If you know Jessica Alba only as an actress, it may surprise you to learn she has quietly built a successful business outside of Hollywood - one that was valued at US$1.7 billion in 2015.

But even though the star of the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films co-founded The Honest Company and personally grew it from the ground up, she tells The Straits Times that many people assume she is just a figurehead in the business, which launched in 2011 and sells eco-friendly personal-care and home-goods products.