About us
Santégeo was born from a friendship built on trust, creativity, and a shared vision to make a difference. Founders Bonnie Geller and Melanie Hess, longtime friends and accomplished beauty professionals, combined their expertise in fine fragrance and haircare to create something truly unique: a new category in clean beauty, luxury hair fragrance.
Their formulas transcend performance. They celebrate women and the meaningful rituals that help them feel whole. By merging refined scent with non-toxic, nourishing ingredients, Santégeo encourages women to indulge in moments of self-care without compromising their health or values.
Following Melanie’s breast cancer diagnosis, the brand’s mission became deeply personal. The vision to create something beautiful, safe, and purposeful for women gained new meaning and urgency. Santégeo became a tribute to women’s strength, serving as a reminder that beauty should enhance well-being and honor the body.
Melanie
Melanie Hess is a master hairdresser and creative visionary with more than two decades of experience in the beauty industry. Known for her refined techniques and intuitive approach to beauty, she has built a career that bridges editorial, celebrity, and salon work, all while inspiring stylists nationwide as an educator for L’Oreal Professionnel and Pureology.
After navigating her own health journey, Melanie’s perspective on beauty evolved. She became even more passionate about clean living and the importance of self care that feels both conscious and indulgent. That shift led her to create something entirely new in the market: a clean luxury hair perfume designed to nourish, uplift, and leave a lasting impression.
As co-founder of Santégeo, Melanie brings her deep expertise and artistic eye to redefining what modern luxury means in beauty. Her mission is to craft products that inspire confidence and celebrate the everyday ritual of self care, proving that clean can be both effortless and extraordinary.
Bonnie
Bonnie Geller is a seasoned executive with over three decades of leadership in the global beauty industry. As Vice President of Human Resources at Coty Inc., she led major organizational transformations including the integration of Unilever Cosmetics, and she played a pivotal role in shaping the talent infrastructure that supported Coty’s emergence in the celebrity beauty space. Bonnie also co-founded a third-party logistics company specializing in beauty, bringing strategic insight and a thoughtful, service-driven approach to supporting brands behind the scenes.
Her career spans multiple industries, including finance, hospitality, higher education, and banking, each adding depth to her leadership approach and reinforcing her commitment to building strong, people-centered organizations. Bonnie is known for her empathetic approach and belief in the importance of well-being, balance, and purpose in the workplace.
As co-founder of Santégeo, Bonnie brings her experience and vision to the forefront of clean beauty innovation. In collaboration with Melanie Hess, she is redefining luxury through products that are non-toxic, elegant, and enduring, creating a modern vision of luxury designed not just to enhance, but to elevate the everyday ritual of self-care.