760 Skin, and the Discipline of Building Beauty Without Backing
At its core, 760 Skin is about reclaiming the emotional experience of skincare. For so many people—including us—it’s been tied to frustration, insecurity, and trying to “fix” something. We wanted to change that.
760 Skin, and the Discipline of Building Beauty Without Backing
Skincare has long been positioned as a process of correction: clinical, precise, and often rooted in the idea that something needs fixing. But today, that narrative also exists within a saturated market shaped as much by celebrity launches and social media virality as it is by formulation. In a space where new brands appear almost daily, differentiation has become both essential and increasingly difficult to sustain.
760 Skin enters that landscape with a distinct point of view. Drawing from the bold geometry and sun-washed palettes of mid-century Palm Springs, the brand builds a world that feels less like a laboratory and more like an atmosphere that’s intentionally removed from the sterility that has come to define much of the category.
Founded by three lifelong friends from Palm Springs, 760 Skin is built around the idea that skincare should be simple, effective, and designed to thrive under pressure, much like the environment that inspired it. At The Citizen’s Poste, we spoke with the three women behind the brand—Mia Heckmann, Madison Heckmann, and Olivia Halton—about building with intention in a category increasingly defined by scale, speed, and visibility.
How would you describe the world of 760 Skin not just visually, but emotionally and conceptually?
Visually, the world of 760 is quite eccentric, avant-garde, and colorful. When we were building our brand, we took inspiration from mid-century Palm Springs architecture. Palm Springs has such a unique aesthetic—one that is instantly recognizable. We often reference the desert in the ’50s and ’60s, using bold shapes and nostalgic color palettes to create a world that feels like a perpetual vacation. From the beginning, we knew that getting the design right would be critical to building the world of 760. When you’re drawing from a place like Palm Springs - something so distinct and instantly recognizable - you have to get it right! Not only was it a fun way to appeal to the Gen-Z customer, but it was something that felt quite true to our brand and its core values.
At its core, 760 Skin is about reclaiming the emotional experience of skincare. For so many people—including us—it’s been tied to frustration, insecurity, and trying to “fix” something. We wanted to change that. While the industry has most definitely evolved in the last few years, the reality is our customer is still living in a hyper-visible, high-pressure digital world. For us, it’s about meeting her where she is. Creating products that support her, speak to her, and empower her without adding more pressure. We did not want to build 760 in a way that felt clinical or corrective, but rather indulgent, expressive, even a little escapist.
Where does the “desert-Californian” influence show up beyond visuals?
Our California desert influence shows up undoubtedly in our formulas and the result of the products. Our formulas being so heavily rooted in the biotechnology of desert plants allows for the most gorgeous, hydrated glow that lasts throughout the day. On the other hand, growing up in a “slower-paced” environment, such as Palm Desert, the three of us founders have a way of optimistic problem-solving. We approach problems knowing that it is not about “if” we will come to a solution, but rather “when”. We are most definitely more relaxed and as a result, handle high-stress environments well. In fact, we might thrive off of it. Thankfully, being entrepreneurs will keep us on our toes forever!
At what point did you decide the current beauty market still needed another skincare brand, and why?
This is such an interesting question because we completely understand how saturated the skincare industry feels and the decision fatigue that comes with it. We feel that too!
When we stepped back and really defined our vision for 760, we asked ourselves how we could genuinely add value. The turning point was when the idea of 760 felt refreshing to us first. Taking ourselves out of the founder mindset and into the consumer’s perspective, we were drawn to the clarity of the concept—products rooted in desert plants, using their natural resilience and biotechnology to deliver real hydration.
It felt differentiated, but also intuitive. Something we could connect to personally, and something we believed customers would understand and trust. From there, it became about building more than just products. We wanted to create something meaningful while still leaning into the creative, playful world that defines 760.
How do you approach standing out in a landscape dominated by celebrity-backed and heavily funded brands?
We've never been trying to compete in the same way those brands are. Celebrity-backed and heavily funded brands often win on visibility, but visibility doesn't always translate to trust or long-term loyalty. Our focus has been on building a brand people genuinely connect with through product performance, a clear point of view, and a strong identity. We're not trying to be everything to everyone. We're very specific about what we put out, and why.
Being a smaller, founder-led brand is part of the advantage. We're close to our customer, we listen, and we build with a level of care and conviction that's harder to maintain at scale. Building without outside backing has sharpened that even further. When every decision has to count, you stop chasing and start choosing. We believe people come back to what works and what feels authentic, and that's what we're optimizing for.
How are you measuring early traction, and what signals matter most to you at this stage of growth?
For us, early traction is less about scale and more about signal. The numbers we watch closely are repeat purchase rate, how quickly customers come back for a second product after their first, and how much of our growth is coming through unpaid channels. Referrals, organic content, inbound from people who found us through a friend rather than an ad.
