At 44, This Woman "Found Her Thing." Here's Her Advice On How You Can Too

Tiffany Masterson, founder of cult "clean-clinical" beauty brand Drunk Elephant, has learned a lot about skin care, non-toxic ingredients, and what makes a modern beauty business successful in the last four years. But perhaps most important, she's learned to listen to her gut.

The company hasn't spent any money on advertising, but boasts nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram, has landed best-seller status at Sephora, and has accepted more than $8 million from venture capital firm VMG Partners and Man Repeller's Leandra Medine. "I didn't find my thing until I was 44 years old," Masterson said. "We don’t always find our thing right away. Everyone has their time to shine—some are still percolating. Some come early, you never know. For me, I guess I kind of felt it. It's exciting to find your passion."

Masterson started Drunk Elephant with very little experience in the beauty industry. She always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but once all of her kids were in school, she conquered boredom by selling bar soap facial cleansers. After using the bar herself, she noticed her skin problems faded—her pores looked smaller, rosacea subsided, and her skin was healthy. "It occurred to me that it wasn't what was in the bar, but what wasn't that made a difference."

Using this intel, Masterson looked for a skin care brand that didn't include irritants, endocrine disruptors, or sensitizers, but couldn't find one. "I used natural brands when I was pregnant, but now? I had brown spots. I don't care whats in it, I want my skin to look good," she said. In creating the vision for Drunk Elephant, Masterson looked to marry safety and efficacy—which may just be the future of "naturals."

"I knew in my gut and I felt very strongly that this brand would help people reconnect with their skin," she said. Even in spite of recent social media feuds and speculated mishaps, she's always stayed true to her vision. "If there's one thing I am, it's authentic. And that means I’m not scared of anything," she said.

"[Drunk Elephant] didn’t feel like work to me. I could see with my own eyes and in my own skin that the products work. The philosophy makes sense to me. This is my thing, and I really believe this truly. If you don't really believe in your own stuff, that someone’s going to come along and see it."