The Who What Wear Podcast: Rhode Cosmetic Chemist and BeautyStat Founder Ron Robinson on Crafting Cult Favorite Products and the Buzzy Ingredient That’s Not Worth the Hype

0:10Ron Robinson:Welcome to the Who What Wear podcast, your direct line for the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the ever-evolving world of fashion. I'm Who What Wear beauty director Erin Johns, and today I'm so excited to be sitting down with renowned cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson. Ron's first foray into the beauty industry was at Clinique in the 90s, and he's since worked on products for beauty giants like Revlon, Avon, L 'Oreal, and Lancome. He's also the founder of Beautystat, a brand he originally began as a blog and later transformed into a line of impeccable skincare products like his groundbreaking vitamin C formula.

0:50Ron Robinson:On top of all of that, he also became the chemist in residence of Haley Beaver's Road in 2022, which, as I'm sure you know, was just acquired by e.l.f. in an enormous $1 billion deal. I was thrilled to chat with Ron about formulating products for various brand needs, how social media impacts his work, and his favorite ingredients. It's all coming up on Who What Wear.

1:21Ron Robinson:Thank you so much for joining me, Ron. Erin, I'm super excited to be here today. It's been a while. I know. We've talked before and I always learn so much from you, so I'm really excited. Our audience is pretty well-versed in the beauty space, but for anyone who might not know, can you kind of explain what a cosmetic chemist does and how you got started in your career? Sure. So a cosmetic chemist is someone who researches, develops, and or formulates beauty products. So I've done all of that and have been doing so for the past 35 years. I started as a cosmetic chemist back in 1990. But what's interesting is that was not my initial goal.

2:02So I had ambitions of becoming a medical doctor. I had some pressure from my parents to go to med school. And after studying biology and chemistry in college, I actually applied and got into med school and realized it was not for me. And I dropped out, really disappointed my parents, and I had to get a job. And I was sending out resumes. And back in late 89, early 1990, Clinique, a division of the Estee Lauder companies, called me in for an interview. And they loved my passion, my experience in my research of chemistry and biology, and they hired me on the spot as a cosmetic chemist. So that's how I fell into this industry that I now love.

2:44Ron Robinson:Not a bad first place to land, clinic. Yeah, right. Yes, right. Were you particularly always interested in skincare or when did you first develop your own skincare routine or realize that that was important? I had no idea there was this world of science and research around cosmetics and skincare. So my earliest memory of me personally getting into skincare was, I don't know if you remember the Biore pore strips. These were like band-aids that you'd put across your nose, you'd let them dry, and then you'd pull them. And it would pull out all of these clogged pores. And it was something that provided this visual impact.

3:23It was kind of gross, really, when you think about it. But that was my first experience with being able to see some instant, in this case, gratification of cleansing my pores, if you will. So that was my first interaction or engagement with beauty before I actually became a cosmetic chemist.

3:40Ron Robinson:What would you say is the balance between science and art in your work that you do now? How creative do you get to be when you're a cosmetic chemist? I think a really good cosmetic chemist needs to be really creative because obviously my job is to know ingredients, how to put them together to make a product deliver results. What type of aesthetic do we want to create from this cream, lotion, serum, whatever it might be? What's the texture feel like? Is it matte? Is it watery? Is it a natural finish? Does it have a lot of playtime and slip? Does it absorb quickly? All of these things, the moment she actually opens up the jar, pumps the product out, what is that aesthetic?

4:23And I think that's where a lot of the creativity comes in that actually blends the science of ingredients as well as the texture to make it look and feel fantastic.

4:31Ron Robinson:Yeah, I feel like different people want different things. Some people really like a thick moisturizer where if I feel that I instantly back away and other people like something really thin, depending on who the consumer is for the particular brand that you're working with. But I know that you also have your own brand, Beautystat, which started as a blog in 2009 and then transitioned into a skincare line, which I think the hero product was the vitamin C, which tons of celebrities love it. So can you share a bit about the early days of Beauty Stat and then what made you want to develop your vitamin C product and then the products that kind of spilled in after that?

5:08Yeah. So when I launched Beauty Stat, the blog, this is at a time where I thought the market was crowded. And I felt that if I left corporate, you know, at the time working as the head of product development for Avon back in the 2000s, what if I started a blog and a community where me, a cosmetic chemist, could educate consumers about ingredients as well as review products and help them cut through the clutter and actually find products that actually work for them. So it was during that time that I really got a lot of feedback from consumers around vitamin C. They loved this ingredient. They thought it was really beneficial for their skin, but there was a lot of frustration around, why is it unstable?

5:49Why does it oxidize? Why does it smell like hot dog water. And that got me thinking that if I could stabilize pure vitamin C, wouldn't that be the holy grail of beauty? And I made it a mission to stabilize pure vitamin C. So literally in my own lab, thousands of iterations and formulations until I got to this final formula that had a fantastic texture, delivered great results, but also was rock stable. And that's what prompted me to launch the brand Beauty Stat with this star now best-selling vitamin C serum, our Universal C Skin Refiner.

