Mother SPF Founder Tandia Walsh

Growing up on the coastlines of WA, I inherited a passion for preserving the ocean from my parents, pearl farm owners outside of Broome. Summers spent fishing, crabbing and camping led to a natural progression to study Marine Biology.

But it wasn’t until 2016 that the idea for MOTHER SPF blossomed.

My mother, who previously had Melanoma, was diagnosed with another bout of cancer. The news prompted a heightened urgency for clean food and natural products. I took it upon myself to ensure my mum specifically eliminated anything containing carcinogenic or endocrine disrupting properties that could harm her skin or interfere with her medications. It was then, while trying to find safe and effective skincare, that I discovered how many SPF brands contain chemicals that are not only harmful to the body, but to the environment.

In 2019, after four years of research, MOTHER SPF was born.

I experienced extreme acne in my youth and I was put straight onto the pill, tried countless rounds of antibiotics and tested all sorts of creams.

The process completely stripped my skin barrier and that’s why you will notice MOTHER’s formulas are all based around protecting and nourishing the skin microbiome and staying away from any harsh synthetic ingredients.

At the time I thought this was ‘caring’ for my skin… now realising it was the complete opposite! These days I keep a simple skincare routine and give all my attention to my diet, sleep and stress levels.

To be truly sustainable ultimately means consuming less. It’s incredible the innovation that's coming out for sustainable materials but we wouldn’t be here in the first place if we didn’t have the obsession with consumerism.

It’s something I really struggle with - being a brand I am aware I am a part of the problem and as a result I am trying to also be part of the solution by encouraging consumers to opt for refillable packaging and in hope inspire other brands to also join the refillable movement.

Skin - 20 minutes of daily sunlight and an ocean swim. My skin is always so much healthier in summer in contrast to winter where my non-negotiables are harder to achieve daily.

Body - Dry body brushing! And a hot Swedish sauna 2-3 times a week.

MOTHER SPF! I saved for a solid three years before bringing the brand to life. I was working full time, whilst teaching pilates before work and baby sitting on the weekends all whilst trying to research how to create an SPF brand on my lunch breaks and after work.

Because SPF is so heavily regulated I knew I couldn’t just softly launch an SPF company, there’s too many high initial costs involved. I knew I had to go into it with everything I could, full time hours and living off my personal savings so I didn’t have any financial stress on top of the already high enough stress of starting a business.

By the time I had burned through my personal savings, MOTHER was in a position to pay myself a small salary so the investment has been well worth it.

Ha I love this question! I am not sure how this would be possible as I feel like installing it would cause more damage than the message itself - but a billboard at the Great Barrier Reef stating something like “EVEN MOTHER NATURE NEEDS A HERO”.

I am so passionate about protecting our oceans, we are so blessed to have such incredible reefs that are still flourishing in Australia - unlike the rest of the world where the majority have been destroyed.

We need to be reminded to not take this for granted, wearing Reef friendly SPF is not going to stop coral bleaching but it’s an easy step we can all make in order to not add to the problem. We can all be heroes by making these small little steps in our own lives.