CircleBumpCheckedFilledMedicalBookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxCheckBoxFilled

Jessica Alba

The Honest Company founder
save article
profile picture of Jaime Buerger
Updated June 5, 2017
Hero Image
Image: LVQ Designs

As a Hollywood actress, Jessica Alba knows typecasting all too well.

“When I started out, everyone I approached was skeptical and didn’t see me as an entrepreneur, but I was determined,” says Alba, who cites a childhood marred by chronic health issues as a motivating factor in cofounding The Honest Company in 2012. She brought together a savvy, health-conscious executive team, began pitching venture capitalists (the company has raised about $200 million in funding) and got to work in a sprawling, gorgeously appointed office in Southern California.

In five years, The Honest Company has grown to include hundreds of employees, and its plant-based diapers, nontoxic cleaners and sulfate-free beauty products are stocked on shelves from Target to Costco. Honest to Goodness, the company’s philanthropic arm, is fostering a legacy of charitable giving by donating a portion of profits to causes helping needy families. (Among last year’s highlights: handing out 500 Christmas presents to LA-area children in need, giving Honest gift bags to 80 formerly homeless people as housewarming presents, donating 1.2 million diapers to low-income families throughout the US and raising $50,000 in support of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.)

“Raising happy, healthy kids shouldn’t be a privilege afforded to only the wealthy,” Alba says. “Everything I do is for my family,” says the actress-turned-entrepreneur, whose two daughters are 8 and 5. “And I want all families to have the same access to trusted, effective products.”

The Birth of a Brand

“The idea came about from my experiences as a conscious consumer and a new parent. I grew up with chronic health issues and not a lot of resources. While I was pregnant, making a happy, healthy home for my loved ones became my priority. Like many entrepreneurs, I saw there was a need that wasn’t being met, so I had to create the company I was looking for.”

Not Taking No

“Knowing that the company needed to exist gave me the drive to keep going and bring this idea to life. From finding the right business partners to pitching [venture capitalists], I had my hand in every part of it. To this day I’m truly proud that I kept pushing and didn’t get brought down by those who doubted me.”

Built to Last

“Creating a lasting brand is not just about what’s on the shelf. It’s also about the lifestyle you build around it that reflects your values. I think this brand resonates with people because we listen to our customers and create products based on what they want and need. And we don’t sacrifice premium design, which sets our products apart from others on the market.”

save article
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

Kristin Davis at the New York Pemiere of "And Just Like That..." A New Chapter of Sex and The City held at MoMA on December 8, 2021 in New York City
Why Moms Are Loving Charlotte's ‘and Just Like That’ Monologue
By Wyndi Kappes
78 Percent of Moms Are Overwhelmed by Pumping at Work
78 Percent of Moms Are Overwhelmed by Pumping at Work
By Wyndi Kappes
mother holding sleeping baby at home
Caregiving Reduces Mom's Lifetime Earnings by 15 Percent, Report Says
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
mother working on laptop while holding baby
These Are the Best States for Working Moms in 2023
By Wyndi Kappes
working mother sitting at home with baby and breast pump
What the PUMP Act Means for Working Parents
By Wyndi Kappes
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hugs his daughter Poppy on the ninth hole during the Par 3 Contest prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5, 2023, in Augusta, Georgia
Kids Take the Masters by Storm Dressed as Adorable Caddies
By Wyndi Kappes
mother wearing baby in wrap while working on laptop at home
Study: Parents Work Longer Hours Than Non-Parents Amid Recession Fears
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
P!nk attends the 2022 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California
Balancing Acts: Pink Shares Her Journey as a Rockstar Mom
By Wyndi Kappes
Sanya Richards Ross and family
Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross on Motherhood and Finding Balance
By Nehal Aggarwal
Reps. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Andy Kim, D-N.J., left, and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., conduct a news conference to announce the Congressional Dads Caucus outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, January 26, 2023
Congress’ New Dads Caucus Advocates for Working Parents
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Shonda Rhimes attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.
Shonda Rhimes Shares the Secret Behind How She Does It All
By Wyndi Kappes
MommiNation founders talking at fundraiser event
How MommiNation Is Helping to Empower a Community of Black Moms
By Jen Hayes Lee
Rihanna is seen outside the Dior show, during Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear F/W 2022-2023, on March 01, 2022 in Paris, France
Rihanna Says Being a Mom Pushed Her to Perform at the Super Bowl
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
mother working from home with baby on lap
New Report Explores if Remote Work Is Really Working for Parents
By Wyndi Kappes
wood desk at the texas state capitol
Moms Are Largely Missing From the Law-Making Arena, New Report Reveals
By Wyndi Kappes
pregnant woman working from home at desk in bedroom
Remote Work May Have Led to a Mini Baby Boom, Study Says
By Wyndi Kappes
gabrielle union and dwyane wade smiling with their daughter
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Champion Community at Home and Work
By Ashlee Neuman
ADVERTISEMENT
Amanda Kloots and her son, Elvis
Amanda Kloots Talks About Life as a Single Mom and Multi-Hyphenate
By Lauren Kay
Meghan Markle and Serena Williams
Meghan Markle & Serena Williams Talk Ambition and Motherhood on New Podcast
By Wyndi Kappes
Alyson Felix and Daughter running on the track together
Allyson Felix’s Last Race With Her Daughter Bookends a Legacy of Change
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List