Taking one of our most basic beauty products — sunscreen — and transforming it into a skincare moment in women’s daily routines is no easy feat. But when beauty industry veteran Ava Mathews and her co-founder and friend Bec Jefferd spotted a gap, they decided to give this humble product its moment in the sun… and Australian SPF brand Ultra Violette was born...

For all the women desperate for a sunscreen that felt like skincare, looked great in their bathroom and packed some serious protection, a problem was solved. Here, straight-talking Ava shares everything she has learned about launching a successful beauty brand without outside investment. If you’re someone with an idea, read on for her hard-learned lessons and essential insights before you take one more step. And if you don’t, find out what a woman with a vision for work that works for women thinks about the future of work-life-balance. By the end of this article, you’ll want your resume in her inbox. 

Ultra Violette's range

Let’s start with the one I am most curious about. Why sunscreen?

 My business partner Bec and I had worked in product development at MECCA managing their signature line brands, and one of the products was sunscreen. I was never really interested in the category before. I wore sunscreen to the beach, but I just never really understood why you needed to wear it all the time. 

I’m guessing that changed?

Well, when I started to understand the impact the sun has on skin, and that wearing sunscreen every day is more about your overall skin health and vanity, it became more interesting to me. And while everything I saw was certainly functional, nothing was fun or sexy. It felt like a category that really needed a kick up its arse. 

Sunscreen is notoriously hard to formulate. So, I want to talk about patience. It’s something every entrepreneur needs. You spent more than two years developing the launch products. Did that feel like it took forever?

Yes and no. I mean, Bec and I were both working for other people at the time. So, it was going on behind the scenes… and on weekends… and at night. Bec took a part-time job so she could spend that one day dealing with manufacturers. At some point, it was kind of like, "Why can't this just be here now?" But at other points, we were still distracted with our own careers.

How did you balance your dedication to your current roles with your ambition for this new venture?

It was sometimes hard. Knowing that this brand was going to launch, it felt hard to have a long-term view of the jobs that we were doing at the time. But also, we're hard workers, and neither of us wanted to let anyone down. In some ways, it was helpful having the distraction of a full-time job to stop us from trying to speed things up and cut corners.

A lot of people have to juggle full-time work with something more entrepreneurial for at least some of the time. So when exactly did you find the time to work on your side hustle?

Fortunately, Bec and I have this background, so we weren’t starting from scratch. We had relationships with chemists and manufacturers and labs. We knew the testing process. We knew how much money we needed. It still was hard, but we did have a kind of manual on how to do this. It helped that we were dealing with people on our time zones who we already had relationships with, and we also launched just three facial formulas and two lip balms.

And when did you take the leap?

I left my full-time job three months before we launched and focused on marketing, social media, getting the website up and running, PR, and all that sort of stuff.

Where did you invest the bulk of your money?

It was all product. We had no money for marketing. We had a bit of money to do a website and pay our designer, but we had nothing to spend on influencers or collaborations. At one point, we had 50,000 units in the warehouse. So, I mean, that's a lot of products and a lot of cash tied up in product. I didn't need to hire a PR agency because I knew some key people from my previous roles, and then the people I didn't know had seen the product and were interested. It was a combination of skill set, contacts, and having a good brand that people wanted to talk about.

So because there was a gap in the market, that meant there was a natural PR angle there?

Exactly. It wasn't just another mascara. There was something quite unique about this new Australian brand and it resonated with people. We had a fantastic story written by Leigh Campbell on MamaMia that caused a stir and soon we had a waitlist.

Let’s talk branding because the Ultra Violette voice us so bright and joyful and engaging, especially compared to what was out there in terms of sunscreen. Did you have a clear vision for the branding or did that come after the actual product?

