Motherhood Identity Series with Lara Henderson, founder & CEO of PURE MAMA
A founder and mother of two shares how pregnancy reshaped her purpose, identity, and career—and why supporting other women through matrescence is now at the heart of everything she does.
When Lara Henderson became pregnant with her first child in 2018, the shift was immediate—physically, emotionally and professionally.
Like many women, Lara found herself grappling with a changing body, a changing purpose, and a growing awareness of what really matters. The experience ignited something bigger: a desire to create the kind of support she couldn’t find.
What started as a personal frustration with the lack of premium, pregnancy-safe body care soon became the foundation for PURE MAMA, a brand that puts women’s wellbeing at the center of the motherhood journey.
Launched in New Zealand and Australia in June 2021, PURE MAMA sold out within months. By August 2024, it had made its U.S. debut across all 10 Erewhon stores and major retailers like Nordstrom, Revolve and Goop. The brand’s cult-favorite Belly Oil became a best-seller at Revolve.
PURE MAMA is now on track for 1,000% U.S. growth from 2024 to 2025. Celebrity fans like Margot Robbie, Kourtney Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow have only accelerated its momentum—but behind the brand’s glossy success is a mother of two navigating the real, messy—and deeply personal identity shifts of matrescence.
In this interview, Lara—mom to Levi (5) and Harper (3)—shares the emotional undercurrent of building PURE MAMA while mothering young children. She opens up about postpartum loneliness, the myth of balance, and why her company is about so much more than skincare.
From her own experience with birth trauma and body image to the stories of loss and strength shared by her customers, Lara is on a mission to make women feel seen, supported, and worthy—exactly as they are.
How did your identity shift during your first pregnancy in 2018? What changed emotionally, physically, or professionally that you didn’t expect?
Pregnancy was a profound emotional shift. For the first time, I truly cared about what I put on and in my body. Physically, I struggled with my changing body. Getting used to rapid weight gain is something I don’t think we are prepared for, and it is a big shift in mindset. I didn’t find this easy as I held myself to a standard—often an unrealistic standard based on what I saw online and what I thought I should be.
Professionally, I realized that I wanted to do something more. I had been working incredibly hard in corporate, but when I fell pregnant, I immediately knew I couldn’t keep up that lifestyle once I entered motherhood. I had come to a point in my job where I wasn’t as fulfilled as I once was, yet I was still young and had a lot to give.
I had always been entrepreneurial by nature but when I was pregnant, I discovered a very real problem: finding a brand that really put ingredients and customers first. Not just physically, but emotionally, too. That’s when the brainchild of PURE MAMA came to me, and I never looked back.
I don’t think my whole identity shifted during pregnancy itself, but it came a little unstuck, and when baby arrived, that’s when the unrest came. I loved becoming a mother and being someone’s everything, but I still needed something for me and loved working. I didn’t want to give that up. Around four to five months postpartum I started craving something more and needed my mind to be challenged which is when I really threw myself in to PURE MAMA.
You launched PURE MAMA while raising two young children. What did that season teach you about who you are—and who you were becoming?
It taught me that balance is a myth but finding your rhythm is real. I learned resilience, perseverance, and to embrace imperfection. I also learned the value of building a support network and trusting my instincts, both as a mother and a business owner.
Women can do anything, but not everything at the same time.
It’s definitely taught me that I thrive in fast paced environments and whilst I do enjoy a slow day or two, I couldn’t stay there for long. I like to feel accomplished at the end of the day and that I have achieved something: this can be as a parent or at work, but if I don’t get a lot done, I am a little hard on myself. I love the notion that I am an example to my children: demonstrating that mommy works hard—but is still always there for us.
How did your relationship with your body evolve during pregnancy and postpartum, and how did that shape the products you wanted to create?
Pregnancy is such a journey. Sometimes you are in awe of your body and how it can grow another human being, and then other times you can be so self-critical.
