,

53

: 00:02:36

yeah, but it's very difficult.

54

: 00:02:37

Um, but I just wanna start out just by

hearing like how crunchy even began.

55

: 00:02:42

I love hearing you say it's more than

more of a mission than a company.

56

: 00:02:46

So I wanna hear more about that.

57

: 00:02:48

Like, what problem were you seeing in

the world that needed to be solved?

58

: 00:02:52

How did this even come about?

59

: 00:02:54

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Yeah.

60

: 00:02:55

no, that's an excellent caution

my personal journey started when

61

: 00:02:58

I was pregnant for the first time.

62

: 00:03:00

So like many women, when they are bringing

a little vulnerable being into the world,

63

: 00:03:05

they start paying attention to things that

maybe they hadn't thought about prior.

64

: 00:03:08

Um, so I was switching over my food and

eating healthier and cleaner In that

65

: 00:03:13

respect, I was also looking at things

that I was bringing into my home and,

66

: 00:03:18

uh, somebody tipped me off to at one

point to, uh, Environmental Working Group

67

: 00:03:25

website, the Skin Deep Database, because

they were trying to find a clean mascara.

68

: 00:03:28

I was in a mom's group she was asking,

has anybody found a clean mascara?

69

: 00:03:33

And I looked at this woman, I

was like, what is she talking

70

: 00:03:36

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Yeah.

71

: 00:03:37

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

So that became my, began my, my journey

72

: 00:03:40

down the rabbit hole of cosmetics.

73

: 00:03:42

And how just because it's on the

shelf does not mean it's safe.

74

: 00:03:47

I just could not learn enough when

it came to ingredients and safety

75

: 00:03:52

and things that we're putting on our

body, and especially on a daily basis.

76

: 00:03:56

As a woman who I've worn makeup

since I was in middle school, it was

77

: 00:04:00

something that is part of my routine.

78

: 00:04:02

So to think that I was applying daily.

79

: 00:04:06

Loads of, of toxins that I was

unaware of was terrifying to me.

80

: 00:04:12

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm-hmm.

81

: 00:04:12

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

so I was really grateful to

82

: 00:04:14

wake up at that stage of life.

83

: 00:04:15

And I was also very frustrated that here

I was in a career where preventative

84

: 00:04:20

health was why I chose being a nurse

practitioner and not one single.

85

: 00:04:27

Lecture, not even a paragraph

was ever touched on, on this

86

: 00:04:31

topic when I was in school.

87

: 00:04:32

So

88

: 00:04:33

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Wow.

89

: 00:04:33

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

that was very eyeopening as well.

90

: 00:04:35

I, I'd like to think today

that it might be different.

91

: 00:04:38

Um, but

92

: 00:04:39

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

Hopefully.

93

: 00:04:39

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

then that was definitely not the case.

94

: 00:04:41

Yeah, Hopefully.

95

: 00:04:42

um.

96

: 00:04:43

So that, that kind of

catapulted my personal journey.

97

: 00:04:46

And then when I moved, we ended up moving

across the country to South Florida.

98

: 00:04:50

And I, I met Kelly and we were both

in a really similar stage in life.

99

: 00:04:55

We actually met at a mom's night out,

100

: 00:04:57

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Love it.

101

: 00:04:58

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

both had young children and

102

: 00:05:00

were almost pregnant, uh, with

our second at the same time.

103

: 00:05:04

So exact stage of life.

104

: 00:05:06

Our kids are almost exactly the same age.

105

: 00:05:08

We actually knew each other,

not just through that, that

106

: 00:05:10

connection, but also because.

107

: 00:05:13

She was working in

pharmaceutical sales at the time,

108

: 00:05:15

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm-hmm.

109

: 00:05:16

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

actually called on me in the

110

: 00:05:18

office where I was working.

111

: 00:05:19

So we had kind of a, a multiple

connection, but I ended up being, we,

112

: 00:05:23

we recognized early that we were in a

similar stage and that we were both trying

113

: 00:05:27

to clean up our lifestyles in terms of

finding cleaner alternatives for all sorts

114

: 00:05:32

of things for ourselves, for our family.

115

: 00:05:33

And

116

: 00:05:34

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm.

117

: 00:05:34

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452: A

resource for her because she recognized

118

: 00:05:36

quickly that I had been doing this for a

few years, and so she'd call me and ask

119

: 00:05:40

me for recommendations for safe products.

120

: 00:05:43

Anyway, we were transitioning over

so many aspects of our of our lives.

121

: 00:05:47

But the one area that we could

not find an option for that we

122

: 00:05:53

were happy with was cosmetics.

123

: 00:05:55

We tried brands and we would try

brands and we'd find them and

124

: 00:05:58

recommend 'em to one another, and

they would either just not perform in

125

: 00:06:04

terms of lasting throughout the day.

126

: 00:06:05

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm-hmm.

127

: 00:06:06

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

we would think we found one and then

128

: 00:06:08

we would dive deeper and realize

it was actually green washer.

129

: 00:06:10

It just had really good marketing,

which was incredibly frustrating.

130

: 00:06:14

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Oh yeah.

131

: 00:06:14

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

a brand and maybe they'd have

132

: 00:06:15

one product that was super clean.

133

: 00:06:17

So we just assumed they

all were, and then we

134

: 00:06:19

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Right.

135

: 00:06:20

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

But we could not find a cosmetic color,

136

: 00:06:23

cosmetic brand to that at the, at the

time, they just checked all of our boxes

137

: 00:06:27

in terms of safety and performance.

138

: 00:06:29

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm-hmm.

139

: 00:06:30

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

so that, that was, that was

140

: 00:06:33

really what inspired us.

141

: 00:06:34

And Kelly was the one who got the crazy

ambitious idea, and I looked at her like

142

: 00:06:38

she was nuts because we both had two young

children, you know, not even two, and not

143

: 00:06:43

even four years old between the two of us.

144

: 00:06:46

or each, each of us did.

145

: 00:06:47

And, uh, she, she kind of pushed me off

the, off the ledge and I like a challenge.

146

: 00:06:53

So I was like, all right, let's do this.

