Alex's famous beauty range is made with an ancient secret ingredient that delivers unbelievable results. But what most don't know is the frightening diagnosis she had just weeks before she showed it to the world
- Alex Wilson, 36, started her 'clean' beauty retailer Heartwood
- Before launching she found a capsicum-sized mass on her abdomen
- READ MORE: Women rave about cream that's like a 'huge drink of water for skin'
The founder of one of Australia's most loved beauty brands has shared how she managed to built her empire after receiving a terrifying cancer diagnosis that turned her life upside down.
Alex Wilson is the founder of Heartwood Natural Harmony, a 'clean' beauty retailer stocking a collective of luxe natural wellness buys with a store in an affluent beachside suburb in Perth.
Under Heartwood, the 36-year-old has developed her own line of products utilising the benefits of Indian Sandalwood which her parents farm sustainably across areas in northern Australia.
Alex told FEMAIL she initially wanted her own Indian Sandalwood line to be the sole focus of Heartwood, however after receiving the news she had a very rare cancer she had to quickly put the business on the back burner and change her vision.
When she opened her Heartwood store in October of 2019 she was overwhelmed with joy having been through months of chemotherapy and recovery from major surgery.
Alex Wilson is the founder of Heartwood Natural Harmony , a 'clean' beauty retailer stocking a collective of luxe natural wellness buys with a store in Perth
Under Heartwood, the 36-year-old has developed her own line of products utilising the benefits of Indian Sandalwood which her parents farm sustainably across northern Australia
Alex quit her full-time desk job to focus on her new venture and enjoy the Christmas break with her family and friends at the end of 2018.
She was at the beach and applying sun cream when she felt an unusual mass on the right side of her abdomen.
'It wasn't like a round lump, it was more pervasive and about the size of a capsicum. I'm lucky that I'm relatively thin, I'm like a beanpole so it was pretty easy to identify,' she said.
Alex went to a walk-in GP clinic on Christmas Eve where she was given an emergency referral to a radiologist and spent hours undergoing tests and scans.
Radiologists strongly suspected Alex had Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), which is also known as 'jelly belly' as it starts as a buildup of mucin in the abdomen and can spread to the surface of other organs.
Alex had an anxious month-long wait to have a laparoscopy which confirmed the diagnosis and she was wheeled into surgery to have the cancer removed in February.
Alex quit her full-time job to focus on her new venture, Heartwood, and enjoy the Christmas break. She leased a store and started the fit out before receiving a devastating diagnosis
Alex had Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), also known as 'jelly belly', and she was rushed to surgery to remove it. The operation went well but her recovery was 'excruciating'
'The surgery was as extreme as it gets but couldn't have gone better. It was an incredible blessing to me as I was lucky to keep most of my organs but the recovery was absolutely excruciating,' she said.
'I had a lot of complications. I had a pulmonary embolism and a few bowel obstructions and just a constant feeling of nausea.'
Alex was already very slim going into surgery and was encouraged to put on weight in the weeks leading up as doctors knew she would be too sick to eat post-op.
'I couldn't eat for six weeks so I just faded away. I think I got down to 30 kilos or something and I'm really tall. I'm nearly six foot,' she said.
Through her recovery from surgery, she was also having rounds of chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Alex recalled a terrifying moment when she collapsed while getting one of her daily scans and woke up to doctors operating on her with just a local anaesthetic.
'I was just surrounded by doctors. They were putting a drain in my chest to alleviate the pressure on my lungs from a pulmonary embolism,' she explained.
'I had a lot of complications. I had a pulmonary embolism and a few bowel obstructions and just a constant feeling of nausea,' Alex said
Alex said she had no choice but to submit and put her life in the hands of the medical team treating her.
'All of this was totally new to me and you just have to surrender to what's going on. The worst part was just feeling like you have no control over what's happening,' she said.
'At the end of the day, you have to just put all your faith in the incredible doctors and medical staff around you. I have survived to tell the tale so I feel lucky.'
Thankfully, Alex put her trust in the right place and she gradually started getting better and putting on weight.
She was finally able to leave hospital and moved in with her parents to rest, regain her strength and gradually get back to doing the things she loves like swimming at the beach and dancing at concerts with friends.
Throughout the months-long ordeal, Alex said the dream of getting better and finally getting her passion project up and running was her motivation.
'I was thinking about Heartwood the whole time to get me through. I dreamed about it constantly,' she said.
In October 2019, she said it was the 'best feeling in the world' to finally open her Heartwood store in Cottesloe, Perth
Scents of Indian sandalwood flow out of the shop that has shelves filled with goods from 'some of the best natural beauty brands in the world' carefully selected by Alex
Alex had done a lot of the groundwork for the business before her diagnosis like signing the lease for the store and starting the fitout so she was able to pick it back up again when she was feeling well enough.
In October 2019, she said it was the 'best feeling in the world' to finally open her Heartwood store in Cottesloe, Perth.
Scents of Indian sandalwood flow out of the ultra-chic shop that has shelves filled with clean beauty and wellness products from 'some of the best natural beauty brands in the world' carefully selected by Alex.
When she first got the idea for Heartwood, she wanted to exclusively sell her own range but after her illness, she started sourcing alternatives so she could open the shop.
The change meant Alex was able to listen to what her customers wanted from their skincare and take her time to perfect each Heartwood formula.
Alex has developed an extensive line of skincare, home fragrance, jewellery, perfume and wellness accessories all utilising the power of Indian sandalwood.
Alex has developed an extensive line of skincare, home fragrance, jewellery, perfume and wellness accessories all utilising the power of Indian sandalwood
Alex grew up knowing all about the versatile resource as her dad farmed it when she was young: 'It's a dream of mine to bring Indian sandalwood to life in a contemporary way'
The valuable ingredient has been revered for thousands of years by cultures and religions all over the world for its unique nutritive properties.
Besides its luxurious fragrance, Indian sandalwood is said to be anti-inflammatory and is very beneficial for skin, is 'extremely calming' and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Alex grew up knowing all about the versatile resource as her dad started growing it when she was young. Her family have farms in the Kimberley, Northern Territory and northern Queensland.
'It's always been a dream of mine to bring Indian sandalwood to life in a contemporary way to the Australian market,' Alex said.
'My goal with Heartwood was to really educate a modern audience about the beautiful benefits of this sacred wood and create something that was truly meaningful.'
