MEET THE MAKER
LOVE OUR COMMUNITY
Carla Oates – The Beauty Chef
What was the stimulus for creating your iconic brand and business?
As a child, I suffered from eczema and allergies and my mum took me to see a naturopath who dramatically changed what I ate, removing processed foods as well as allergens such as gluten and dairy from my diet. My allergies and eczema dramatically subsided. I learnt first-hand the connection of food as medicine.
When my daughter started experiencing eczema and allergies, I started researching the link between gut health and skin health and found some of the studies very interesting. I decided to put my family on a gut-healing protocol which included eliminating certain foods from our diet but also introducing lots of lacto-fermented wholefoods teeming with beneficial bacteria (aka probiotics). I began to experiment with fermenting a variety of wholefoods in my kitchen and friends and family started to take notice, asking what I was doing differently as my skin was glowing — and I quickly became the local beauty pusher and supplier! The Beauty Chef was born.
How have you coped with the growth challenges over time?
Since launching in 2009, we’ve undergone tremendous periods of growth and change. But the passion about what I had discovered — a real solution to skin and gut issues — is still the driver behind everything we do. I’m so passionate about creating a brand that educates people about their gut health, their skin health and their overall wellbeing — empowering them to be the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves.
Having such a steadfast purpose really helps to navigate growth challenges as your brand evolves. When you develop your own business, you feel as though it is your other ‘child’, so it is hard to let certain things go. However, the art of delegation really is important and it’s allowed me the space and time to care for myself, which in turn allows me to be more creative and take the business to the next level.
What do you see as the main point of difference between The Beauty Chef and similar products on the market?
What sets The Beauty Chef apart from other brands in the market is our holistic view of health, beauty and wellbeing — as well as our fermentation process and exclusive GUT5Y™ probiotic strains. Unlike other probiotic and gut health supplements — which often only contain one or two strains of bacteria — our unique fermentation process, Flora Culture®, involves introducing a mother culture of 13 probiotic strains to wholefood ingredients.
This results in a potent, natural and food-based probiotic which nourishes the gut and promotes glowing skin from within. This process also ensures that the final formula is not only rich in bioavailable nutrition and probiotics, but also ‘postbiotics’, which were once thought of as ‘metabolic waste’ but actually play an important role in our wellbeing.
What’s your most popular product in the range and why?
GLOW® and GLOW AGELESS™ are our heroes — and where everyone should start. They both promote glowing skin from within, nurture digestive wellbeing, support energy and immunity, and taste delicious. They share a similar base of fermented wholefoods and super-nutrients, with our exclusive Hyaluronic Complex™ for extra radiance. The difference being that GLOW AGELESS™ includes ingredients to specifically support those aged 50 plus — including bone health and hormonal balance.
We recently did a consumer trial for both products and the results were incredible. Over 94% saw improved skin radiance and glow*. And over 90% noticed better gut health, firmer skin, stronger hair and healthier nails. They’re complex formulas but simple rituals — one teaspoon daily, it’s that easy.
We’re also now stocked in Chemist Warehouse and some of our most popular products there include our new protein water blend Body Electric™ — which is an incredible all-in-one performance powder powered by creatine, protein, electrolytes and B vitamins — as well as The Perfect Poo™, which is our advanced fibre blend to support healthy, regular bowel movements.
*In an in-house consumer trial with 34 participants using GLOW® or GLOW AGELESS over 90 days.
Why is being Australian-made so important to your business?
Although I may be biased because it’s my home, Australia is one of the best places to source the cleanest, certified organic and biodynamic ingredients possible. Working with a team of leading microbiologists, nutritionists and naturopaths, our priority is to source ingredients that are derived from plant-based sources, backed by science or traditional research, and non-GMO, cruelty-free and without artificial flavours, preservatives or colour.
In 2018, we built our own state-of-the-art probiotic lab in Sydney to control every step of our unique Flora Culture® fermentation process, constructing the ideal environment to ensure optimal potency and quality control — something we wouldn’t have been able to do or consistently monitor in an overseas location.
