In this 30-minute conversation, Becki pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to write responsibly in beauty media. We talk about the pressures of maintaining editorial independence in a world of brand partnerships, and the blurred lines between transparency, trust, and truth.
From navigating terms like “clean” and “non-toxic,” to resisting the urge to oversimplify complex science for the sake of a headline, Becki shares how she treads the gray areas with care. We also dive into how her voice shifts when ghostwriting versus bylining, what it means to write for both experts and everyday readers, and which trends she believes deserve more scrutiny.

Takeaways:

• Payment Never Equals Praise in Editorial Integrity: While commercial relationships keep media organizations afloat and money does change hands, payment cannot guarantee positive coverage. Journalists and PR teams are getting better at understanding that even long-term relationships guarantee tougher questions and pushing for clarity rather than automatic praise. Trust takes years to build and one compromised article to destroy.

• Scientific Training Opens Doors Beyond Accuracy: Getting a diploma in cosmetic science during lockdown allowed Becky to move beyond the "game of whispers" where information passes from formulators to R&D to marketers to PR to journalists. The formal training opened doors to speak directly with suppliers, ingredient experts, and attend industry conferences, enriching her network and allowing her to stand on the shoulders of cosmetic science giants.

• Living in the Gray Area Is Where Good Journalism Happens: Science isn't a string of absolutes—most ingredients aren't inherently good or bad, and scientific findings are called theories because there's always more evidence to come. The gray area is uncomfortable because people want clean narratives, but uncertainty helps avoid oversimplifying. The best experts say "these are the answers we have right now" rather than claiming absolute conclusions.

• Simplify the Pathway, Not the Conclusion: When communicating science, don't reduce the number of sources or depth of research just because information is more accessible through AI. Instead, simplify how you structure and present information—use the sandwich technique with an exciting benefit, bread of science to contain it, and a juicy takeaway that connects to reader experience. Multiple sources remain essential; AI is just a summarization tool, not a conclusion.

• Assume Curiosity, Not Expertise from Readers: Rather than ranking readers by knowledge level and "catering to the lowest," start with the assumption that all readers are curious. This is more universal and hooks both scientists who want to avoid eye-rolling oversimplification and beginners who don't want to feel overwhelmed. Write like you're explaining to a friend, building up progressively rather than segregating content by expertise level.

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:29 Welcome to Demystifying Cosmetics
01:06 Meet Becky Murray: Beauty Editor and Science Communicator
02:00 The Reality of Paid Product Reviews and Editorial Integrity
04:02 When Payment Can Never Equal Praise
06:09 Setting Boundaries: The Right to Publish Negative Feedback
07:08 Second Opinion Analysis: One Face Doesn't Know Everything
08:11 Edits and Headlines: Maintaining Control Over Meaning
09:05 Going Back to School: The Cosmetic Science Diploma
10:39 Breaking the Game of Whispers in Beauty Journalism
11:50 The Positive Space Approach to Beauty Writing
13:00 Living in the Gray Area: Science as Evolving Theory
14:50 Why Clean Narratives Don't Match Scientific Reality
16:31 [AD BREAK - Tagra's Cellucaps Line]
17:33 Navigating Clickbait Headlines and Shortened Attention Spans
19:01 Simplify the Pathway, Not the Conclusion
20:20 The Sandwich Technique: Benefit, Science, Takeaway
23:03 Writing for Mixed Audiences: Curiosity Over Expertise
24:40 The Becky Paragraph and Finding Your Voice
27:04 Ghostwriting as Translation: Amplifying Expert Voices
29:39 Collaboration in Brand Guidelines and Tone
30:55 Conclusion and How to Connect with Becky Murray