Formula for riches born in a garage

WHAT do Disney, Amazon, Microsoft, Harley Davidson and Helensvale-based beauty company Alpha-H have in common?

Like the entrepreneurs who started these global mega companies, Alpha-H’s founder Michelle Doherty started the business in her Monterey Keys garage in the early 1990s.

“I would have to say that the most rewarding thing now is seeing my little brand, that came from very humble beginnings in a Gold Coast garage, achieving worldwide recognition and being referred to as a global phenomenon,” Ms Doherty said.

Alpha-H’s flagship product, Liquid Gold, is a cult favourite, with two bottles being sold every minute of every hour.

Liquid Gold is a skin resurfacing tonic that contains glycolic acid, which is derived from plants such as sugar cane, pineapple and sugar beets and is considered the “holy grail of exfoliation”.

While many products now contain glycolic acid, it was relatively unheard of when Ms Doherty started using it in the early 1990s after searching for a way to deal with chronic cystic acne.

“I had found there was a real lack of empathy from the medical field and very little product available in professional beauty salons that would actually do anything to help change my skin,” she said.

“While I was on my desperate search to find something that would help my skin, I was introduced to glycolic acid. My life changed in that moment.”

Ms Doherty said after a few short days, she saw a huge improvement in her skin – and while it didn’t get rid of the acne straight away – she was convinced she’d found something that would disrupt the beauty industry.

“Many people were just so put off by that word ‘acid’ and they feared the tingling feeling that comes from the actives doing their job,” she said. “I knew I was going to have a hard time trying to convince people that glycolic acid was a good idea, but I also knew that these ingredients were going to be game-changers.”

She gave up her day job and Alpha-H was born.

“After trialling and using sample products we approached a cosmetic contract manufacturer that my husband was working for at the time and the development progressed from there,” she said.

They supplied smaller retailers and day spas until the big break came in 2017 when Myer came knocking.

“Another thing that I am extremely proud of is the relationships that we have built with our retailers. I still remember exactly how I felt when I got the call from Myer requesting to stock the brand. That will always be a career highlight for me.”

Earlier this year, the company’s growth caught the eye of private equity firm The Riverside Company, which has become a major shareholder.

“Growth has been a major focus for us over the past few years and will be part of our ongoing goals for the future,” she said.

“This year we launched into the US market with Sephora, increased our presence throughout Europe and also expanded into more countries.

“Riverside’s role is to invest into growth for the brand, and it’s so exciting to be working alongside them.”