“It healed me”: How building an Australian skincare brand helped Charmaine Caldwell heal from trauma
I shared my story. Here is why.
A personal note from Char, Founder and CEO of Vixin Beauty
I'll be honest with you. Sitting down for this one was not easy.
I've talked about Vixin's products, our ingredients, our formulations, our community. I've talked about menopause skin and sensitive skin and why I believe in making skincare that actually works. But talking about me, the parts of my life that happened long before any of this existed, that's a different thing entirely.
This month, I did exactly that. And it's now in print, in the July issue of The Australian Women's Weekly on newsstands now, and available to read online.
You can read the full feature here.
Why I decided to speak
I've carried a lot of my story quietly for a long time. Growing up watching violence in my home. Finding myself in violent relationships as an adult. Rebuilding myself, more than once. Becoming a single mum. Starting a company from nothing, with no backup, no board, no investors. Just belief in an idea, and a refusal to stop.
I've never hidden that my life hasn't been easy. But I haven't always spoken about the detail of it, either. Not because I'm ashamed. I am not. None of what happened to me was my fault. But because the right time has to feel right.
When Sophie Tedmanson, the Editor of The Australian Women's Weekly, sat down with me on Zoom, it felt right. Sophie is a remarkable woman, and the conversation was honest, open, and real. It wasn't about being vulnerable for vulnerability's sake. It was about saying: this happened, I walked through it, and look where I am now.
I want women to know that is possible. For them, too.
What I said, and why it matters to me
There's a Maya Angelou quote on the wall behind me at our headquarters:
"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."
It's the philosophy of this business, and honestly, it's the filter for my life.
I built Vixin because I couldn't find skincare that worked for my skin without causing a reaction. My mum struggled with the same thing. I wanted to create something that even people with the most sensitive skin could use, and then I wanted to make sure it actually changed how they felt in their skin.
Because here's the thing I've learned from reading every message, every story, from every customer over all these years: this is so much bigger than skincare.
When someone's skin heals, something else heals too. Confidence. The way you carry yourself. The way you show up for the people you love. I've seen it over and over again.
And as I healed other people with Vixin, it healed me, too.
That line came out of me in the conversation with Sophie and I didn't plan it. But it is the most honest thing I have ever said about why I do this.
Read it. Watch it. Share it.
The full feature is in the July 2026 issue of The Australian Women's Weekly, in print at newsagents now, and available digitally.
There's also a video conversation as part of the Women's Weekly Love Stories podcast series, which you can watch right there on the page. I'd love for you to watch it. Not for me, but because if even one person sees it and feels less alone, it was worth every word.
If someone in your life is going through something hard right now, whether that's a difficult relationship, a difficult season, or just feeling like they've lost themselves, please share this with them.
And if that someone is you: you are not broken. There is a way forward. I promise.
With love,
Char 🖤
Founder and CEO, Vixin Beauty
If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Written by Charmaine Maree Caldwell