I had a pretty clear vision. We did look at other sunscreen packaging, and there was always the blue for the water and yellow for the sun. So, we wanted to honour this in our own way, without feeling like any other brand. We needed to have our own distinct identity. So we worked with an amazing designer I had worked with for many years, who knows me, and he could really extract from my brain and put it on paper. He did a couple of rounds, and then on the on the third he got it. Some people spend millions of dollars trying to reach that point.

Was it hard to communicate the vision in your head?

I really love that Yves Klein blue, so I that was the colour in my mind. And then I love poppy, neon colours, so that’s where all those hits of neon come from. But having a relationship with our designer made all the difference. If you're not a visual person or you're not a designer, it can be quite hard to get a clear vision across, so knowing that person so well cut out a few of the steps.

For someone who doesn't have that background or doesn't necessarily have those connections, what's your advice? Where would you start when it comes to branding?

Find things that you like. Find elements of things, whether it's colours in nature or even items you see on the runway. Collect things that you love. I don't mean slapping down a picture of a Glossier tube and saying, "I want this." I mean, ask yourself: what colours make sense for the brand? What colours and elements make sense for what I’m trying to create? Start creating a moodpboard and you’ll start to spot patterns coming through. And that visual tool will help you communicate with your designer. 

And then beyond those big picture ideas, there are also many, many smaller decisions that inform your brand.

There are so many elements to consider. You don't just go and find a tube that's ready-made to your specifications. You can, but it's very hard. They’ll be like, what size orifice? What kind of cap? If it's a pump, what do the shoulders of the tube look like? Where does the cap sit? There's lots of things to consider.

What elements of the design process might surprise people? What are the things you have to consider when you want to catch people’s attention and connect with them?

That’s why you designer is so important. When it comes to a beauty brand, not every designer will know how to create good packaging. It's not just as simple as a whacking a design on a clear bottle. There are so many elements. You have to think about sizing, navigation, where the product will retail, whether people need to read what it is from afar while looking at it on a wall with 10 other things. Will your box look exactly the same as the thing next to it? And then become confused as to what they're buying? There's lots of things to consider. I do have the benefit of having background and experience here, but I would recommend finding a designer who also knows how to work with actual product shapes. That will really help you in the long run.

Let's talk about your products, which have been game-changers for so many people when it comes to sunscreen. So, where did you start with formulation?

It's funny. Bec and I spent six months pulling together a deck on the brand and how much money we needed, what the sales would look like after five years, and projecting where we would be. And that’s where we put together the original lineup of products. We had three facial formulas and a lip balm, plus some other things that we didn't end up doing because we couldn't afford to. And one of them was a sunscreen that feels like a serum. Another was a sunscreen that feels like a primer. And then there was a formula for oily or acne-prone skin that was more mattifying. So we started with finishes and textures, rather than ingredients because we knew that we could kind of tweak those. We knew what we needed the range to look like at the start, and then we developed from there.

What about the SPF part?

We knew that we wanted to work with really innovative SPF filters, which we knew would limit our future expansion because you can't sell them in America. You can sell them everywhere else, but you can't sell them in America because their FDA hasn't approved the filters because they're just basically very behind the times, and no one wants to invest the money needed to get these filters passed. But regardless, we wanted the formulas to be as technologically advanced as they could be.

And then comes the fun part…the actual formulating. Did you know when you had nailed each product?

There were a lot of duds that we binned. And look, even once we settled on the formulas, we weren't sure. We tested them with so many friends and we put all of their feedback into a spreadsheet. But we were kind of like, "Are our friends lying to us? Are they the right people to be asking? How often do they even wear sunscreen? Are we talking to too many people who don't wear much makeup? Are we talking to too many people in the same age group, with the same skin tone?" Until we launched and saw the reviews come in, we were still asking, "Are people going to like this?"

Do you think that the case for anyone developing a product?

The scariest part was at the beginning. Subsequently, there's been many others, but...

Well, we're going to get to them! You started with a lean product range. So, how do you come up with a new product and how do you decide what you are going to go ahead with?

