How-to Think (And Shop!) Like a Cosmetic Chemist with Glow by Ramón

Breaking Beauty Podcast

Dear Media, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins

Style541811, Arts, Society & Culture, Magazineeditors, Fashion & Beauty, Jilldunn, Carlenehiggins, Beautyeditors, Fashion, Beautyexpert, Beauty

4.7 • 996 Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2026

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

@GlowByRamon is in the house! This week, we’re getting nerdy with NYC-based cosmetic chemist, product developer and aesthetician, Ramón Pagán. Nearly 350,000 social media fans tune in to Ramón’s all-revealing videos, whether he’s pulling back the curtain on mystery ingredients, sharing the secrets to viral skincare formulations or personally whipping up something to achieve glass skin. Today, Ramón delivers his beauty cheat sheet to think (and shop!) just like a cosmetic chemist.

But first, tune in for a rapid fire round of The Traitors – *skincare edition* – in partnership with our friends at Sephora, where Carlene is on the hot seat to prove which skincare habits are trustworthy, or traitorous lol.

In our conversation with Ramón, you’ll learn about:

What makes an ingredient “expensive”? Are any $300 creams worth the coin?
Behind the sunscreen headlines: Why Ramón believes that the recent avobenzone data needs to get more news.
“Alcohol-free”: Does your makeup or skincare actually need to be alcohol-free to be safe and/or effective?
What makes an ingredient “active” or not?: The real difference between glycerin and vitamin C.
What Ramon makes of the “friction” online between cosmetic chemists, creators, founders and more. Is there a “right” side?
Stay tuned to the end for a “Save or Splurge” cosmetic chemist edition – Ramon shares the products you *actually* need to invest in vs save on.
The exact products that Ramón has emptied - time and time again.

🚨BIG NEWS: Breaking Beauty Podcast is going LIVE this March! We’re heading to Brooklyn on March 2 and Toronto on March 5th for live podcast events, hosted by Jill and Carlene. Keep an eye on our Instagram for the full scoop on how to get tickets before they’re gone! Gift bags, gab sessions and much more. We can’t wait to see you.

A Message from today’s show sponsor:

Sephora has quality skincare for every skin type, and knowledgeable Beauty Advisors who you can trust for recommendations. You’ll find top brands like Summer Fridays, Rhode, Laneige and Caudalie. Shop Skincare at Sephora!

Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode! Find us on Instagram, Tiktok,X, Threads. Join our private Facebook group. Or give us a call and leave us a voicemail at 1-844-227-0302. Sign up for our Substack here. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to watch our episodes!

For any products or links mentioned in this episode, check out our website: https://breakingbeautypodcast.com/episode-recaps/

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*Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are gratis media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*

Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn

Theme song, used with permission: Cherry Bomb by Saya 

Produced by Dear Media Studio

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The following podcast is a dear media production.
0:08.1	Welcome to Breaking Beauty, the podcast, all about the breakthrough people, products, and moments in beauty.
0:13.8	We're your host, Jill Dunn and Carleen Higgins.
0:24.0	Welcome back to Breaking Beauty Podcast, everyone.
0:28.1	Of course, this is the show all about the breakthrough people, products, and moments in beauty.
0:32.5	I'm Jill Dunn, one of your co-hosts, sitting here alongside my podwife for life, Carleen.
0:33.0	Hey, here.
0:56.0	So, Carleen, of course, we're too long time magazine beauty editors, turn beauty podcasters, and we're in your feeds each and every Wednesday. And before we get into today's episode, we just have to do a little PSA because there's a lot going on around here. Yes, we are doing a couple of live events. Yes. And that's so exciting. It's been a minute. We're doing not just one. We're doing two.
1:02.2	Yes. Basically back to back. Yeah. One will take place in Toronto, our hometown. And one of them's in Brooklyn. Yeah. Of course, it wouldn't be a live podcast event if we didn't have our audience join us.
1:07.2	The one in Brooklyn is on March 2nd. We can reveal that and the one in Toronto is on March 5th.
1:12.0	Stay tuned to our Instagram so you can find out details on how to RSVP. There's going to be swag bags,
1:17.6	great conversations, and being together, it's just the best. Yes, love that. And we talk to the best
1:25.6	people in the beauty industry. We are so lucky going into our ninth year.
1:29.4	We speak to a lot of amazing founders, dermatologists, estheticians, and cosmetic chemists.
1:36.1	That is our epic guest today. It is Ramon Paghan, and he has nearly 350,000 followers across social media, Carleen.
1:44.6	So that's TikTok, Instagram, YouTube.
1:47.1	And his audience really knows him best as Globe I Ramon because he's taking you behind the scenes.
1:52.5	Yes.
1:53.0	Opening up that lab coat and letting us know what goes into a formulation, whether it be
1:57.4	skincare, makeup.
1:58.8	And he's just a huge, passionate beauty buff himself.
2:03.1	Yes, absolutely. And the skin was glowing. Yeah. And I have to say now that I'm a beauty
	...

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