#MOTHERMUSE Anna and Kate

VAHY was founded by lifelong friends Anna and Kate, driven by a passion for clean living and transparency in fragrance. Shocked by the lack of ingredient disclosure in perfumes, they set out to create a 100% natural alternative—one that matched the sophistication and longevity of luxury scents without synthetic compromises. After years of development with a world-renowned Master Perfumer,VAHY was born. A collection of fine fragrances free from petrochemicals, crafted with intention, and designed for both personal well-being and the planet.

Tell us about the journey to founding VAHY?

Kate: It was a really long journey but a rewarding one. VAHY came about as I was investigating the labelling laws as part of my legal career and noticed you didn’t have to label fragrance. Knowing that there has been technology to see what it is in personal care products by competitors, it seemed very odd that brands did not have to disclose to customers. I looked at the EWG’s research into what is in the top selling fragrances, we realised there were 14 ‘ingredients of concern’ on average in every mass made synthetic fragrance. I asked Anna about this, who was my housemate at that point in time and closest friend - she is also very experienced in natural products and cruelty free living. When she didn’t know about this either, we decided it was our mission to create a 100% natural fragrance that was as good as synthetic fragrances but didn’t include petroleum and all of the other ingredients of concern commonly used in the industry. After four long years of research and development, VAHY was launched!

What does a typical day at VAHY HQ look like for you?

Anna: Every day is different at VAHY, we spend a lot of time focussing on product development and refinement so it can be a day speaking with our beautiful word class suppliers, to filming content for TikTok and everything in between. 

Do you have any rituals or a favourite way to start your day?

Kate: I love starting my day with a few simple rituals that help set a positive tone. First, I drink a glass of lemon water— I love the citrus notes and the detoxing effect. Then, as I get ready for the day, I never leave the house without applying moisturiser, face SPF and spritzing a natural perfume. There’s something about botanical scents that makes me feel grounded and connected to nature. These small moments of self-care really help me feel centred and energised as I take on the day.

What wellness hack has made the biggest improvement to your life in the last 5 years?

Kate: Removing synthetics from my house and body! It started with using synthetic free cleaning products and soon expanded to all personal care products and home scent products. For me it has truly reduced my brain fog, helped my eczema prone skin and given me a sense of comfort that my family is not being exposed to forever chemicals at our home. 

Why is it so important to try to stay away from the listed ingredient “fragrance” or “perfume” in our beauty products? How can this ingredient disrupt our endocrine system?

Anna: The word ‘fragrance, ‘parfum’, ‘perfume’, or ‘aroma’ on the product label of fragrances and personal care products are umbrella terms used to represent an undisclosed mixture of various synthetic scent chemicals and ingredients. There are more than 3,500 fragrance chemicals in use today (according to the International Fragrance Association), and exposure to some of these substances can lead to a wide range of health problems. Unfortunately, companies aren’t required to disclose individual ingredients that make up a product's particular fragrance concoction. 

On average, there are four hormone disrupting chemicals in each synthetic fragrance, and these chemicals can either mimic oestrogen or have thyroid effects (EWG). These chemicals may impair basic body functions like tissue growth and repair that are normally regulated by natural hormone signalling (Soto 2009), and exposure to hormone disruptors has also been linked to a wide range of health problems including increased risk of cancer, especially breast (Breast Cancer Fund 2008) and prostate cancers (Prins 2008) .

What are your top tips for moving to low tox personal care items?

Anna: The easiest way to start transitioning over to low-tox personal care products is simply to replace an item with a low-tox alternative when you run out of your existing product. Obviously doing some research into low-tox brands is needed, and there are some great apps such as Switch Natural and Think Dirty that help you learn more about the products you’re using. 

What are the biggest things you have noticed to your health and wellbeing since moving to natural low-tox skincare?

Kate: I had quite dry skin that is sensitive, since changing my personal care products I have seen a huge improvement in my skin. It did take a while, but after two or three weeks I could see visible improvement. 

What do you look for in an SPF? Do you prefer a mineral SPF or chemical? If so, why?

Anna: I have quite sensitive skin so I always opt for a mineral SPF as it doesn’t tend to irritate my skin like a chemical sunscreen does.

If you had to pick your favourite scent from the Vahy range, which would it be and why?

Kate: For me it’s Flower Pistil - I adore the sweet sugary notes. It is truly transcendent and a scent that feels like it could not possibly even be 100% natural!

And lastly what’s coming up for Vahy in 2025?

Anna: We have some incredible new scents launching later this year that we are so excited to share with the world. Keep your eyes out across our socials @vahy.co for more!

For a limited-time only (48 hours from the live date above or until stocks last) every order over $100 will receive a free Mother of Pearl and 10ml VAHY travel spray.