'You feel like a lone wolf': Jessica Alba discusses the perils of being a woman in business as she poses for sexy knitwear photoshoot

'I’ve dealt with people undermining me': Jessica says being doubted as a businesswoman is nothing she can't handle after the way she's been treated as an actress

Don't underestimate her: Jessica Alba admits she's wasn't taken seriously when she first decided to set up her eco-friendly business, The Honest Company

She admits her Hollywood peers thought she was 'nuts' when she founded The Honest Company in 2012.

And Jessica Alba has revealed she has struggled to be taken seriously as both a businesswoman and an actress in an insightful new interview with NET-A-PORTER.com’s The EDIT, touching upon her experience of sexism.

The 34-year-old Sin City star donned this season's most luxurious knitwear for the accompanying shoot with the digital fashion magazine, showcasing her natural beauty as she model the sophisticated looks.

The entrepreneur revealed that she encountered a lot of negativity from the showbiz world when she first set up the company, which had $170 million in 2014 sales and was valued at $1.7 billion as of August 2015.

However, Jessica was undeterred by her critics and used their doubts to fuel her drive and make her business a success.

She said: 'Certainly people in Hollywood underestimated me. They absolutely, 100 percent thought I was nuts.

Revealing interview: Jessica models this season's knitwear trends in the accompanying shoot for NET-A-PORTER.com’s The EDIT

'It p***** me off! But as a woman, as an actress, I’ve dealt with that before. I’ve dealt with people undermining me; I’ve dealt with people thinking that I would do anything to get ahead and be successful.

'I was never that girl. I never dated people to be successful, I never compromised myself, or my beliefs, or my values to get ahead. And you know, in a weird way, I liked it when they didn’t believe in me. It fueled me.'

Jesicca - who raises daughters Honor, age 7, and Haven, age 4, with her husband Cash Warren - also revealed that it's important for her to set an example for her children, even though they might not understand her dedication to her work.

Confessing that she struggles to strike a healthy work/life balance, she added: 'My girls ask why I work, but I think it’s more of a rhetorical question at this point; they just want to spend time with me. Kids don’t want to be understanding. And they shouldn’t be at this age!

'I’m traveling too much, I’m staying at the office too late, and I don’t know how to shut off completely when I go home. But it’s challenging to be a working parent, whether you are a woman or a man.'

Jessica looks stunning in the Sebastian Kim shoot for the online publication, styled by Tracy Taylor in fall’s new fashion-focused knitwear.