The Truth About “Toxic” Skincare | With Toxicologist Rani Ghosh

Kicking off Season 2 with a bang, Skin Ageing Unlocked returns with one of the most important conversations in beauty right now: Are your skincare products actually toxic?

In this episode, co-hosts journalist Fiona Clarke and The Skin Diary co-founder Dr. Clare Kiely are joined by Rani Ghosh, UK and EU registered toxicologist with 15+ years of experience, specialising in chemical and product safety with a focus on skin health.

She has worked with global governments and industry bodies, leading safety strategies for cosmetics and medical devices. She also serves on the executive committee of the British Toxicology Society as an independent assessor for the UK and EU registers of toxicologists.

Rani is a registered specialist in chemicals for the UK government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards. In short: Rani knows her stuff when it comes to safety regulations for your beauty products. Together, they debunk common beauty product myths and phrases, including ‘low-tox’, ‘chemical-free’, natural products being ‘better’ and preservatives being ‘bad’.

They discuss why many ingredient scanning apps aren’t going to give you accurate answers — and which one they recommend instead. Plus, they tackle contentious topics such as endocrine disruption (and what this actually means), paraben and preservative safety, sunscreen and vitamin D, plus allergies and sensitivities. Rani ultimately reassures that her job is consumer safety and that ‘presence is not the same as harm.’ Our beauty products are safe thanks to professionals like Rani, who are dedicated to our safety.

This episode is about cutting through fear, understanding risk, and helping you feel confident about the products you use every day. 

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