Introducing the Clean + Conscious Awards 2022 Expert Panel
Our awards celebrate products that work in perfect harmony with our bodies, our environment, and our society.
We are hugely grateful to our Expert Panel this year who play the vital role of hands-on testing and scoring products to help decide the winners of the Clean + Conscious Awards 2022.
Neha Hobson
Content Creator & Beauty Writer
Neha Hobson is a content creator and published beauty writer in the ethical beauty and fashion niche, with over 15 years of international experience in the beauty industry.
She works with global brands in various marketing capacities, and her services include content writing, copywriting, guest and blog writing, as well as Instagram collaborations to increase awareness and credibility for brands.
With a notable audience, Neha feels a responsibility to educate and introduce her followers to ethical alternatives and help them make the switch, whilst showcasing that ethical beauty and fashion can be glamorous.
Her work has been published in numerous international magazines and industry publications. She is also an advocate for clean, non-toxic skincare, and believes that true beauty is holistic and must be cultivated from within. The beauty news on her website features various skincare, inner beauty, and makeup articles as well as guest contributions from ethical businesses. Find it over at www.beautybyneha.com or connect with her on www.instagram.com/neha_ethicalbeauty
Melissa Mai
Yoga & Embodiment Teacher
Melissa Mai has been teaching Yoga for almost 9 years. She’s passionate about mental and emotional health and empowering women to live in their fullest expression. An Advocate for low tox living, and sustainable choices. She lives a slow and nature filled life in Northern NSW with her 2.5 year old daughter Grace.
Sigourney Cantelo
Editor & Founder of Beauticate
One of Australia’s best-known and highly-respected beauty and health experts, Sigourney spent nearly 20 years working across digital, print and television. Her website, Beauticate, is one of the countries most popular beauty and lifestyle sites, with a readership of nearly 150,000 per month across all platforms. She and the team recently launched a sustainability section on the site, GO GREEN, which features clean and conscious brands alongside tips and tricks to living a more environmentally aware life. Prior to Beauticate, Sigourney was beauty and health director at Vogue Australia, Glamour, Body & Soul and New Woman. She is regularly called upon for comment in the media on shows such as Sunrise, A Current Affair, Nine News and Channel 10’s The Circle for whom she was resident beauty expert. On her site and popular social media channels, Sigourney creates honest, warm and beautifully-crafted how-to stories and videos, bringing authority and experience to the world of online beauty.
Sarah Berry
Lifestyle Health Editor at SMH & The Age
The Lifestyle Health Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Sarah is also a mum of two girls, an advocate of all things organic, a qualified yoga teacher, an unqualified wine snob, a professional health guinea pig, and an unprofessional runner.
Brittanie Dreghorn
Editor – Britt’s List
Brittanie Dreghorn is the founder and editor of Britt’s List – an online fashion publication dedicated to telling the stories behind Australian fashion brands that lead their industry in environmental sustainability and ethical treatment of people and animals. Her interest and knowledge in fashion, sustainability and marketing forms her expertise around ethical business and communications. Since launching Britt’s List in 2017, Britt has made it her mission to raise awareness of the issues in the fashion industry and help promote and profile fashion brands that are making genuine efforts in sustainability. Off the back of Britt’s List, Britt runs monthly sustainable fashion walking tours in Brisbane and speaks regularly at events for businesses, fashion industry people and individuals who want to learn more about sustainability. She’s a thought leader in the industry and a passionate ambassador for truly ethical brands everywhere.
Ash Quinn
Makeup Artist & Content Creator
Ash is a professional makeup artist, mum and content creator with a passion for learning to navigate slow living and conscious consumption in the modern world. Ash has a pragmatic approach to sustainability and is a gentle activist for making lifestyle changes that benefit not only the environment but also better the lives of individuals and households. Small steps add up over time to big changes. She is also a big supporter of small businesses and loves sharing her finds with her audience.