147

: 00:06:55

So that's, that's essentially how it all

148

: 00:06:57

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Wow.

149

: 00:06:59

I love hearing the backstory and

so fun that it just really kind

150

: 00:07:04

of started with a friendship too.

151

: 00:07:06

And just out of each of your own

individual passions for cleaning up

152

: 00:07:10

your own lifestyle, really being in

the consumer's shoes yourself first

153

: 00:07:16

and recognizing like, this is the

need because I'm feeling it every day.

154

: 00:07:21

And then what a good friend

Kelly being like, come on,

155

: 00:07:23

Melanie, like let's do this.

156

: 00:07:25

Um.

157

: 00:07:26

And I also just laugh at your experience

of, for the first time, hearing someone

158

: 00:07:30

say like, I'm looking for a clean mascara.

159

: 00:07:32

You're like, what the

heck are we talking about?

160

: 00:07:35

I know when I first started my

journey, people would say stuff and

161

: 00:07:38

I'm like, that's a little like extreme.

162

: 00:07:41

You know, like, are we even going down

the, to the hair on our eyelashes?

163

: 00:07:46

Like, come on guys.

164

: 00:07:47

But now that I've like really dove

in the last couple years and done

165

: 00:07:51

the research, and not only that.

166

: 00:07:54

Actually found products that are working.

167

: 00:07:57

It makes it so much easier to choose.

168

: 00:08:00

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452: Yes

169

: 00:08:01

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Healthy

products when you actually find a brand

170

: 00:08:04

that you trust and that it works because

now you have peace of mind for safety

171

: 00:08:07

and peace of mind for performance.

172

: 00:08:08

So you don't have to be

like, that's so extreme.

173

: 00:08:10

It's like, no, this is actually

the best of both worlds.

174

: 00:08:13

But

175

: 00:08:13

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452: Yes.

176

: 00:08:14

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: I know

that a lot of people probably have a

177

: 00:08:15

similar reaction or experience when

they're first starting out, or when

178

: 00:08:18

they're kind of just dipping their

toes into the clean living world.

179

: 00:08:21

So for someone who's really new to

clean beauty or maybe doesn't fully

180

: 00:08:25

understand what that means, can you share.

181

: 00:08:29

What is clean beauty?

182

: 00:08:31

Why doesn't even matter?

183

: 00:08:33

And why do brands often maybe kind

of like stretch that definition?

184

: 00:08:38

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Yeah, no, that's a, is so important

185

: 00:08:40

and it's so challenging because

there's no legal definition?

186

: 00:08:43

for the term clean, which is really

frustrating because it would be great

187

: 00:08:46

if it was super black and white.

188

: 00:08:48

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Yeah.

189

: 00:08:48

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

you just submitted an application and you

190

: 00:08:50

could get the certification for clean and

everybody was on the same playing field.

191

: 00:08:54

That would, that would be a dream.

192

: 00:08:56

Unfortunately, it is quite the opposite.

193

: 00:08:58

It's the

194

: 00:08:58

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm-hmm.

195

: 00:08:59

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

west, and you can take

196

: 00:09:01

any product you want.

197

: 00:09:03

matter how conventional it is, it

doesn't matter how many chemicals

198

: 00:09:07

and, and when I see how chemicals,

I should say harmful, harmful

199

: 00:09:10

chemicals or ingredients are in it.

200

: 00:09:12

They can legally, or a company can legally

put clean on it and nobody can stop them.

201

: 00:09:18

it's pretty, pretty wild.

202

: 00:09:20

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Yeah.

203

: 00:09:21

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

the def, my definition of clean

204

: 00:09:24

really comes from safety data.

205

: 00:09:28

So if I want a ingredient to be

permitted in a crunchy product.

206

: 00:09:33

It has to check all of our

safety threshold boxes,

207

: 00:09:36

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm-hmm.

208

: 00:09:37

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

needs to be backed by science and

209

: 00:09:39

data and research and studies in order

to allow it into our safe space of

210

: 00:09:45

ingredients that we permit in a product.

211

: 00:09:47

Uh, the way that the United States

works unfortunately, is ingredients

212

: 00:09:51

are innocent until proven guilty.

213

: 00:09:54

But we're quite the opposite

and everything is guilty

214

: 00:09:58

until proven innocent.

215

: 00:09:59

So we gather that information.

216

: 00:10:00

We look on all of the, all of the

available, uh, safety information,

217

: 00:10:05

um, testing studies that are

available to us in order to make

218

: 00:10:08

a decision about each ingredient.

219

: 00:10:10

And then we have our own internal

protocol that takes it kind of to the

220

: 00:10:13

extreme when it comes to an ingredient

that's permitted in our product.

221

: 00:10:18

Um, but it clean booty should

not be about marketing.

222

: 00:10:21

It should not be about buzzwords.

223

: 00:10:23

It should be about realistic

evidence-based safety data

224

: 00:10:27

and transparent labeling.

225

: 00:10:30

Because if you don't know what's in it,

how the heck are you supposed to know,

226

: 00:10:33

be able to assess its safety either, and

that's a whole, whole nother chapter.

227

: 00:10:40

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Yeah.

228

: 00:10:40

Totally.

229

: 00:10:41

And it's so frustrating as a consumer,

you know, to hear you say that like

230

: 00:10:45

anybody can just slap the label

clean on because it has forced us

231

: 00:10:49

to become experts in this field.

232

: 00:10:53

It's forced everybody to be like, if I

actually want to know what I'm putting

233

: 00:10:57

on my body, I have to start knowing and

learning like what are these ingredients?

234

: 00:11:01

What does it mean?

235

: 00:11:02

How does it harm me?

236

: 00:11:03

And.

237

: 00:11:04

You know, we, we we're doing our due

diligence, but it's exhausting at times.

238

: 00:11:08

And so, like I was saying before, it gives

you so much peace of mind when you can.

239

: 00:11:12

Actually find a brand that you trust.

240

: 00:11:14

All of their products across

the board are going through this

241

: 00:11:17

process that you're explaining.

