Intelligent Beauty

A-Beauty secrets the Aussies don’t want you to know

Do you remember the moment you discovered the mind-blowing benefits of adding {hero ingredients} – we’re taking niacinamide, micellar water, hyaluronic acid and {CDB oil} – to your skin care routine? Well, A-Beauty is here to introduce you to a host of all-new favourite heavy hitters that are celebrated across Australasia for their skin-transformative effects.

In the Land Down Under, a minimalist, clean-beauty roo-tine reigns supreme! Ditching toxic chemicals and fillers, A-Beauty skin care enthusiasts are obsessing over natural and paired-back products brimming with indigenous ingredients that boast multiple benefits for the skin and body. Read on for our edit of the ones to watch…

Tasmanian Spring Water

Sourced from a pristine lake in a remote national park, Tasmanian spring water is a mineral-rich force of nature – incredibly replenishing, revitalising and thirst-quenching… not to mention your skin’s new best friend. The star of Sand&Sky’s latest, azure-hued range, this Australasian all-star has been paired with hyaluronic acid to flood thirsty, tight, dehydrated complexions with much-needed moisture to keep your face beautifully dewy for hours – retaining moisture and instantly smoothing for fewer fine lines and unparalleled ‘bounce’.

Perfect for sensitised skin types, as well as dull, lacklustre skin that’s in need of a radiance boost, expect to find Tasmania’s (top secret!) star cropping up on a swathe of ingredient lists…

WHY NOT TRY: Sand&Sky {Tasmanian Water Splash Serum} and {Tasmanian Water Hydration Boost Cream}

Australian Emu Apple

Found in Australia’s outback, the emu apple – which looks like a regular apple hooked up with a pear and created a rosy-hued baby – is staking its claim to your cabinets. Affectionately known as ‘muntries’, these berries are brimming with natural waxes and free radical-scavenging antioxidants (three times as many as blueberries), to nourish and offer protection from harmful pollutants.

Also rich in vitamin C, the benefits of emu apple are manifold – from supporting cells’ collagen synthesis (“See ya’ later, lines”) to promoting moisture levels (“G’day, bounce!”) – it acts like a superfood smoothie for skin that’s in need of some serious nourishment. What’s more, it’s rich in flavone glycosides, which works to strengthen capillaries, minimise under-eye shadows and help to pre-empt tell-tale signs of the passage of time. Perfect for anyone hoping to shield from pollution, minimise wrinkles, restore former firmness or minimise thread veins, this Aussie secret is about to hit the mainstream…

WHY NOT TRY: Sand&Sky {Dreamy Glow Drops} or {Australian Emu Apple Mega Glow Kit}

Australian Kaolin Clays

One of the most well-known ingredients hailing from Straya, Australian kaolin clays are already readily available and infused within some of our favourite beauty products, but do you know why? Or, for all the skintellectuals out there, do you know which one’s right for your skin type? Renowned for its detoxifying and deep cleansing properties, as well as being rich in silica – a proven contributor to improved elasticity and increased cell renewal – it’s probable you’re already the owner of a face mask laced with this HG ingredient.

White clay is generally regarded as being best for those with normal or mature skin types due to its ability to gently draw out dirt and build up, absorb excess oil and gently exfoliate skin to refine and smooth skin texture – all without irritating(!) for a beautiful, even and youthful glow.

Green kaolin clay is a godsend for those with oily, combination or acne-prone skin due to its balancing properties. Incredible at deep cleansing, soaking up excess oils and helping to balance skin’s natural pH levels, this miracle worker is perfect for clogged pores and congested skin. But that’s not all, green clays are also known to stimulate cell regeneration for an added glow that you’ll adore.

Pink is arguably the most-loved of the three (and not just because of its colour). Delicate and soothing, this one effectively reduces redness, irritation and inflammation while also working to smooth, balance and gently exfoliate for added glow – perfect for those with dry, sensitive or dehydrated skin!