6:27Ron Robinson:When you say stable, how long do typical vitamin C serums on the market stay stable or good compared to how long yours does? A lot of vitamin C's that I see in the market, they can start the oxidation process pretty quickly. When a brand manufacturer gets it packed and shipped and onto the shelves, sometimes by the time I go and buy the product, it's actually starting to oxidize right there and then. So it could happen pretty quickly. Of course, airless packaging or opaque packaging, that could help delay the process, but really the oxidation process happens when there's any exposure to air or light.

7:03So in our vitamin C serum, we have the testing that shows that our product really is shelf stable three to five years. It doesn't oxidize. it does not turn brown or orange. It stays pure, potent, and delivers results. And its fragrance free does not have any odor as well. And that's what consumers really gravitated to our product for because of the stability of it and, of course, the results.

7:27Ron Robinson:Totally. I'm also always curious about how people choose which creations to keep for yourself, like with your own brand versus what you're willing to make for other brands. For example, I know that you have a vitamin C lip serum with SPF, but I'm sure you've made a lot of other lip products for other brands. So what makes this particular product fit within the Beautystat world? Yeah, I think the Beautystat customer, she tends to be millennial, Gen X, and those consumers are really starting to see more concerns, whether that's hyperpigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness. And in the case of our new vitamin C lip serum, they're actually looking for protection and correction around some of the lip lines that they're starting to see as they start to get up there in age.

8:15Obviously, the Gen Alpha and tweens are really into skincare. Beauty Step products, most of them are probably not for that consumer base. Our vitamin C is really one of the most potent on the market. I recommend And customers coming to us maybe late teens, but really 20s, 30s plus is when it's really great to be using a vitamin C, especially a powerful, potent one like ours. Other than that, those younger folks, probably it's too strong and they don't need it yet. for other lines like Haley Bieber's Rode. Her customer is Gen Z and her whole premise for the brand is really delivering barrier repair, hydration, that glazed donut look.

9:00And that's different from the Beauty Stat customer.

9:04Ron Robinson:I remember seeing that Haley was a huge fan of your vitamin C. And is that how you became involved with her brand Rode? Did she approach you or how did that partnership form? Yeah, she connected with me. and definitely heard of my products, loved my vitamin C serum, our eye cream moisturizer. She loved those products. You know, we talked back in 2020 and she shared with me the concept for Rode. And I was just blown away with her vision about creating this lifestyle brand and what she wanted the products to do and deliver for her customers. So it was just a fantastic ride to be on and to work with her.

9:41She's really brilliant and has such a strong vision and such a sophisticated taste level that is really unmatched.

9:51Ron Robinson:You've been in the industry for so long. I would love to hear your perspective on just how the beauty landscape has changed over the past few decades, because I feel like it's changed very quickly as someone who has only been in the industry not even 10 years. So as a cosmetic chemist, what kind of problems were you trying to solve when you first started at Clinique versus now in this crazy industry with so many brands and a lot of incorrect information swirling around and everything? Yeah, there's a lot of misinformation going on. I think in terms of how I'm trying to address consumer needs, they're pretty much the same as back in the 90s.

10:27Consumers want brighter, more even skin tone. They want improved texture. They want a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. They want firmness and improvement in elasticity. What's different now is that the consumer, thanks to social media, is really more educated now. Before, they used to really rely on the brands to educate them. So the big change is how social media has impacted the consumer. They know ingredients and they're noticing that not all creators are giving good information. So they're really now needing to cut through and decide who can I trust? And they're looking for experts, whether that's the dermatologist or the cosmetic chemist or the esthetician that really knows about skincare to really educate them.

11:13That's a big difference. And I think brands, and especially my brand, had to step up and become the educator first and foremost.

11:20Ron Robinson:So if you're on beauty TikTok, which I feel like most people that are listening to this probably are, you're constantly getting bombarded with new buzzwords and new trends. And I know that you're on TikTok and I'm so glad that you're on there spreading correct information. But in your opinion, what are some of the buzzy ingredients and products that people really should listen to the hype and really are worth it? Certainly vitamin C, peptides, another proven gold standard ingredient. What's exciting is that people are now really listening to experts around sunscreen. They are looking for new and exciting sunscreens that really work well with their skin type and tone.

12:00They're also looking at mineral and understanding that there are better mineral sunscreens out there as well. So I think those are the ones that have all the merit and have all the data to support that, yes, consumers should continue looking for those products that will work for them that contain those ingredients.

12:18Ron Robinson:And I know that we talked about vitamin C a little bit, but since you mentioned peptides, can you go into what peptides are doing for your skin that vitamin C isn't doing? Yeah, peptides, there are short chains of amino acids, and there's so many different types of peptides out there. And they could be made to do different things, whether that's to hydrate, repair the skin barrier. They can work to provide anti-inflammatory and calming and soothing benefits, or they could address firmness and wrinkles as well. So there are different types out there. The ones I recommend for the younger population are those more hydrating, barrier repair peptides.