242

: 00:11:19

Like that's incredible that you're saying.

243

: 00:11:20

Every single ingredient goes through this

checklist, which means there's not just

244

: 00:11:24

one product that checks all the boxes.

245

: 00:11:26

It's like anything you're bringing in

to your brand checks, all those boxes.

246

: 00:11:30

So then as a consumer, you can go

back to just being a consumer and not

247

: 00:11:34

a scientist and just like find the

lip gloss that you want or find the

248

: 00:11:38

blush that you want and just enjoy it.

249

: 00:11:41

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Yeah, you should not have to have

250

: 00:11:42

a PhD in chemistry to shop for

your camp for your family, but it

251

: 00:11:45

often feels like you do need one.

252

: 00:11:47

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

Yeah, exactly.

253

: 00:11:49

And it's shocking that you're saying the

beauty industry is so loosely regulated.

254

: 00:11:54

So, and you're saying that the law,

like the US laws, and I, and correct

255

: 00:12:00

me if I'm wrong, but I pretty sure

like they haven't the, is it like

256

: 00:12:03

the food us FD whatever, FDA or

257

: 00:12:07

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452: Yes.

258

: 00:12:07

The USDA or Yes,

259

: 00:12:10

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

like a million years, right?

260

: 00:12:11

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Yeah.

261

: 00:12:11

So it has been since the 1930s that it

had any sort of substantial overhaul.

262

: 00:12:18

Now with the except exception

of Mocha, which I would not.

263

: 00:12:22

Call it a substantial overhaul.

264

: 00:12:23

That was something that was an enact a

few years ago, and it was a good start.

265

: 00:12:27

It was the first time it had been

touched, like we said, in over 80 years.

266

: 00:12:31

So.

267

: 00:12:32

They had good intention in trying

to implement some additional safety

268

: 00:12:35

checkpoints and some safety measures.

269

: 00:12:37

Unfortunately, it got started, but

then didn't really, a lot of the things

270

: 00:12:43

that had been talked about didn't

actually come to fruition, or are still

271

: 00:12:46

under evaluation, are still trying

to figure out how they can go about.

272

: 00:12:50

enacting some of these

regulations and things and it

273

: 00:12:53

was barely skimming the surface.

274

: 00:12:55

I was actually very disappointed

to see what actually happened with

275

: 00:12:59

that because our hopes were up.

276

: 00:13:00

Um, but unfortunately we are

not like the EU and most.

277

: 00:13:06

Countries in the world, honestly, we are

so far behind them in terms of regulation.

278

: 00:13:10

So where it lands is on the consumer

UN unfortunately, because it, it's,

279

: 00:13:14

it's, you cannot assume that it's

safe if it's in the United States.

280

: 00:13:17

You just can't.

281

: 00:13:18

So it lands on the consumer to do our own

due diligence and to be able to determine

282

: 00:13:23

if something truly has that safety

data and safety backing, because there

283

: 00:13:27

are things on ourselves that we know.

284

: 00:13:30

Darn well are harmful to our, to our

bodies, and especially when we're

285

: 00:13:35

putting 'em on multiple times a day.

286

: 00:13:37

Many, you know, many days a week.

287

: 00:13:38

Many days a year.

288

: 00:13:40

Um, and that cumulative effect, we,

we know and they should not legally

289

: 00:13:43

be on the shelves, but they still are.

290

: 00:13:45

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Yeah.

291

: 00:13:46

Can you talk a little bit about

like what is the harm, like what

292

: 00:13:49

is the harm of these ingredients

on our health and our hormones?

293

: 00:13:54

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Yeah.

294

: 00:13:54

So.

295

: 00:13:55

Is so you think of your skin.

296

: 00:13:58

Your skin is your largest organ.

297

: 00:14:00

And not everything you put on your skin

gets absorbed into your bloodstream,

298

: 00:14:04

of course, but there's a pretty

substantial amount that can penetrate

299

: 00:14:08

down into your skin through those layers.

300

: 00:14:10

It's not just a barrier.

301

: 00:14:11

It absolutely, uh, can penetrate down

into the skin and into your bloodstream.

302

: 00:14:16

So you think about, uh, pharmaceuticals,

you think about medications

303

: 00:14:19

that you can apply topically.

304

: 00:14:21

Uh, that's a perfect example of, of a very

effective way to get, certain ingredients

305

: 00:14:28

into your body or certain molecules

into your, into your bloodstream.

306

: 00:14:33

So the cumulative effect of these

ingredients is what we call body burden.

307

: 00:14:39

And it can happen.

308

: 00:14:41

It's, you know, it's not just what

you're putting on your body and

309

: 00:14:43

what you're putting on your skin,

but it's also the air you breathe.

310

: 00:14:45

It's the water you drink, it's the

food you eat, it's, it's all around us.

311

: 00:14:50

That's this cumulative body burden.

312

: 00:14:52

Specifically with cosmetics.

313

: 00:14:54

I would say the two main

categories that ingredients,

314

: 00:14:57

harmful ingredients fall into are.

315

: 00:15:00

Carcinogenic.

316

: 00:15:01

So cancer causing or endocrine disruptor.

317

: 00:15:05

So hormone disrupting.

318

: 00:15:07

And that second one is probably

the even most prominent and

319

: 00:15:11

concerning and well documented.

320

: 00:15:13

I mean, they've been, they've done

studies where they have shown even just

321

: 00:15:16

a three to four day dose of some of

these ingredients is enough to detect.

322

: 00:15:22

In your, in your fluids,

your bodily fluids.

323

: 00:15:26

Um, and they've been also able to show

that when you remove them for another

324

: 00:15:30

time interval, they, they go away.

325

: 00:15:33

So it's, it's, it's been proven

time and time again that these are,

326

: 00:15:39

this is not fiction, this is real.

327

: 00:15:41

And the concern with hormone

disruption specifically is.

328

: 00:15:46

Chemicals can mimic estrogen.

329

: 00:15:48

They can block pro progesterone.

330

: 00:15:50

They can affect thyroid function.

331

: 00:15:52

They can infer, interfere with

insulin and cortisol signaling.

