What sustainable beauty actually means to me

Hi -,

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how sustainability is talked about in the beauty industry.

Sometimes it feels like sustainability has become a marketing aesthetic instead of a real conversation.

Minimal packaging. Earth tones. Buzzwords.

But real sustainability is far more complicated than that.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that there are very few perfect solutions. Every packaging material, every ingredient, every transportation method, every manufacturing process comes with trade-offs.

For example, many people immediately assume glass or aluminum are always better than PCR plastic. But manufacturing glass and aluminum can require significantly more energy depending on the process and transportation involved. Paper packaging sounds beautiful in theory, but then you have to ask questions about forestry practices, coatings, durability, and waste.

Sustainability isn’t just about what looks environmentally friendly.

It’s about lifecycle thinking.

At Cheekbone Beauty, we spend a lot of time asking difficult questions:

How long will this product last? Can it be refilled? Can components be reused? Can we reduce unnecessary packaging? Can one product replace multiple products? How do we create less waste overall?

I also think sustainability should feel hopeful.

I never want people to feel shame around not being “perfect enough.” Most of us are simply trying to make better decisions where we can.

Progress matters. Intention matters. Consistency matters.

And honestly, some of the most sustainable choices are the least glamorous ones:

Using what you already own. Buying less. Choosing multi-use products. Refilling instead of replacing. Supporting brands that are trying to improve transparently instead of pretending to be perfect.

I think the future of beauty will belong to brands willing to have more honest conversations.

That’s certainly the kind of company we’re trying to build.

Jenn