From Red Carpet to Skincare Revolution: Kristy Jones on Building Australia's Most Trusted Clean Beauty Brand
After more than three decades backstage at Australia's most glamorous red-carpet events, makeup artist and beauty therapist Kristy Jones has built a reputation as one of the country's most trusted voices in beauty and styling. As a qualified beauty therapist, educator and hair & make up artist, Kristy holds a backstage pass to some of the most glamorous red-carpet events in Australia, working with countless clients and witnessing firsthand the transformative power of truly healthy skin.
But it was during these years of working with an endless array of beauty products that Kristy noticed something troubling: despite the wealth of products available, there wasn't a lot of joy being derived from skin, with clients often experiencing frustration, resignation, and anxiety. This observation became the catalyst for her revolutionary approach to skincare—one that prioritizes skin health over quick fixes and genuine wellness over empty promises.
Founded in 2020, Skin Joy by Kristy Jones is a unique skincare brand that has been designed to simplify your skincare routine and bring you high performing affordable products. What sets Kristy apart in the crowded beauty market isn't just her extensive professional background—she's an ABIA finalist for National Educator of the Year in both 2022 and 2024, and one of the top 6 Beauty Educators in Australia—but her unwavering commitment to creating products that serve the entire family, from tweens to adults dealing with environmental damage.
Her philosophy is beautifully simple yet revolutionary: rather than compromising the performance of the most effective active ingredients by lumping them all together, Skin Joy works as a strategically designed system, delivering just what the skin needs, as it needs it. This approach, combined with her belief that skincare should be accessible, effective, and genuinely nurturing, has positioned Kristy as a wellness pioneer who understands that healthy skin is the foundation of confidence and self-care.
In this candid conversation, Kristy shares the pivotal moments that led her to create Skin Joy, her passionate advocacy for establishing good skincare habits early in life, and how she's successfully maintained her wellness-focused values while building a thriving Australian-made, cruelty-free business that puts skin health first in an industry often driven by trends and quick profits.
After decades as one of Australia's most trusted voices in beauty and styling, working backstage at glamorous red-carpet events, what was the pivotal moment that made you decide to create your own skincare line? How did your experience as a beauty therapist and educator shape the philosophy behind Skin Joy's 'strategically designed system' approach?
I created Skin Joy By Kristy Jones to take the guesswork out of skincare. My range is thoughtfully designed to be uncomplicated, affordable, and suitable for most skin types. Powered by Australian-sourced ingredients, Skin Joy supports what your skin naturally produces—helping to replenish and restore what time gradually takes away. It’s skincare that makes sense, feels good, and brings the joy back to your daily routine.
Skin Joy caters to everyone from 10-year-olds to adults dealing with age and environmental damage. As someone passionate about wellness, how do you believe establishing good skin habits early impacts overall wellbeing throughout life? What advice do you give to mothers wanting to introduce their tweens and teens to healthy skincare practices?
I believe in monkey see, monkey do—our children learn by watching us. That’s why it's so important to teach them good skincare habits early. Prevention is always better than cure. By simply encouraging daily SPF use, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of healthier skin.
The tween and teen years are a crucial time—they're impressionable, curious, and heavily influenced by what they see around them. Educating and guiding them now helps build confidence, self-respect, and long-term skin health. It's not about perfection—it's about protection, consistency, care and of course- joy!
Your brand emphasizes being Australian-made, cruelty-free, and naturally kind with no synthetic colors, fragrances, or parabens. In today's competitive beauty market, how do you maintain these wellness-focused values while building a successful business? What challenges have you faced in staying true to your 'skin comes first' philosophy, and how has this approach resonated with your customers?
As a makeup artist for over 32 years—and a qualified beauty therapist—I've always believed in skin first, makeup second. Healthy skin is the most beautiful foundation you can wear. When we nourish and care for our skin properly, we never feel the need to hide it under heavy makeup.
Too often, makeup and skincare products are filled with harsh chemicals, preservatives, and unnecessary “nasties.” At Skin Joy, we proudly say no to toxic ingredients and parabens. Yes, this does come with challenges—our clean formulations have a recommended shelf life of 6 months—but that’s because we prioritise safety and skin health over shortcuts.
Our packaging sizes are purposefully designed to match that shelf life, ensuring you get the most out of your products while they’re at their freshest. And the materials we use are fully sustainable and environmentally friendly.Because when it comes to your skin, quality and safety, and keeping our planet clean should never be compromised.
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