Clean Beauty

Apply a base of education, highlight with community, nothing to conceal... Sounds like a simple formula for good skin.

Natural skincare

The vibe is electric as I walk into one of Auckland’s organic eateries on a summery Tuesday morning. I see lively looking people discussing the day’s topics, bright and bountiful plates of goodness, and an eager queue of punters at the counter deciding whether they’ll go for the raw, unrefined treats in the display cabinet or perhaps sip on something like a Creamy Wild Weeds smoothie – a blend of foraged wild weeds, tropical fruits, spirulina and basil.

The prices here are not modest, but the satisfaction of eating foods that nourish, heal and energise seems to override any budget woes. It’s a dual investment for both the palate and wellbeing.

This modern social scene is testament to the shift to a less processed and ‘cleaner’ way of eating and of being. And the woman I’m about to sit down with says the awareness of what we’re putting on our bodies is becoming as mainstream as what we put in them.

“It’s a natural progression,” smiles Imelda Burke, founder of Content Beauty and Wellbeing ( contentbeautywellbeing.com).

“People might look at cleaning up their diet; they might go vegan, then they might steer away from products with animal testing or they might look into natural products to heal and help skin issues… that’s how the interest in natural skincare can evolve.”

Being conscious

Burke, who hails from the South Island, opened her London beauty boutique nine years ago. She says that as a generation we forgot to ask about what is actually in our skincare products – and, of course, what isn’t.

“We need to be conscious [about our purchasing choices], and by being conscious I mean that even if you still use what you’ve always used, that’s totally fine, but at least it’s an educated decision,” she explains. Burke’s new book, The Nature of Beauty (Ebury Press, $55), is a comprehensive yet conversational guide to what’s really in our skincare and cosmetics.

“What has always annoyed me about the beauty industry is its ‘wonderful’ way of marketing,” she explains. “Most mainstream brands will talk up their active ingredients – which can often be natural – but as a proportion of the product’s overall recipe, it is pretty small. It’s the rest of the ingredients that aren’t so natural, and are not good for us.”

She admits that it can all be incredibly confusing, and sometimes word choices don’t help the natural sector either. “I mean, words like ‘nasties’ … what does that even mean?”

Natural healing

Burke’s philosophy is that she doesn’t think your skin needs unnecessary synthetic chemicals – so she doesn’t endorse them or sell them. Her store has a community vibe, and is a destination retail experience for a range of customers: the woman wanting to try a few natural brands, the celebrity who relies on beautiful skin for her career, or the teen whose confidence has been killed by troublesome skin.

“An 18-year-old came into the store once,” recalls Burke. “She had severe skin conditions and always wore a hat when she was in public. We gave her a course of herbs and some dietary stuff, and when she came back (a few months later) she came bounding in, not a hat in sight, and said it had completely changed her life. There are lots of people who have confidence issues around their skin, and seeing the change is always rewarding.”

Ingredients Burke avoids Mineral Oil Petrolatum Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Sodium Laureth Sulfate Methylisothiazolinone Methylchloroisothiazolinone Parabens Propylene Glycol Polyethylene Glycol Formaldehyde Ethanolamines Phthalates

Community service

“The idea of the store was to bring back that community-driven retail,” says Burke, who has a background in fashion and once worked for designer Kate Sylvester. “Quite often my customers will chat with each other and pass on complements like ‘that looks amazing on you’. It becomes a story of women helping other women make change.”

Much like today’s awareness of where our food comes from – proven by the popularity of farmers’ markets – consumers are happier to dish out their hard-earned dollars on skincare that has a homegrown touch.

Says Burke, “People like to know that their products are made by someone, rather than something. I really love that often the products we stock are made by small, women-run businesses. It’s good to know where your money is going – to people who are buying fair trade ingredients, or people who are giving some profits back to their community.”

Luxe life

Burke agrees that natural skincare ranges have been much more ingrained in pharmacies’ offerings, but she says premium natural brands are the next big thing. “That’s where it’s advancing quickly on a global scale,” she confirms. “We have brands that retail for over £300 (around $500), which directly compete with department store luxury brands.”

Closer to home, Auckland’s Tonic Room ( tonicroom.co.nz) naturopath Hannah Ross agrees that consumers are taking natural products more seriously.

“People come into our store and like to be educated about the range and what would best suit them – like a personal dispensary service,” says Ross. “Our high-end products are definitely of interest. There’s some pretty sophisticated stuff going on with the creation and ingredients – and people respect that.”

Even in this digital age, the in-store experience is still a much more personal experience than the online offering. “Once you get people in the make-up chair, they will talk about how they want concealer to cover a spot,” says Burke. “Then, they’ll open up about why they have their spot, which might be a skin issue we can help out with.

“It’s like a therapy session, really.”

“People like to know that their products are made by someone, rather than something.” Imelda Burke