Beautiful World, Will You Let the Queers In?, with VMV Hypoallergenics CEO Laura Verallo de Bertotto

We can't deny how beauty standards affect how we interact and are accepted in different social circles. But for the LGBTQ+ community, the relationship with these ideals can be even more complex. Many queer folks already feel pressure to conform to gender norms, and mainstream beauty standards often reinforce those expectations. We'll explore this topic with our guest, Laura Verallo de Bertotto, diving into how beauty standards impact society, especially the LGBTQ+ community. Laura is the CEO of VMV Hypoallergenics, an internationally awarded, family-owned skincare company from the Philippines distributed worldwide. VMV has published 75 clinical studies in peer-reviewed journals, making its approach to skincare research-based. Laura was awarded as a PLDT SME Bossing in 2015, and in 2006, she was recognized as one of Marie Claire Philippines’ 10 Women of the World. Laura previously worked in branding in Manhattan, attended the University of California at Berkeley’s Ph.D. program in Ethnic Studies, and has a B.A. and M.A. from Brown University, focusing on critical theory, race, gender, power, resistance, postcolonial studies, and postmodern culture.