Location
Australia
Made In
Australia
Values
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Transparent
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Fair
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Vegan
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Certified Organic
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Made Locally
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Gender Equality
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Circularity
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BIPOC
“I don’t talk about or make anything that I don’t use or live by myself; Terra Tonics reflects a journey to a better future.”
Terra Tonics was born out of one woman’s need for a skincare range that was free from chemicals, toxins, and animal products. Bhavna Suri, model turned founder of Australian natural skincare brand Terra Tonics, crafted her own range of sustainable skincare products that didn’t compromise on integrity or quality. If you want something done you’ve got to do it yourself, right?
Terra Tonics is completely committed to providing safe, clean skincare products that will work from the outside in. They’re 100% natural, 100% cruelty-free, and 100% committed to providing skincare that, well, actually cares for your skin. The Terra Tonics skincare products are designed to simultaneously deliver effective, long-term results whilst providing positive experiences and outcomes for everyone and throughout every aspect of their supply chain. That’s what we love to hear.
As for the ingredients used in the Terra Tonics range, they include Finger Lime, Kakadu Plum, and Mountain Pepper Berry, a berry rich in phytonutrients, with chlorogenic acid, rutin, flavone glycosides and anthocyanin (we’re leaving the big scary words to the experts, aka Terra Tonics). The ingredients are also constantly tested for their purity, are extracted using a dual extraction method that ensures bio availability for the product’s entire shelf life, and each product takes between 9-18 months to formulate and test.
Furthermore, Terra Tonics sources all of their native ingredients – including Kakadu Plum and Native River Mint – from their indigenous regions, and works extremely closely with their suppliers to ensure that the highest standards are met and upheld in regards to production, fair-trade, and regenerative harvesting practices.
This Australian skincare company is dedicated to lessening their impact on the environment, as well as helping you to do the same, which is why they carbon offset their shipping and use recyclable, FSC certified, biodegradable product packaging from an Australian supplier. Just to up their own sustainable packaging game, Terra Tonics is also the first Australasian company to make use of a biodegradable and home compostable packaging alternative made from agricultural waste and mycelium (the vegetative part of a mushroom) for their full-sized products.
Not only are they completely vegan, 100% cruelty-free, and will never test on animals, their products are also undiluted. What does this mean? Undiluted skincare means exactly that, not diluted with unnecessary filler ingredients. Most skincare for example contains water, it’s often the main ingredient. What they advertise is what you get, no drop down menus with 100 other ingredients that you can’t pronounce, only highly potent plant and mineral actives that produce incredible results.
Oh, and just to further reinforce how epic Terra Tonics actually is, the hero product, Clean Collagen, won the Gold Award for the Best Natural Retinol Treatment in the 2021 Organic Beauty Awards, and publications including Vogue, Elle, Moss, and GQ have caught on to just how incredible this brand is, too. How do you like them non-GMO apples?
Terra Tonics is a skincare brand that actually cares about your skin, as well as the environment from which they take the ingredients. They take a mindful and sustainable approach to the sourcing of their ingredients and the packaging of their products, they’re 100% natural and cruelty-free, and they ensure their high standards of ethical production are upheld. So, if you’ve been on the hunt for a natural skincare company that actually works, look no further than Terra Tonics.
Want to know where Terra Tonics sits and what they’re working on in terms of these 5 values? Hover over these values to find out.
Eco Friendly
All ingredients sourced are organic or wildcrafted. We use only mineral and botanical ingredients for all our products, no fillers, chemicals, fragrances or even water, so as to not harm our customers or the environment daily and longterm. All products are packaged in Miron Glass that is non-toxic and infinitely recyclable, also maintaining the potency of the active ingredients. We use only mineral and botanical ingredients for all our products, no fillers, chemicals, fragrances or even water, leaving no harmful impact on the planet. Working with local businesses to lessen our carbon footprint. Using Sendle a carbon neutral delivery service. All outer packaging is currently FSC certified and recyclable. FSC certified tissue paper and stickers with soy based inks, compostable mailer bags, limestone quarry waste (recyclable) sample pack bags, oxo-degradable cleanser sample bags and recycled paper info cards. New 100% home compostable outer packaging for online orders grown from mycelium, hemp and local waste. Carbon positive packaging capturing C02 upon it's growth stage, positively contributing to soil health once composted, no waste or pollution created during manufacturing or composting, uses less energy to be produced, 100 percent biodegradable and renewable material that can be recycled directly in and by nature. Taking the steps to become carbon positive, will launch this on the website soon.
Fair
All products are extracted, manufactured and packed in Australia with businesses abiding by the fair work act. 100% vegan and cruelty free, no animal testing or working with companies that use animal testing. Working with Australian companies to support our society. Working with local Melbourne based company for our compostable packaging, supporting a new business to be able to expand and help other businesses to make the change to more sustainable practices. We are working on a rewards system that is based on good deeds we and our customers can do in their communities with the reward of points for money off our products, giveaways with other businesses, gifts that incorporate other businesses to be able to keep supporting and motivating one another.
Minimal Waste
All products are undiluted meaning no water is added to any formulation thus no water unnecessarily shipped around the world. Minimal but highly effective ingredients, meaning no need for over use of products to reach desired results, so less overconsumption.
Give Back
10% of profits went to the Bob Brown foundation at the start of the year to help save the Tarkine and make it world heritage listed. We as business owners got involved running 26k to raise funds and awareness for the Bob Brown Foundation. Now in talks with two companies to give back to, this is very important to us and we want to choose the right areas to give back to that align with Terra Tonics, our customers and will have the greatest positive impact we can.