Having three founders is part of what makes that possible. We divide and conquer across product, brand, and operations, but we stay close enough to every part of the business that nothing gets handed off and lost. That closeness is also what lets us read the signal early. A shift in how customers are talking about a product, a piece of content that's outperforming without spend, a repeat order pattern we didn't expect. Those are the things telling us whether we're building something with real pull or just momentum.
At this stage, retention and sentiment matter more to us than top-line growth.
Those are the signals we believe translate into long-term brand equity, and they're what we'd rather optimize for now, even if it means moving slower than a venture-backed brand would.
What’s something about building skincare products that people outside the industry tend to underestimate?
People often underestimate how long it takes to bring a product from concept to market. It can take years to do it properly. A lot of brands right now are prioritizing more products, more steps, more trends when consumers are actually craving less, but better.
At the same time, we completely understand how customers experience a brand in real time. They’re thinking about how a product fits into their daily life, and when something doesn’t feel perfect—whether it’s packaging, texture, or performance—they want it addressed quickly. Because of that, we listen to our feedback closely, and it’s incredibly important to how we evolve.
But as a startup, meaningful changes—especially at the formulation or production level—take time to execute thoughtfully and correctly, so for us, it’s about finding the balance between being responsive and being responsible. We don’t want to rush changes just to move fast—we want to make sure that when we improve something, we’re truly making it better. Our opportunity is in being intentional, focused, and building products that truly fit into someone’s life, not overwhelm it.
Can you walk through your approach to formulation? What do you prioritize, and what do you refuse to compromise on?
When we formulate our products, everything starts with intention. We sit down and define exactly how we want the product to perform—what need its solving, how it should feel on the skin, the texture, and our non-negotiables (cruelty-free, vegan, clean). We’re incredibly conscious of delivering on what we promise. Our customer trusts us, and we don’t take that lightly!
When developing our hero product, the Dew or Dry Moisturizer, we were very clear on what it needed to do. It had to lock in hydration using desert-adapted ingredients and our mushroom blend, while remaining lightweight and effective on the skin. This approach intentionally goes against the “glazed donut skin” trend. While we appreciate that moment, we wanted to create something more wearable - something designed for real life, and specifically for heat. In warmer climates, with sweat and daily sun exposure, heavy formulas can feel overwhelming or emphasize oiliness. We wanted the opposite: a moisturizer that is deeply hydrating, but weightless, breathable, and comfortable throughout the day, while still allowing our consumer to be a part of the glowy, healthy-looking skin conversation.
Beyond performance, we think deeply about the emotional experience. How should someone feel when they reach for this product every day? That’s what led to our choice of bright green packaging. It’s something that feels instantly recognizable, playful, and confidence-inducing.
Every detail, from formulation to finish, is considered as we make sure we build with intention, and we move forward with conviction!
How do you balance building a business with the expectation to also be a content-driven brand in today’s digital world?
At this stage of the business, with the three of us running every aspect of the brand day to day, balance is definitely a challenge. There’s always more to do than there is time, so we’ve had to become incredibly focused on prioritization rather than trying to do everything at once. For us, early traction is less about scale and more about signal. We look closely at how customers are responding once they discover us, such as repeat purchase rate, engagement, and organic word-of-mouth.
A big part of that has been getting very clear on each of our strengths and how we operate as a team. We step into different areas as needed, and that flexibility has been one of our biggest advantages. Having three founders allows us to divide and conquer while still staying closely connected to every part of the brand. We also pay attention to how the brand performs organically—whether that’s customer referrals, inbound interest, or content that performs without paid support. That’s been a meaningful driver of growth for us so far.
At this stage, the metrics that matter most to us are retention, conversion, and customer sentiment. Those are the signals we believe translate into long-term brand equity. As we scale, that naturally evolves into building out a team and creating more structure around the business. But for now, as any startup founder can relate to, the only promise we can make is that we do our best every day to make it work!
What are you building toward that people might not fully see yet?
We’re expanding into two new products we’ve been developing for over a year - a cleanser and toner that feel like a real evolution for 760. With this launch, we’re moving into hydrating acne solutions, specifically targeting hormonal acne in a way that prioritizes both clarity and skin comfort. It’s deeply personal to us, because too many acne products leave your skin feeling tight, dry, and overcorrected. We wanted to create something that doesn’t require that tradeoff.
Alongside the launch, we’re expanding our investment in community through real-life events and activations. We want people to experience 760 as more than a product, but as a world, a feeling, and a community they genuinely want to be part of.
What do you want someone who might be discovering 760 Skin for the first time to understand about the brand that isn’t immediately obvious?
I think from the outside, 760 can feel very playful and visually driven, but what isn’t immediately obvious is how intentional and performance-focused everything is beneath that.
Every product, every ingredient, and every detail is deeply considered. We’re not just creating something that looks good—we’re building formulas that are designed to truly perform, especially in challenging environments. There’s a lot of discipline behind the brand, even if what you see feels effortless.
