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Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

The Shocking Truth About Overconsumption in Beauty – And How Isan Elba Is Fighting Back

Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Minkoff

Society & Culture

4.8543 Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Too much of a good thing adds up fast. What starts as a little treat or “just one more thing” can quickly turn into clutter (and somehow… a very full apartment). This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sat down with Isan Elba, Founder & CEO of Beauty Access and Beauty Forward, two initiatives rethinking how the beauty industry approaches waste, access, and community. We talk about how a simple gifting event sparked her passion for giving back, how curiosity builds real confidence, and why creators don’t have to choose between making money and making an impact. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Isan Elba, Founder & CEO of Beauty Access & Beauty Forward  (01:46) The problem with donating beauty products (09:52) Making money without losing your values (12:07) When self-care becomes too much (14:57) Choosing better brands in a wasteful industry (18:24) Moving past performative good (22:39) Turning passion into long-term work (28:26) How to get involved with Beauty Forward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Beauty brands put out so many products.

0:04.0

And a lot of those products are actually based on trends.

0:07.0

Buying this next product isn't going to solve whatever I'm feeling right now.

0:12.0

Today's guest is not only is she gorgeous.

0:15.0

Let's just start there, but she is a creative producer.

0:18.0

She's a DJ. She's the founder of Beauty Access and Beauty Forward.

0:21.6

Isan Elba.

0:22.6

Sustainability or giving back, caring about others. Like, I always say, like, I don't feel like

0:27.7

I should be praised for this. I think that this should be the foundation of what people are

0:32.4

putting out into the world. We're all suffering from materialism. You've done something beautiful with it and you

0:38.6

have such a passion for what you do. So I'm so excited to talk to you today. I love being a creator,

0:43.3

but I think that being a creator is definitely a foundation for something, not necessarily my

0:48.2

full thing. You had no idea what you were doing. You don't take no for an answer. Where does that

0:53.0

drive? where does that

0:54.2

confidence come from?

0:55.3

The biggest thing is definitely fake it till you make it.

0:57.8

I faked this confidence, fake this, I know what I'm doing, energy.

1:02.4

Balance is what people are missing.

1:05.4

When you spend so much time just thinking about yourself and what's wrong with yourself

1:09.0

and how do I keep improving yourself, you don't get any other perspective. You don't actually know what you're missing.

1:24.1

I'm Rebecca Minkoff and this is superwomen. Each week, inspiring women are interviewed to uncover the unexpected journeys, the challenges, and the unwavering spirit that makes them powerful.

1:35.8

Get ready to be motivated by stories of resilience and discover the keys to unlocking your own potential.

...

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