Transparent
Working with Australian companies to support our society. Working with local Melbourne based company for our compostable packaging, supporting a new business to be able to expand and help other businesses to make the change to more sustainable practices.
Behind the Brand
“To my horror, there were so many shocking ingredients hidden in so called natural and clean products. I was also appalled by the widespread use of animal based ingredients in skincare and their many unproven claims. This lead me to a long period of research into many products, particularly in skincare. I found no companies that met the standards that I had. I wanted to buy a great product but I also wanted to know it was made by people who held the same values as I do and it wasn’t just marketing”.
What made you start Terra Tonics?
On my journey to a more sustainable, conscious and vegan lifestyle, I began paying much closer attention to the products I was using daily in my house, on my body and my skin.
To my horror, there were so many shocking ingredients hidden in so called natural and clean products. I was also appalled by the widespread use of animal based ingredients in skincare and their many unproven claims. This lead me to a long period of research into many products, particularly in skincare. I found no companies that met the standards that I had. I wanted to buy a great product but I also wanted to know it was made by people who held the same values as I do and it wasn’t just marketing.
I wanted to create something honest, a business that stood for something and reflected my values as a person. Part of my mission was to prove that world class skincare with incredible benefits could be achieved through all natural plant and mineral sources. That much was obvious. But, I also deeply wanted to create a company that had the protection of animals and the planet at its core.
Love for the self and care for all is the driving ethos behind Terra Tonics. It’s never been about making and selling skincare for me but an extension of how I choose to live.
Do you have a morning routine? If so what is it you do to set yourself up for the day ahead?
Yes, my morning routine is so important, I feel the mornings play such a huge role in how my day unfolds.
I like to incorporate a few Ayurvedic rituals passed on from my father. Generally, I like to start by brushing my teeth, tongue scraping and oil pulling before sipping on warm water to wake up my body and digestive system.
I then take some time for myself by meditating, journaling and working out before getting to my laptop or phone. It’s taking some time to work on the no tech first thing, but I find not bombarding myself with outside noise/technology/emails before clearing my space and gaining my focus for the day has really helped my mental wellbeing. Life is fast paced enough without adding to it!
After my workout, I will then have my shower which I love to finish on cold, which leaves me feeling super invigorated along with all the amazing benefits that come with it. I won’t lie, it’s always a bit of a mental struggle to turn the tap to cold!
I then have what is my favourite part of the morning, my skincare ritual with Terra Tonics. In the past, my skincare routine has sometimes felt like a nuisance but with Terra Tonics I have a simple yet powerfully effective routine, perfect for being on the go and with limited time. I leave the house knowing I’ve given my skin all the good stuff.
What’s the biggest barrier you’ve found to succeeding as a socially conscious business?
There has definitely and still are many hurdles that come our way, especially as a small batch business.
In many area’s of the business sustainable options are still very limited in Australia, it’s very hard to source the best options you know are out there when they are only available in very high quantities or only in other countries.
We’ve come across many times and the reason behind why it’s been such a long journey to produce our new packaging which we’ll release next month.
But in saying this we know the world and industries are changing and we won’t and haven’t given up on finding the best solutions.
We can’t wait to share this next launch with you that will show our customers and the industry here in Australia the incredible innovations and choices we can take to pioneer necessary change for the better.
Within the ethical fashion community, there’s a big question that we ask which is ‘who made my clothes?’. In the scope of Terra Tonics, who made your products? Can you tell us a bit about them?
All our products are Australian made, meaning they are formulated, extracted, packed and sent out to you from Australia.
We source only the highest level, organic and wildcrafted ingredients from both India and Australia.
We are in contact with all our suppliers and work to know every detail of where, how and what is done to source them. We had a trip to India planned to start to work more closely with all the supply chains however covid hit. We plan to get over there as soon as we can.
For all our packaging we work with local suppliers to minimise our footprint and support our local communities.
Why did you pick the ingredients you have chosen to work with?
Each ingredient was meticulously chosen for its unique and powerful benefits as well as its advantages when working in synergy with one other.
Every product we create addresses a problem we see in the industry and is a solution to those issues.
Clean Collagen addresses current unethical practices and the use of animal parts for collagen skincare products, as well as the harsh irritations that can come along with standard retinol.
Elemental Cleanser addresses the unsustainable use of liquid cleansers that are mainly filled with water or other fillers, meaning the product is less active and water is unnecessarily being shipped around the world.
Our next product to launch also addresses an ingredient that not many know is animal based.
We formulate effective and undiluted products that will give you long-term skin health without harm being caused to you, to animals or the planet.
Best piece of advice you have ever received?
“Always lead with your heart.”
What’s next for you and Terra Tonics?
There are so many things in the pipeline and many we can’t wait to start on but a few things we have coming up this year:
+ New products that tackle current issues in the industry
+ Working towards becoming BCorp certified, this is so important to me, to align with all that we do and push us to consistently do better.
+ A sustainable rewards system that supports you, the community and the planet.
+ Becoming a carbon positive business
+ Carbon positive packaging
One book and/or documentary everyone should read/watch? Why?
Documentary: David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
The wake up call we all need to make haste and support necessary change.
Book: The Crossings By Cormac McCarthy
There is a part of the novel written from the wolves perspective that is profound, beautiful and heartbreaking.
Are there any other Movers & Shakers out there in your world that you think people should know about?
+ Fungi solutions
+ Reve En Vert
+ Bolt threads
+ Sulapac