Australian Enterprise Awards 2025 | 33 Going back 16 years to 2009, Sonya Driver was a wife, a mother, and a flight attendant for an international airline. As sometimes happens in life, Sonya found her world shaken to its very core almost overnight, and she was redundant and going through the process of a divorce by the end of the year. Given she was now a solo mum, Sonya knew she had to look deep within herself to find a source of strength, but this is easier said than done. Unable to shake the black clouds that had quickly amassed around her, Sonya went down to the local doctor’s office to get put on antidepressants. Some choice words from her doctor led Sonya to realise that she did not need medication, what she needed was to focus on something else. Boarding a plane to East Timor – an island north of Australia – Sonya spent two weeks volunteering, witnessing firsthand the struggles of survival and learning all about how the people of East Timor turn their pain into power. Shortly after returning home, Sonya’s younger sister had melanoma removed from her arm, leaving her with a discernible scar. In search of a natural spray tan that would not harm her sister’s delicate skin, Sonya consulted with her local beauty therapist, who said her tanning solutions were all 99% natural. Unconvinced, Sonya went home to do her own research and was shocked to find out about the industry’s blatant lies. Channelling a newfound sense of power and her anger at the misleading nature of beauty companies, Sonya started her own brand, one that would actually be natural, organic, and totally transparent about its ingredients. As mentioned above, work started from Sonya’s kitchen – with online chemist forums and eBay proving imperative in getting her business off the ground. Perfecting its formulas over a number of months, Eco By Sonya Driver is today one of Australia’s leading natural skincare brands. Whilst new and exciting products are being introduced all the time, the brand remains anchored to its heavy hitters, including its face tan water – which was voted as Vogue’s Best Fake Tan Water – and its invisible self-tanning cream, recognised as one of Vogue’s Top Picks for 2024. These products then comprise Eco Tan, the wider brand’s organic self-tan line, which also features a body tan water, a tanning mouse, a winter moisturiser, and a host of applicators, kits, and professional, salon-standard tanning solutions. Outside of tanning, the brand has grown considerably from its roots and today spans organic skincare and body products, as well as all-natural make-up. As is the case with all of the products on offer from Eco By Sonya Driver, these items reflect the highest standards, having been certified as organic by the OFC, and being 100% vegan. In fact, right across the brand, the only thing not vegan is the natural sunscreen – it uses ethically sourced beeswax to ensure it is waterproof – and even then is still totally safe for vegetarians. This reflects Sonya’s commitment to creating products that are kind to the environment and healthier than others available on the market – which has been the guiding ethos of both Eco By Sonya Driver and Eco Tan more specifically from day one. With a book, The Nudge, Few businesses have a story as inspiring as Eco By Sonya Driver – with the namesake brand’s eponymous founder turning her tale of tragedy into one of triumph, not only for herself but for people everywhere who care about kind, natural skincare products. Starting out from her kitchen on the Gold Coast, Sonya’s tireless work took her from researching natural products to teaching herself how to be a chemist. Although things were far from easy, Sonya’s success story is a testament to her willpower. Best Organic Self-Tan & Skincare Brand 2025 Jan25255 and a podcast, In the Driver’s Seat, also now available, Sonya is now achieving excellence in other fields as well, especially through the charity she founded in 2020. A grassroots, not-for-profit organisation, Miracle Made Foundation is funded by five of the brand’s best-selling products, with proceeds from these items going directly towards driving change in local communities and beyond. From helping the homeless to delivering palliative care boxes to hospitals, Sonya makes sure that every dollar is used for these great causes, nurturing the greatest possible impact in the process. Recognised as the Best Organic Self-Tan & Skincare Brand 2025, Eco By Sonya Driver is much more than a great cosmetics brand – it reflects hope. We wish Sonya all the best with the brand for 2025 and beyond, celebrating her success thus far with this award. Contact: Danielle Evans Company: Eco By Sonya Driver Web Address: https://ecotan.com.au/
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