Meet our experts

David Andrews, Ph.D., has studied the toxic chemicals in our environment for more than 14 years. In the past decade, he has focused on educating consumers and helping move markets. He specializes in understanding how exposure to chemicals like PFAS and phthalates in consumer and personal care products may harm health. David has collaborated on a peer-reviewed study on sunscreens efficacy, a book chapter on nanomaterials in sunscreen and has extensively researched bug repellants and cosmetics.

Kaley Beins focuses on the intersection of public health and toxicology, specifically improving human health by reducing chemical exposures. Before joining EWG, Kaley worked for the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She also has helped develop toxicological profiles for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and supported green chemistry and product labeling programs for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Melanie Benesh is an expert at analyzing the legislation and regulatory developments that affect what’s allowed in our personal care products. Melanie’s thorough research on regulatory gaps in personal care product regulation expose how our laws fail to protect consumers. So she knows better than most people how our lawmakers and regulators have failed to step up to the plate when it comes to protecting us and our environment from harm. Melanie teaches a course on public interest advocacy as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Scott Faber leads EWG's advocacy efforts in Congress and federal agencies to reduce or eliminate the toxic chemicals permitted in the products we use. He has spearheaded multiple efforts leading to significant changes in the marketplace. Scott is particularly passionate about the need to update our cosmetics chemicals law, which hasn’t changed for more than 80 years. He’s also been a leader in the effort to expose toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in our personal care products. Scott is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Emily Spilman is a science analyst on EWG’s Healthy Living Science team and works on the Skin Deep cosmetics database and sunscreens. Before joining EWG, she worked as an assistant program coordinator for the sustainability ambassadors program at the University of Michigan where she advocated for eco-friendly behavior change on campus.

Homer Swei, Ph.D. leads EWG’s Healthy Living Science, overseeing the team’s groundbreaking research and market change work on chemical ingredients in everyday items like personal care, food and cleaning products. Swei spearheads the EWG VERIFIED^® program, which sets rigorous, science-backed standards with a goal of moving the market to answer consumer demands for safer choices for beauty, personal care, cleaning and baby products. He joins EWG as a research and development expert after 30 years in the private sector, working for leading companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Dow Chemical.