What inspired you to start Thirsty Turtl?

I am passionate about building impact businesses that combine Western and First Nations’ values and culture. I grew up with one foot in each world, growing up in my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, but went to schools that are embedded in Western education. For me, honouring and incorporating my First Nations perspective in Thirsty Turtl’s beautiful products and our storytelling is a powerful tool for change.

In beauty, the emphasis is frequently on exotic, imported ingredients and products. Lots of people are unaware that some of the best components for glowing, healthy skin can be found right here in our own backyard in Australia. These nutrients have been used for millennia by Indigenous Australians to nourish their bodies, care for their skin, and preserve their general health and community. Our mission is to elevate this knowledge and put these ingredients on the global stage.

Can you tell us about how you began creating skincare that combines Indigenous knowledge, cosmetic science and sustainable agriculture?

My co-founders and I came together over a shared belief that the skincare industry could operate in a different way—sourcing locally and working with Indigenous farmers and plant scientists.

The funny thing is, none of us had a background in beauty and we were all pretty lazy with our skincare because we were so busy—I had two startups, Ellen and Jasmin were in the corporate rat race. But each of us brings a totally fresh perspective, which allows us to formulate in a way that other companies don’t. We heard lots of “no, you can’t do that” or “that will cost too much” from manufacturers, other brands, and potential investors. But we’ve overcome those barriers – it took almost three years – and we’ve incorporated the most amazing ingredients into a simple, effective routine that we all love using, so we knew other busy folks who wanted to upgrade their skincare would love it too.

In terms of how we actually got started, Ellen has a degree in industrial chemistry and a formal qualification in cosmetic science, so she has done hundreds of proprietary tests. Jasmin and I worked to build our relationships with the industry and in particular the Indigenous farmers we work with. Jasmin is a wannabe farmer and has a background in sustainable agriculture, so she loves diving into the provenance of the ingredients we use and how we can improve biodiversity and the quality of our soil. I’ve started and scaled multiple businesses – including a consumer brand – and I’ve applied a tonne of learnings from that about getting products into the hands of customers, generating buzz, and growing efficiently.

You work with First Nations farmers to source your plant ingredients, tell us more!

Initially we worked with a processor who has developed a network of First Nations farmers. She has been a mentor and we worked with her and funded research into native tomato and its compounds in a skincare context. It was exciting to discover some skin brightening and UV-damage protecting compounds in this native plant—some that are really rare. The farmer is based in South Australia and has gradually turned a dry, red patch of land into a rich, thriving ecosystem and has big plans to scale. He is working with local mob to create jobs and also has his own tea and bitters brands.

We are also working with a supplier from Central NSW – the wonderful Phil and Cherie – they have their own beauty brand and supply us with an anti-inflammatory white cypress. The process of harvesting this plant is regenerating the land in order to support an endangered species of lizard. While the lizard hasn’t been spotted yet, the transformation of the land has been really incredible with lots of insects returning.

More recently we’ve been working with a start up in Queensland and can share more on that soon! We hope to one day be big enough to have our own Torres Strait Islands seaweed farm and processing capability and to supply other brands.

What can visitors expect from your stall at The Finders Keepers?

A chance to upgrade your skincare regime and support First Nations brands and suppliers! We LOVE talking to customers and splashing product on their skin. You can smell the scent of our Desert Glow – which contains native tomato – it’s subtle, light and super hydrating.

We also collaborate with Indigenous artists and will be giving away an artwork, plus launching some new packaging featuring Indigenous art. All three co-founders will be there and we’d love to meet as many people as possible.

Who are you looking forward to seeing or meeting at the markets?

I travel a lot so will be checking out the beautiful, bright and hard-to-lose bags from Jaska. Alejandro Lauren’s sweaters are truly fabulous and we’d love to meet him. Jasmin is a tragic for vessels so she’ll be into the ceramics. Ellen used to live in Japan, so can appreciate a good knife like Dog Boy Knives—who also share our sustainability / recycled materials ethos.

Connect with Thirsty Turtl:
thirstyturtl.com
instagram.com/thirsty_turtl