Words by Ellie Wiseman | Photography by Bree Castel
Jessica Bragdon is the co-founder of Koala Eco – an Australian-made range of eco-friendly, plant-based cleaning products for the smart, environmentally-savvy household.
Originally from America, Jessica moved to Australia with her husband Paul. Together, they launched Koala Eco in 2017.
Koala Eco products contain only naturally derived ingredients and Australian botanicals and are free from harmful, toxic chemicals. They are luxuriously scented but incredibly powerful and have become a staple in households across Australia.
Jessica has had an enduring passion for nature since she was young, inspired by her family and surroundings. She grew up in Boston and New Hampshire in an active and outdoorsy family who loved to visit historic gardens, plant nurseries and flower shows. She learnt about botanicals and their many wondrous properties from her grandmother.
“Noni would take my twin sister Dee and me on long hikes through the forests around her New England home, pointing out the flora and fauna along the way,” Jessica tells THE INARRA. “I remember pulling wildflowers from the floor. We’d make dandelion tea and eat the bitter roots and leaves because Noni said they were ‘good for our digestion.’”
Jessica and Paul have two sons: Arthur, 12, and Emerson, 13, and they love to spend as much family time as they can out in nature. “We love taking the boys surfing and we often go to the coast near Eurobodalla National Park for family holidays. Exploring rock pools on a family holiday opens up a whole world of wonder for both children and adults.”
For Jessica, motherhood has been transformative. “Being a parent is truly the most life-changing event anyone can experience and there is no way to describe or understand it until you are in it,” she says.
“I think that starting a family was a real catalyst for Paul and me in clarifying to us what was most important: health, wellbeing and environmental responsibility, and trying to focus our skills and time on a business that could support people’s efforts to live healthily, and to give back to, rather than take from, nature and the planet.”
The decision to start Koala Eco came from their desire to use clean, natural products in their home, but a devastating health scare meant healthy living was non-negotiable.
“Our five-week-old baby Arthur was diagnosed with neuroblastoma,” says Jessica. “It wasn’t down to anything other than bad luck, but I don’t think anything can prepare you for hearing your child has cancer.
“Thankfully, due to fantastic treatment, Arthur fully recovered, but through that ordeal our resolve to live as healthily and as close to nature as possible really intensified. Having failed to find safe, non-toxic household cleaning products that worked, we started Koala Eco.”
Koala Eco’s mantra of ‘More Nature, Feel Better’ is embodied by Jessica, and her sons are following in her footsteps by adopting an eco-conscious, healthy lifestyle. “Our sons are pretty knowledgeable on environmentally-friendly practices like recycling and avoiding single-use bags or containers,” she says. “Koala Eco has been a part of their young lives for such a significant amount of time, so I hope that’s helped Paul and I, as parents, instil in our sons our love and respect for the environment, so that they can experience it too, and pass it on to any families they may have.”
Koala Eco is family run with a big impact. HQ is in Sydney and they also make and market products in the States, with Jessica’s twin sister Dee as Director. The brand is now stocked in countries worldwide and was even featured on Gwenyth Paltrow’s wellness and lifestyle website goop and in Oprah’s O Magazine.
“Launching in 2017 proved to be excellent timing in terms of a much more eco-conscious trend developing among communities and consumers worldwide,” says Jessica. “It was fantastic, however, we had to pull out all the stops to keep up while also holding true to our brand integrity: if we weren’t satisfied that a product was going to be a top cleaning performer as well as planet-friendly, then we had to keep going back to the lab until it was. If it meant delaying a launch, then too bad.”
The development process of Koala Eco products is meticulous and no shortcuts are made to reach the desired outcome. “We’re small enough as a company to make sure that we are scrupulous with our research and testing (no animals are involved) and that our formulas are made to the highest standard in terms of natural ingredients and cleaning power.
“We source our essential oils from local suppliers in Australia for all our products. Paul and I work with chemists and labs based in Sydney, and our products are made and bottled in Australia for Australia and Asia, and we now manufacture in the US for North America. Unless we are totally happy with the product right through its development, then it won’t go into production.”