Jade Woodd
Food Blogger + Naturopath
Jade is a passionate naturopath, nutritionist, recipe developer and food photographer from Melbourne, Victoria. When not being a full-time mumma to her 3 daughter she is busy developing wholesome, allergen-friendly recipes on her blog, Panaceas Pantry, or working in her veggie garden. www.panaceaspantryblog.com
Rhys Ripper
Creative Director / Stylist / Father Agent
Working as a Creative Director, Stylist, Model Manager and Editor, Yorta Yorta man Rhys Ripper has a career spanning almost 20yrs. Launching Australian’s first online men’s magazine Academy for Men 2007-2011 was only the beginning which saw his career blossom to international recognition. Recently you can see his work in Vogue, GQ, Harpers Bazaar, and Marie Claire with clients such Country Road, Sportscraft, RM Williams and Adairs under his belt, adding this his portfolio Ripper presented several significant First Nation’s shows as Creative Director & Head Syylist at this & last years Australian Fashion Week, plus Melbourne Fashion Festival 2022, Country to Couture 2021 and Melbourne Fashion Week 2021. Ripper is also the founder of creative group Cobber Creatives plus a mentor with Mob in Fashion.
Montana Lower
Activist, Artist + Sustainable Engineer
Montana is a mother, sustainable engineer, artist and activist. After travelling the world exploring the reality of foreign trade and experiencing the dark side of the beauty industry first hand, she returned home filled with passion and inspiration to pave the way for a truly sustainable solution for skincare. Montana, now joined by her fast growing team, uses Bluem’s profit for purpose business model as a vessel to combat climate change by healing our relationship with ourselves & the earth and inspiring change amongst her 250,000+ community of conscious consumers.
Amy Starr
Beauty Journalist
Amy Starr has worked as a beauty journalist at some of the country’s preeminent fashion titles for more than 15 years, including for magazines like ELLE and Vogue. A highly-experienced writer, stylist and creative director, Amy is also a mother of two. She has a passion for uncovering unique products and championing innovative makers to a whole new audience of fans. Her affection for the natural category began in childhood, where natural remedies and alternative therapies like massage (courtesy of a therapist parent) were regularly employed.
Julie Mathers
Founder Flora & Fauna, CEO Snuggle Hunny
Julie Mathers is the CEO of Snuggle Hunny which she acquired in Feb 2022. She is a seasoned retailer and entrepreneur having worked at some of the world’s largest retailers and 8 years ago started Flora & Fauna, Australia’s largest eco store. She is a leader driven by purpose and values and thrives on building brands, and creating change through better business. Flora & Fauna won several awards under Julie’s leadership including the coveted Telstra Small Business of the Year in 2018. Julie is well respected in the industry . She was named Number 1 in the 2021 and 2019 “Top 50 People in Australian eCommerce” and Industry Person of the Year in 2022 for the Online Retail Industry Awards and for the Retail Global Awards.
Bianca O’Neill
Arts & Culture Editor at Time Out
Bianca O’Neill is a culture and fashion columnist and arts critic with over a decade’s experience as a journalist and editor. Previously holding the editor’s chair at Urban List, Authentic Entertainment, Foxtel Music Channels, and The Music Network, she is currently Arts and Culture Editor at Time Out, as well as a contributor to Rolling Stone Magazine and fashion industry columnist at Fashion Journal. You can also find her blogging as a top writer in fashion and feminism on independent publishing platform Medium, or driving discussion about everything from politics to red carpet fashion fails on her well-followed Instagram at @bianca.oneill. She is currently working on her first science fiction novel (but don’t ask her when it will be finished).
