interview by JANA LETONJA

Jessica Alba is an accomplished actress, New York Times bestselling author, astute businesswoman and passionate advocate for underserved communities. She gained worldwide recognition in James Cameron’s series ‘Dark Angel’ and feature films including ‘Honey’, ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Sin City’. She can currently be seen on her first unscripted series ‘Honest Renovations’, which she also executive produces, streaming on Roku and currently filming its second season. In 2012, Jessica also stepped into the world of business by founding ‘The Honest Company’, a consumer products brand dedicated to creating clean and sustainably designed products spanning baby care, skin, personal care, wellness and household.

Jessica, you gained worldwide recognition with starring in ‘Dark Angel’ and ‘Honey’. How did you develop passion for acting?
I believe I developed it when I was a child. I feel like I had a pretty vivid imagination and because I was sick a lot as a child and spent a lot of time in hospital, I pretty much just lived in my imaginary world and wanted to be a superhero or I wanted to be different people with different experiences. As an actor, I got to live out that experiences. And I think that’s where the passion came from, just being a kid with a vivid imagination and alone time. I also have a family of singers, dancers, stage performers, painters, sculptors and my grandfather was a talented classical guitar player.

dress MONOT
tights FALKE
heels SANTONI
jewelry DAVID YURMAN and IRENE NEUWIRTH

You are currently executive producing and hosting ‘Honest Renovations’, which is streaming on Roku and has been renewed for a second season. What do you love the most about this series and its stories?
We’ve thoughtfully handpicked a diverse and eclectic group of families, ensuring our audience can easily relate to them. I genuinely feel that we are positively impacting this diverse group of families. Our aim is to truly make a difference in people’s lives. The families we choose to work with often represent situations that many can relate to. We’re dedicated to helping them elevate their lives significantly through home renovation and organization tools. Typically, despite changes in their circumstances, their homes remain unchanged. All our families have children and as they grow, their needs evolve while their houses stay the same. Our role is to transform their homes to meet the evolving needs of both parents and children. The icing on the cake is that I have the pleasure of working with one of my best friends, Lizzy Mathis, which makes the whole experience a lot of fun.

What can you share with us about your upcoming TV and film projects?
I have the second season of ‘Honest Renovations’ and a Netflix movie coming out next summer. And then I have some things in development that I’ve been working on, that I can’t really talk about until they are further down the line. It’s exciting to get back to working in Hollywood again. My focus for such a long time was on building ‘The Honest Company’. Nine months ago, I put a new CEO in place and I do not feel like I have to be as involved in the day-to-day operations. I can really focus on telling stories and being creative, surrounded with like minded folks.

gloves VERSACE

full look ZADIG&VOLTAIRE

Also now with the strike ending, things are finally going back to normal again.
I stand with my union completely, but I also feel deeply for everyone who was impacted by it. Not only the performers in front of the camera, but also so many people behind the scenes that are still affected by it. I’m optimistic about the positive change we are going to see behind and in front of the camera. My production company is called ‘Lady Spitfire’ and I’m thrilled that in this stage of my life, I get to create and build. Moving into unchartered territories is a space I’m comfortable with and I feel is where I shine. Reimagining and redefining how women and Latino/Latina/LatinX folks show up in the world through great stories is my passion. My children and the next generation shouldn’t have to face the same barriers as my generation has, like the generations of heroes before us. I feel it is my duty to make it easier for dreams to be realized and potential to be met for women and minorities, particularly those in my community.

In 2012, you stepped into business waters when you founded ‘The Honest Company’. What contributed to the decision to step into the world of business and what inspired ‘The Honest Company’?
As a new mother, I learned about lots of untested, potentially harmful chemicals that are in detergents, baby products, food products, cosmetics, lotions, body products and air fresheners. I mean, even in materials like pajamas and mattresses. As a new parent, I was trying to figure out how to give my daughter really the best chance at life, as I remembered being a very sick kid with chronic asthma and allergies. 

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had an allergic reaction to a baby laundry detergent. Something I thought would be safe, that my mother recommended I use, as she used it for my clothes as a baby. I panicked thinking about my baby, what if she had an allergic reaction to this detergent, how would I know? I was just really terrified, so that’s when I thought maybe I can shop around the problem, maybe I can buy things from other countries where they have stricter standards or go to more natural stores. I learned that it was really time consuming, expensive and hard to get my everyday needs met. And frankly, a lot of the natural alternatives just didn’t perform the same. So, I had this idea of creating a company that made products that really worked, but didn’t use potentially harmful chemicals in the process. Fragrance and perfume are the big ones I wanted to avoid along with many petroleum derived chemicals, flame retardants and lacquers. Even if I didn’t have a business background, I felt like this idea, this company just needed to exist. It took me about three years, blood, sweat and tears to go from the initial concept to launching the company in 2012.

dress MUGLER
gloves VERSACE
tights WOLFORD

Honest has been dedicated to creating thoughtfully formulated, safe and effective products. What is the brand’s focus, its mission and its core values? 
The original mission was that everyone deserves to live a happy, healthy life to thrive, not just survive. Research showed that people who don’t have very many options, because of their financial situation, were more exposed to harmful chemicals and could potentially have worse health outcomes. And so my mission for Honest was that everyone should have access to the right information, to be able to make the right choices. Coming from a Mexican American household, a two income household, living paycheck to paycheck, I was always passionate about Honest showing up for all communities, especially those that are traditionally overlooked by big businesses or society. 

