100 Episodes of The Beauty Lab Podcast: Top Skincare Episodes, Stats, and Lessons
100 Episodes of The Beauty Lab Podcast: Top Skincare Episodes, Stats, and Lessons
This week is a big one: it is our 100th episode of The Beauty Lab Podcast! We have released one episode every week for 100 weeks in a row without skipping, and we are nearly at our two-year mark in December. To celebrate, we looked at the numbers, revisited our favorite and most surprising episodes, and got honest about what it takes to run a podcast.
Our Top YouTube Episodes: Brazilian Waxing 101 and Skincare Favorites
On YouTube, our number one episode is Brazilian Waxing 101, and it leads by a long shot. We have done two Brazilian waxing episodes, and the latest one has outperformed even the first, which shocked us. Those two take the number one and number two spots. Rounding out the top five are our Trader Joe's skincare test, how often you should wash your hair, and a lazy girl skincare routine.
The audience was the real surprise. On YouTube, 87.4% of our subscribers and views come from men, and 50% of our YouTube audience is men over the age of 65. Monina's theory is that the title simply catches people's eye on YouTube. For the record, we do not do any waxing on camera. We just talk through what a Brazilian wax is and everything that happens during an appointment.
Top Podcast Episodes on Apple and Spotify: Retinoids, Red Light, and Skincare Dupes
The listening-only audience on Apple and Spotify looks very different. Our top performer there is the Trader Joe's skincare dupes episode, which surprised Velia because we try things on our faces and show products, so you would expect people to prefer watching it. The flip side happened.
The rest of the top five: The Truth About Pelvic Floor Health with Maureen Wenski, Don't Feed the Fungus (Velia debunking hair myths and oiling your scalp), Retinoids 101 (Monina on the difference between retinol, retinaldehyde, and tretinoin), and our red light therapy masks episode.
Where Are Our Listeners? Skincare Fans in 111 Countries
One of our favorite stats: The Beauty Lab Podcast is heard in 111 countries and 1,792 cities. The United States makes up about 65% of listeners, and the top countries after that include France, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Canada, Sweden, Singapore, and Australia. Many of our top cities are not in California, where the podcast started, and a place in Germany is in our top three.
This month is also Filipino Heritage Month, so a big shout out to our Filipino listeners. If you are watching or listening from another country, please comment and tell us where you are. We love seeing where our podcast lands. We are also very close to 10,000 downloads!
What It Really Takes to Run a Podcast for 100 Weeks
The hardest parts are staying consistent and knowing what your audience wants to hear. Having a few episodes batched and ready is a lifesaver, because a week goes by fast. Inviting experts from the beauty industry has also helped us keep topics fresh, and we get to learn something every time.
Then there are the behind-the-scenes challenges: a loud neighbor next door while recording at the salon, DoorDash deliveries interrupting us, and Velia's phone alarm going off at exactly the wrong moment (we could make a whole blooper reel). We have also changed our setup several times, from lighting and depth of field to our thumbnails. We even did a photo shoot for our title card, and then decided to use our faces consistently so you know it is us before you read the title.
None of it would happen without our editor and photographer, Jen Vazquez (jenvazquez.com), who handles all the editing and the photo shoots behind the scenes. Thank you, Jen!
The Episodes That Surprised Us: What Took Off and What Needs More Time
Some episodes took off when we did not expect it, and some we loved did not reach as many people as we hoped. Our Target episode, where we each had $100 to spend, has only been out a couple of weeks, so we are giving it time. It is similar to the Trader Joe's episode, but we actually walk the store and shop.
Velia nerded out on DHT and hair loss and perms (including the history of perms), topics people are not necessarily searching for, but she explained them for someone with no background. Monina's Retinoids 101 episode, on the other hand, covered something everyone was talking about and performed well. Our goal has always been to make beauty information understandable for people without a science background.
Thinking About Starting a Podcast? Our Advice
If you have something to say and a passion for educating a specific audience, we say go for it. If you know you will not hold yourself accountable, find a co-host. Having partners to show up with is what gets us to set up the lights and hit record every week. A good editor is a must, know your zone of genius, batch episodes when you can, and be consistent. And be ready for your perfectionist side: we never want to put out anything less than our best work.
Thank You for 100 Episodes
Thank you to everyone who listens, watches, likes, and subscribes. We need your questions and topic ideas because we want to make what you want to hear, so please keep them coming. We also have several shirt styles designed, but none are for sale yet, so let us know if you would like one. Here is to the next 100 episodes. Until next time, keep experimenting with your beauty routine.
Resources and Links
Velia Beauty Co and use code THEBEAUTYLABPODCAST for 20% off.
Book with Monina at Moderne Beauty
