I reluctantly attended a natural skincare workshop because I had a toddler and was suffering badly from sleep deprivation. I certainly didn’t attend because I wanted to make my own petrochemical - free skincare, I went along because I really wanted to help one client find a natural solution to her dilemma – nothing more. Long story short – at the end of the weekend workshop, my head was spinning on its axis. So much information about cosmetic ingredient toxicity and the potential health implications. I could hardly believe what I’d heard and this experience opened a can of worms I couldn’t possibly close the lid on. I just couldn’t let this go so I started researching myself. I really wanted to be sure what I’d been told was true.

Well...it was!

I promised myself that I would share all the information that shocked and disappointed me with others in the hope that a drop of knowledge would turn into a trickle, a stream and finally an ocean that would empower people to make better choices for themselves and their families.

It was a natural progression to then open my first holistic skin clinic in Sydney in 2002. Approaching skin care as a holistic skin health mission, I worked alongside integrative health practitioners - effectively bridging the gap between beauty therapy and complementary medicine. This was a turning point. My approach to prioritise skin health over aesthetics was often referred to as trailblazing in one of the world’s most competitive industries.

I began writing articles for publications including; Well Being Magazine and Professional Beauty, and was vocal about the damage being done by the industry in the name of ‘beauty’. I spoke out - I was different - and because of this I also attracted the attention of the media and influential make-up artists with high profile clients. Before long, MV (a very small niche brand) was being shipped to London, Los Angeles, New York and Paris and I was giving advice to the likes of Emma Watson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Frequent travel followed, where I met with some of the world’s top beauty editors and a whole new breed of influencer - the ‘blogger’. I gained the unlikely title of ‘beauty disruptor’ because of my radical views, particularly on exfoliation and daily use of SPF.

With integrity front and centre of everything I do, I continue to illuminate negative beauty industry language which ultimately disempowers women. I refuse to use the term anti-ageing – I am in fact pro-ageing. I view growing older as a privilege and natural beauty as more than just swapping out toxic ingredients for safer alternatives. It’s a paradigm shift in the way we view skincare as self-care.

In 2010 I was honoured to receive an InStyle Women of Style Award where I was recognised as one of the original pioneers in the field of organic skincare. Today, 23 years since launching the MV brand, I continue to be a disruptor. To educate about the very same myths and marketing tactics that are working their way into the ‘green’ world of beauty.

I have a no-compromise approach to my work and I am known for my openness and honesty in an industry where these traits are the exception rather than the rule.