The Creators is a series for us to champion those who create with core values that align with our own at RUSSH. A product that has been born to meet a community need or that enhances a community with a true purpose. An organisation that stands for something bigger than itself. In dedicating a place for these creators within the world we have built, we not only have a chance to honour them but can celebrate their growth, and document the very beautiful thing that comes when something has been built with purpose: something we like to call flourishment.
Since my first meeting many years ago with founder and CEO Carla Oates, I’ve been in awe of how she has pioneered an industry to build her ingestible beauty and wellness brand The Beauty Chef. In a beauty landscape defined by fleeting trends and copycat formulations, true longevity tells its own story. Long before ingestible beauty became the industry’s buzzword, Oates and The Beauty Chef laid the groundwork – spearheading the connection between gut health and glowing skin with products designed to work. Recently, I relished an invitation to put on a lab coat and hairnet, and go inside Oates’ Sydney- based fermentation plant to see what it really takes to build a brand that stands the test of time: years of research, integrity in formulation, and an unwavering philosophy that beauty begins in the gut.
Jess Blanch: We’ve spoken many times about what an undertaking it was for you, to build a plant like this. Now I am finally here and can feel the soul and scale of it. Tell me how it all came about and what it meant for you to be able to manufacture here, in your own facility.
Carla Oates: It was really important for us to build our own fermentation plant because, at the time, there was only one place in Australia that was fermenting at scale. We had worked with them for about five years and they were fantastic, but I wanted greater control over the process. I have always loved science, and I wanted to work closely with scientists to optimise the levels of bioactive compounds produced through fermentation – things like probiotics and postbiotics. I also wanted to experiment with different strains of bacteria and influence the microbial profile of our products.
Our previous partners approached fermentation more as an art, whereas I wanted to combine both art and science. That led me to the idea of building our own fermentation facility. It was a huge project. To manage the scale of it, I focused on taking small steps rather than becoming overwhelmed. During that time, I met Dr. Mike Bridges, a microbiologist, who introduced me to another incredible scientist, Dr. Belinda Chapman. I asked if they would help me design and build a fermentation process specifically for our products. Together we developed the system, found a manufacturing partner, and installed the equipment. Watching the science unfold in real time was fascinating. Fermentation is incredibly delicate – you need to carefully monitor the bacteria and control the pH to ensure the microbes are thriving and producing optimal levels of beneficial compounds.
At one point, Dr. Mike Bridges would come into the facility at midnight and again at two in the morning just to check on the cultures, almost like checking on babies during the night. Eventually I told him that this wasn’t good for his health to work through the night and that we needed automated monitoring systems. Another challenge was managing alcohol formation during fermentation. Naturally occurring, alcohol-producing yeasts are present in the environment and can find their way into the process, so Dr. Chapman and Dr. Bridges spent time addressing this to ensure no alcohol was produced. We carefully control conditions to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria and yeasts while encouraging beneficial bacteria to thrive. There were many obstacles, but building our own plant meant we could refine and optimise the fermentation process to produce highly potent and efficacious products. For me, working with scientists to push the boundaries of innovation and research was incredibly exciting.
Jess Blanch: Do you feel that having your own facility is also the most secure way to maintain the integrity of your products?
Carla Oates: Absolutely. It allows us to remain completely true to our vision. I trust Mike Bridges, Dr. Belinda Chapman, and our incredible team, who are deeply passionate about what we have built. From the sourcing and provenance of our ingredients through to the final product delivered to customers, we maintain very high standards. Everything is produced fresh from the plant, and we oversee every step to ensure safety, efficacy, and quality.
Jess Blanch: It all began in your Bondi kitchen but now The Beauty Chef has scaled into global distribution as a market leader. There has also been meaningful product line expansion in recent years. Has the development of your own fermentation plant helped propel this growth?
Carla Oates: When a business evolves beyond what you initially imagined, it brings opportunities to collaborate with amazing people and scientists. As I’ve grown and aged, I’ve also seen my community evolve. Their needs change, and that inspires our innovation. I’m particularly excited to expand into areas such as longevity, perimenopause, and menopause. Our goal is to develop products that address real challenges people face while supporting health at its root – gut and cellular health.
Jess Blanch: The broader community is surely now more open to ingestible beauty, specifically in relation gut microbiome, than ever?
