Interview with Tandia Walsh

Raised on a pearl farm in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia, Tandia’s deep connection to the ocean and respect for nature shaped both her worldview and her work. Following her mother’s illness, she began questioning the hidden toxins in everyday products - particularly sunscreen - and discovered a lack of truly natural, trustworthy options, inspiring her to create Mother SPF: a science-backed, consciously formulated sunscreen that protects both skin and the environment, grounded in her belief that nature and efficacy should exist in harmony.. 

Mother SPF is offering the Naturel Haus community an exclusive 10% off discount with code NATURELHAUS10. 

Tell us about your childhood - you grew up on a pearl farm in Broome with pearl
farmer parents, is that correct? Did this kind of upbringing connect you deeply to
nature?

I was very lucky to grow up in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. My father was a pearl diver and my mother an aerobics instructor who ran her own dance school. Together they founded Willie Creek Pearls, a pearl farm just outside of Broome.
As a result my childhood revolved around the ocean. From mud crabbing in the mangroves and surfing behind our dinghy along Cable Beach to camping trips, spear fishing and driving around the bushlands on our 4WD motherbikes.
I loved being on the pearl farm and out at sea on the mothership…mostly annoying my
fathers employees ha but also watching the team harvest pearls and always looking out for any action in the water - crocodiles and tiger sharks were always very close by!
Growing up in such a pristine environment, it was impossible not to fall in love with nature
from a very young age. I was in awe not only of its beauty but also of its power. We
experienced countless cyclones in Broome and king tides that could swallow your car within minutes if you didn’t get it off the beach in time. I was constantly reminded that nothing is more powerful than Mother Nature and that she is not a force to be reckoned with.

Was there a specific moment when you realised there was a need for Mother SPF to
exist?

My childhood naturally led me to study marine biology. However, it wasn’t until my own
mother was diagnosed with a serious illness that I began paying closer attention to the toxins in our environment and the long-term effects they have on our health.
I started to uncover just how many questionable ingredients are found in our everyday
skincare products with SPF being one of the worst offenders. Many sunscreens are filled
with hormone-disrupting chemicals as well as ingredients that are incredibly harmful to our reefs. When I tried to find a truly natural SPF, I realised they essentially didn’t exist and even today it’s rare to find one that genuinely is really natural. There is simply too much greenwashing in this space.

With my science background and deep love for Mother Nature, the only solution was to
create my own. Et Viola MOTHER SPF was born. mix of excitement, nerves, and total surrender. At some point you realise there’s nothing left to tweak you’ve done the work, made the decisions, trusted your gut. It feels a bit like holding your breath and jumping. Equal parts proud and nervous, but mostly grateful to finally share something that’s lived in your head for so long.

The word “Mother” carries protection, instinct, and deep responsibility. How did
that name set the bar for how you formulate, test, and stand behind your products?

The name was very much chosen in honour of my own mum and Mother Nature. That said, as you’ve pointed out, it does carry strong connotations. Importantly however the name has no bearing on how we formulate. Even if the brand were called “X”, the science and our testing standards would never change.
This is a product designed to protect against skin cancer and with two-thirds of Australians being diagnosed in their lifetime it was essential from the very beginning that it be clinically backed and deliver the highest level of protection possible.

What belief about sunscreen or skin health do you wish more women would
unlearn?

There’s a common misconception that “natural” automatically means less effective or that natural formulations can’t be clinically proven or science-backed. In reality natural skincare works with the skin rather than against it. Our skin is a living, intelligent organ and many natural ingredients closely mimic its cellular pathways and biological processes.

This biomimicry is what allows natural skincare to be so effective. When ingredients are
structurally familiar to the skin, they are more readily recognised, absorbed, and utilised,
supporting the skin’s natural barrier function and repair mechanisms rather than overriding them. By contrast many synthetic ingredients are designed to force a result which can disrupt the skin’s microbiome, compromise the barrier over time and lead to sensitivity or imbalance. Natural skincare when formulated correctly and backed by science delivers results by strengthening the skin’s own systems. It’s not about doing more to the skin, it’s about supporting what the skin already knows how to do best.

What part of building a product-based wellness brand has been far more
emotionally or mentally demanding than you expected?

Oh, the loneliness has by far been the hardest part! When I thought about starting a skincare brand, loneliness would never have been a word that came to mind. I would have expected challenges like manufacturing issues, slow sales or getting into retailers. But in reality all of those problems are a walk in the park compared to the isolation you feel in the first few years of building a business on your own. You’re by yourself every day, things constantly go wrong, and there’s no one there to reassure you that it’s normal and ultimately your confidence can take a real hit.

What are the small, ordinary pleasures that make you feel most like yourself - the
ones that don’t “optimize” anything but bring you back into your body?

A daily ocean swim! It’s like my reset button. Having my skin feel all salty, covered in SPF
and sandy is one of my most favourite feelings.

You clearly care deeply about health and protection - but what are your
unapologetic pleasures? The rituals, foods, or moments that bring you joy and remind you that wellness doesn’t have to be 100% perfect?

I am ice cream obsessed! It's my one weakness and I will never walk past an ice creamery without having one. If it’s in the house, I walk past a gelato place or it’s on
the dessert menu - it’s ordered, not shared and eaten in minutes. I was in Europe for a month last year and had a Gelato every day and it was pure bliss. The quality and creamy texture is just so much better over there.      

What’s something you’re currently learning to let go of - a habit, belief, or version
of yourself that no longer fits?

That the harder you work, the more successful you will be. . In reality it often just leads to
burnout! The whole "work hard, play hard" motto. For so long I believed that the harder I worked and the more hours I spent working, the more successful I would be and all I got from all those long hours was chronic fatigue. I’m lucky I finally realised that and have started stepping outside the Mother SPF world more, leaning into new habits, and focusing on the things that really matter such as spending time with family and friends and traveling.

I have finally learnt that my best ideas come to me when I am out in nature, meditating, reading a book.. basically anything that does not involve a laptop! And in the beauty world which is so saturated, creativity is one of your biggest assets when it comes to succeeding. So this year for me is all about more hobbies, pleasure and letting go of the need to always be working. 

TO SHOP Mother SPF use code NATURELHAUS10 for 10% off thanks to Tandia. 
Check out Tandia's edit of her favourite go-to's below x