Meet the founder of Honest Beauty, Jessica Alba!
She’s the flawless film star who had us all in a chokehold for the better part of the 2000s, and not much has changed to this day. Actress-turned-entrepreneur, Jessica Alba, has just launched her eco-conscious range of skincare, bodycare and makeup – Honest Beauty – with LOOKFANTASTIC, and we couldn't be more excited! Get to know the face behind the brand as we get up close and honest about all things beauty, sustainability and motherhood…
What made you venture into the beauty industry?
"Beauty has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. Some of my favourite memories from growing up involve the ‘getting ready' aspect of going to events. For me, it was often more about the glam with friends and family and the memories surrounding that than the actual event itself."
Tell us the story behind Honest Beauty
"I founded Honest Beauty because I wanted clean beauty products that did not compromise on performance. I always knew that I wanted to venture into clean beauty given my own personal experience and make high-quality, clean products accessible to everyone. Years and years of being a clean beauty consumer myself eventually led me to create the brand that we have today."
What’s the story behind the name ‘Honest’?
"I wanted a company that could meet my needs of providing safe, clean and effective products and thus The Honest Company was born in 2012. Three years later, we launched into beauty. I could think of no better name for this company than the one connected to the person who inspired me, my daughter Honor. That’s where the name The Honest Company comes from. Her name embodies all the values this company represents - a brand that I could trust."
What are the core values of your brand?
"Since day one, it’s been my goal to build a diverse, inclusive and ethical company based on values of transparency, sustainability and a deep sense of purpose in all we do. It’s important for me to give everyone access to products made from the highest quality ingredients in order to inspire everyone to love living consciously. When it comes to our products and R&D processes, meaningful transparency surrounding our ingredients allows us to create clean, effective products that our consumers can trust."
What’s your top beauty hack/tip to live by?
"As a busy multi-tasking mama, our Honestly Bright Eyes is a must-have product for me. If I don't have enough time to do even a 5-minute face, I'll use this which doubles as an eye cream while it helps neutralize dark circles. It instantly brightens up the eye area and is infused with squalane and hyaluronic acid to deliver 24 hours of hydration, making me look instantly well-rested."
What are your favourite products in your range and why?
"My favourite product from our makeup range is our Extreme Length Mascara + Lash Primer. This award-winning, bestselling double-ended primer + mascara is one of our most popular products for good reason. Infused with jojoba esters, our smooth black mascara delivers extreme length and sky high lift. The magic in the 2-in-1 product lies in the primer. It creates an even base that enhances the mascara's performance, while boosting length and staying power. A coat (or three) of our mascara instantly makes me look more put together and awake."
"Our Hydrogel Cream is like a big drink of water for my face. This lightweight, moisture-release water cream refreshes and cools on application as it leaves skin with a dewy finish. It is infused with jojoba and squalane to help hydrate and soothe thirst as well as 2 types of hyaluronic acid with different molecular weights designed to help bind and retain moisture in different layers of the skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines. It’s perfect to use both day and night."
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Tell us about the formulations and ingredients used in your products
"At Honest, we aim to create breakthrough products with the goal of inspiring everyone to love living consciously. For us, this means continuously exploring and evolving to improve our use of renewable resources — from plant-derived ingredients to the newest innovations in green chemistry to the amount of recycled and/or recyclable material in our packaging. All products are designed with sustainability top of mind, from the formula to the packaging."
"Our sustainability mission begins with the practices that we implement within our own lab and in our formulas. We strive to create formulas with responsibly sourced ingredients, meaning that they don’t strain our natural resources. When any one ingredient is overused by the marketplace, the industry is taking it away from an ecosystem that relies on it."
Did you experience any changes in your skin during or post-pregnancy?
"I wish our Calming Collection had been around when I had my kids. I would recommend all products in this line to any expectant mamas or anyone with sensitive skin or even people who suffer from break outs or eczema flare-ups as it is very gentle. It was important for me that our team create an effective and benefit-focused, calming skincare line that didn’t irritate skin."
"When using as a routine, I recommend to start by removing impurities while supporting the natural skin barrier with our Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser. Then, smooth your complexion with our Calm & POREfect Serum, formulated with a marine-derived amino acid + calming phyto-blend to further support skin barrier and soothe and calm sensitivity. Next strengthen your skin while hydrating with our Daily Calm Lightweight Moisturizer, and finish with our Calm & Go Face Mist to instantly calm and cool redness on-the-go."
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Did your perception of beauty change after having children?
"I started Honest Beauty from my own personal experience. When I’m thinking about the brand and our products, it's coming from a genuine place of my experience as both a mother and a beauty enthusiast. I wanted to feel good about the products I had in my home and was using in, on and around my body since I was bringing little ones into this world. When I’m thinking about the company, I am able to approach all decision-making through a consumer lens."
What or Who makes you feel empowered?
"The more I meditate and connect with my intuition and with my soul and my purpose, the more empowered I feel. All of the other noise doesn't feel important. My kids have been healers for me and have helped me immensely when it comes to connecting with my soul and my purpose."
If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be?
"I would stress the importance of trusting your instincts. I would’ve also told myself to start to meditate sooner and I would tell myself to look at wellness holistically, realising that mindfulness and inner self work are just as important as nutrition, exercise, sleep and hydration."
What’s your can’t-live-without beauty product and why?
"Our Gentle Gel Cleanser because a clean face creates the foundation for healthy skin. Whether you are going fresh-faced or doing a full face of makeup, it’s important to start with a clean canvas. This gentle everyday cleanser washes away dirt and impurities, yet its gentle formula doesn't over-dry or strip skin. It's infused with chamomile + calendula extracts to calm and refresh while keeping my skin fresh and clean. My whole family uses it and loves it, from my husband to my two daughters."
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What’s the next milestone for you to achieve?
"Our mission at The Honest Company is to inspire everyone to love living consciously and one of the ways that we do this is by making our products accessible to consumers everywhere. It has been a dream of mine to make our products more accessible to consumers in the UK and partnering with LOOKFANTASTIC, the ultimate beauty destination, was a major milestone for me."
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Want to know more? Discover the full interview in The Highlight...