Carla Oates: Yes, although fermentation is still something many people don’t fully understand. The world has caught up with the science around probiotics and gut health, but the broader power of fermentation is still emerging. Fermentation and gut health work incredibly well together. When ingredients are fermented, they become more bioavailable and more potent. Fermentation also creates a broad spectrum of probiotics rather than just a single strain. Research increasingly shows that microbial diversity is crucial for gut health – often more important than taking one or two individual probiotic strains. Fermentation naturally produces that diversity. It also produces postbiotics, which are now considered the frontier of microbiome research because of their wide-ranging health benefits. Additionally, fermentation produces compounds such as exosomes that are currently being studied for their role in cellular communication, repair, and rejuvenation. Fermentation is an extraordinary biological process that supports the gut microbiome and many systems in the body. It is complex science, but we deliver it in a very simple way through our products. Our formulas start with fermented foods to create a powerful bioactive base. Then we add evidence-based herbs, nutrients, and probiotics to create potent and nutrient-dense products.
Jess Blanch: This is a story you have told many times, but your products really came from a very personal need, didn’t they?
Carla Oates: Yes, they did. It started with my daughter, who was experiencing allergies, eczema, and various health issues. I began researching what might be causing these problems and came across studies linking certain types of gut bacteria with allergies and eczema. That discovery led me to explore the relationship between gut health and skin health. I began fermenting probiotic-rich foods at home – traditional foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. I noticed a remarkable improvement in my daughter’s skin and overall wellbeing. She even seemed more focused at school.
At the same time, my own skin began to glow. People started asking what I was doing differently. When I told them I was eating fermented foods rich in beneficial bacteria, they were intrigued. I began sharing these foods with friends and family, and they experienced improvements as well – better skin, more energy, improved digestion, and a general sense of wellbeing. That was how Glow began. It started in my kitchen in 2009. Today, it is supported by leading microbiologists, naturopaths, and nutritionists, and produced in our state-of-the-art probiotic fermentation facility.
Jess Blanch: When did you realise this had to become something bigger than a personal project?
Carla Oates: Seeing the results firsthand convinced me. The changes in my daughter’s health, my own experience, and the feedback from friends and family made it clear that this approach could help many people. At the time, however, gut health wasn’t widely discussed. Ingestible beauty products were also uncommon. Launching a purple powder designed to support skin health through beneficial bacteria was very unconventional. It was definitely a leap of faith, but I had a strong and unwavering vision. Today, gut health has become widely recognised, and the science continues to evolve. We now understand that the gut microbiome influences far more than skin health. It affects immune function, metabolic health, brain health, hormonal balance, and even healthy aging. One area that particularly excites me is the connection between the gut microbiome and longevity. It’s a field we’re very interested in researching further.
Jess Blanch: What are the core values driving you and the business today?
Carla Oates: Our core values centre on innovation, science-led formulation, and purpose-driven work. We combine science with humanity to create products that are highly effective and thoughtfully produced – from where ingredients are grown and harvested to how the finished products are delivered. For example, up to 65% of the ingredients in Glow are grown and harvested in Australia. Every stage of production emphasises care, integrity, and scientific rigour.
Jess Blanch: Can you give an example of how you listen to your customers when developing new products?
Carla Oates: We regularly conduct surveys and gather feedback, but I also rely heavily on listening – to our customers, to my friends and family, and to the broader health community. I’m naturally curious and empathetic as a founder and formulator. That openness helps me sense emerging trends and needs. For example, I conceived the idea for our product Body Electric about two years ago. I wanted to create something that supported cellular energy and mitochondrial health – almost like recharging the body’s cells. Interestingly, the conversation around bioenergetics and cellular energy has now become a major trend in health and wellness. Our focus moving forward is developing products that support gut health, healthy aging, and longevity. Supporting the microbiome ultimately supports every system in the body, including mitochondrial function.
Jess Blanch: You’re really on the journey of life with your customers.
Carla Oates: Yes, I feel like I’m on that journey alongside them. Some customers started using Glow in 2009 and continue to use it today, while their daughters are now discovering the products as well. I love that these products can be shared across generations. Education is equally important to me. Beyond our products, we aim to teach people how to eat, move, and live in ways that support the gut microbiome. Sleep, stress levels, and mindset all influence gut health. Many of the most powerful lifestyle changes – sleep, stress management, healthy food – are actually free.
Jess Blanch: What does it mean to you to be considered a pioneer in this industry?
Carla Oates: When I started The Beauty Chef, I never thought of myself as a pioneer. Most pioneers simply follow what they love and discover a new path along the way. Years later, people describe the brand as pioneering an entire category, which is incredibly rewarding. But at the time, I was simply following my passion and filling a gap in the market. Looking back, I realise how bold that decision was. I had a clear vision and believed deeply in what I was doing, even when others thought the idea was unusual. If my story can inspire other entrepreneurs – especially young founders who may feel uncertain – I would tell them this: be courageous. If you believe in something that works and helps people, pursue it. Even if you don’t succeed, you can always learn and try again., you can always learn and try again. But if you have passion, see a gap in the market, and know your idea can make a difference, you should go for it.
