Mother SPF's Tandia Walsh explains how her passion for protecting the coastline and her dedication to clean beauty created a revolutionary natural sunscreen brand.

 

Name: Tandia Walsh

Day job: Founder at Mother SPF

Location: Western Australia, Perth

 

Describe your work in one sentence.

Connecting science with Mother Nature to bring the most innovative natural sunscreens you’ll want to wear daily to market.

 

What led you to create Mother SPF?

I was fortunate enough to grow up on the Western Australian coastlines. My parents founded the Willie Creek Pearl Farm outside of Broome. Summers spent fishing, crabbing, and camping left me with a keen interest in preserving our country’s coastlines and water, which led me to study Marine Biology.

However, a family illness pushed me to investigate the harmful chemicals lurking in our everyday products. Sunscreen stands out as one of the main offenders, affecting both our health and the environment. Frustrated by the lack of a natural SPF that met my needs, I explored the possibility of creating my own. Et viola, Mother SPF!

 

What sets Mother SPF apart from conventional sunscreens?

A few things here: Firstly, we are in a mineral-only suncare range. Most supermarket sunscreens are chemical-based. Mineral sunscreens reflect UV rays, while chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays; they work entirely differently, and therefore, I wouldn’t say they are comparable. We are a mineral-only range because active zinc oxide is a natural anti-inflammatory hero that heals the skin incredibly. Being a natural mineral found in nature, it is reef-safe and, most importantly, safe for our bodies.

Chemical sunscreens use synthetic ingredients to protect you from the sun and do not provide the skin with any healing benefits; they have also been linked to interfering with our endocrine (hormone) system, and globally, they have started to be banned in many countries due to the damage they cause to the reef (changing the DNA in coral).

We now see more mineral sunscreens in supermarkets, which is a great start! However, it’s essential to look at all the other ingredients in the formulation: are they also known hormone disruptors? Do they cause inflammation in the skin? Are they reef-safe? Do they have long-term safety data? And so on...

What sets Mother apart is that every single ingredient in our formulation has strong data to show that it’s safe, does not disrupt our skin microbiome, works with our skin's natural biology (skin-identical), does not negatively affect our environment, and most importantly, helps provide your skin with superior sun protection. In short, every ingredient at Mother SPF serves a fundamental purpose for your skin health.

What’s been the biggest challenge in growing your brand?

Australia regulates sunscreen as a listed medicine (as it protects against skin cancer). This means the formulation must undergo extensive testing before landing on our shelves! So, this is by far the biggest challenge; it’s also extremely expensive and takes 2 to 3 years to actually bring a formulation to market, which is a tough, long outlay when you are a start-up.

At the same time, this has been the most rewarding aspect. It’s incredible to see how powerful natural ingredients are and the advances in natural science. Being at the forefront of it, really pouring your love into something for 2 to 3 years straight, and finally seeing it come to life is truly special.

 

What does your morning routine look like?

I naturally wake around 5 a.m./5:30 a.m. and go straight into 20 minutes of seated Vedic Meditation, followed by 20 minutes of breath work while wearing my Omnilux mask. I will either head for a run, a weights class, or a beach swim straight after. Then, I return home for a cooked breakfast and morning chats with my partner. I make a matcha and sit down at my desk. Only then does my phone come off aeroplane mode, and my inbox gets opened. Not turning my phone on until after spending the morning filling my cup has been a game changer.

 

What's one simple daily habit for better skin, health, and wellness?

Breathwork! When your skin lacks oxygen, it looks dull and grey. It’s the quickest way to calm your nervous system, reduce anxiety, and bring you into the present moment. I start and end every day with breathwork, another habit that has been a game changer for my overall wellness.

With "clean beauty" so popular, what should we look for?

It’s a buzzword, and there’s also so much greenwashing, so I normally don’t recommend people look for labels like 'natural,' as it’s such an unregulated industry. Most brands can get away with claiming it's natural, even if it’s filled with fossil fuels. Instead, purchase from health food stores, follow naturopaths on social media and see the products they recommend, and use a low-tox app to scan the ingredients in your beauty products to check if they are safe.

 

Where’s the best place to start when reducing toxins in your routine?

Start with the personal care items you use daily (SPF, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturiser) and those you use all over (body wash, body moisturiser, SPF). Slowly replace these items over time with cleaner alternatives.

 

What are the worst ingredients to avoid in beauty products?

Chemical sunscreen actives - previously, these ingredients were thought to not absorb into our bloodstream. We now know they can, and they are being detected in various places throughout the body, including a baby's umbilical cord! There is currently minimal long-term safety data on them, and existing animal studies suggest that chemical UV actives can disrupt hormones. Instead, look for mineral sunscreens - check the ingredient list and ensure zinc oxide is the first ingredient.

 

What are your top clean beauty brands?

So many! The skincare brands I always use are Weleda, Prologic, Kora Organics, MooGoo, and Living Libations. I love Kosas, Ilia, RMS, and Westman Atelier for makeup.

 

Has cleaning your beauty routine impacted your cycle, skin, or hormones?

Absolutely! Especially my skin - It’s never irritated and always feels super hydrated.

What wellness rituals help you feel your best throughout the month?

I am obsessed with tummy massages and doing castor oil packs. I’ve now added a self-tummy massage into my daily routine. I remember the first time I did it - I freaked out and thought, 'OMG, I think I have a tumour,' because I had never actually felt my stomach before. Discovering the placement of all these organs was completely unfamiliar to me. It’s wild to think that I had never really given much thought to my stomach or womb before.

 

Do you adjust your skincare or self-care based on your cycle?

I dial down the exercise, shifting toward Pilates and yoga when I have my period. I also go to bed much earlier when I’m about to get my period, as I know I need more sleep during that time.

 

What’s your number one health message?

Your genes load the gun, but your lifestyle pulls the trigger - take ownership of your health.

 

What are your hopes and dreams for the future of periods and period talk?!

I want sex ed class in school to get a serious glow-up. It's wild that we never went into details about fertility, our cycle, etc. My sex ed class was all about STIs and convincing me that I would get pregnant if I even kissed a boy. I wish I had known how much harder it is to get pregnant naturally so I could have started looking after my fertility earlier - instead of going on the pill and never thinking about it.

 

MY CYCLE

• My period in 3-words: Light, red, minimal
• Flow style: Light
• Length: Short
• Period self-care is: Re-connecting to the body. 
  
• Period toolkit: Self-tummy massage & rae Heat Pad
• Best period hacks: Warm oil poured onto the abdomen and massaged in
• Contraception of choice: Fertility awareness method/tracking.
• On day 1, you'll find me: Going about like usual. It’s day 2 that gets me! 
• Scarlet pick: The undies are in every style (G-string, briefs, etc.). They all get a good workout during the week I have my period, and I love the rae Heat Pad to travel with as it’s too messy travelling with my castor oil pack.