Stephanie Kurlow
Ballerina
Stephanie Kurlow is a ballet dancer from Sydney, Australia with Russian heritage. Stephanie became renowned through her quest to become the first professional hijab-wearing ballerina in the world. Stephanie has become a strong advocate of inclusion and diversity within the performing arts industry and continuously works towards the representation of diverse people. In 2019 Stephanie was a part of the Converse worldwide ‘Love the Progress’ campaign and has worked with brands like Nescafe, Koala and Michael Hill. For the past two years Stephanie has been working with The Wiggles as a dancer and performer in their TV and film work. She was also given the opportunity to be part of their Wiggles Big Show Australia tour as a dancer, performing in major arenas in almost every city with The Wiggles. In 2018 Stephanie received a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Danish Ballet Summer School and toured Europe solo at 16yrs of age. Last year during the COVID-19 lockdown, Misty Copeland asked Stephanie to be a part of her Swans For Relief campaign and video. Where 32 ballet dancers from 14 countries came together to perform The Dying Swan variation to raise money for their respective companies/organisations. Stephanie’s dream is to one day open her own performing arts academy and company that embraces people of different races, religions and backgrounds. She is now dedicating her time to perfecting her art form and hopes to join a professional ballet company in the near future.
Catherine Jia
Slow Fashion Content Creator / Advocate
Slow fashion content creator and advocate, Catherine Jia (@project.catherine) is using her platform to make you rethink about your relationship with things, particularly clothes. She has appeared on various podcasts and digital publications (including Nova’s Build Your Brand, Refinery 29, Good on you, SBS News) speaking on a range of slow fashion topics to encourage people to adopt a slower and more thoughtful approach to consuming fashion. Since launching her platform in 2020, Catherine continues to remind her community that it’s more than ok to outfit repeat and to support fashion brands that are committed to sustainability and ethical working conditions.
Corrine Sultana
Founder The Low Tox Project
Corrine is the founder of the all things low tox space – The Low Tox Project. With a desire to bring low tox concepts to the wider community and provide a brand neutral, one stop low tox portal for information, the popular Facebook community was born. Corrine is a Certified Low Tox Coach who provides a variety of coaching and consulting services as well as an online directory via TLTP website. With a background in Project and Change Management, and tertiary study in Science (Psychology) and Training, Corrine is driven to help people, especially assisting them through change. She has a passion for making a difference in people’s lives.
Lottie Dalziel
Sustainability Expert & Founder of Banish
Lottie Dalziel is a sustainability expert and Gritty Pretty’s Sustainability Editor. She lives and breathes beauty and loves talking to people about it, debunking greenwashing to beauty myths and hacks! If she’s not typing away at her keyboard you’ll find her by the ocean.
@lottiedl on IG and Lottie Dalziel on Linked In and Tik Tok.
Fiona Morouco
Content Creator
Fiona is a mum to Harrison and Theodore who keep her on her toes! She firmly believes that it’s the small steps you take to make a change that truly matter. If everyone were to make small, simple swaps to sustainable and ethical products, it would all add up! Fiona loves to try new products and share the gems with her Instagram community.
Shahrzad Kahrobai
Eco Conscious Influencer/ Content Creator
Shahrzad is the influencer and content creator behind, thespotbeauty on Instagram. She is passionate about sustainability, eco conscious beauty products and wellness. Shahrzad has in depth knowledge about plant based ingredients in skincare and cosmetic products – with studies in nutrition.
Veronica Milsom
Comedian & Host of Zero Waste Baby podcast
Veronica Milsom is a writer, radio host, actress and comedian. Veronica is the host and creator of the comedy doco podcast Zero Waste Baby, which won Best Original Podcast at 2021’s Commercial Radio Australia Awards. She’s also best known as a former co-host on Triple j’s Drive show and cast member in the ABC sketch comedy series Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell. Veronica made her start writing and performing popular skits on ABC TV’s Hungry Beast, she then wrote and created The Record, a television pilot produced by Porchlight Pictures (Animal Kingdom, The King). When she’s not acting, writing or making radio, Veronica can be found in front of a keyboard penning articles for ABC Everyday, Sydney Morning Herald and magazine publications.
Courtney Dow
Conscious Living Advocate
Courtney is a Sunshine Coast mama of 3 with a passion for all things conscious and low tox living. Through her business The Conscious Coven she empowers women to make simple swaps in their home to improve their health and be kinder to the earth. Courtney loves sharing DIYs and injecting fun & humour into everything she does. You can find her on Instagram over at @theconsciouscoven
Erin Norden
Founder of Clean Beauty Market
Erin is the Founder of Clean Beauty Market, Australia’s leading clean beauty retailer with 80+ global leading brands available online and in-store.
