Style
There's More To Australian Skincare Than Clay & These Ingredients Are About To Blow Up
If you're into beauty in any way, shape, or form, you've probably heard of K-beauty, the umbrella term for South Korean skincare products, and the trend that kickstarted the sheet mask and glass skin obsession. But its days could be numbered as a bunch of other countries are putting their mark in the beauty sphere. While Japanese beauty (or J-beauty) is set to be huge this year, it's Australian beauty ingredients that have piqued this beauty obsessive's interest.
As Vogue explains, skincare brands that originated in Australia are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. (Think Frank Body and Dr Roebuck's.) Seeing as Aussies spend a lot of time outdoors, their most-loved ingredients focus on preventing sun damage, improving pigmentation issues, and exfoliating in the most non-irritating way possible.
You may never have heard of any of the following ingredients, but that could all be about to change. Brands like model Miranda Kerr's Kora Organics are infiltrating the UK, pushing buzzy ingredients like noni extract onto the agenda. Fruits feature heavily on the list, with incomparable Vitamin C content. There's also an oil or two, promising to nourish the skin without congesting it.
From ingredients derived from sheep wool to plants that are exceedingly difficult to find in the wild, here's a few Australian skincare ingredients to look out for.
1Lanolin
Taken from the shorn wool of sheep, lanolin is used by the animals to protect their skin from less-than-friendly climates, reports the New York Post. It starts off life as yellow and waxy before being purified into an oil that can soothe dry or chapped patches and trap moisture inside skin. If you're worrying about the ethical side of things, Dr. Frank Lipman confirmed to Byrdie that lanolin is "a cruelty-free product." For a cult Australian option, try Lanolips.
2Kakadu Plum
This superfruit contains more Vitamin C than any other fruit. In fact, it has 55 times more Vitamin C than an orange, reports Allure. Just think about that for a second. The Kakadu plum grows in some pretty remote areas of Australia. In order to protect itself against harsh sunlight, it developed a "self-defence system" made up of UV-fighting antioxidants, states skincare brand Jurlique. Beauty brands are now using it to reduce pigmentation and improve skin tone and texture.
3Noni Extract
According to HuffPost, Australian model Miranda Kerr has been drinking noni juice since she was 12 years old. Noni extract is taken from the same fruit; the fruit of the Morinda citrifolia tree, in case you were wondering. Its ingredients list boasts more than 100 vitamins and minerals, states Kerr's Kora Organics skincare range, including vitamins A and. In a nutshell, it is said to be able to protect your skin from environmental damage, hopefully leaving you with that Insta-famous glow.
4Caviar Lime Extract
Also known as the finger lime, caviar limes can only be found in rainforest climates in Australia and New Zealand. Like many of the other ingredients on this list, this extract has a high concentration of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), reports Well+Good. This — plus additional vitamin C — allows it to gently exfoliate and give skin a tighter and brighter look. According to New Zealand-based skincare brand Florae, the acidity of caviar limes also helps reduce pigmentation and brighten dull complexions.
5Boab Oil
There are several species of baobab tree. Almost all are found in Africa, but one — the boab — is found in Australia. Baobab oil in general is packed with antioxidants and vitamins, reports Byrdie, that can gently cleanse and moisturise. More importantly, it won't clog your pores. Boab oil also exists. According to Well+Good, this is taken from the plant's seeds and nuts and has the ability to combat inflammation and improve skin texture.
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There's just one problem. A-beauty doesn't have quite the same ring to it as all the rest. Still, that won't stop me giving a few of these ingredients a try.
