With Depuravita now available in Australia, we take a closer look at one of the key partners behind this new chapter: One Fine Secret in Melbourne. Established in 2018 by Kayla Tjia and John Kim, One Fine Secret has become a quiet reference point for clean beauty retail in the city. Located on Chapel Street in South Yarra, the store stands apart for its considered selection and understated design — a space where the focus is on ingredient integrity, product performance, and a measured, expert-led approach to customer service.
Rather than following seasonal launches or fast-moving trends, One Fine Secret curates with intent. Each brand on the shelves earns its place through quality and relevance, not hype. The result is a destination that feels both international and local, with a community of clients who value discretion as much as they do efficacy.
We spoke directly with Kayla Tjia, co-founder, to understand her perspective: building a store where every decision carries weight, maintaining clear standards in an evolving market, and navigating the personal and professional shifts that come with becoming a mother while leading a growing business.
Can you share how your personal journeys led you both to create One Fine Secret?
My exciting little adventure into
clean beauty started after attending a women’s wellness event where I was introduced to the confronting concept that our mainstream beauty and personal care
products were often littered with ingredients that were far less than ideal for our bodies. I was absolutely shocked and was left inspired to dig deeper. I began switching out my own beauty and lifestyle products and became quite the label nerd.
When overhauling my beauty cabinet, I found it frustratingly hard to shop for clean swaps in Melbourne that were beautiful and effective. It was tricky to navigate the complexity of the beauty
industry and often the brands labelled ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ in the beauty stores turned out not to be as healthy as they appeared. Or the health store products were not providing the extraordinary experience I was after.
The idea for One Fine Secret bloomed, I dreamed of creating a nurturing space where you could easily shop a curation of leading clean beauty with passionate experts to guide and inspire you.
At this time John and I were both at a crossroads in our corporate finance and accounting careers, seeking a career change to create something meaningful that inspired our community to embrace wellness, joy and intentional living. With our shared background in the luxury hotel industry, we also had a deep appreciation for exceptional customer service and the power of creating memorable experiences. We embarked on bringing One Fine Secret to life, a one-stop destination for the best of clean beauty.
Since launching in 2018, how do you feel the Australian conversation around clean beauty has shifted, if at all?
It has been great to see the growing mainstream awareness and popularity of clean beauty in Australia, with more consumers seeking natural, organic and cruelty-free beauty. There ha been a greater focus on sustainability and ingredient transparency within the industry. Increasingly, brands are shifting towards innovative eco-packaging options such as refillable packaging, biodegradable and zero waste options, as well as upcycled ingredients.
With clean beauty consumers’ growing demand for effective, science-backed formulations, we’ve seen an exciting trend towards innovative new ingredients and unique formulations. Many of our brands blend conventional vitamin actives and peptides together with a base of natural, nourishing ingredients to synergistically fuse the best of both worlds. Brands such as Josh Rosebrook and Oio Lab also feature bio fermented ingredients, medicinal mushrooms and adaptogens to enhance bioavailability and phytonutrients, as well as to support a healthy microbiome.
It's also been wonderful to see an increased focus on holistic wellness rituals, with a growth in exciting brand and product releases of new inner beauty supplements, beauty ritual tools and high-performance active bodycare.
What is the one skincare or wellness product you would never give up — the non-negotiable in your routine?
The face oil step in my skincare ritual is my absolute non-negotiable, I have too many face oil favourites to choose from! With my skin on the slightly dry side, applying a face oil twice a day has a radical impact in helping my skin stay supple, hydrated and rejuvenated.
One of my current favourites is the Furtuna Skin Bi-Phase Moisturizing Oil. It’s such a luxurious texture created from incredible, wild-foraged botanicals grown on Furtuna’s own private organic farm in Sicily. It leaves my skin feeling divinely soft, dewy and revitalized.
Another current favourite is the Evolve Organic Beauty Bio-Retinol + C Booster, a beautifully lightweight and brightening blend that keeps my skin radiant and smooth.
And now that you’ve entered motherhood — has your own beauty and wellness routine changed? Are there any rituals or products you genuinely rely on, especially ones you’d recommend to other new mums navigating the same phase?
Body care and breast care have now
become an essential and uplifting part of my daily rituals. To nurture my evolving belly and body, I’ve loved using the Tronque Vitamin C Body Oil and Living
Libations Best Skin Ever Seabuckthorn
to help reduce pigmentation, prevent stretch marks, nourish and hydrate. The
Tronque oil is packed with potent actives and feels so luxurious, whilst the Living
Libations Best Skin Ever is a brilliant multi-tasker for all over face and body.
The Mammae Bosom Ritual Balm and Bosom Ritual Elixir (Lymphatic Bosom & Body Oil) have been a wonderful, restorative addition to support my breastfeeding journey. The Mammae collection is such a divine line that
provides a truly transformative and holistic approach to support and empower new mothers.
DISCOVER ONE FINE SECRET
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