I made $20,000 in 24 hours

Mariam was on the verge of bankruptcy when she had an idea - Mariam Elhouli, 33, Melbourne, Vic

- STACEY HICKS

MUM OF FIVE

With boxes piled high around me, there was no time to waste.

I was sitting at my kitchen table with my husband Mahmoud and our five kids, Youssef, now 17, Omar, 14, Ritaj, 12, Reem, 10, and Layla, six, who were madly helping me pack orders.

I'd just sold over $20,000 worth of my skincare products in 24 hours! 

It was hard to believe that, just a few months earlier, I was at rock bottom.

Growing up, I always had incredibly sensitive skin.

Despite being of Lebanese heritage, I could barely sit next to a lamp without burning - let alone in the harsh Aussie sun!

But with five kids to support, I couldn't afford skincare products.

So after my evening wear business sadly closed in 2019, I looked into making and selling skincare products that suited my skin, were affordable and had natural ingredients.

It was a way I could support my family.

Finding a compounding chemist that could make my products, I started off by creating a botanical pink clay mask, which is great for detoxifying and purifying the skin. But my business closure had left us nearly bankrupt and we were raising five kids on my husband's wage as a tradie.

In fact, I only had $169 in the bank, after paying our bills and buying groceries.