12:53Even some of the plumping peptides can be great for younger consumers. And as you advance looking for more anti-aging concerns around expression lines and wrinkles and that sort of thing, then there are other peptides that you could use as well. At Beauty Set, we use different types of peptides. We have our new Peptide Wrinkle Relaxing Moisturizer. This is for the Gen X consumer that's looking for wrinkle relaxation, really an alternative to Botox in a jar, if you will. It's not a replacement. It's just an alternative if a consumer is afraid of needles or is concerned about the cost for going to a derm treatment.

13:29We're giving her a nice option that has some great clinical results against smoothing skin. And our new C-Lip Sur, we also have peptides that are working to help plump the lips and help to plump out those expression wrinkles around the lips as well.

13:42Ron Robinson:I once was talking to a dermatologist because a lot of products do like to make that claim of injections or Botox or whatever it is in a bottle. And he said it's more like if getting injections or going into a clinic for some type of treatment is like seeing a personal trainer, then daily what you're doing is just like your gym membership. And sometimes that consistency of what you're doing, which might seem smaller, is actually what will yield the most results long term. Exactly. Helps you maintain a little bit. Yes. So on the other side, is there anything that you see swirling around that you just wish you could wipe?

14:16Ron Robinson:Any myths or things that drive you nuts when you see it on social media? Beef tallow. Who is doing the PR for beef tallow? It's like, how did that ingredient become the cure-all? It addresses wrinkles. It prevents acne. It's a sunscreen. It does it all. And I think it's really ridiculous, some of the claims that are being made around this ingredient. Beef tallow is a fat that's rendered from beef. It's very greasy. And if you have really dry skin, I think it could be fine as an emollient. But I haven't seen any data to show that it is reducing wrinkles or can work as a sunscreen. And as far as acne, if anything, it's got to be poor clogging, given it's so rich and fatty in content.

15:02So that one blows my mind and that needs to be erased.

15:06Ron Robinson:Definitely one that spread like wildfire. And I do love that you are really interactive and you will respond directly to your online community, especially on TikTok. So has there ever been feedback that you've received via TikTok comments that you've taken to heart and then applied in either products that you're thinking about coming out with or reformulating in your existing products? For sure. So we launched two shades of our C-Lip Serum. I'm blown away with the reviews, five-star reviews. We are hearing from consumers that they want more shades. So stay tuned for new shades of our Beauty Stats C-Lip Serum to come.

15:44Ron Robinson:And how long does that process take when you are reformulating from start to finish? It really varies. So this product from the concept has been over two years, because keep in mind the challenge here was combining a mineral sunscreen with vitamin C and delivering a really glossy shine and feel to the lips. You think about zinc oxide, which is the sunscreen ingredient we use. It's very matte. It's a matte powder. How do you get a big chunk of matte powder in a product to really deliver shine? It took us over two years to get that product ready for launch. And in terms of the shade extensions, shorter amount of time, because it's a matter of just getting the right pigments added to that.

16:24But even from a quick perspective, if it's something that we could really go in the lab and I get it done and it's a winner, it could take a year or so before it actually comes to market. With our vitamin C serum, Universal C Skin Refiner, this was five years in the making. So it really depends on the product and what it takes to formulate and bring all the ingredients we want into it to deliver what we wanted to deliver.

16:48Ron Robinson:What products were easier for you to formulate from the get-go? When we launched our vitamin C serum, we had a companion moisturizer, which is probably one of our most underrated products, our Pro Bio Moisture Boost Cream. It's your everyday moisturizer that everyone needs. It's lightweight, fast absorbing, repairs your barrier, great for all skin types and tones. And it's one of those products that really came together really quickly and we were able to launch along with our vitamin C serum when we first launched the brand. I love that moisturizer. It's a great one. I break out easily, so it's hard for me to find a moisturizer that I really like and I feel like doesn't weigh things down.

17:27Right. You're very lightweight.

17:29Ron Robinson:Before I let you go, is there anything else that you're working on right now that we can look forward to from you? I think I hinted at some things we're launching in terms of shade extensions of our C lip serum. So I'm excited about that. And then we have some top secret things that are coming. At Beautystat, we're always looking for new and exciting ingredients and bringing really exciting innovation to the market. So stay tuned. Yeah, that's actually one thing that I appreciate about Beautystat too, is you're not launching five products every month, which it sometimes seems like brands do. So you know, if you're coming out with something, it's going to be very special and intentional.

18:06Ron Robinson:So I'm excited. Exactly. Very intentional. Well, thank you so much. Thank you so much, Erin. Appreciate the time. Thank you.

18:20Ron Robinson:A huge thank you to cosmetic chemist and founder of Beauty Stat, Ron Robinson. Make sure to subscribe to our show wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode. and while you're there, I'd also be so grateful if you'd rate and review us. If you have guest suggestions or any other feedback, drop us a line at podcast at whowhatwear.com or you can find us on social at Who What Wear. See you next Wednesday on the Who What Wear podcast. This episode was produced by Hilary Kerr, Summer Hamaris, and Natalie Thurman. Our editor is Ko Takasuki Turnovan. Our audio engineers are at Glen Canyon Audio and our music is by Jonathan Leahy.