Emma Meyer
Content Creator, Teacher, Homeschooling Mum
I’m a homeschooling, stay at home mum of four amazing girls, aged between 7 months and 7 years, and a university trained primary and early childhood teacher. Before I became a mum I was a passionate and enthusiastic teacher (in both the early childhood and primary settings), and since having my own beautiful children I have become even more passionate about the importance of play in childhood, which I champion through my Instagram (and Facebook) page @play_at_home_mummy
I’m wildly obsessed with my kids, thoroughly love homeschooling, fascinated by all things related to child development, and a self-confessed chocoholic.
Claire Karlson
Photographer & Content Creator
I am Claire & mama to three darlings aged four & under. We’ve recently moved to the beautiful Hunter Valley NSW. I absolutely love taking photos of my babies which has led me to become a photographer and content creator on Instagram (@chasing.my.darlings).
Niccii Kugler
Founder of NASH + BANKS
Niccii Kugler is a Climate Reality Leader, mother of two and the founder of NASH + BANKS, a one-stop-shop for people looking to curate their lives with products that have a positive impact. With both an online platform and a physical store in Avalon Beach in Sydney, Niccii and the team at NASH + BANKS thoughtfully source the best quality ethical and sustainable solutions available today.
Visit Nash + Banks at www.nashandbanks.com or @nashandbanks
Samantha Gilmore
Photographer/Content Creator
Hi I’m Samantha (Sam) and I’m a mama to 3 little babes; Emilie, Lawson and Archer. I live in NSW where we help run the family farm which consists of stud sheep and cattle. I have a passion for photography which is why I love the creative outlet my Instagram (@wearethegilmores) has given me. It gives me the opportunity to continue to learn and grow as a creator while enjoying the amazing little community I have grown over the years.
Rebecca Sullivan
Author & Sustainability advocate, Yale World Fellow, Educator
Yale world fellow Rebecca Sullivan is an award winning author of eight books and sustainable living advocate. Known for her grannyskills movement and as co founder of Indigenous owned Warndu, rebecca has a masters in climate change and sustainable agriculture and is also a judge of many international awards such as Good food awards and the Australian food awards.
Lee Sutherland
Editor of This Wildling Life, Founder of Little Wildling Co
Lee Sutherland wears many hats – Founder of Little Wildling Co organic, B Corp certified herbal teas. Editor of This Wildling Life website which is home to all things sustainable living, beauty and health, Director of frankie+jet talent management and most importantly, mum to Ava and Jet. It is through wearing these hats she understands the importance of creating a business that is mindful and being as ‘green’ as possible, despite the challenges that can bring.
Carla King-Turner
Owner of The Greenhouse Retreats & Mooi + U Beauty
Carla King-Turner is a Clean beauty and self care advocate. A TV Presenter in previous life, now encouraging self care and wellness via retreats with incredible Australian Clean Beauty Brands.
Emily Fletcher
Founder – Clean + Conscious Awards
Emily is both the Founder and Head of Research & Education of the Clean + Conscious Awards (formerly the Australian Non-Toxic Awards.) She is a practising Optometrist and mother of two. Emily has postgraduate qualifications in Pharmacology and has studied Advanced Chemistry at university. She initially founded the Awards in 2019 after identifying the need to celebrate and empower brands and small businesses that produce safe, non-toxic and socially responsible products.
Dominique Scott
Holistic Health Advocate
Dominique has a Psychology background and completed her Ph.D. in mental health. Currently, she is training to be a nutritionist and wellness coach due to her belief that our food choices, and exercise practices, are fundamental to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
As a mum, she strives to instill a sense of social responsibility within her family and encourages consideration of the pivotal role we each play in the lives of others, humans and animals alike.
Emma Freeman
Content Director – Clean + Conscious
Emma is the Content Director of the Clean + Conscious Awards. She first joined the Awards as an Expert Panellist back in 2019 and later collaborated with Emily Fletcher in running the Awards in 2020.
