Untoxicated - The Truth About “Safe” Skincare Labels

The Story of a Brand

Ramon Vela

Business, Entrepreneurship

5 • 145 Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

From the moment I met Annie Meyer, Co-founder & CEO of Untoxicated, I could tell she was building something special.

In this episode, we dive deep into her journey with Untoxicated, a mission-driven skincare brand formulated for people with sensitive skin and built around science, empathy, and real impact.

Annie opens up about the personal skin struggles that led her to co-found the brand, how she partnered with an allergist from the Cleveland Clinic, and what it means to create skincare that’s not just clean but truly allergen-free.

We also discuss entrepreneurship, product-market fit, and what it takes to build a brand that prioritizes people over profit. Annie’s insights on distribution, innovation, and bootstrapping are gold for any founder trying to break into the crowded CPG space.

Here are some key moments from the episode:

* Why “less is more” when formulating products for real skin sensitivities

* How saying “no” to retailers helped them stay focused on long-term scale

* The power of DTC and Amazon to build trust before entering retail

* The decision to price products accessibly, even when investors pushed back

* Why partnering with a doctor sets a new standard for skin health

Join me, Ramon Vela, in listening to the full episode and get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to launch a truly purpose-driven brand in beauty.

For more on Untoxicated, visit: https://www.untoxicated.com/

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Today’s Sponsors:

Compass Rose Ventures - Advisor for CPG Brands: https://compassroseventures.com/contact/

Compass Rose Ventures can help your CPG brand increase customer lifetime value, expand into the US market, create an omnipresent omnichannel footprint, optimize customer journeys, build brand communities, and more. Visit the link above to learn more.

Workspace6 - Private Community for 7, 8, 9-figure Brands: https://www.workspace6.io/

Workspace6 is a private community where over 950 seven, eight, and nine-figure brand operators trade insights, solve problems, and shortcut growth. It's the anti-fluff operator's room, and for your first 30 days, it's just $1. Get real answers and skip the trial and error.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The reality is that our products are really intended just to help create better skin health.
0:08.0	So while we talk about sensitivity, you know, I've got sensitive skin, but I also have
0:11.9	combo skin, I'm apnea prone and aging, right? I've got a lot of needs. Oh, many of us do.
0:16.8	And so the way we like to talk about our products is that we're the touchstone that you can use to make sure that you're maintaining the health of your skin so that you're better able to use some of these anti-aging products, right?
0:29.4	Some of these other kind of harsher treatment specific things that if your skin isn't healthier or isn't in a good place, it won't even be able to tolerate those ingredients.
0:39.4	So you won't even be able to get the benefit from them.
0:47.7	Hey, everyone, this is Ramon Vela. And this is another episode of the story of a brand.
0:57.5	Like always, we have an amazing guest and brand that we're going to feature on today's show.
1:01.9	But before we do, hi, I speak to hundreds of founders and CEOs of CPG brands each year,
1:08.3	and they are facing unprecedented challenges from changing consumer behavior,
1:13.6	inflation, election year anxiety, the cost of capital, and more. However, finding an experience
1:20.6	knowledgeable advisor shouldn't be challenging. And that's why I'm personally recommending that you
1:27.1	reach out to Compass Rose Ventures,
1:29.9	whether you're looking for help positioning your brand and messaging,
1:33.4	diversifying your marketing portfolio, preparing for retail expansion,
1:38.5	or fine-tuning your existing retail strategy,
1:41.3	or maybe preparing your brand and financials for investors or acquisition.
1:46.8	Simply visit compassroseventures.com. That's compassroseventures.com to learn more.
1:55.0	Welcome back, everyone. This is Ramon Vela, and I have an amazing brand that has sent me products and I can really, I don't know if you guys can see that, but we'll talk all about the product in a second, but I can't wait to dive in.
2:11.0	She sounds amazing and I want to know everything about her and the brand and why she does what she does.
2:17.9	And of course, everything about the product.
2:19.8	So please welcome Annie Meyer, who is the co-founder and C-OO of Untoxicated.
	...

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