Vida Glow founder Anna Lahey and her new Women’s Health range

The mother of four has revealed the life event that “completely” changed her health perspective — and now her business as a result.

Melody Teh

3 min read

September 15, 2023 - 9:33AM

Vida Glow founder Anna Lahey. Picture: Instagram/Anna Lahey.

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In the world of beauty, Anna Lahey has become a well-known name following the success of Vida Glow, the business she launched in 2014.

After holidaying in Japan in 2012, the Brazilian-born Sydney woman discovered the potential of marine collagen when it helped with her own hair loss and created a multimillion-dollar brand.

In the almost decade since, Lahey has built a beauty empire and the brand has become a leader in the ingestible beauty category.

A loyal following quickly emerged for Vida Glow’s suite of products – particularly the OG product Natural Marine Collagen peptide powder.

Vida Glow founder Anna Lahey. Picture: Supplied

Stocked worldwide at major retailers Selfridges, Le Bon Marche and Bloomingdale’s, and locally in Sephora and Myer, Vida Glow recorded a $100 million turnover during the 2020 financial year, The Daily Telegraph previously reported.

Anna has done this all while starting a family with husband and Vida Glow CEO, Kieran. The couple welcomed their fourth child, a son named Albert, in March.

Parenthood and owning a successful business can be stressful, but Anna says that learning to release and let go has been instrumental in helping her manage.

Vida Glow founder Anna Lahey with three of her four children. Picture: Instagram @anna.lahey

“With four little children and a growing global brand, I had to quickly realise that I needed to let go of things; mother’s guilt being the first,” she tells news.com.au.

“I don’t manage it all, all of the time and I’m okay with that. I find having this perspective helps to manage stress.

“What I’ve learned is to do what works for you and your body; allow yourself to celebrate even the smallest wins (for me that could be getting the kids to school on time); and eat the chocolate.”

Having conquered the beauty space, the next frontier for Vida Glow is in health. Women’s health, to be specific. Vida Glow has now launched a new Women’s Health range of female-focused health supplements.

It’s a natural next step for a brand that’s motivation has always been solving women’s concerns with ingestible solutions.

And with a 95 per cent female customer base, Anna is passionate about doing all she can to support women in healthy living and wellbeing.

Becoming a mum changed Anna’s perspective on what wellness means. Picture: Instagram/Anna Lahey.

‘IT’S TRULY GAME-CHANGING’

“Becoming a mother completely redefined my perspective on many things, especially my personal health and wellness,” Anna says.

“When it comes to prioritising my health, I simply don’t have time for products that aren’t efficacious or aren’t formulated for what I need at any particular time in my life. And I expect our customers feel the same.”

Recognising that women are underserved when it comes to health products that are “formulated exclusively for their body”, Anna is proud of Vida Glow’s Women’s Health supplements range.

Anna is passionate about female health. Picture: Instagram/Anna Lahey.

ANNA’S PASSION FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH

“Female health is a huge passion of mine and a direction I always wanted to take Vida Glow in,” Anna says.

“Up until about three years ago, women’s health was considered a ‘niche category’ rather than a necessity. As women account for at least 50 per cent of the population, it seems crazy to think their unique health needs could be considered niche,” she adds.

With female health so under-researched, it became Anna’s “mission to change that”.

“Health research in men has been generalised to be applicable for women and that is simply not the case,” she says.

“Biologically, male and female bodies are programmed differently from conception, and these differences affect every single cell in our bodies

“There isn’t enough education around why women’s health needs are different and what we can do to better serve them.”

Anna uses Vida Glow’s products daily. Picture: Instagram/Anna Lahey.

ANNA’S BEAUTY AND WELLNESS ROUTINE

Anna is a big proponent of a “holistic beauty and wellness regimen”.

To her that means “ingestible products, topical products, eating well, working out and indulging when I want to”.

Anna also likes to journal, a practice she finds “freeing”.

“For beauty, I take our Natural Marine Collagen twice a day. In the morning, I take it in glass of water and in the evening mixed into a cup of tea,” she explains.

As for her skincare routine, after pregnancy and four kids, it is now focused on “addressing pigmentation and looking well-rested when I’m far from it”.

In the morning, she’ll do a gentle cleanse, followed by an antioxidant serum, moisturiser and sunscreen.