A Specialist Periodontist, proud mum, and the passionate founder of Alara Way, Alice Huynh’s journey to starting her business began after navigating a challenging seven-year fertility struggle. Through this deeply personal experience, she realised the profound impact of nutrition, environmental factors, and the harmful chemicals that we unknowingly surrounding ourselves with. Embracing a low-tox lifestyle based on evidence and research, she discovered the results to be life-changing, and when she conceived her daughter, she made it her mission to make low-tox gifting the new normal – for both times of struggle and moments of joy. Today, Alara Way is more than a gifting business; it’s a movement towards thoughtful, evidence-based choices that nurture our loved ones and protect the world we’ll pass on to the next generation.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Eleven egg collections, thirteen transfers, and enough hormone injections to make a phlebotomist wince – that’s what it took to have my daughter. But this IVF marathon didn’t just give me my greatest gift; it sparked something unexpected. As a Specialist Periodontist who lives by evidence-based practice, I needed real answers about what I was putting into and onto my body, not wellness trends. That quest led me down a path I never expected – one that would transform how I think about gifting, health, and the legacy we’re leaving for our children.
Here’s the thing – as a science nerd, I work with a principle called ALARA – “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” – which we use for radiation exposure. One day, while taking a patient’s X-ray, it hit me: why aren’t we this careful with all the chemicals we expose ourselves to every day?
What most people don’t realise is that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are everywhere, hiding in the most innocent-looking products. It’s the small, daily exposures that add up over time. That designer perfume? Full of them. Your scented candle? Yep. Even that fancy face cream? Often loaded. These sneaky little chemicals can mess with our hormones, with plastics – especially BPA – being one of the most well-researched offenders.
This revelation changed everything. I went from being that person with a bathroom cabinet full of fancy products to someone who actually reads ingredient labels (yes, I’m that person now!). But look, it’s not about being perfect – it’s about making informed choices. When you’re going through difficult times – whether it’s IVF, cancer, or whatever life throws at you – people want to help but often don’t know how. And don’t get me started on all the meaningless gifts that just end up as landfill.
That’s when Alara Way clicked into place. I wanted to create gifts that actually mean something – gifts that follow the ALARA principle by keeping exposure to endocrine disruptors as low as reasonably achievable. Every product we include is carefully chosen based on scientific evidence, with a particular focus on minimising exposure to EDCs. Think of us as that friend who happens to be a bit of a health nerd – we’re here to revolutionise gifting with purpose, making it easier for you to give meaningful, health-conscious presents that don’t compromise on luxury or thoughtfulness.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Like many great ideas, Alara Way grew from genuine connections and care. It all started with my own journey into low-tox living, where I became something of an unofficial product tester (let’s be honest – I tried everything!). Friends would catch me at coffee, curious about what products I was using and why. “What perfume do you use?” they’d ask. “Where did you find that natural deodorant that actually works?”.
Having my daughter took my commitment to low-tox living to a whole new level. Suddenly, I became painfully aware that what we expose our children to today impacts their tomorrow. While EDCs affect all of us, they’re particularly significant for developing bodies – little ones, teenagers, pregnant people. Their bodies are like little sponges, and what they absorb today could impact their development for years to come.
Before I knew it, I was putting together little care packages for friends having babies, filling them with products I’d personally used and trusted. Then came the lightbulb moment when I was searching for the perfect gift for my mother-in-law, a cancer survivor, and later for friends who were cancer survivors. As a healthcare professional, I understood the importance of clean, nurturing products during recovery, but as a friend and IVF patient, I also knew how meaningful thoughtful gifts could be during challenging times.
It came down to a simple truth: if you are going to give a gift anyway, why not make it something that’s not only beautiful, but the better alternative for them?
The word spread organically (pun intended!) through my medical and dental network. Fellow specialists started asking if I could create gift boxes for their colleagues – because who better understands the need for evidence-based, quality products than healthcare professionals? Then came requests from my low-tox conscious friends wanting meaningful gifts for their children’s teachers, because if you’re gifting to someone shaping your child’s future, shouldn’t it support their wellbeing too?
Today, we’re still operating from home, carefully curating each gift box with the same attention to detail as those first care packages I made for friends. While we dream of reaching more people with our message about evidence-based low-tox living, our mission remains the same: sharing knowledge and care, one thoughtfully crafted gift at a time.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
My biggest breakthroughs and “aha” moments weren’t about sales figures or marketing strategies – they were profound realisations that completely shifted my perspective on what Alara Way could mean for future generations.
A conversation with Professor Aitken was particularly eye-opening. When he explained how our choices today impact the next generation, it hit me: the planet we’re leaving behind is my daughter’s inheritance. All these plastics, all these endocrine-disrupting chemicals – they’re not just affecting us now; they’re shaping the world she’ll live in long after I’m gone. And while one person might feel powerless against such a massive challenge, I realised that every mindful choice, every careful gift selection, creates ripples of positive change.
Another breakthrough came from an unexpected place – my own relationship with ‘value’. As a child of refugees, I grew up with a scarcity mindset where value meant quantity. But through this journey, I’ve learned that true value lies in quality. In my day job, I focus on providing boutique, high-quality care for complex cases; similarly, Alara Way became about curating exceptional products that truly make a difference.
Perhaps the most heart-warming revelation was meeting the faces behind the products we stock. I laugh now, but initially, I approached sourcing like shopping at Coles! Instead, I discovered this amazing community of small business owners, each with their own stories, challenges, and families. As a small business owner myself, I realised how crucial it is to support these passionate creators who share our commitment to low-tox living.
And you know what? Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from acknowledging what you can’t do. Running a business taught me that you can’t do everything yourself (trust me, I tried!). Understanding your strengths, accepting your limitations, and being willing to share the load – that’s been a game-changer.
Looking at Christmas gifts piled high in stores or the sea of plastic-wrapped presents in maternity wards, I see now that we’re not just selling gift boxes – we’re offering a chance to make mindful choices that ripple through generations. That’s the real breakthrough: realising that every carefully chosen, low-tox gift is a small step toward a healthier future for our children.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Omg – define balance LOL – Let’s be real – I’m sure many mums out there can empathise with me. Juggling motherhood, wifehood, sisterhood, daughter-in-law-hood, (and any other “hood”), a busy practice, AND spreading the evidence-based low-tox message is like trying to pat your head, rub your belly, and dance the macarena all at once!
The decision to close my IVF chapter has lifted a huge weight, but life in 2025 comes with its own unique challenges. We’re all living in this era of instant everything, where the lines between work and home have become so blurred they’re practically invisible. And yes, I’ll admit it – I’m very guilty of checking emails while cooking dinner or brainstorming gift box ideas during my daughter’s swim class.
But here’s what I’ve learned: having a great team is absolutely everything. Both at home and across all my work ventures, it’s the people around you who help keep the plates spinning. It’s like having an orchestra – everyone plays their part, and somehow, the symphony comes together (most days, anyway!).
Do I have it all perfectly balanced? Ha! Not even close. Downtime seems to be the unicorn everyone’s chasing these days (except for my daughter where unicorns are topical in the household right now and accessible on every bit of clothing she has). But I’m working on it, learning to be okay with imperfect progress, and remembering that spreading the low-tox message is a marathon, not a sprint.
