Vida Glow has won multiple beauty awards for its ability to focus on beauty from within. Here, we talk exclusively to Vida Glow founder Anna Lahey about the secret behind her brand’s success.
At just 33 years old, Anna Lahey has shaken up the Australian beauty game. Her range “Vida Glow” has brought marine collagen powders to the Australian beauty market and consumers across the globe are now reaping the rewards.
Anna first discovered marine supplements while holidaying in Japan. At the time, she had been struggling with chronic hair loss, an issue she is refreshingly frank about in conversation with Sarah Harris. She recalls her hair loss was so bad “every couple of weeks, I would have to put the dogs out and pour acid down the shower drain.” Anna had been taking supplements for years and assumed there was little more she could do. When traveling in Japan, she noticed the popularity of collagen and collagen-based supplements, “it was everywhere – from broths in restaurants to the waters they offered you at the gym.”
On her last day in Japan, Anna’s curiosity got the better of her. She asked a pharmacist about the mystery ingredient she had seen everywhere. “She explained to me that collagen had been a crucial ingredient for Japanese women for 300 years. She said it had benefits for skin, hair and nails – and a host of secondary benefits. She even attributed it to the Japanese extended life expectancy. She had incredible skin, but all Japanese women do! I took her advice with a grain of salt.” Once home, Anna was faced, yet again, with her clogged drain. She decided it was time to give the Japanese beauty secret a shot.
“Within three weeks, I had noticed a dramatic reduction in my hair loss, and within four weeks, my skin was glowing – I was blown away,” says Anna. And, the mother of two didn’t just look better; she felt better. Not surprising really given improved sleep, decreased appetite, and improved muscle tone have all been attributed to collagen.
But Anna couldn’t find the precious elixir anywhere on Australian soil. She had no experience in the beauty industry, wholesale distribution or in cosmetic pharmaceuticals but she was determined to bring the miracle product to market. And what Anna lacked in experience she made up for with her gritty determination and work ethic, which she says she inherited from her parents. “I was born in Brazil,” she adds. “My parents moved to Australia in 1994 to provide my sister and me with opportunities we never would have had otherwise.” Her parent’s sacrifice gave her the drive she needed to back herself.
The name “Vida Glow” was inspired by her Brazilian heritage, she explains: “In Portuguese, ‘Vida’ means ‘life.’ That’s what I felt the product gave me, so it seemed perfect.” Her passion and savvy paid off. Within two years, Anna and her husband were wholesaling Vida Glow to health food stores, and the company went global when they won the love of notoriously skin-conscious and exacting Chinese consumers in 2017.
Anna attributes her success primarily to the efficacy of the product, “People see results quickly with Vida Glow – it’s something tangible.” Consumer reviews note a rapid improvement in the appearance of hair, skin, and nails – and even a decrease in common problems like joint pains. The second key factor in her success is her team, which she is quick to celebrate. “I am so fortunate to have a team who work incredibly hard to make sure our message gets across. They are as committed as I am to our mission: creating products of exceptional quality that deliver visible results.” Vida Glow has recently brought this philosophy to topical skincare products. Anna approaches the Vida Glow Cosmetics range with the same integrity, passion, and purpose as she does with her ingestible supplements. Vida Glow Cosmetics specialise in natural, efficacious formulations made in Australia.
“All of the Vida Glow products I believe in and am taking or using on a daily basis.” Anna is similarly holistic about her approach to running a business: “I am proud to be involved in every process at Vida Glow, from concept to production, product development, and customer service.” And Anna says Vida Glow is just getting started “we’re very invested in new product development and will continue to create innovative ways for our customers to access Marine Collagen.”
Anna passionately believes that ingestible, inner beauty is the way of the future. Ingestible ingredients are more bio-available than topical creams, and increasingly, research has shown the link between digestion, gut health, and skin health. We think she’s onto something.
Is she a Gamechanger? Find out by watching Sarah Harriss’ interview Anna also shares how she juggles her three babies experiencing rapid growth; two sons under two and Vida Glow!
About Vida Glow:
Vida Glow products are made in Australia, 100% natural, GMO, Soy and filler free. The Vida Glow powders are available in Original, Blueberry, Mango, Peach and Pineapple flavours. Vida Glow Marine Collagen is now also available combined with additional supplements. Beauty Skin, Beauty Cleanse, Beauty Greens and Beauty Mind provide the same skin boosting ingredients with additional supplements to target everything from memory and cognition to digestive and gut health.