I really wanted a company that operated with the same value system that I grew up with. You put something out in the world that you could be proud of, you try not to harm the planet, you try not to harm people. You really try to help people and do good in the world, one where women can be treated with fairness, where people of color can be treated with fairness, where people have equal opportunity no matter where they come from. All of those things are embedded in how we operate the business. Giving back is also an essential part of our core values. We do a ton of charity work and have donated over 30 million products as well as over 20.000 volunteer hours.

Out of all Honest’s products, which one is your personal favorite to use every day?
I use quite a few products every day. I love our Calm & Heal Melting Balm. It’s an ultra-rich cream-to balm that I use every day, every night for sure. We also have a lavender body oil that’s really nice, and a lavender lotion. I mix the oil and lotion together for even more hydration. My husband likes our Hydrogel Cream, which is a cooling, Hyaluronic Acid infused face cream we both like to use. And the wipes are a must, a staple for wiping down grimy surfaces to sticky fingers and dirty faces.

jacket NANA JACQUELINE
bodysuit WOLFORD
tights WOLFORD

What are the plans and upcoming projects for ‘The Honest Company’?
With our new CEO, it’s really about being focused and honing in on what we’re doing really well. We have some great retail partners like Target, Walmart, Amazon and Ulta Beauty. They’re key partners and we’re just doubling down with them. We’re making sure that we continue to deliver on our promise of clean and effective products that are beautifully designed.

Since becoming a mother, how has your life and your priorities changed? How do you balance your successful career and your family life?
It doesn’t feel like they’re two separate things. Sometimes my business needs a little bit more attention, sometimes my kids need more of my attention. But certainly, whenever they come home and they need me with one-on-one time, I’m there for them. My number one priority are my kids and then everything else. I figure out day to day how I divide my time with entertainment or business stuff or board work. It just sort of flows. And it’s important to take breaks too, not only work.

Besides your success in the entertainment industry and business, you are also a dedicated activist and agent for social change. Why is speaking up on ongoing issues so important for you? What are some of the causes you are most passionate about?
I’ve always had a passion to stand up against social injustices. I think this has been something that has just been part of me since I can remember. Fairness has been a big driver or motivator of mine to be successful. I believe in the butterfly effect. Everyone committed to doing good adds up to monumental change.

dress ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Social media has proven to be a very influential platform in today’s society. How do you use your social media to speak up and be the voice? 
It’s complicated because sometimes there’s an expectation that you should speak up on everything that’s going on in the world. But it’s important to me that I’m speaking up where I can truly be a catalyst for substantial change. As far as social media, I do think it’s important to be strategic, how you want your voice to be applied, for no other reason than it will probably have more impact if you keep it focused.

How important is fashion to you? What do you love the most about it?
I have always loved fashion, since I can remember. What I love about it is the ability to transform. It really can shift how you see yourself, how you walk in a room. It could bring out different feelings and how you’re going to interact with the world. If you’re in something that’s loose, playful and bright versus something that’s a little more restrictive, monotone and very chic, you’re going to carry yourself differently. I think fashion and beauty has the power to bring out who you want to be in that moment.

As an actress, I have the ability to lean into that more than in probably any other job. In entertainment, we get to really bring the fantasy to life, which is cool. If I wasn’t an actress, I don’t know if I would have the confidence to play and explore as much with my fashion and beauty choices. My personality probably isn’t to stand out like that or to do that as much, but luckily because of my job, it gives me that liberty to play.

What would be your best advice to your kids for their future?
I think kindness is always a big one that we reinforce with the kids. Treat people how you want to be treated. Another is, find what gives you energy and brings you joy, especially as they think about something that they may want to do as an adult or later in life. I think it’s important for them to connect to what makes them feel their best and make sure to integrate that into their life, no matter what career paths they choose. 

TEAM CREDITS:
talent JESSICA ALBA
photography VERONICA SAMS
styling ERIN WALSH
hair BRITTNEY RYAN at The Only Agency
makeup MARIA VARGAS
nails QUEENIE NGUYEN at Tomlinson Management Group
digital tech REECE KNUPP
camera assistant COLE MICEK
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN