By Denise Cartwright, CRUDE Founder/CEO
On Vox’s Today, Explained podcast, former Sephora executive Artemis Patrick breaks down the pay-to-play system that dominates the beauty industry, a system she also explores in her Fast Company piece. She describes how brands are pressured into an endless cycle—launching new products, paying for shelf space, and spending millions on PR just to stay relevant.
It’s a system that prioritizes scale over substance, favoring brands with deep pockets rather than those focused on sustainability and product integrity.
The Problem with Beauty’s Growth Model
This relentless push for more—more launches, more marketing, more spending—creates a wasteful and unsustainable industry. The beauty industry produces approximately 120 billion units of cosmetic packaging each year, with 95% ending up in landfills. Many brands prioritize trends over true innovation, churning out new formulas at the expense of quality, skin health, and the planet.
The beauty industry is structured to reward those who feed the machine—but there’s another way. When you strip away the noise—the trends, the marketing, the pressure to keep up—you’re left with what actually matters: products that work, brands you can trust, and a system that values quality over constant expansion.
Since I started CRUDE in 2014, I’ve watched so many small beauty brands struggle and shutter under the pressure to scale. But thanks to our customers—many of whom have been with us for years—we’re still here. More than half of our revenue comes from repeat customers, and their loyalty has kept us afloat even when times were tough. We don’t take that for granted, and I’m so grateful for this community that makes intentional, sustainable growth possible.
There’s Another Way
Beauty brands are pressured to scale at all costs. But what happens when you opt out of the cycle?
You create products that truly work.
Our retention rate is double the industry average.
You build a brand that customers trust.
Our customers stay with us 6x longer than other brands.
You focus on quality over constant expansion.
We have 6 efficient, effective, multi-use products!
You don’t have to buy into the machine.
What do you think? Does the beauty industry's obsession with “new” feel necessary or excessive to you? Reply and let me know your thoughts.
