LIFE | 05;,9=0,>
see in the duty-free section at international
airports—haven’t yet shifted their focus to the
natural. How long, I ask, until these brands
are forced to rethink their formulations and
marketing strategies?
“Things will start to change as people have
more information about the potential harm
that these [chemicals] can do to our bodies
over time, and the optionality around ‘better
for you.’ I formulate with a really, really strict
ingredient list and it’s hard to create stable
formulas that are actually effective and are on
par with traditional brands. I think there is a
misconception that [natural products] won’t
really work, but we’ve proven that they really
do work.
“When will the tide change? It’s really
about consumer behaviour. Those big brands
will follow consumers but they won’t lead
the charge because it’s cheaper doing it the
way they’re doing it; it’s expensive to invest in
alternative ways of formulating and if you’re
a publicly traded company, it’s hard to justify
making less money.”
When she’s not tinkering with potions and
lotions, acting, or supporting one of the many
causes she’s passionate about, Alba relishes
doing “normal stuff ” with her children. “[Since
becoming a mother] I feel like my priorities in
life have 100 per cent switched to the health and
well-being of my kids. That is the number one
thing, and work and my career and everything
else is a distant second to them,” she says.
Alba and her husband, actor and producer
Cash Warren, love to hike, go to the park, andplay board games with their brood, although
son Hayes, born in December last year, is a
little young to get involved in Monopoly. Alba
is also a seasoned scuba diver. “That is not
that relaxing though,” she laughs. “It’s so fun
to do but I don’t live in a scuba dive-friendly
place. There’s lots of kelp in the ocean
around California. It’s not clear and there’s
not like a bunch of coral or anything.”
Women’s magazines often laud Alba for
her relaxed but polished style. Her modus
operandi when it comes to fashion, she
says, is to shop “with intention,” a strategy
that serves to safeguard the environment as
well as her sartorial reputation. “You don’t
need to be on trend all the time. A more
classic aesthetic is more important than
just following a trend that may or may not
be what’s right for you. There are brands
that are more conscious about how they are
resourcing and it’s great that those types of
brands can also be luxury and that people
have options.”
Her mission, as she sees it, is to promote
a more ethical consumer mindset, no matter
what people are buying. “I think that in
general, we all should be responsible and
take care of our planet. We need to be
more mindful of the fact that there is only
a finite amount of resources on our planet.
We should be more mindful of how we
utilise them.”
If the impossibly busy Alba—a film star,
mother of three, and boss of 300—can do it,
surely we can too. IMAGES: AFP PHOTO; COURTESY OF LANDMARK HONG KONGWORKING
MUM
Alba with
her two
daughters,
Haven and
Honor, at
an event for
the Honest
Company in
New York
54 philippine tatler. august 2018