MOTHER SPF is a clean mineral SPF with a mission to make a meaningful difference in the sun care industry. Being the #1 anti-ageing product, and defence against skin cancer, it's about time the SPF category got the attention it really deserves! MOTHER don't believe good sun protection should come at a compromise to your health or the environment and the best SPF is the one that you reach for every morning. That's why they wanted to create a 100% clean and eco-friendly SPF that doesn't compromise on the cosmetic appeal of a mainstream sunscreen. MOTHER now makes it easy to switch to a natural alternative. We’re so excited to chat to MOTHER founder, Tandia Walsh for today’s Folks We Love.

Where are you from?
I grew up in Broome, a beach resort town in the Kimberley region north of Western Australia. Think bright orange dirt, white sandy beaches that stretch for miles and an ocean that is as blue as the sky.

Tell us about your family
I am the youngest of 3. My mother owned a health food store in Broome and also started her own dance school and gymnasium. My dad was a pearl diver and owned a pearl farm. As a child I was either at ballet rehearsals or mud crabbing out at dad's pearl farm.

Occupation?
Founder of MOTHER SPF and also a qualified pilates instructor, teaching the occasional class.

Can you share with us the story behind Mother, how it started and the philosophy behind the company?
The idea for MOTHER SPF was born out of necessity a few years back when my mother was diagnosed with a serious illness. It opened my eyes to what is ‘actually’ in our skincare and how little the industry is regulated.

In order to help my mum transition over to a safer routine I discovered how questionable some chemical sunscreens can be and finding a clean, cosmetically appealing, eco friendly and safe sunscreen proved surprisingly difficult.

This ultimately resulted in me passionately studying the chemistry of ingredients (I had previously studied marine biology) and experimenting with clean concoctions before partnering with an expert green cosmetic formulator and lastly finding a licensed laboratory that could make it for me and bring it to life at the start of 2020.

My philosophy has always been - If a safer alternative is out there, why wouldn’t you use it?

What was the process like in start-up phase when coming up with the Mother blend?
Lots of research and experimentation! Searching for the best green cosmetic scientist, providing them with an ingredient list to work on and finding suitable packaging that is sustainable and can keep the formulation stable. It took nearly 4 years actually - sunscreen is very heavily regulated in Australia so I had to go through lots of testing and provide lots of data prior to releasing the product to market.

How has the landscape of the clean beauty industry changed since you had the idea for Mother?
Lots more mineral SPF options! It’s great for consumers. When I first started the idea for MOTHER SPF hardly anyone knew that there were 2 types of SPF (Mineral + Chemical).Consumers are so much more educated now - they know how to figure out the type of SPF they are using, they know if the brand is actually ‘clean’ and most importantly they know they need to wear SPF everyday.

What are important tenets of your business?

To consider the environment as your number one stakeholder
If any ingredient is questionable, we leave it out
To only use ingredients with long term safety data
To consider the health of the skin as a top priority when formulating (surprisingly most sunscreen formulations don’t!)
Less is more, in every aspect (ingredients, products, packaging). MOTHER has been on the market for nearly 3 years now and still only has 1 product. I am not in a rush to pump out products.

What do you love most about being an entrepreneur?
I can work wherever I want :) Which means I can spend as much time with my family in Broome and I can try to avoid winter as much as possible. I like to follow the sun.

What do you wish people knew about sunscreen that isn't common knowledge amongst mainstream beauty brands?
That the SPF factor on the bottle (i.e SPF 50, 30, 15) is a measure of time not strength and that there is only a 1% difference in protection between an SPF 30 and an SPF 50.

Also that some chemical sunscreen actives are not photostable meaning they can break down when exposed to sunlight and generate free radical damage in the skin which causes premature ageing of the skin.

Sunscreen aside, what are some of your skincare essentials?
Less is best! - Only stick with the essentials and the goal should be to support your skin's inherent functions - not disrupt them! For example I love using jojoba oil as it mimics your skin's natural sebum levels. But basically I just use a gentle cleanser, jojoba oil, moisturiser and SPF. I focus much more on my diet, sleep and stress levels when it comes to taking care of my skin. Good skincare is just the cherry on top.

What do you love most about summer?
Always being warm, salty skin, long beach walks and a late night dip on a balmy summer night.

Your best tips for reducing toxins in your lifestyle?
Remove fragrance from your life (candles, perfume, body lotion) once you have adapted to having no synthetic scents in your life (this might take a few weeks) the minute someone sprays a toxic perfume near you, your nostrils will most likely start to burn and from here you will (hopefully) realise how much your body was swimming in a chemical soup. It’s a great wake up call to realise that you're not supposed to smell like rose petals all the time!

Top tips for switching to clean beauty?
Do not have a breakdown and ditch everything at once! To only replace each item once it runs out with a cleaner item. I would suggest shopping at a clean beauty store or online from the clean beauty section. Familiarise yourself with the clean brands and check out the reviews before purchasing.

You also need to be aware that clean beauty products function differently and as a result feel different. For example a mineral SPF works by sitting on top of your skin and reflecting UV rays. In contrast a chemical SPF works by absorbing into your skin and undergoing a chemical reaction. So by nature, mineral SPF will always be a little thicker and you are always going to feel them sitting on top of the skin.

What are you reading?
I read for about 1.5 hours every night, I love it. Currently I am about to finish “My Body Keeps Yours Secrets” - It’s a very moving book that focuses on sexual assault and how our bodies bury trauma deep within and that eventually this trauma can start to show up in other areas of our life (i.e eating disorders, anxiety) and at some stage our bodies will no longer stay silent.

What are you watching right now?
Very Boring - but nothing ATM! I spend too much time on my computer all day that by night I just want to switch off from tech and read a book. I do absolutely love going to the cinema on a sunday afternoon if a good movie is out however!

Go-to podcasts?
I love Joe Rogan! He interviews all walks of life and I love how the podcast is super conversational and just flows from one topic to the next.

I just finished listening to the David Sinclair (Life span) podcast series. It’s all about ageing/how we can increase our lifespan - it’s absolutely fascinating the research out there.

What does self-care mean and look like for you?
Things like a face mask, a massage etc I do not think of as ‘self care’. Self-care to me should not cost a thing.

My self care consists of eating my breakfast in silence/away from all forms of technology/distractions every morning, It’s to go for a quick ocean dip whilst my phone stays at home, It’s to lay in bed on a sunday morning with nowhere to be (and not feeling obliged to be doing anything else!).

What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?
Never get too comfortable! I have learned with MOTHER that everything can easily change overnight so it’s important to be able to adapt quickly.

Motto you live by?
Less is More - skincare, work hours, exercise etc

What are 4 things you can't live without?

My partner - He makes me the best version of myself. I adore him
My family - Their support is unconditional
My Friends - Sometimes you just need a wild night out with the girls
The ocean - Nothing awakens my senses as much as an ocean dip does

**And of course MOTHER SPF

Learn more about MOTHER here and follow them on Instagram @motherspf

Folks We Love with Tandia Walsh, founder of MOTHER