332

: 00:15:56

Um, so they can contribute

to things like infertility,

333

: 00:16:00

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452: Mm-hmm.

334

: 00:16:01

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

thyroid dysfunction, chronic

335

: 00:16:03

inflammation, obesity, I mean the list.

336

: 00:16:05

And then there's symptoms too.

337

: 00:16:06

Of course, the list is so long.

338

: 00:16:08

But one thing I point out to people, um,

who have maybe suffered from infertility,

339

: 00:16:13

if you go into an infertility clinic,

there's a reason that there's signs

340

: 00:16:17

everywhere saying do not wear any sort

of fragrance product on our property.

341

: 00:16:24

Because it has an effect on the work

that they're doing at the clinic

342

: 00:16:29

to try to help people conceive.

343

: 00:16:31

Um, it's, it's, it's real science

can't be denied, but it can

344

: 00:16:36

definitely be ignored for sure.

345

: 00:16:39

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

Yeah, absolutely.

346

: 00:16:41

I think it can be ignored and overlooked

because all of these outcomes you

347

: 00:16:45

mentioned in fertility, thyroid

problems, um, chronic illnesses,

348

: 00:16:50

obesity, you kind of look around

at our culture and you're like.

349

: 00:16:53

Oh, I'm seeing that everywhere.

350

: 00:16:56

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452: Yep.

351

: 00:16:57

Well, and

352

: 00:16:57

mari-wagner_1_02-12-2026_100452:

passed it off as like, oh,

353

: 00:16:59

everybody just has something,

you know, like it's just normal.

354

: 00:17:02

You know, like chronic diseases

happen or there is like this

355

: 00:17:06

fertility crisis right now, this

hormone imbalance crisis right now.

356

: 00:17:10

And I think once really look at the data,

we can't just kind of brush it off and

357

: 00:17:13

shrug our shoulders and be like, oh,

it's just like everybody has something.

358

: 00:17:17

It's like, no, something is causing

an increase in these health problems.

359

: 00:17:22

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452: Yes.

360

: 00:17:23

And are we saying that it's

a hundred percent cosmetics?

361

: 00:17:25

No.

362

: 00:17:25

But is it a significant

piece of the puzzle?

363

: 00:17:28

Absolutely.

364

: 00:17:29

Yes.

365

: 00:17:29

And you pointed out those trends,

those trends are not flat, and

366

: 00:17:33

those trends are not improving.

367

: 00:17:35

I mean, they are terrifying.

368

: 00:17:37

When you look year over year, what's

happening to our society and our health

369

: 00:17:42

and it's, yeah, it's definitely a crisis.

370

: 00:17:58

If you're someone who's learning for the

first time to read labels, I always direct

371

: 00:18:03

people first to looking for fragrance.

372

: 00:18:08

Uh, because fragrance is one of the

heaviest hitters in terms of concerning

373

: 00:18:12

ingredients in products because

the word fragrance alone can hide.

374

: 00:18:16

Anywhere from three to 4,000

individual ingredients that are

375

: 00:18:20

not disclosed in that product.

376

: 00:18:21

And typically, if it's

377

: 00:18:23

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Um, so

as a consumer, can you just give us a

378

: 00:18:26

little bit more clarity and direction?

379

: 00:18:28

What ingredients or category of

ingredients should we be most aware

380

: 00:18:32

of when it comes to makeup or skincare

or products we're putting on our body?

381

: 00:18:37

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

yeah, no, that's a,

382

: 00:18:38

that's an important one.

383

: 00:18:40

if you are just learning to

read labels, for example.

384

: 00:18:44

And you flip over a product and

you're reading the ingredient list.

385

: 00:18:47

the easiest thing that I recommend to rule

out or rule in a product, or at least to

386

: 00:18:53

start, is looking for the word fragrance.

387

: 00:18:55

melanie-petschke_1_02-12-2026_120452:

Uh, because fragrance is one of the

388

: 00:18:57

heaviest hitters in terms of concerning

ingredients in products because

389

: 00:19:01

the word fragrance alone can hide.

390

: 00:19:04

Anywhere from three to 4,000

individual ingredients that are

391

: 00:19:07

not disclosed in that product.

392

: 00:19:09

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

And usually you would see that

393

: 00:19:10

toward the end of the list of the

394

: 00:19:12

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Mm-hmm.

395

: 00:19:13

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

and it's listed as either just

396

: 00:19:14

the word fragrance or it can say

parum or it can say, um, was a

397

: 00:19:19

tricky one recently that I heard.

398

: 00:19:21

Aroma, that's what it was.

399

: 00:19:23

That also counts as fragrance.

400

: 00:19:25

Um, and it could even say natural

fragrance, which sounds very in innocent.

401

: 00:19:29

But the reality is, is we, we

also don't know what exactly is

402

: 00:19:32

behind that word, because in the

United States fragrance has the.

403

: 00:19:38

Ability to hide behind it, meaning we

do not have to technically disclose what

404

: 00:19:44

actually is making up that fragrance.

405

: 00:19:46

And most of the time what is giving

that product, that fragrance is

406

: 00:19:50

actually, uh, what's considered

a phthalate, which is what?

407

: 00:19:56

Fragrances used to be strong and

powerful or to last really long time.

408

: 00:20:00

I don't know if you've ever gotten to give

somebody a hug and they've got a strong

409

: 00:20:03

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Yeah.

410

: 00:20:03

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

on, and maybe it transfers to

411

: 00:20:05

your skin or, or a jacket or

something and, and it just lingers.

412

: 00:20:09

That's a perfect example of how powerful

those chemicals can be, and it's

413

: 00:20:14

also a sign that there's very, very

powerful phthalates in that product

414

: 00:20:19

that are allowing that to happen.

415

: 00:20:21

And phthalates are hormone

disruptors or endocrine disruptors.

416

: 00:20:24

So huge ingredient to avoid,

and it's a simple one.

417

: 00:20:27

I know sometimes it's a tough

transition if you're used to having

418

: 00:20:31

things smell constantly or smell nice.

