Move over K-Beauty, Australian makeup is taking over

The land of surfers, Tim Tams and the Hemsworths has a burgeoning sustainable beauty industry ready to claim its throne

In the spirit of beauty overhaul that comes with the seasons (hello, spring), it is essential to address the global phenomenon and game-changer that is the Australian beauty industry. Until recently, the Internet has been obsessed with the gifts of South Korean (SoKo) beauty, such as the multistep routines, innovative sheet masks and an overall emphasis towards natural ingredients that were a welcome change in mid-noughties from the then-popular chemical loaded skincare brands. But come 2018, millennial consumers seemingly need more than just whimsical packaging and snail serums in their current lifestyle. The mood across the world in light of climate change, the worldwide emphasis on reducing carbon footprint and reducing plastic pollution (nod to National Geographic's latest eye-opening graphics) calls for a serious change, and adoption of a healthy outlook from the inside out, particularly for beauty aficionados.
Enter Australia. The land that gave us gave us flat whites, Margot Robbie, avocado on toast, and now the millennial and eco-friendly, organic beauty products that look as good as they feel. Apart from one of the richest geological gems, flora and fauna, there's a bounty of active botanicals Down Under, including exfoliating finger limes, antioxidant-packed kakadu plum, and pink pore-cleansing mineral clays that are designed, keeping in mind their effect on the environment and packaged in soothing pastels and chic cases for their "viral" social media presence.
Australia's number one prestige beauty brand Jurlique's has been at the forefront of sustainability measures that go above and beyond using recyclable packaging. As many Aussie beauty brands now follow, Jurlique pioneered the process of employing the lavish local resources at their disposal in the hills of Adelaide where products are sourced and harvested in organic- and biodynamic-certified farms, using solar energy. Similarly, many brands in the region follow suit to create products that are paraben-, sulfate-, gluten-, and cruelty-free and vegan, with no BPA, petrochemicals, fillers, synthetic fragrances, or dyes. With new and exciting launches scheduled this season, there is no better time to explore the top beauty exports from the other side of the globe, that could save your skin, and the world.
Jurlique
Rosewater Balancing Mist
Key Ingredient: Marshmallow root extract and rose grown and extracted at organic farms in South Australian hills.
Aesop
Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque
Key Ingredient: Locally sourced clay and grape seed, panthenol and parsley seed.
Grown Alchemist
Grown Alchemist Purifying
Body Exfoliant
Key Ingredient: Blend of pearl, ylang-ylang and Geranium botanical oils sourced locally and ethically, free from parabens, colours and animal derivatives amongst other harmful ingredients.
Go-To Skincare
Face Hero
Key Ingredient: Buriti oil, arnica oil, rosehip oil and kiwi fruit seed oil
The Beauty Chef
The Beauty Chef Glow Inner
Beauty Powder
Key Ingredient: Bio-fermented Dunaliella salina, grown organically in Western Australia. These microalgae are the highest dietary source of pro-vitamin A and are rich in essential daily nutrients and boasts 6,000 more antioxidants, eight times more minerals and twice the chlorophyll found in spirulina.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com