In my first pregnancy, I was quite consumed by negative thoughts about my body, and was really surprised by the lack of high-quality, natural products that truly support the physical and emotional changes of motherhood.
In my second pregnancy, I evolved my thinking and didn’t feed into the negativity as much. I simply bought new clothing that fit when I needed it and didn’t give it more thought than that. It seems simple but I didn’t do it the first time around. I try to fuse this thinking into PURE MAMA as well—I want it to be a brand that feels like a safe space for women that represents all body types.
Now that I am three years postpartum, the reality of aging is starting to settle in a bit more which is a new chapter entirely. I don’t think many women are 100% comfortable in their own body (in general) and even less so postpartum. The very real reality is that those who love you most often don’t care or judge - which is important to remember.
What role did community—or the absence of it—play in your postpartum experience? What kind of support did you crave most?
After having my first child, I was very isolated. My husband worked 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. most days and I only had a few small friendship circles in my area. I met some nice people as part of a mum’s coffee group but it’s hard to find people to form new lifelong friendships with. When I got up in the morning I would (to some degree) dread the long days and wonder how I was going to fill them. I was deeply out of my comfort zone with a baby to look after and not a lot of purpose for myself.
That time, like any, did pass though and the COVID lockdowns came at a stretch when I was really starting to struggle. When my son was seven months old, we ended up in lockdown and my husband was then home to support me, which is when I started working more on PURE MAMA. Not long after, we agreed to move to an area where my family and good friends were close.
In addition, at PURE MAMA, we’ve very intentionally built a team made up entirely of moms. There’s a deep understanding that comes from walking similar paths, and I’m proud to foster an environment that understands the challenges of balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship. We support each other not just professionally, but personally, and that kind of community is invaluable.
How do you make space for your own self-care today, as a founder and mother? What does that look like in practice?
Today’s self-care is about the small rituals: a long hot shower, carving out time for a podcast or a quick gym session or even a bit of shopping. It's less about indulgence and more about prioritising small moments to refill my cup (which can be challenging with two little ones). I also find work very fulfilling, so this genuinely fills my cup.
What’s one thing about the identity shift of matrescence that you wish more people talked about?
In early motherhood, I struggled with the loss of freedom and loneliness. Reconnecting came through creating PURE MAMA, having something that was mine, fueling both my professional and personal growth.
I was surprised about how isolating it can feel, even when you are surrounded by love. There's a societal focus on the baby but very little acknowledgment of the seismic shift happening for the mother.
As PURE MAMA has grown and reached new markets, how has your definition of success changed—both personally and professionally?
Success, to a degree is still about milestones: launching, selling out, hitting growth goals. But it’s also now become more about impact: seeing PURE MAMA become part of other women’s motherhood journeys, making even a small difference to how women feel during a pivotal time.
It means everything to hear from our customers. Hearing stories from women who tell us PURE MAMA helped them feel beautiful, supported, and seen during pregnancy stays with me always. It’s the most rewarding part of what we do.
PURE MAMA’s recent Worth It campaign really brought this home for me. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the response when thousands of women shared their deeply personal stories of persistence, heartbreak, and hope. It was humbling, emotional, and incredibly powerful.
Hearing women talk so openly about their journeys — from IVF and loss, to complicated births and hard-won pregnancies, reinforced why we do what we do. PURE MAMA is about more than just skincare; it’s about being part of one of the most vulnerable, raw, and transformative chapters of a woman’s life.
I have recently been talking to a woman who had two stillbirths, each at 28 weeks and it makes you realize just how incredibly tough the journey can be. And whilst that is very rare, the campaign has opened up a lot of stories like that to help others feel less alone.
To know that we can offer even a small amount of support, care, or connection during that time is a privilege I will never take for granted.
If your children read the story of PURE MAMA one day, what do you hope they understand about who their mother was during this time in life?
I hope they see that their mother was brave, persistent, and passionate. That she built something with heart, while navigating the beautiful chaos of early motherhood. Chasing your dreams, even when it’s hard, is always worth it.