The Chris Voss Show Podcast – JoAnn Fowler on Clean Beauty and Fighting Forever Chemicals

JoAnn Fowler on Clean Beauty and Fighting Forever Chemicals

Mysappho.com

About the Guest(s):
JoAnn Fowler is an Emmy-nominated makeup artist with over 30 years of experience in the film industry. She is the founder of Sappho New Paradigm, a pioneering Canadian clean beauty company. With a college diploma in childcare and an educational journey that included a transformative four-month stay in Kenya studying anthropology, ecology, and sociology, Joanne brings a unique perspective to the beauty industry. JoAnn’s initiative to create safer, PFAS-free makeup products has positioned her as a leader in the fight against harmful chemicals in personal care products.

Episode Summary:
In this engaging episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss interviews JoAnn Fowler, the founder of Sappho New Paradigm, about her revolutionary approach to clean and PFAS-free beauty products. With over 30 years as a makeup artist, JoAnn shares her journey from the film industry to founding her company, which prioritizes transparency and safety in cosmetic ingredients. Her passion for creating products free from harmful chemicals like parabens and PFAS offers valuable insights into the beauty industry’s challenges and innovations.

JoAnn explains the historical context and current issues surrounding harmful chemicals in cosmetics, highlighting how Sappho New Paradigm rigorously tests its products to ensure safety. She dives into her personal motivations and the pivotal moments that led her to embrace this cause, including the impact of endocrine disruptors and the far-reaching implications of PFAS in everyday products. Through her experiences and advocacy, JoAnn emphasizes the importance of consumer awareness and the need for a new paradigm in beauty standards.

Key Takeaways:
Transparency in Beauty: Joanne underscores the necessity for makeup brands to be transparent about their ingredients and the importance of consumers demanding safer products.
Impact of PFAS: The episode alerts listeners to the prevalence and dangers of PFAS chemicals in cosmetics, urging a switch to PFAS-tested products.
Personal Motivation: Joanne’s shift to clean beauty was inspired by a profound personal loss and a realization of the harmful impacts of certain chemicals, including their presence in newborns.
Challenges in Innovation: Developing PFAS-free products involves extensive testing and innovation, demonstrating the dedication behind Safo New Paradigm’s product line.
Consumer Education: Joanne advocates for consumers to educate themselves about the chemicals in their products and to transition slowly to safer alternatives.

Notable Quotes:
“My generation has done so much harm and we really need to turn things around and create a different world or we’re going to lose the world we have.”
“We need a different world or we’re going to lose the world we have.”
“The clean movement was looking at mainstream cosmetics and saying, you know what? We’re getting information here that is not good.”
“Choose the thing that you wear the most, because you have to do it on a budget. You can’t just change everything overnight.”
“We’re not here to buy a yacht. My company is about serving and moving a paradigm to a better world.”