The passion driving model mum Lara Worthington

Swisse beauty ambassador Lara Worthington opens up about life with her young family and the passion that now drives her business ventures.

When you live abroad it is often the small and simple things about your home country that you miss.

For Lara Worthington it is long walks along the beaches of southern Sydney that remind her of happy childhood memories. It is the crunch of hot chips shared with family.

It is the smell of eucalyptus trees heavy in the summer air.

After living in Los Angeles for about five years, Lara and husband actor Sam Worthington, and their sons, Rocket, 6, Racer, 5, and River, 1, spent an extended break in Sydney last year with family before they relocated to New York City.

“The access to nature in Australia is like nowhere else in the world,” Lara, 34, says.

“So we spent a lot of time outside and it was nice to see Australia through their [her sons] eyes.”

The next gen of environmental custodians

Lara’s passion for caring for our natural environments is something her three sons share, with the businesswoman and model revealing her eldest Rocket is very aware of Greta Thunberg and climate change.

“When my sons went to school in Australia they did Clean Up Day at the beach,” she says. “My kids learn so much about climate change at school and how it will impact the next generation.

“They are all in a generation of progressiveness.”

It is perhaps not a surprise Lara and her young family have such a strong interest in caring for our vast natural landscapes.

Lara grew up in the relaxed beachside suburbs of south Sydney with her parents Sharon and Graham and brother Joshua, and loved surfing and spending time in the great outdoors.

She went on to become an international model and the face of a popular Tourism Australia campaign, before launching her own beauty company and becoming a successful business owner.

Causes close to Lara’s heart

That beauty company, Share The Base, now operates as a not-for-profit enterprise with Lara donating 100 per cent of proceeds to three Australian charities she holds dear to heart, including wildlife and environmental conservation organisation WWF Australia.

The other two charities are Bowel Cancer Australia, a deeply personal choice as Lara’s father Graham died of bowel cancer in 2008, and children’s charity Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

Lara chose to support Humpty Dumpty Foundation after a close friend spent a lot of time in hospital with her premature daughter.

“Humpty Dumpty is really special,” Lara says, adding the proceeds she donated to the charity one year were used to buy infant incubators.

“Turning the business into a non-profit – the fulfilment to me is a million more times than having a profitable business.”

Lara’s new projects for 2022

In addition to her modelling work and overseeing Share The Base, Lara reveals to The House of Wellness that she has a new wellness brand that will launch this year and continues to work with Swisse as a paid beauty ambassador.

“Swisse is all about an integrated approach to wellness – and this reflects the approach I take to my personal health; balancing mindfulness, good nutrition and finding time for that daily movement,” Lara says.

She uses several Swisse products in her daily beauty routine including the Swisse Manuka Honey Daily Glow Foaming Cleanser and the Swisse Bio-Ceramides Renewing Defence Cream.

“It is tailored to support a youthful complexion,” Lara says.

“It’s so light, yet hydrating and the perfect product for using to kick-start my day.”

How Lara looks after her own wellness

Lara, who is a vegetarian, also looks after her wellbeing by streaming workouts from Fluidform Pilates wherever she is in the world and listening to news podcasts on walks.

“I also drink lots of water, eat well, move every day and just be happy,” she says.

Juggling a family on the go

After their stay in Sydney, Lara and her family moved to New York City last year as they continue to juggle Sam’s Hollywood filming schedule with other work commitments.

Lara laughs as she describes their family life as “a nice chaos”.

“When you have three, my time is split between them, so there’s not much time left,” she says.

“But my husband and I are a good team.

“He makes it easier for me, he is just obsessed with being a dad and nothing is ever too hard – so it’s nice to have that support.”

When she does get some solo time, Lara relishes catching up with friends and visiting bathhouses.

“I love any bathhouse – that sequence of steam, sauna and cold plunge,” she says.

“I always feel really refreshed afterwards.”

Lara is also enjoying being surrounded by the buzz and vibrancy of New York after admitting she found life in Los Angeles isolating at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

“The thing I took out of it [living through the pandemic] was to keep a check on your health and wellness and family and loved ones and prioritise that,” she says.

“It’s about having energy and vitality, having a passion for life and a desire for getting out of bed in the morning and feeling energised by your day and your life.”

For more inspiring health and lifestyle advice, pick up your free February edition of The House of Wellness at your local Chemist Warehouse.

Written by Erin Miller.