How The Co-Founder Of Ultra Violette Launched A Sunscreen Empire On Maternity Leave
Ultra Violettte's co-founder Ava Mathews talks to us about juggling both motherhood and the brand's success
By Karen Fong -
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When I meet Australian Ava Matthews, she breezes into our press briefing for Ultra Violette, looking gorgeous and glowing. A new mum, Ava tells us that this is her first business trip and the first time she's been away so long from her new son, Art.
"[The travel] was intensive and included long workdays so I didn't want to do that amount of travel with my son," she explains. "It made more sense for Dion (my husband) to bring Art to Singapore for the second week and for us to reunite here. It was really hard to leave him initially, but it was the right decision for our family. We had a great week in Singapore together!"
Ava Mathews and baby Art
Of course, Ava was in town to talk about her other baby. The buzz around Ultra Violette, (available at Sephora) as the sunscreen on the market to try had been palpable. Looking at the range, from the Queen Screen Luminising Sun Serum (light and hydrating) to Lean Screen Mineral Mattifying SPF 50+ (a zinc sunscreen for dry skin), there's something for everyone. Textures are light and non-greasy and in a way we might not have thought about sunscreen before, they are truly a joy to wear.
We spoke to Ava about how it was launching the brand while still on maternity, what it took to do that and how important it is to create a brand that is supportive of mothers.
Ava Matthews (AM): I think having a business partner really helped me and allowed me to take some time off – one of the great things about not starting a business by yourself (there are many reasons to start a business with someone else and this is one of them!).
I only took a few months of maternity leave but was semi plugged into the business the whole time. I have an extremely supportive partner (and co-founder) and he works part time to allow me to spend some days back in the business and then you just have to make it work! For the days you’re not in the office, people can still come to you if they want a meeting or shift to online meetings or calls which can sometimes be done easily with a small baby. Not so much a toddler I’m told!
AM: How amazing women are and how hard it is for the working mum in the traditional working world. The chips are truly stacked against us in so many ways. Bec, my co-founder, and I were determined to change this when we launched Ultra Violette. We wanted to create a working environment that truly supported women – and mums – in all the various ways our lives change throughout our working lives.
At Ultra Violette, it is vital that we create a supportive working environment for mums. Currently, working mums make up three quarters of our business! We enable flexible working hours to factor in parenting commitments such as school or day-care drop off and many of our team work remotely at least once a week. It's important that my co-founder Bec and I set an example for the team by coming and going to work as and when suits us and our families.
We have also just implemented our new parental leave policy which includes many benefits such as paid superannuation for one year. We felt this was really important as women often get left behind in retirement due to the time taken out of work during this chapter of their lives. When mums do return to work, we support a flexible return to work capacity whichever works best for the employee, be it part time or staggered working hours.
AM: We wanted to create a brand that made people excited to wear SPF every day – a product and experience that turned SPF haters into SPF lovers.
Is sensitive skin an important consideration for you when creating products?
AM: Always! All skin types and tones are. With our wardrobe of SPF options, we want to make sure there are multiple options for various skin types depending on their preferences on feel and finish. We have options specifically for sensitive skin, but we want to ensure that the full range is still suitable for sensitive skins even though we know that’s not entirely possible all the time.
AM: Daydream Screen – our range of 15 shades of tinted SPF 50. It’s my must-wear SPF especially in the off-peak seasons when you want something that is a bit of a ‘one and done’ – high SPF protection and coverage with a hefty dose of iron oxides for extra UVA protection.
Can we expect a (specific) kids’ product anytime soon?
AM: All our products can be worn on kids over 6 months (just do a patch test first). I’d also start with Lean Screen as it’s a zinc sunscreen and very gentle on skin. I think children don’t have the patience to sit there and wait for an SPF to be rubbed into their skin – so the product has to be one that sinks in quickly and smells good.
I think more about creating products and a brand that has longevity – not just a flash in the pan brand that is created to make a quick dollar.
Everything you do has an impact on the world. I think when you put your mind to something, it's important to think about what the long-term effects will be not just on your own life but on those who will follow. The last thing the world needs right now is more mess to clean up! It's about leaving a legacy, instilling these values in my son, and setting the right example for the next generation.