Meet our Founder, Jules
It has always been about our forests and oceans – says Jules as her tale unfolds. With her career in nursing leading to Sister-in-charge of the surgical ward in Harley St London, looking after Royalty in the royal and military hospital, she knew there was a different world to explore.
Something from her childhood and upbringing constantly stirred within. She was the far-away child that seemed like she was away with the fairies – probably because she was! Having been bought up in a political landscape, but a nature baby at her core, gave an interesting perspective on the world – that of hope, curiosity, exploration and faith that we can do better.
This pull, back to Nature was deafening. Jules left her Surgical Nursing career of 15 years and immersed herself deeply into the heart of India where, after living there for some time, she had an epiphany – in the shape of a motorbike accident. It changed her life.
In a remote area, covered in blood and in a world of pain, far from any village let-alone hospital, as she lay on the gravel road pondering the seriousness of her situation, she heard soft foreign voices approaching as women and children helped her and her friend into their mud hut. Gently but diligently these beautiful strangers started washing the wounds with coconut milk, then sterilising with coconut toddy – the children had heated coconut milk with some herbs from the garden, which were offered in coconut shell cups. Strips of coconut meat were placed tenderly over the jagged wounds and beautiful meals cooked over an earthen oven. The next morning after a very restful, and suspected opiate-aided sleep, Jules couldn’t believe her eyes – the wounds had already started to pink over! To Jules amazement and delight, she had just witnessed healing straight from the heart of Nature and the kindness of strangers. A glass bottle of coconut oil was given to her to apply twice daily, as she rode away in gratitude.
This lead to a journey spanning 10 years where Jules learnt of ancient healing techniques and alchemical ways with Indigenous cultures all around the world.
Jules came home to New Zealand and gained her triple diplomas of Medical Herbalism - specialising in Rongoa (Native NZ Bush Medicine) Naturopathy and Traditional Body Therapies. She quenched her adrenaline thirst and community spirit, by becoming a volunteer ambulance officer in Mangawhai by night and running her natural health clinic by day. Becoming a pilot during this time also gave a different perspective on the world.
Selling out of her natural skincare remedies each week and being booked out at her clinic, was proof enough that the world was ready for these natural therapies. Other practitioners and her clients were wanting to stock her eczema crème and healing bush balms and very quickly international companies took a vested interest in her unique formulas.
It took Jules 18 years to perfect her natural sunscreen, persistently pushing past the naysayers.
“They said it couldn’t be done – that it’s impossible” Bright says of the Labs response to her statement that she’s succeeded in formulating a 100% natural sunscreen that is SPF50 and invisible. Bringing together her nursing and naturopathy experience alongside her learnings on her travels gave this stubborn spirit confidence that she could make it happen.
“Our coral reefs are dying at a phenomenal rate, our forests are being chopped down – 80% of our plants are found nowhere else on Earth and our health is failing due to the chemicals we are dumping on all of it. It must stop and we have the solution right here. We can grow our own sunscreen and take that medicine straight to the reefs to heal them and not poison them, right there on our skin”
Bright is passionate about getting her World’s 1st Biogro-certified natural (100% ingredients certified) sunscreen SPF50 out there now, before it’s too late. Earth’s Kitchen has achieved what no other natural sunscreen has yet – this combination with a soft silky finish, water resistant for 2 hours, certified non-GMO, cruelty free and has a beautiful aroma.
Hawaii, Mexico, Palau Islands + Bonaire Island have passed a bill banning chemical sunscreen due to it’s proven toxicity and killing coral. Jules is branching out to the Hawaii market this year to launch her next-level sunscreen there, in a much needed market with over 10 million tourists visiting per year.
“Although it took me 18 years to perfect my formula, science and the law have now aligned, so it is actually right on time” Jules smiles