Emma is a freelance writer, content strategist, certified yoga instructor and mother to two young boys. She has previously worked with the ABC and body+soul, written for various wellbeing and parenting publications, and in recent years worked exclusively with socially responsible brands and small businesses.
Jessica Teas
Cult Beauty Co-founder. Writer, Editor & Entrepreneur
Jess Teas is an established lifestyle writer and editor with two decades of experience writing for print and online titles in beauty, women’s lifestyle and travel in the US, UK and Australia. In 2007 Teas co-founded beauty e-commerce site Cult Beauty, spearheading the brand direction and content for one of the internet’s most exciting names in beauty. Teas has deep knowledge of and a passion for the UK, US and Australian beauty industries and digital content creation and has a knack for predicting trends and new “cult” products early.
Marisa Robinson
Cruelty Free Beauty Content Creator
Marisa is a Cruelty Free Beauty Content Creator based in Wollongong, NSW. As an animal lover and activist, Marisa knew it was her responsibility to make the switch to living cruelty free and be part of the solution to stop animal testing. Through product reviews, makeup looks and collaborations, Marisa uses her social platforms to educate and inspire others to make the switch to cruelty free beauty and living easy and accessible.
Alena Turley
Coach & Advocate
Alena’s membership and coaching services help women finally heal depletion and make moves towards becoming the changemakers they dream of becoming whilst showing up as the best mum possible. She is an award-winning educator, podcaster and holistic health coach with over 30 years of experience. Her pioneering parenting and regenerative living blog, the Soul Mama Hub, began in 2009. For the past several years she has been a member of the UK Ethical Influencers Network and in the past year her podcast, Unboxable, has grown to be highly rated on International charts. Alena has built communities of mothers online in the tens of thousands across Bath, England and the Northern Beaches of Sydney Australia, where she now lives with her three children, one husband, and one pooch.
Lucy E Cousins
Wellness Editor
With over 20 years’ experience, Lucy is one of Australia’s most established magazine editors. She is currently the director of content agency, Remedy Content, and editor of wellness brand, URBANSWEAT, and is the former wellness editor for Marie Claire, deputy editor of Women’s Health and Digital Content Editor of The New York Times Style Magazine Australia. When she’s not writing or editing, she lectures in publishing at University of Sydney, and plays with her rescue dog, Stella.
Ria Andriani
Writer & Musician
Ria Andriani is a writer and musician based in Sydney. She has written on accessibility, arts and lifestyle for the Guardian, SBS, Overland literary journal and Unbias the News project.
Josh Reid Jones
Founder – The Just Be Nice Project
Josh is a social impact professional with over 15 years of experience assessing, educating and creating positive social impact. The founder of the Just Be Nice Project, he is committed to ensuring everyone has access to the best possible housing, employment and mental health outcomes, and creating avenues for extraordinary positive change in the world, by helping individuals and organisations make ordinary positive change.
Amy Hughes
Natural Beauty + Wellbeing Writer
Amy Hughes is a natural makeup specialist and beauty writer. She works with conscious brands to spread their message further. Real talk resonates with her down to earth approach. Passionate about positive beauty and self acceptance she strives to prove beauty is not superficial but a valid and accessible route to wellbeing.
Hannah Gay
Beauty Editor
Hannah Gay @hannahcgay is a Sydney-based beauty and lifestyle writer with experience working on some of Australia’s most reputable print and digital publications. Currently holding the title of Beauty Editor for aesthetic industry magazine, Professional Beauty, Hannah has scrupulously trialled countless products and treatments in her career. She is especially interested in ethically-minded production processes and looks forward to learning more on the beauty brands creating with this ethos.