419

: 00:20:33

It doesn't mean it's not possible.

420

: 00:20:35

There are some cleaner scents and some

cleaner NCES out there, but it's a good.

421

: 00:20:41

Safe assumption until you have proof

that it is safe, it's pretty safe to

422

: 00:20:46

assume that what's behind the word

fragrance, for example, is probably

423

: 00:20:50

something you wanna be avoiding.

424

: 00:20:52

Um, so I would say if you were

looking for one in particular, that

425

: 00:20:55

would be what to look for first.

426

: 00:20:57

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Yeah,

427

: 00:20:58

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Um, yeah.

428

: 00:20:59

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

that's definitely,

429

: 00:20:59

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

others.

430

: 00:21:00

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

Yeah, I know there's a lot.

431

: 00:21:01

Yeah.

432

: 00:21:01

But that's definitely what I.

433

: 00:21:03

What I point people to first and

what I share because I mean, we could

434

: 00:21:06

share the complicated names of other

ingredients, but like we're not gonna

435

: 00:21:09

remember that right off the bat every

time we look at an ingredient label.

436

: 00:21:13

But fragrance, I think is

the easiest thing to spot.

437

: 00:21:16

And once you actually know the harm of

it, you can easily make that decision.

438

: 00:21:20

Okay, this has fra.

439

: 00:21:22

This is immediately not actually clean.

440

: 00:21:25

And it frustrates me so much lately

because I see all these clean

441

: 00:21:29

brands popping up that people

are promoting for them as clean.

442

: 00:21:33

And I'll get so excited.

443

: 00:21:34

I'll be like, Ooh, new clean brand.

444

: 00:21:36

And I'm like, I'm just

gonna check the ingredients.

445

: 00:21:38

And fragrances always on there.

446

: 00:21:40

And I'm like, you guys,

this is like 1 0 1.

447

: 00:21:43

Like we know that if we see

fragrance, it's not clean.

448

: 00:21:46

So just goes back to greenwashing and how.

449

: 00:21:49

Marketing just makes you think it is

450

: 00:21:51

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638: was

451

: 00:21:51

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

one way when it's not, um,

452

: 00:21:54

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638: good

453

: 00:21:55

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: really

good marketing and as a consumer it's

454

: 00:21:57

just, it is so hard to know when a brand

or a product is actually non-toxic.

455

: 00:22:02

Um, so what does ingredient

transparency really look like?

456

: 00:22:04

Um, as a brand and as consumers, how

can we make that decision and tell when

457

: 00:22:09

a brand is really being honest or not?

458

: 00:22:11

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Yeah, it's really, really hard

459

: 00:22:13

because like you just said,

marketing can be so deceiving.

460

: 00:22:16

So one easy button that I have recommended

for people in recent years, especially.

461

: 00:22:22

Is finding a, a really

solid rating system.

462

: 00:22:25

Um, there's no such thing as a perfect

rating system or app that exists.

463

: 00:22:29

Uh, there are flaws with all of them, but

we have recently found a, I would say a

464

: 00:22:35

newfound respect for the environmental

working groups, um, database.

465

: 00:22:39

They have a verification program,

and just to give you some background,

466

: 00:22:44

back in the day, they didn't have

this program and so we could submit

467

: 00:22:48

our ingredient listings to them.

468

: 00:22:49

They would ask a couple questions,

you know, what percentage of this,

469

: 00:22:52

what percentage of that, and we'd

be able to submit that, and then

470

: 00:22:55

we'd get fair ratings from them up

on their database, which was great.

471

: 00:22:58

And it was free and super useful.

472

: 00:23:01

Uh, unfortunately over time,

that was not a sustainable

473

: 00:23:04

option because of the numbers.

474

: 00:23:07

And so they created this verification

program and initially we're like,

475

: 00:23:10

no, we don't wanna do that because it

appears that we're paying for ratings.

476

: 00:23:13

But the reality is, is kind of

like A-U-S-D-A certified organic.

477

: 00:23:18

Need in order to be evaluated, to

have the potential to get the rating.

478

: 00:23:22

That is what you're paying for.

479

: 00:23:23

So we decided, um, eventually to go ahead

and invest in the verification program.

480

: 00:23:29

And I am so impressed with the

level of scrutiny that they.

481

: 00:23:35

the steps they take in order to

verify ingredients and products.

482

: 00:23:39

I, I think I underestimated the

level of scrutiny that they were

483

: 00:23:43

going to be asking and the testing

and the, you know, the third party

484

: 00:23:47

testing and then the documentation.

485

: 00:23:49

they really, really do a fantastic

job and they have a whole team, whole

486

: 00:23:53

science team that is behind it and

are constantly updating and evolving.

487

: 00:23:57

In fact, right after this today

I have an update call where

488

: 00:24:00

I'm hearing what the latest

ingredients that they're either, um.

489

: 00:24:03

Now allowing are the ones that they're

removing from their restricted list

490

: 00:24:07

or removing from their approved list.

491

: 00:24:10

Um.

492

: 00:24:11

And so this verification program,

it gives you just an easy button.

493

: 00:24:15

So when you can go to the database, you

can see ratings for all sorts of products.

494

: 00:24:20

But if they have the verification stamp,

you know that they went through this,

495

: 00:24:23

the very, very painful process of their

detailed protocol that's required in

496

: 00:24:28

order to get that verification for safety.

497

: 00:24:31

Um.

498

: 00:24:32

And like I said, it's not perfect.

499

: 00:24:33

I can give an example.

500

: 00:24:35

We, we prioritize non GMO ingredients

and organic ingredients, for example.

501

: 00:24:39

They don't really care about that.

502

: 00:24:41

They don't mark brands down or

give you bonus points or anything.

503

: 00:24:44

So the way that I describe it is

we're EWG verified and beyond.

504

: 00:24:48

Um, there's definitely pro

ingredients on our restricted list.

505

: 00:24:52

That they do not have on their

restricted list that they

506

: 00:24:55

permit in certain percentages.

507

: 00:24:56

A good example is pH ethanol.

508

: 00:24:58

It's a preservative super

common one, very controversial.

