Podcast 257: Meet the solid brand disrupting beauty norms

What if your beauty routine was part of the problem – and the solution?

Imagine a beauty product so innovative that it tackles overconsumption, packaging waste, and water scarcity while still delivering on luxury and performance. Sounds impossible? Not for Disruptor London, a bold beauty brand rewriting the rules of beauty.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica, is joined by Sira Naidu, the co-founder of Disruptor London, and a a student in our International Organic Skincare Entrepreneur Program.

Disruptor London’s multi-tasking, solid formulations challenge traditional beauty norms by offering high-performance alternatives that eliminate plastic, reduce water waste, and simplify personal care routines.

This isn’t just a brand – it’s a movement. And this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

“Sustainability isn’t a trend – it’s essential. We have an obligation to create responsible solutions for the future of beauty.” — Sira Naidu

In this episode with Sira Naidu, you will hear:

• The journey from beauty sales to brand founder. How Sira’s background in chemical engineering and decades in beauty retail led to launching Disruptor London.
• What makes Disruptor London unique. Learn how the brand’s solid, multi-tasking beauty bars eliminate water, plastic, and overconsumption.
• Rethinking beauty packaging. Why standard options weren’t enough and how Disruptor London created its own innovative, compostable storage solution.
• Sustainability as a brand foundation. How Disruptor London was ranked #1 on the Good on You Scale for beauty sustainability.
• Advice for aspiring beauty entrepreneurs. Sira shares how taking things slow and talking to real consumers is the key to success.

Key takeouts include:

• A disruptive approach to beauty. Disruptor London is not just another eco-friendly brand. It’s redefining how we think about beauty consumption by eliminating excess products and packaging.
• Multi-tasking formulas with real results. The brand’s solid bars replace multiple products in your routine while still providing salon-quality hair and skincare benefits.
• Innovative and responsible packaging. Disruptor London designed its own compostable cases, ensuring solid products stay dry and travel-friendly without waste.
• The importance of customer feedback. The brand built a focus group from scratch, prioritising real-world testing over assumptions.
• The shift towards premium solid beauty. While solid formats were once considered budget-friendly or niche, Sira believes the industry is heading towards high-end, performance-driven solid formulations.

Meet our guest – Sira Naidu, co-founder of Disruptor London

Sira Dheshan Naidu, originally from South Africa, has built a 20-year career in the health and beauty industry.

With a background in chemical engineering and extensive experience in beauty sales and marketing, Sira co-founded Disruptor London to challenge conventional beauty norms.

The brand focuses on sustainability by eliminating water from formulations, reducing packaging waste, and creating high-performance, multi-purpose products.

Find out more about Disruptor London:

• Website: Disruptor London
• Instagram: @disruptorlondon

Special offer for listeners: Sign up for Disruptor London’s newsletter and receive 20% off your first purchase.

Related episodes:

• Podcast 94: How do we make solid formulations feel luxury?
• Podcast 149: SBTRCT: The brand redefining solid skincare

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.