Hormones shift. Sensitivities increase. Products you’ve used for years suddenly irritate, inflame, or just stop working.
In this episode, I sit down with Stevie Smilas, founder of Zero Zero Skincare, to unpack what’s really hiding inside so-called “clean beauty” — from fragrance loopholes that allow hundreds of undisclosed chemicals, to palm-derived glycerin, endocrine disruptors, and label theatre designed to distract rather than inform.
We talk about why midlife is often the moment women begin questioning toxic load, how simplified routines can outperform complex ones, and why fewer ingredients — chosen well — can create stronger skin.
We also explore:
– Why retinol isn’t the only option
– Natural alternatives like bakuchiol, prickly pear seed oil, and seabuckthorn
– The case for transparent labelling and common ingredient names
– Why Zero Zero draws hard lines around palm oil and undisclosed fragrance
– How business can be both profitable and compassionate
This is a conversation about skin — but it’s also about values.
If you’re tired of bathroom overwhelm and marketing noise, this might be your midlife skincare reset.
Explore Stevie Smilas and Zero Zero Skincare here:
https://midliferebel.beam.ly/person/stevie-smilas
Chapters
0:00 Endocrine Disruptors And Carcinogens
0:15 Welcome And Midlife Awakening
2:30 Education As The Core Mission
5:10 Perfume’s Hidden Chemical Cocktail
7:10 Fertility, Fragrance, And Real-World Impact
8:20 Founding Zero Zero: From Need To Brand
11:40 Keeping Skincare Simple
14:40 Less Products, Better Skin
16:25 Big Beauty Is Big Pharma In Disguise
19:20 Retinol, Vitamin C, And Natural Alternatives
22:40 Transparent Labels And Seven Ingredients
25:10 Glycerin, Palm Oil, And Hard Lines
28:00 Midlife, Toxins, And Overload
30:20 Research Done For You
32:10 Bacuchiol, Prickly Pear, And Seabuckthorn
36:40 Organic Choices And Pricing Reality
40:35 Local Sourcing, Beeswax, And Single Origin
45:00 Coconut vs Jojoba: Two Moisturisers
48:10 Business With Impact: Who We Hire
53:00 Compassionate Work And Smart Operations