509

: 00:25:01

They permit it up to a certain percent

in their products, at least they do

510

: 00:25:04

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Mm-hmm.

511

: 00:25:05

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Um, we do not, we drew the

512

: 00:25:07

land, the red line in the sand.

513

: 00:25:09

Early on said, this

one's too controversial.

514

: 00:25:11

Why is it this?

515

: 00:25:13

Why bother?

516

: 00:25:13

Why it's not worth it?

517

: 00:25:15

There's others that are safer out

there that we, that we can use.

518

: 00:25:17

Sure.

519

: 00:25:18

It might take longer, it might be a

harder process, but we really, really

520

: 00:25:22

felt strongly about that one early on.

521

: 00:25:25

So like I said, it's not perfect

and you would call us, you

522

: 00:25:28

know, EWG, verified beyond.

523

: 00:25:30

But if you're looking for just a quick,

easy button, it is one my favorites for

524

: 00:25:36

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

That's incredible.

525

: 00:25:37

I'm gonna make sure to link

that in the show notes so

526

: 00:25:40

people can access that resource.

527

: 00:25:42

They've never used it or

don't know where to find it.

528

: 00:25:45

thing I,

529

: 00:25:46

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

I, I was just gonna say the

530

: 00:25:47

one cautionary, if you're gonna

531

: 00:25:49

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Yeah.

532

: 00:25:49

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Is do not assume that if a brand

533

: 00:25:52

is on there, that every single

one of their products is verified.

534

: 00:25:55

'cause that's an assumption

that people make.

535

: 00:25:56

It's a, it's a commitment that

we've made as a brand, unless

536

: 00:25:59

we're discontinuing a product

537

: 00:26:01

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Mm-hmm.

538

: 00:26:01

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

It's a seasonal ingredient

539

: 00:26:03

or seasonal products.

540

: 00:26:04

But there are many brands where maybe

one or two will be on there, but then

541

: 00:26:08

there's a reason that the others are not

542

: 00:26:10

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Right.

543

: 00:26:10

You just have to pay attention

to the product that's on there

544

: 00:26:13

and just apply that rating to

the product, not the whole brand.

545

: 00:26:18

That makes sense.

546

: 00:26:19

Um, the other two things I was gonna

share, I'll also drop a link in the

547

: 00:26:22

show notes for a free download I have

of like top ingredients to be aware of.

548

: 00:26:27

It's like an ingredients

cheat sheet basically.

549

: 00:26:30

And then what I actually did is I copied

and pasted that whole list of ingredients.

550

: 00:26:35

That are on like the blacklist.

551

: 00:26:37

And I put that into a

chat, GPT, like helper.

552

: 00:26:41

And I told it like, learn these

ingredients and be my like clean

553

: 00:26:46

beauty, um, checker for me.

554

: 00:26:48

And now I'll, and you still have

to like fact check some things.

555

: 00:26:52

I feel like I can't trust like

AI a hundred percent, but I'll

556

: 00:26:55

put in a brand or a product

link or something and I'll say.

557

: 00:26:59

Scan through this ingredient list,

or I'll just copy and paste the

558

: 00:27:02

ingredient list and let me know

if it passes my ch my list or not.

559

: 00:27:07

And then it'll tell me on its own,

like, these are the ingredients that

560

: 00:27:10

are in there that are on your blacklist.

561

: 00:27:12

So like it's a no-go or it'll

say, you know, it has this,

562

: 00:27:16

but it's like not organic.

563

: 00:27:17

So if you don't care about that, then

it might be a cleaner option and it

564

: 00:27:20

kind of gives you a good rundown.

565

: 00:27:21

So that's been helpful too.

566

: 00:27:23

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Yeah.

567

: 00:27:24

One, one caveat for those

advanced listeners, because I

568

: 00:27:28

know some people have been doing

this just as long as as we have.

569

: 00:27:31

Um, but what one thing behind the scenes,

one thing that's very frustrated is

570

: 00:27:35

you can have a vitamin, A vitamin, um,

e for example, so like a toco ferro.

571

: 00:27:40

you can have the, the, the

ingredient lace, just say Togo feral.

572

: 00:27:43

But what was terrifying or

equally interesting is that.

573

: 00:27:49

actual origin of that ingredient can

be from a number of different things,

574

: 00:27:55

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Mm.

575

: 00:27:56

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

it can be.

576

: 00:27:57

I know in our case our toco Ferro comes

from, I, I would say the majority of

577

: 00:28:02

the time we are very picky about, about

where we, we source it, but non GMO oil

578

: 00:28:10

is the, the main source of our vitamin E.

579

: 00:28:13

However, it also can be

completely synthetic from a lab

580

: 00:28:18

derived from petroleum, and it

could still stay on the label.

581

: 00:28:22

A very similar or the

same type of terminology.

582

: 00:28:25

So that's the part where it gets tricky

and where you wanna take that to the next

583

: 00:28:29

level and really get to know the company.

584

: 00:28:31

You know, is this a company that's

investing in ingredients that are

585

: 00:28:33

made from things that are safer?

586

: 00:28:36

Or are they looking for

the cheapest option?

587

: 00:28:38

Because you better believe that that's

synthetic option is much cheaper.

588

: 00:28:41

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

Absolutely.

589

: 00:28:42

Yeah, that's a good note for sure.

590

: 00:28:44

Well, let's dive into

skincare a little bit.

591

: 00:28:46

'cause I think that's another thing

I come across where there's a lot of.

592

: 00:28:50

Maybe intimidation or confusion,

and I know that's how I felt like

593

: 00:28:54

when I was getting into skincare.

594

: 00:28:55

I was like, I think I wanna do this.

595

: 00:28:57

I wanna try out some products, but I have

no idea where to start or what they do.

596

: 00:29:01

So for women who are maybe new to

skincare or wanna start getting into

597

: 00:29:05

it this year, but are overwhelmed or

confused, what should they start with?

598

: 00:29:08

What is your recommendation?

599

: 00:29:10

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Yeah, no, that's a great one.

600

: 00:29:12

And it's important and

should not be stressful.