Emily Ehlers
Author, Illustrator + Environmental Speaker
Emily Ehlers is an author, illustrator, speaker and environmentalist. As the pun-loving artivist behind the beloved Instagram account @EcoWithEm_ , Em shares ideas and illustrations that focus on the health of the planet, the happiness of humans and the inextricable link between the two. She is solution-focused and renowned for finding light in the heaviest of issues and alchemising apathy into action. Her debut book “Hope Is A Verb: Six Steps To Radical Optimism When The World Seems Broken” underscores her fascination with the power of hope, whimsy and possibility. Em works with businesses, brands, organisations and councils that share her vision for a thriving biophilic world with less waste and more wonder. She has been featured in Forbes, Buzzfeed, Elle, Eco Warrior Princess, National Geographic and was named as one of Coca-Cola’s Feel Good Follows of 2021. You can find her at www.ecowithem.com
Renee Carpenter Head of Operations & Sustainability: Bassike
Renee Carpenter is an expert in fashion production, operations and sustainability with more than 14 years industry experience leading Australian brands to implement and drive responsible business practices and sustainable supply chains. Renee currently Heads Operations and Sustainability for Bassike, a certified B-Corporation, Australian fashion label who create high quality, sustainably sourced wardrobe essentials. Renee’s drive to live a balanced, clean and conscious life reflects into Renee’s home where she grows her own organic vegetables and flowers garden, fills her home with low tox cleaning supplies and consistently works on her mind and personal development in order to live a fulfilled life on a purposeful mission.
Caitlin Rule
Nutritionist + Content Creator
Caitlin is a qualified nutritionist (BHSc), recipe developer, content creator and food photographer based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. She is the founder of Goodness Avenue, a healthy food blog where she shares quick and easy recipes as well as fun ways to eat more vegetables (hello, chocolate beetroot muffins!). With a passion for nutrition and wellness, she provides healthy eating tips and tricks, introduces her audience to new foods, and shares her essentials to living a healthy, balanced life.
Hannah Edwards
Vegan Blogger
I’m a vegan food blogger/recipe developer. I love making yummy vegan treats. I also openly document my mental health journey and help inspire people to heal their relationships with food and to reject diet culture.
Laura Trotta
Award-winning Sustainability Educator & Environmental Engineer
Laura Trotta is one of Australia’s leading sustainable living educators and has won numerous regional and national awards for her fresh and inspiring take on living an ‘ecoceptional’ life.
A passionate believer in addressing the small things to achieve big change, and protecting the planet in practical ways, Laura has inspired and educated thousands of men and women globally to adopt a greener lifestyle through her popular Eco Chat podcast and award-winning sustainable living programs Home Detox Boot Camp and Self Sufficiency in the Suburbs.
Fusing her professional expertise as an environmental engineer with practical experience gained from founding and growing her own sustainable and ethical businesses, Laura coaches eco conscious businesses to grow their brand and make a bigger impact through her Eco Business Collective.
Petria Leggo-Field
Eco-Conscious Mum
Petria Leggo-Field was the founder of Coco Rose Eco and the Coco Rose Community. Petria is on a mission to build a well-informed community based around the earth-friendly movement and help female eco entrepreneurs make a bigger impact, become more visible and make more sales.
Petria is a busy mum to four young children and a wife to a fly-in-fly-out husband so understands what it’s like to be busy. Petria is proud to gather a community of like minded business owners who are ready to embrace a more sustainable business, and be mentor to help support and guide them to make small steps in the right direction to enhance our planet.
Petria is also the weekly host of The Sustainable Shift Podcast, which was founded in 2020 and in addition also loves guest speaking and workshop facilitating about all things sustainable business.
She’s all about supporting conscious business owners who are heart centred and wildly passionate about making a difference on our environment and the future of the planet.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cocoroseeco
Podcast: The Sustainable Shift Podcast https://cocoroseeco.com.au/podcast/
Samantha Christian
Content Creator & Marketing consultant
Marketing maven, photographer and professional storyteller Sam Christian is a content creator and marketing consultant based in Tasmania. This dynamic mother of two creates content and runs the socials for Tasmania’s largest independently owned gourmet grocer and lifestyle store Hill Street, a Tasmanian institution dedicated to a cleaner future. A lifelong learner, Sam is always looking at new ways to reduce the chemical load in her home and believes that each small step towards a cleaner and more natural living makes a difference.