I think it has to make sense. We lean on our customer database a lot. So, we see people make requests. For example, we were never going to do a body sunscreen because we just wanted to focus on face, but we got a lot of requests, and so we were like, "We may as well do it and see how it goes." We listen very much to social media. We get emails. So, that kind of informs a lot of the product development process or we'll hear about a great ingredient and think, "How can we incorporate this? Does this make sense for the brand?"

So you’re open to the range becoming larger?

We see Ultra Violette as a very tight product range, probably no more than 12 to 15 products max. I'm not for launching products just for the sake of it. I think that's not a sustainable way to do business. It's also not a sustainable way of living. All your money is tied up in product. I mean, cash flow is hard to manage. If you're releasing crap that people don't necessarily actually need or want, and they're buying because they're into the brand, then you've kind of got to deal with excess and managing all of that with the retailer.

What are some other constraints you have to deal with when it comes to product development?

There are a few things that we've been working on since we started, but we didn't have enough money or we didn't have the resources or we couldn't find the right person to make it for us, and hopefully, they'll come out over the next year or two. And there are some things that are more of a long-term product development process. But most importantly, we listen to our customers who are pretty savvy, make sure there's a need for it and then we do a lot of research. 

Will you go outside of SKINSCREEN and do you want to maybe give me the elevator pitch of what SKINSCREEN is because I know you sort of coined this incredible term?

I don't think we'll go outside of SKINSCREEN, no. Our name very much limits us to sun and that realm. We might dabble in makeup, but it will always tie back into sun protection. So, SKINSCREEN is a name that we made up when we were launching Ultra Violette because sunscreen is a non-negotiable. It's not something that you can decide to omit because you've got too many other products. We've called all of our facial sunscreen SKINSCREENS because they're a combination of skincare and sun protection. They look and feel like skincare, but the most high protection SPF you can get in most instances. We've infused all of our products with really beautiful hydrators, antioxidants, and they all work really well with as much or as little skincare or makeup you want to apply. 

I want to ask you about getting a new company off the ground because it's so costly. So, how did you fund the company initially and will you seek future investment?

We funded it ourselves, with savings and cash from family. And we have been reluctant to get outside funding because we haven't needed it. With the whole beauty boom, you see brands that launched with millions behind them and it seems very enticing because you can pay yourself a salary. You can hire people. You don't have to do everything yourself. You can grow and scale at a much faster pace. But we've gotten past the launch and we're now a team of nine, all from our own funding, so now it feels hard to give away any part of the brand.

I guess some founders might not have a choice but to accept funding...

Yes, and we do think we will have to at some point. The business will probably grow to a point where we can't sustain the order volume that we're doing. But Bec and our amazing financial controller have done a lot of cash flow forecasting, and we're in a pretty good position for the next five years, even with a lot of growth. So, yeah, never say never, and we do get approached a lot, but it's got to be the right. If we're going to take cash, it's got to be with someone who can lend us some expertise that we don't necessarily have.

I read an article that the revenue run rate for the 2020 calendar year for Ultra Violette was more than 2.5 million. Is that correct? And if so, it's phenomenal. Have you actually stopped and celebrated?

No, we don't stop and celebrate it enough. Well, I don't. Bec's better at it, but I don't. I guess I think I'm one those people who has ultimate end goals of where I want to be, and obviously Bec does too. But I'm not one for really stopping throughout the process. I think the celebration will come when we've met that final goal.

Well, speaking of you and Bec, I wanted to ask you about finding the right business partner. It’s not always easy. How did you know that the two of you would make such a great team?

We'd worked together for a few years, so we knew how the other operated. We knew where our strengths were, and we also knew we had complementary skill sets. For example, I hate detail, and while Bec doesn't like it either, she has a tolerance for details and contracts and asking the right questions. And that's just one small example of how we work together. Not having the exact same skill set also meant it was very natural for us both to fall into the areas of the business that we are handling. We overlap on big decisions or any sort of strategy and product development, but I handle anything that's forward-facing, such as marketing, comms, PR, brand partnerships, social media, education, customer service, and website; Bec manages finance, legal, operations, HR, logistics, and all of that stuff.