601

: 00:29:14

It should be self-care.

602

: 00:29:16

It should be fun and an

enjoyable experience for sure.

603

: 00:29:19

So definitely don't wanna complicate it.

604

: 00:29:21

I would say first it, it kind of

depends on what your goals are.

605

: 00:29:24

If your goals are just simply to dive

in and kind of take it from there.

606

: 00:29:27

I would say a basic cleanser is a good.

607

: 00:29:31

Step and then some sort of basic

moisturizer is a great second step.

608

: 00:29:35

And then if you're in an area

where there's a lot of sun exposure

609

: 00:29:38

or, uh, even if even not, just

depending on your philosophy on sun

610

: 00:29:43

protection, it's a really good step

because it's preventative, because

611

: 00:29:47

that daily sun exposure is actually

one of the, the fastest at, uh,

612

: 00:29:51

increasing the, the look of aging or

613

: 00:29:54

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Yeah.

614

: 00:29:54

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

aging of the skin.

615

: 00:29:56

Um, so it's important for prevention sake.

616

: 00:29:59

so that's a real simple, you know, three

step right there for you, for those

617

: 00:30:03

that are really, really diving in basic.

618

: 00:30:05

And then once you are comfortable with

that, you can modify it and add things

619

: 00:30:10

just based on what you're interested in.

620

: 00:30:12

So I always recommend some sort

of facial exfoliator of some sort,

621

: 00:30:18

a couple times a week, um, and.

622

: 00:30:21

way to do that is our iron

polished facial exfoliator.

623

: 00:30:24

For, for example, you wanna make

sure you apply it to dry skin.

624

: 00:30:26

You don't wanna put it in wet, and

then you let it sit for the number of

625

: 00:30:29

minutes that your skin can tolerate

and then you can rinse it off.

626

: 00:30:32

And it's both of, um, it has

exfoliants that are part of

627

: 00:30:35

the ingredients, but also.

628

: 00:30:36

In terms of the, um, what we would call

a chemical exfoliant, or there's also

629

: 00:30:41

a physical exfoliant in it as well.

630

: 00:30:43

So it's, it's really helping slough

off that dead top layer of skin and

631

: 00:30:47

help that, that cell turnover to

really just improve the appearance.

632

: 00:30:50

And then it also helps then absorb

the active ingredients in the

633

: 00:30:54

products you're using better,

634

: 00:30:55

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Mm-hmm.

635

: 00:30:56

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

when you, when you have that step.

636

: 00:30:58

if that would be my recommendation on

where to start, and then you can go

637

: 00:31:02

all sorts of directions from there.

638

: 00:31:03

There's some important, you

639

: 00:31:04

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

Start layering serums and stuff.

640

: 00:31:07

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638: Pep

641

: 00:31:07

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Yeah.

642

: 00:31:08

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

are important.

643

: 00:31:09

Yes.

644

: 00:31:09

Some sort of toner or essence step

is a, a great addition as well.

645

: 00:31:13

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Amazing.

646

: 00:31:14

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Yeah.

647

: 00:31:14

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: I'll

make sure to link a little skincare

648

: 00:31:16

guide as well if people wanna dive

into each, each one of those and what

649

: 00:31:19

each one of those does and everything.

650

: 00:31:21

But I also love the exfoliator.

651

: 00:31:23

I use it a couple times a week, and it is.

652

: 00:31:26

Just exactly what you said, it's self

care and it, it's just like the most

653

: 00:31:30

luxurious morning when I take the extra

five minutes to put that on my face.

654

: 00:31:33

I'm like, I know I'm taking care of

my skin, and it feels like a little

655

: 00:31:36

mini spa moment in my bathroom, so

one of my favorite products as well.

656

: 00:31:41

How,

657

: 00:31:42

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

awesome.

658

: 00:31:42

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

long should, in your opinion, someone

659

: 00:31:44

realistically give a product a try

before deciding like, oh, it's working

660

: 00:31:48

for me, or it's not working for me?

661

: 00:31:51

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Mm-hmm.

662

: 00:31:52

So I would say at least a month, as

long as your skin is tolerating it,

663

: 00:31:56

you know, if you had a reaction,

of course that's you're gonna stop.

664

: 00:31:59

And that can happen in any product.

665

: 00:32:01

Um, a good myth busting tip is just

because a product is clean and just

666

: 00:32:05

because it's primarily a derived

of plant ingredients, you know.

667

: 00:32:11

Does not make it exempt from

having potential allergies.

668

: 00:32:14

People can be allergic to anything.

669

: 00:32:15

So if you have a reaction to something

and you wanna stop it immediately,

670

: 00:32:18

of course, and consult your qualified

healthcare provider for next steps

671

: 00:32:23

because we can't give medical

advice even though it's challenging.

672

: 00:32:26

Um, 'cause that's my background.

673

: 00:32:28

Um.

674

: 00:32:29

I would say, so assuming that is not

the case, I would say give it a good

675

: 00:32:33

month to six weeks to really get a feel

for, for the product, how your skin's,

676

: 00:32:38

uh, how your skin's doing with it.

677

: 00:32:41

And then you also ideally

don't wanna be starting.

678

: 00:32:45

Six new products at the same time.

679

: 00:32:47

It's, it's great to kind

of ease into it that way.

680

: 00:32:50

You get to know them one by one.

681

: 00:32:52

If you go, if you start six at

the same time and one is not,

682

: 00:32:55

you know, working for you, you're

not gonna know which one it is.

683

: 00:32:57

Of course.

684

: 00:32:58

So it's good to just kind of

slowly bring them into the mix and

685

: 00:33:01

then you can get a feel for what

is best for, for your skin type.

686

: 00:33:06

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

I love that.

687

: 00:33:07

I have a question too.

688

: 00:33:08

I have heard people say that sometimes

when you're starting new skincare,

689

: 00:33:13

right, you have to like, your skin starts

breaking out before it cleans up, right?

690

: 00:33:18

Like it gets worse before it gets better.

691

: 00:33:20

What is, what is your

thought on that take?

