BEAUTY SWITCH
Clean beauty is a cinch with these tips that will take your routine to the next natural level …
After a few years of hit-ormiss formulas, natural beauty products have finally found their spot on the shelf, and we’re here for it! With efficacy, sustainability and no animal testing at the top of the list (plus their upgraded Insta-friendly aesthetic), we’re finally seeing more products that look and feel great, as well as harness results.
Still, if you’ve been wearing the same amazing mascara since high school or don’t trust anything besides your go-to moisturiser, you might not have been tempted over to this au naturel beauty oasis … yet. That’s why we’ve compiled these easy steps, so you can ease into this trend, too.
FIND A FAVOURITE NATURAL SCENT
Whether it’s an avocado face oil, coconut body balm, a simple rose face spritz or a lavender bath soak, find a naturally derived scent that you’re obsessed with and love so much you’ll continue to use it regularly.
START SMALL (LITERALLY)
This transition doesn’t have to be all or nothing! Why not subscribe to the 80-20 natural rule? We totally get it if your regular nail polish or sunscreen is harder to part with than you thought. With products you’re unsure of, grab a sample and take it home to try before making any big investments.
SHOP SMARTER
By seeking out brands that tap into ethically sourced and natural ingredients from fair trade producers around the world, you too can be a part of the movement. “The Body Shop pioneered fair trade in beauty over 30 years ago,” says Shannon Chrisp, marketing and corporate responsibility director for The Body Shop Australia.
“We source some of the finest raw ingredients and hand-crafted accessories, and harness the skills of small-scale farmers, traditional artisans and rural cooperatives who are experts in their field.”
DON’T CONFUSE NATURAL FOR INEFFECTIVE
Yes, natural beauty products work,
and no, an all-natural beauty regimen does not mean using coconut oil for everything. Makeup, for example is further ahead than you may think in the natural stakes.
“As with all cosmetics, performance comes down to a great formula,” says Inika’s creative lead, Celia Trevisani. We work tirelessly to push the performance and application of our natural extracts and ingredients, and this is the main reason our new products take so long to develop, as compared with mainstream and prestige products.”
STUDY UP
Confused about ingredients and miffed over hard-to-decipher packaging? We feel you. Get onto your laptop and start looking up what you don’t understand on websites like the Environmental Working Group’s (ewg.org) cosmetics database. You can look up ratings and beauty ingredients to help weed out the not-so-clean contenders.