It’s a real yin and yang situation...

She's also got a marketing brain as well, so it's very handy because I can throw things at her and she can think about them not just from a money point of view or an operational point of view. We just landed together and clicked. But I would say if you're looking for a business partner, make sure they have skills that you don't have and that you would need to outsource if it wasn't for this person. If it's your idea and it's a matter of giving away a percentage of your business in order to not have to hire someone, then it's probably not a bad idea. And I think it doesn't also hurt that Bec and I really like each other, personally. We have a great personal relationship. It's one thing to be able to work well together, but it's another thing to actually love the person that you're working with.

Let's talk retail strategy, because you've secured some amazing retailers like Adore Beauty, and then, of course, Sephora, and THE ICONIC. So, what's your advice for people who are hoping to get their brands into stores?

You need to have a point of difference. Do a brand deck that shows why these people need your brand. Do your research. If you're a skincare or haircare brand, for example, see where your product fits in their retail environment. So, if you're like, "I've got a haircare brand. I've noticed you guys have XYZ haircare brands, but you've got nothing at the premium price point that offers what I'm offering." Or conversely, at the more mass end of the scale, "You don't have anything that's targeting this consumer at this price point. This is why we'd work for you guys." That's always a good way to come at it.

Does this ​strategy work anywhere, or is it specific to Australia?

The Australian retail industry is pretty small. There's not a huge amount of places to go. So buyers are readily accessible if you're hunting through LinkedIn. And if a brand looks interesting enough and you've put in a bit of work to ascertain where you might sit in their retail environment and landscape, they want to hear from you. Beauty retailers, especially, always want to hear from new brands. They want the next big thing, and they're all scared that the other place is going to get it. 

How important is your presentation in those early pitches?

Put in a bit of work. Make you deck look beautiful. Make your product look beautiful. Be persistent. These people get a lot of emails. You just need to make it worth their time to open, read, and respond to yours.

That's great advice. You mentioned earlier the difficulty getting into the US market. It's not really possible with their rules and regulations, but you have expanded globally into Hong Kong AND THE UK. So, what was that process like?

We had intended to launch into Space NK in the UK in 2020, but for obvious reasons that wasn't going to be possible, but we did still manage international expansion. I recently said to Bec,"It's a pretty amazing thing that we've been able to expand globally in a pandemic." And we've got other markets that we're interested in moving into next, but we really need to dedicate a lot of our focus this year to the UK and ultimately Europe.

I've listened to a few podcasts with you and I love that you're open about your weaknesses, like you dread an email from your accountant. Too often we think we need to be able to do it all… but what are your weaknesses as a businesswoman and how do you get around them?

I do think that there's this expectation that you're meant to be able to be good at everything, and sometimes I feel bad about myself that I can’t read an email from a lawyer once and take away from it what Bec can—I have to read it a few times. And also, I'm impatient. I want the highlights. I want everything that I need to know bolded. The amount of spelling errors that are in packaging because I haven't read through something or I've done something quickly. I'm really not good at the details. I'm also not really an executer. I'm much more of a big-picture strategy person. I like to be able to say, "This is the plan. This is what we're going to do, but as for how we get there, that's ultimately your job to do because I'm not going to be executing it. You will." So, I don't love executing, and I really hate detail. Anything legal or financial, unless it's good news, I hate.

You’re not alone. I'm so with you...

When I worked at MECCA, I had to manage a P&L so I can do it. I think there's a bit of a misconception is that you're one way or another. You're either the creative or the finance person, and I do have a good commercial understanding, but I don't necessarily want to be doing the pricing for London because I'd probably miss something, whereas Bec's the perfect person to be doing that. Or I wouldn't want to be responsible for managing cash flow because again, that's not really my area. So, I think being aware of what you're good at is important, as is accepting no one can do everything well. You need to accept it and get on with it.