692

: 00:33:23

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Yeah, I would say that's definitely

693

: 00:33:25

not the case for everyone, but

that absolutely can happen.

694

: 00:33:28

Um.

695

: 00:33:30

The way, uh, yeah, there's different

theories as to why that can happen.

696

: 00:33:33

Oftentimes it's your, it's an adjustment

period and your pH can be adjusting,

697

: 00:33:39

your oil production can be adjusting.

698

: 00:33:41

So it's definitely

something that can happen.

699

: 00:33:44

Um, yeah.

700

: 00:33:45

I would say in terms of our, our

ingredients, we make an effort to.

701

: 00:33:52

Um, on our approval process,

make sure that that ingredient is

702

: 00:33:55

not known for being comedogenic.

703

: 00:33:57

And this is a meaning cause.

704

: 00:33:59

Acne or cause any sort of congestion.

705

: 00:34:01

It's a tricky, tricky topic because kinda

like that vitamin E example I gave you.

706

: 00:34:05

A specific ingredient can be on one

of those lists where maybe it's like,

707

: 00:34:09

eh, it's not good, but it's not bad.

708

: 00:34:11

But the reality is, is because

you have to look at the specific

709

: 00:34:13

one you're referring to.

710

: 00:34:15

Has that been tested?

711

: 00:34:16

How is it made, what is it made of?

712

: 00:34:18

All those things.

713

: 00:34:19

So it, it's, it's, it's

tricky when you get.

714

: 00:34:23

People that are acne prone

trying to navigate this.

715

: 00:34:25

So we just by default require non-com

genic ingredients in all of our products

716

: 00:34:31

so people don't have to think about it.

717

: 00:34:32

don't have to worry about that.

718

: 00:34:33

Uh, I personally suffered from acne lots

of my life, so I am very, very sensitive

719

: 00:34:39

to the topic and I, the last thing I

wanna do is be congesting people's pores.

720

: 00:34:43

Um, so it's definitely,

definitely a priority

721

: 00:34:45

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: amazing.

722

: 00:34:46

Amazing.

723

: 00:34:47

As we close out here, what's

one small realistic step that

724

: 00:34:51

listeners can take this week to

move towards safer beauty choices?

725

: 00:34:57

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Oh gosh.

726

: 00:34:57

Um, I would say don't be overwhelmed.

727

: 00:35:02

Don't try to dive in and change

everything all at the same time.

728

: 00:35:05

That is not very economically sound.

729

: 00:35:08

It's not good for the environment.

730

: 00:35:11

Just switch things over as you run

out of them or as you feel ready and

731

: 00:35:15

comfortable and just one at a time.

732

: 00:35:17

Baby steps, even small changes can make

a really, really big impact over time.

733

: 00:35:22

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

Yeah, absolutely agree.

734

: 00:35:24

It took me a couple years

to get to where we are.

735

: 00:35:26

Um, and so little by little you'll

start learning the ingredients.

736

: 00:35:29

You'll start learning new brands and as

things run out, and I've heard a lot of

737

: 00:35:33

times in this space, like the stress.

738

: 00:35:35

That you can put on yourself can just

be just as harmful than the ingredients.

739

: 00:35:40

So don't stress about it, don't overwhelm.

740

: 00:35:42

Just go one by one for sure is

the best advice that we can give.

741

: 00:35:45

Um, well, everybody here knows

that I love crunchy so much.

742

: 00:35:48

I'm so, so just honored to partner with

you guys, but I wanna hear from you 'cause

743

: 00:35:52

I knew that yeah, you were just the best

person to bring on to talk about all this.

744

: 00:35:56

But I would love to just give you the

space to share how is Crunchy working

745

: 00:36:00

to stand out in the clean beauty market?

746

: 00:36:03

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638: So

we recently modified our, um, I guess our,

747

: 00:36:08

our name and our subtitle from, it used to

be crunchy, smart, conscious, beautiful.

748

: 00:36:14

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Yeah.

749

: 00:36:14

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

we have, have evolved into crunchy,

750

: 00:36:16

uncompromised, clean beauty, and

that's because we really have made the.

751

: 00:36:22

Effort and the investment not

compromise when it comes to safety

752

: 00:36:26

of ingredients, to not compromise

when it comes to performance

753

: 00:36:29

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Mm-hmm.

754

: 00:36:29

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

and to not compromise when

755

: 00:36:31

it comes to sustainability.

756

: 00:36:32

So I would say the way that we really

are standing out in the marketplace

757

: 00:36:38

among all of the, um, the noise that's

hard to filter through some, sometimes

758

: 00:36:44

really goes into those three categories.

759

: 00:36:46

And I could talk about each one of those.

760

: 00:36:48

At length if you'd like at any point.

761

: 00:36:50

But really, ultimately that's the, the

fastest way to summarize it is that we

762

: 00:36:55

just choose, we refuse to compromise.

763

: 00:36:58

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639: Totally.

764

: 00:36:59

Yeah.

765

: 00:36:59

And we see it in the results.

766

: 00:37:01

I've had friends who, and I've even

worn this as a bridesmaids in weddings.

767

: 00:37:04

I've had friends who have worn it as

brides in their weddings, and I feel

768

: 00:37:07

like that's the biggest testament when

people choose, uh, to trust products for

769

: 00:37:11

their wedding day and it lasts all day.

770

: 00:37:14

You know that it can truly

stand the test of time.

771

: 00:37:17

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

I agree.

772

: 00:37:17

That's fantastic.

773

: 00:37:19

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

Well, thank you Melanie, so much

774

: 00:37:20

for your time and all of the wisdom

that you shared with us today.

775

: 00:37:23

It was such a fun conversation.

776

: 00:37:26

melanie-petschke_2_02-12-2026_122638:

Absolutely.

777

: 00:37:27

Thank you so much.

778

: 00:37:28

It's an honor.

779

: 00:37:29

I appreciate all that you do as

well and, um, sharing our mission.

780

: 00:37:33

mari-wagner_2_02-12-2026_102639:

Yeah, totally.

781

: 00:37:33

We'll make sure to have all the links

below so people can find you guys.