WHY NOT TRY: Sand&Sky’s iconic {Brilliant Skin Purifying Pink Clay Mask}

Kakadu Plum Extract

Native to Australia, this small, sour fruit is an Aussie superfood that has been used as a tribal medicine and a traditional form of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory for hundred of years. Jam-packed with potent levels of vitamin C, this fruit has the highest records levels of vitamin C in the entire world and is 55 times richer than an orange. But that’s not all… this ‘Holy Grail’ antioxidant protects against environmental damage, effectively reduces redness, calms reactivity and combats bacterial acne, while also being rich in gallic acid (which supplements skin’s moisture barrier) and ellagic acid (which bolsters elasticity and shields against the everyday environmental onslaught).

When formulated in skin care, this powerhouse ingredient helps to improve skin’s health and overall appearance, effectively firming, fading dark spots, acne scarring and hyperpigmentation while also improving skin’s response to UV light and working to refine its texture. When used in hair care this miracle worker stimulates collagen production and elastin – perfect for strengthening and improving hair health and appearance for gorgeous shiny locks.

WHY NOT TRY: Kevin Murphy’s {Hydrate.Me} range, frank body’s {A-Beauty Scrub} or The Beauty Chef’s {Glow Inner Beauty Essential}.

Australian Macadamia Oil

Derived from Macadamia Ternifolia nuts, this is yet another well known Aussie ingredient that has become a beauty junkie favourite due to being near-identical to sebum making it a great moisturiser! Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic (ie. it won’t clog your pores!) and a natural emollient, this good-to-skin ingredient is adored for its ability to soothe and normalise to grant a gorgeous, healthy glow.

Also rich in palmitoleic acid, an age-defying antioxidant that is found in young skin but diminishes as the body ages. Studies show that this potent acid assists cell rejuvenation and can help to heal skin and reduce conditions such as dermatitis and eczema. It’s also packed with omega 7 fatty acids (which improves the skin’s natural barrier function), vitamins B1, B3 (also known as niacinamide) and E as well as squalene too – making it one of natural world’s loveliest skin care saviours. Add this to your routine to help reduce inflammation and protect skin against oxidative stress as well as diminishing scars, irritation and sun damage.

WHY NOT TRY: Aesop’s {Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Oil} or frank body’s {Cacao Coffee Scrub}.

Caviar Lime Extract

We don’t call them Wizards from Aus for nothing, yet another Australian native, this fruit is found in the countries subtropical rainforests and is also known as “finger lime”. Renowned for its instant brightening effects, this powerhouse plant is a natural AHA, boasting potent levels of citric acid and a high concentration of vitamin C. As well as being an anti-microbial and antioxidant, you can trust this heavy hitter to instantly smooth uneven and textured skin while also encouraging cell turnover, banishing pore-clogging debris and revealing an I-just-got-a-facial-glow (with zero irritation) that you will adore.

WHY NOT TRY: Alpha-H’s {Liquid Gold Firming Eye Cream}

Noni Fruit

With its strange nubby skin – it’s a bit like a kiwi fruit crossed with celeriac (if you can possibly imagine that) – Australia’s noni fruit is the star ingredient in Miranda Kerr’s {KORA Organics} range of healing, skin-cherishing treatments. With more than 100 precious vitamins and minerals, including high amounts of A and C to stimulate repair and reinvigorate your lazy cells, noni fruit is great for those who want their skin to glow from top-to-toe.

Its list of attributes is looooong – it’s antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-ageing, and is great for protecting your cells from the harmful effects of aggressors like stress and pollution. Calming and comforting, it’s an over-achiever if ever there was one, so make sure you get to know noni like, yesterday.

WHY NOT TRY: KORA Organics’ {Noni Glow Face Oil} and {Noni Glow Sleeping Mask}

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Emmie Thornhill

Emmie Thornhill

Deputy Content Editor

Emmie is Cult Beauty’s Deputy Content Editor. Her love of skin care began in primary school when she first learned the term “hormonal acne” and has been in a love-hate relationship with tea tree oil ever since. She lives in East London – where you can normally find her baking, tending to her plant jungle or planning her next tattoo or hair cut/colour appointment – and is known to start DMCs with you about your birth chart placements, the importance of wearing SPF every day and the difference between a vagina and vulva.