I want to go back to the moment you mentioned earlier where you had 50,000 products in the warehouse. In that moment, what were the stress levels like?

We'd come from an environment where we were buying a lot more stock at MECCA. When a manufacturer says, "You have to fill 10,000 units of this," that doesn't seem so crazy to me, whereas to someone who's never done it before, might think,"What the hell?" I think I was a little bit scared when I saw that Bec was scared… but I knew we’d move through it. And I knew the formulas had a three-year shelf life. So, if we can't move that amount of stock in three years, it's probably not a business unit you should continue doing.

How do you think people have discovered Ultra Violette? Do you think social media is the number one key for brand building?

Yes, although it's really changing. I don't know. I really am not into Instagram at the moment. I feel like TikTok's a lot more where it's at and the smaller, more niche social media streams like Clubhouse. But we did launch the brand when Instagram mattered and it was very much a time when social media influencers or a great Mamamia article could reach more people than you ever really anticipated. Magazines aren't a thing anymore. I always think it's crazy when people advertise in magazines. Nuts. Our biggest conversion tool us Instagram right now, but I can't tell you what role it will play in the future of marketing.

Everything is changing so fast. I know that you focus on data a lot. So, can you talk me through what that means in practice for you?

We get quite a lot of data from our website, which is done through Shopify. We look at product sale rates and growth, which is another big metric. When you're looking at EDMs there's a lot you can learn in terms of what people are responding to from an email point of view. And then if we're going to work with an influencer, we'll always give them a discount code because it's an easy way to track their conversion levels and see how many people have actually proceeded to purchase. I’m probably most focused on returning customers, because anyone can get sucked into a brand on Instagram and buy it once, but if you're doing your job and the product is actually good, that number should be high. Now it is, thankfully.

You were talking before about backing yourself. But I want to know what your advice is when you read the odd negative review. Do you let that get to you? What's your experience there?

I have pretty much read every review that's ever been written about the brand… and of course I get that everyone's skin type is different and people have different expectations and wants and needs for a sunscreen, especially one on the more premium side. But the first time I read a bad review, I was really depressed. No brand has all five-star reviews, but as long as we're kind of in the high fours out of five, I'm happy. Anything under that concerns me. We're definitely always keeping an eye on what our customers want and where the gaps are. That might then mean we tweak a formula or remove the amount of fragrance, or take it out completely, or up the SPF. We're constantly tweaking our formulas, and those reviews really help inform some of the decisions we make. It's more data. 

We hear no again and again throughout our careers. So, I want to know how you handle being told no...

Kris Jenner says, “If you're hearing no, you're talking to the wrong person.” I kind of subscribe to that way of thinking. If I want something passionately, I will go after it like a dog with a bone. I will keep going until I hear yes. If it's something I don't really care about, I'm kind of like, "Is it worth my energy to keep chasing this?" No. Then I'll let it go. And then sometimes silence is a no. For example, with retailers in the UK, we emailed one of them and they didn't get back to us, and then we were like, "Okay." So we focused on working with other retailers. 

Final question: I want to know what the biggest lesson you've learned since beginning your business is...

Biggest lesson. That’s a really hard one. I just feel like stuff's going to go wrong. There's no way you can ever nail everything one hundred percent of the time. I think you've got to learn to roll with the punches, and you can't get caught up one any one thing. You have to make so many decisions, and if you labor over one, you're going to get in your own way. I think it's hard when you come from working for someone else and the final decision-making isn't necessarily in your control. It's hard to get into that mindset. So, I think it's a practice. You've got to make a lot of decisions and learn how to make them quickly and not second guess them, because otherwise you're going to either slow yourself down or get in your own way. Everyone makes bad decisions. It's just how you recover from that. Every business is a series of small failures and hopefully small wins too.