Coconut enthusiast, Jane Gottschalk

The Jax Coco story began in Asia after four coconut water enthusiasts – Jane, Jason, Alex and Max – noticed that while there were plenty of young coconuts (and even more coconut water lovers), there didn’t seem to be any coconut water products packaged for easy consumption. In Asia, coconut water has traditionally been drunk straight from the nut.

Envisioning a product that could make coconut water more prevalent in an industry filled with sugary sodas and artificial beverages, the four coconut water devotees, who all incidentally had the letters J, A or X in their names, formed the Jax Team – a group with the intention to produce the freshest and best coconut water in Asia.

Ex City girl Jane Gottschalk is co-founder of Jax Coco. An early investor in Vita Coco, when she moved to Hong Kong with her family a few years ago, she found that ready packaged versions of the drink were scarce.

Jane describes herself as being ‘entrepreneurial’ and always rebelled against the run-of-the-mill teachings of the English boarding schools she attended while her parents lived in India. 

We talked coconuts post-facial. 

What’s your morning beauty routine?
I always slather coconut oil on my face and skin when I get up and before I have breakfast with the kids and walk the dogs. The goodness of the oil soaks into my skin so by the time I need to get ready for work, my skin feels hydrated and good to go.

What’s your ultimate breakfast?
I always start the day with a power smoothie home made mix of Jax coconut water, green vegetables and alkalising powders such as spirulina. It looks and tastes pretty bad.

Which one product makes you feel beautiful?
Coconut oil – instant, natural hydration and glow with or without makeup. I also love Charlotte Tilbury’s highlighter powder.

Who is your beauty icon?
My mother. I love classic, seemingly effortless elegance.

How many hours sleep do you get per night?
I try to get seven hours a night as per Arianna Huffington’s book ‘Thrive’.

Any beauty disasters?
DIY home waxing kits.

If you had one piece of beauty advice for your younger self what would it be?
To not sunbathe on the roof at school using Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil and a silver foil wrapped piece of card to help reflect the rays onto the face. Plenty of suncream, plenty of water (or coconut water!) and love your eyebrows.
3 things you can’t travel without?
My Jax Coco single serve coconut oil ‘snap packs’, Aesop’s Moisture facial spray, Guinot’s hydrating face mask which I love as it’s so thick and a good tinted moisturiser. At the moment I’m using one from Chanticaille.

5 things we didn’t know about coconut water…

1. It fuels our muscles and our brains. Coconut water has a high content percentage of Potassium. Potassium is beneficial as it plays a key role in regulating our heart beats and it enhances muscle function. Another fun fact is that coconut water has very similar properties to blood plasma which is pretty amazing!
2. It is the ultimate hangover cure! A natural remedy for nightmarish hangovers, when your body consumes high levels of alcohol, it causes dehydration which is why we feel so rubbish first thing in the am after a night of drinking. Coconut water will replenish the electrolytes in your system, rehydrating you and easing your hangover symptoms.
3. It is an effective headache helper. Coconut water can help relieve headaches and migraines, usually brought on by dehydration but often brought on by low magnesium levels. Coconut Water which is rich in magnesium can help to reduce the symptoms cuased by migraines.
4. Coconut water is fantastic for our skin. It contains cytokines which defend against premature ageing. So by drinking coconut water we’re keeping our skin fresh and healthy.
5. It is a natural energy booster. Filled with vitamins, nutrients and minerals, coconut water is an effective energy drink. It has less sugar and salt than most energy drinks that fill shelves of supermarkets but has just as much energy power.

Name 3 ways in which coconut water can enhance your beauty routine:

1. Cleanser, an effective way of clearing your skin of dirt and imperfections.
2. Eye cream, keeps your eye area looking refreshed and less puffy.
3. Moisturiser, anti-ageing and hydrating.

Why will Coconut water stick? Why is it not just a passing fad?
Coconut water is a trending as luxurious commodity, Jax Coco is fast becoming more than a coconut water, it is becoming a lifestyle. It promotes a healthy, confident lifestyle which more and more people are becoming conscious of.

What is next for Jax Coco?
We have two exciting new products in the pipeline which will appear next year, we are also working closely with our partners such as Selfridges to launch these into the market and also working on creating some new healthy cocktail recipes. We have recently launched Jax Coco as an offered beverage on Cathay Pacific Airlines and will will be working with them on keeping passengers hydrated on long haul flights.