In a digital age where brands fight to not fall into the trap of misinformation, Ekta Yadav took her extensive medical and research background—along with her passion for skin care—to become one of the leading authorities on facial care. There are lots of beauty podcasts out there, yet Skincare Anarchy is being dubbed as the skin authority podcast you need to know by many authorities in the beauty space. Here’s why.

Beauty News: Where did you come up with the concept for creating Skincare Anarchy?

Ekta Yadav: I created Skincare Anarchy out of the sheer frustration I felt as both a doctor and scientist when I saw how skin care was being marketed to the masses and how it did not go with the principles of good scientific training and ethics. I wanted people to have a resource that was straight from the source and give them answers regarding why a brand was created, who was behind it, and what the logic was for a product technology as it pertains to maintaining and improving skin health and appearance. I also wanted it to be a resource for a large number of budding entrepreneurs and young professionals so they could learn from the best and approach innovation from a more refined perspective.

BN: What is your background and how did it tie into the creation of your podcast?

EY: I am a medical doctor and researcher by training (I have an MD, MBA, MS, BS, BA, and sit on editorial boards of multiple reputable science and clinical journals). Many of my papers are heavily cited in the fields of toxicology, microbiology, and physiology.

BN: Who have been some of your favorite people to interview?

EY: I think the science-heavy interviews are definitely my favorite. Some that stand out to me are Jan Marini of Jan Marini Skin Research, Inc., an episode we recorded recently, and also our interviews with brands like Augustinus Bader, Dr. Dennis Gross, Dr. Orit Markowitz, and Dr. Michele Koo. But also some of my star-struck moments when I interviewed Mario Dedivanovic from Makeup By Mario; Olivia Palermo, Miss USA; Elle Smith, Miss Universe Top 10 Finalist 2022; Kate Somerville, and many others. I have interviewed over 300 professionals in less than two years so it’s definitely hard to pick!

BN: What are three of the most important things you’ve learned from your interviewees?

EY: I have learned how absolutely brilliant the minds of this industry are. I started the show by interviewing the editors of some of my most beloved magazines and it made me fall in love with the journalistic talent in the beauty industry. From trailblazers such as Steffanie Attenberg of SANDOW, Simone Oliver of Refinery29, and Jill Manoff of GLOSSY, it has been a learning experience every time. I wanted to create something that would truly feel like a backstage pass into the beauty of this industry, and I felt that by interviewing editors, it created a feeling that we all fit into this industry and that the editors and change makers were closer to our grasp than we realize.

Also, I have expanded my knowledge remarkably thanks to our medical guests and gained a much deeper understanding around topics related to the efficacy of OTC products, regulations around words such as “clean beauty “or “certified organic” and of course so much about how marketing intersects with science when it comes to skin care and the unfilled gaps in this union.

BN: How do you receive feedback from listeners? Do they help you select who you will interview next?

EY: Our listeners mostly reach out to us via voice messages and many times than not it is for direct advice about their skin and how they can find the products from an interview we have conducted. We always aim to educate our audience and so the choice of guests is very much aligned to the interests of our listenership.

BN: Where can listeners access your podcast?

EY: We are available on over seven major podcast platforms including Apple podcasts (now in the top 50 in the U.S. and top 20 in Australia for Beauty/Fashion) and also Spotify.

BN: Who would be some dream interviewees to feature on the podcast?

EY: I would absolutely love to host Oprah (I think that’s every Brown woman’s dream)! And also some amazing celebrities I see coming up in this space such as Gwen Stefani or Priyanka Chopra with her new hair care line.

BN: What can we expect to see from Skincare Anarchy in the upcoming months?

EY: We have some very fun projects in the works. Let’s just say we will be taking our podcast from audio-only to a more sensorial experience for our users. I can’t say too much but think of the hybrid version of your favorite magazine and podcast combined! We will also be launching our website in the coming months. Lots more interviews as always, along with a way for listeners to do full consultations with us in relation to the content we publish. Our goal at SA is to combine amazing art and quality information in an easily accessible format. We truly believe that knowledge is power, especially in an industry that is as robust and ever-expanding as is the beauty industry.