Mala McAlpin The Beauty Of Australian Botanicals
Australian skincare is really making its mark on the global stage, with popularity of Aussie-made products and ingredients growing day by day – particularly, according to our sources, in the US and Chinese markets. We may be biased, but we can see why – not only do we have some serious skin experts and passionate practitioners leading the way when it comes to innovation, ingredients discovery, and development in technologies, but we have some incredible native wonders and botanicals at our disposal. Led by their amazing results, we are really starting to witness their renown grow.
A new range that launched this year and heroes Australian natives is Olivia Newton John’s brand, Retreatment Botanics, also inspired by her multi award-winning Gaia Retreat & Spa in the Byron Bay Hinterland.
“The Gaia team and I consulted with top natural skincare scientists and formulated a pure performance skincare range that evokes the luxurious sensual treatments of our beautiful Gaia Retreat & Spa.” says Olivia. “It is a natural luxury that evokes the blissful sense of a Gaia Spa ritual – an actual Gaia Retreat-ment at home!”
In fact, some exciting new skin technology was established during the creation of the brand – Australian Cellular Biomimicry™, based around the natural mechanism used by Australian native plants to survive in our harsh climate, where they intelligently store high concentrations of antioxidants and vitamins. This new technology captures these powerful phyto-compounds as they exist in nature, allowing delivery of their molecular profile to help target skincare concerns and deliver visible results from the very first application. A true testament to our natural Australian wonders!
Other popular brands that worship our powerhouse Australian botanicals include Biologi; whose active-ingredient serums are extracted from a single native plant; finger lime, Davidson plum and Kakadu plum, and Rohr Remedy, whose products all utilise ‘Australian bush medicines’ like Gumbi Gumbi, Lilly Pilly and Desert Lime.
Here are some of the main active ingredients currently generating household names for themselves, native to our beautiful sun-drenched country:
Kakadu Plum – Considered a precious gift of the Dreamtime by Indigenous Australians who would roast the sap and boil the bark to treat and heal skin conditions and lesions, Kakadu Plum is today celebrated for its healing and restorative properties. Renowned as the single natural food source with the highest vitamin C content (over 100 times the concentration found in oranges) it triggers collagen production, assists with skin repair and strengthens its immunity. Its redness-reducing properties also make it a wonderful ingredient for rosacea sufferers.
Quandong – Brightening, lightening and protective, this superfruit is packed with antioxidants to ward off damaging free radicals. It has a mild exfoliating action and also doses skin with nourishing vitamin E.
Finger Lime – A superfood ingredient used by Indigenous Australians for thousands of years both as a food source and a healing, regenerative medicine. The unique caviar shaped pulp (hence the term ‘lime caviar’) and the juice encapsulated within, has traditionally been used as an antiseptic to cure infections and lesions. It’s rich in citric acid, and is a natural exfoliator that can gently slough accumulated dead cells, pollution and debris from the skin, not to mention a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.
Australian Sandalwood Seed – Rich in the rare fatty acid Ximenynic Acid, this potent moisturiser helps protect the skin’s natural barrier. It is also anti-bacterial.
Mountain Pepper Berry – Traditionally, pepper plants were used for their antiseptic properties. Indigenous Australians suffering from sore gums and toothaches often crushed the berries with water to make a paste and applied the paste to soothe the infection. It’s also rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
Desert Lime – assists skin repair due to a high level of antioxidants, including Vitamin C, and was in traditional use by Indigenous Australians for its revitalising qualities.
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