All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
She might be humble about her striking looks, red-carpet chops, and to-die-for body—more on that later—but when it comes to her career skills, Jessica Alba, 33, is willing to brag. As founder of The Honest Company, a brand of nontoxic household, health care, and beauty products, Alba has built an exhaustive resource that educates consumers, especially young moms, on their natural-product choices. Launched just two years ago, the company has already created more than 85 products sold in 2,500-plus stores and online, with sales of over $60 million. In other words, this isn't some Hollywood A-list vanity project; the Honest Company, says Alba, is a "legacy" that she hopes to leave her daughters, Honor, six, and Haven, three. Meanwhile, her movie career is also in high gear, with this past summer's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For the most recent on her long list of big-screen moments.
Alba, whose father is Mexican American, first gained acclaim at the beginning of the millennium, right when the "Latinas in Hollywood" conversation was heating up. Just 17 when she was cast in the TV series Dark Angel, the actress quickly grew into a force to watch, with diverse roles in films like Honey (2003) and Fantastic Four (2005).
As Latinas, we're always excited to see ourselves reflected in Hollywood, so Glam Belleza Latina couldn't wait to chat with this glamorous multitasker about her roots. Her take—that we have the freedom to be whatever we want, regardless of race—was enlightening. She also shared her beauty philosophies, her love of mariachi music…and much more.
GLAM BELLEZA LATINA: I have to say, looking at your company's website and blog, I was struck by all the helpful advice. I was expecting the products, but is it your mission to teach your consumers too?
JESSICA ALBA: Yeah, you know, it's so important to empower people with as much education as possible. To me, we're successful when we can give people the information, and then they can make wise decisions from that knowledge.
GBL: Were you very aware of the ingredients that went into products before becoming a mom?
JA: Not at all. I had an allergic reaction to baby laundry detergent when I was pregnant, which made me wonder: If a baby laundry detergent gives me a horrible reaction, then what will it do to a newborn? I realized that so many toxic chemicals are used in everyday products.
GBL: You've had such tremendous success with The Honest Company. Do you ever reflect on the differences between your business and your movie career?
JA: Having a company that's making the world a better place is a life calling. Performing has also been a life calling, but they're so different. It takes a completely different side of my brain to do one versus the other. But I'm truly very proud of The Honest Company.
GBL: Can we switch gears for a minute to talk about your red-carpet secrets? What is that getting-ready process like?
JA: Gosh, we start with what I'm wearing, and we go from there. I don't like my skin to look overly done. But I still love to play with makeup. I love a smoky eye or a cool colored eyeliner. I just don't do all of it at once!
GBL: One of your best friends, Lauren Andersen, does your makeup for events all the time—how cool is that? Has she taught you any fun tricks?
JA: Definitely. She taught me how to have a strong brow without it looking overly drawn. She also taught me how to "spot-conceal," so instead of splattering my whole face with foundation, I cover up just the areas that need it.
GBL: We can always count on you turning out a gorgeous, bold lip on the red carpet. Do the two of you like to play and experiment with colors?
JA: Well, when you have a good nude face, you can do a great, bright lip, for sure.
GBL: What beauty lessons did you learn from the women in your life?
JA: My grandma, whom I grew up with and who helped raise me with my mom, loved aloe vera. If anything was wrong, she'd break her aloe vera plant and rub it all over.
GBL: Oh, wow. That's funny.
JA: And she would put her red lipstick on her cheeks and lips, and her makeup was done. Whereas my mom, who's Caucasian, would wear every color under the sun. She was crazy in the eighties, with, like, four eyeshadows and loud blushes. My mom wouldn't leave the house without having her full face on.
GBL: Love it! It seems like you got your adventurous beauty spirit from them. Now tell us your fitness secrets.
JA: I do hot yoga and work with a trainer. Just this morning we were on the treadmill together, chatting and laughing. I try to work out three to four times a week, sometimes for 20 minutes or 45 minutes. But I don't do anything regularly, and some weeks are better than others. Mentally, I feel better when I have more of a routine.
GBL: That's such a good point. Tell us all about your favorite beauty products.
JA: I love our Honest Company body oil. It's just amazing. I mix it with my body lotion, and put it on after I shower or bathe. It's perfect for when I'm showing off my arms and my legs—it's not too greasy, and it absorbs right into the skin.
GBL: Nice! What about for your face?
JA: My favorite moisturizer is Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream. I also use a retinol serum called Resurface twice a week. It does a good job of exfoliating my skin without drying it up too much.
GBL: And lipstick? Do you have any go-to colors?
JA: In the fall I go for more saturated colors, like purple and deep red. And in the summer I like warm peaches and pinks, and maybe, like, a poppy kind of orangey red color.
GBL: Well, it all looks fabulous on you. Now let's talk about what it means to be Latina in the year 2014. How important is race to your identity, especially now that you have two young daughters?
JA: It's always been the same. I've always felt closer to being a Latina than anything else, because I grew up with my dad's family, who are Mexican American. I never really identified any other way. But I think that today it's less and less about having to identify with one race and holding on to that completely. That thinking was more prevalent when I was a kid, and less so now. I mean, my kids are African American and Caucasian on their dad's side, and Latino and Caucasian on my side.
GBL: That's an interesting point of view.
JA: People just look at themselves as humans. It's more about who they want to be. They think, Do I want to be a president? Or do I want to be an entrepreneur? Or do I want to be in fashion? Or do I want to be in banking? Everybody's much more open, especially the newer generation, and [they] identify with someone's strengths and who they are inside.
GBL: I can see that. Which Latinas did you admire when you were coming up in Hollywood?
JA: I grew up in Southern California, where Latin culture is just everywhere. I mean, I still love mariachi music! I looked up to Jennifer Lopez. She is someone who broke through barriers, a powerhouse. You know: I could be a dancer, singer, actress, entrepreneur—I can do all of it. And Daisy Fuentes too. What she did with her platform was incredible. It took the rest of the country a second to catch up to Latinas in the United States being mainstream.
__Sign up for your copy of Glam Belleza Latina right here! __