Koala Eco is allergy-safe and non-toxic. Products don’t contain dyes, masking agents, synthetics, chlorine, bleach, sodium laurel sulphates or phosphates. The fragrance comes from 100% pure essential oils from native Australian plants.
“If you look at the labels on ordinary products, you’ll see warnings about some of their ingredients being hazardous if accidentally inhaled or if they come into contact with skin. That’s because these ingredients are either poisonous or, at the very least, harmful. Many also use artificial fragrances to mask the smell of these ingredients.
“While essential oils are powerful cleaners and antiseptics, we use them in concentrations appropriate for their purpose and for people. They are totally safe to be used around babies, young children and older people when used correctly.”
As well as having powerful antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties, essential oils also have aromas that are proven to positively impact mood and physical wellbeing.
“It’s no accident that we use the uplifting and stress-relieving essential oils from citrus like Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and Pink Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), and from herbs like the soothing lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and refreshing peppermint (Mentha piperita) in so many Koala Eco products.
“My absolute favourite is the Australian bush lavender, Rosalina (Melaleuca ericifolia), which smells of both lemon and lavender. It’s a wonderful stress reliever, but the lemon notes also help to energise and refresh. It’s an essential oil in many items in our range, both for body care and for the home. I feel amazing whenever I’m using a Koala Eco product containing this.”
Jessica’s dog Matilda is the inspiration behind one of Koala Eco’s newest products: Natural Dog Wash. “Matilda is an Australian Shepherd. You probably know this breed is gloriously furry, which can get a bit tricky when it’s wet and muddy. So we developed a hypoallergenic formula that combines the woody, herbal scent of Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana) with the lemon-lavender aroma of Rosalina (Melaleuca ericifolia): two of nature’s most effective yet gentle anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antioxidant botanicals.”
The success of Koala Eco is a testament to Jessica’s determination and passion for its ethos. Her advice to other mothers curious about starting their own business is: “You can do it!”…but there’s a caveat.
“I am not going to sugar coat this: it is hard work, and many start-up businesses fail. You need to be honest with yourself: do you have the temperament to cope with the time and energy your business will demand, especially if you have other responsibilities, such as a family?
“You have to be 150% committed to what your business stands for; you have to be passionate about what you are doing and why. Not only will you be running an online business, but – especially at first – you’ll also probably be acting as your own digital marketer, designer, web developer, copywriter, accountant and so on. Yet you also have to be just as committed to your family life, so it can be tough keeping all the balls in the air.
“Get a good team around you in terms of sounding boards and mentors: be curious, ask questions, network with other entrepreneurs – especially women – whenever you can. Having confidence in yourself is one of the hardest things, but it strengthens when you plunge in and get on with it. Be able to ask for and accept help. Take care of your physical health too: no point in running yourself into the ground. Entrepreneurship takes stamina!”
One of the things Jessica has found most rewarding about the business is the ability to do good for the planet. Koala Eco is part of % for the Planet: a non-profit organisation where members contribute one percent of their annual revenue to environmental causes, like protecting land, forests, rivers and oceans. “We’re also really proud that we use rPET (recycled) plastic bottles…To date, we’ve prevented over 3 million new plastic bottles from entering circulation…and we’ve stopped over 2.3 million litres of toxic liquids from entering homes and waterways.”
Jessica and Paul have big plans for Koala Eco. They are developing new products and expanding existing ranges like their Natural Hand Wash with new essential oil combinations.
Business growth aside, the day-to-day business operations and motherhood keeps Jessica busy. “Running a business is essentially dealing with challenge after challenge…so juggling all those demands plus parenting our songs means we are busy 24/7 and have to remember to maintain balance.”
Jessica has learned she must prioritise self-care in order to be the best mother and entrepreneur she can be. “I do an early morning yoga class or beach workout. If that’s not possible, a few minutes to centre myself each day with a bit of deep breathing and meditation, and better still if I can find the nearest park and sit under a beautiful tree.”
Looking ahead, Jessica says she is “excited to see our boys grow up and establish their own lives, and for us as a business to continue to grow and offer what we can in supporting people’s wellbeing, whether through our products or the cause we champion.”
