When chemical beauty products left her hands burning and irritated, a young Queensland entrepreneur discovered there had to be a better approach to cosmetics - sparking a revolution in Australia's beauty industry.
From personal tragedy to purpose
Stacey Hollands was only 24 years old when she launched her company with a mission to transform personal heartbreak into meaningful change. The Sunshine Coast beauty therapist's journey began after her father received a terminal cancer diagnosis, prompting deep concerns about environmental carcinogens and potentially harmful ingredients in everyday household products.
"I was researching anything and everything to help dad – finding things that were clean, that were natural, that were made in Australia," Ms Hollands recalled. The business concept truly ignited when the cosmetics she used on clients caused her hands to burn so severely she needed protective gloves during treatments.
The birth of Lust Minerals
The turning point came when Ms Hollands connected her professional work with her father's health struggle. "The penny dropped. I was creating beauty results using chemicals while my dad was going through this, and I thought, 'What am I doing?'" she explained.
Inspired by her father's encouragement to back herself, she left her job to pursue creating accessible clean beauty alternatives for Australians. What began as a side hustle marketing from her dining room table has blossomed into Lust Minerals - a major brand that directly employs dozens of Queenslanders and supports local suppliers.
"There was actually a huge gap in the makeup space," Ms Hollands noted. "There was one mineral product that I used at the time that was $89 for a foundation, and I thought, 'Women can't justify this, we need something more affordable and made in Australia.'"
Building an Australian beauty legacy
Eleven years after those humble beginnings, the mother of two has established herself as an industry innovator driving the growing clean cosmeceutical movement. Her company's certification as Australian Made remains central to the brand's identity and community connection.
"People are starting to really fall in love with mineral makeup and trust that it has come such a long way," Ms Hollands said. "A lot of the ingredients that we use are patented and have clinical studies behind them – so what they say they do, they can do."
The entrepreneur emphasised the importance of keeping manufacturing within Australia, stating "It's so important to me to keep everything in the country – supporting the land we live on. If I can support Australian families and become a household name, I feel fulfilled."
For other aspiring Australian business owners, Ms Hollands offers straightforward advice: "Remove the judgement, remove the fear – what have you got to lose?"
