If you’ve been seeing any of my posts over on my instagram then you’ll know one of my New Years resolutions is to try and be kinder to the planet and that includes using more natural skincare. With Spring well and truly blossoming I thought it was the perfect time to share with you an all natural skincare brand that has well and truly stolen my heart. Antipodes is a brand that I’ve always had my eye on trying but never got round to it, I remember seeing posts on the Manuka honey mask three or four years ago and absolutely loving the packaging as well as the ‘taken from nature’ ingredients list..
Antipodes got in touch asking if I wanted to take my natural skincare challenge to a new level and overhaul my routine with them, the products in this post were kindly gifted but having used the products for just over a month now the opinions are completely my own. My skincare routine before was not hugely thorough, I’d use a cream cleanser on makeup free skin, a serum and a moisturiser or oil before bed and an eye cream. For reference my skin type is combination and although I wouldn’t class myself as acne prone anymore, I definitely have a couple of blemishes every now and then.
Hallelujah Cleanser
For me this is the star of the show, this rich and creamy cleanser is made with lime and patchouli and not only smells amazing but left my skin really thoroughly cleansed without drying it out. No residue in sight, I like to slightly wet my skin and take a big pump and gently massage all over my face and neck. Often I’ll do this before I’m going to get in the bath and then leave it on whilst I soak to really let my skin benefit from all the natural oils and nutrients. Other superfood ingredients include, avocado oil (if you think you love it on toast just wait till you’ve put it on your face) Kawakawa leaf and Macadamia. The Macadamia is what gives it it’s deep cleansing abilities, but it’s perfectly balanced by all the amazing oils and extracts. Also it comes in a beautiful glass bottle that really makes this a wow product for me (no judgment, I’m not the only one who takes packaging into consideration when buying a product) but what I didn’t think of at first is that the packaging is recyclable! Unlike plastic tubes this glass bottle can either be refilled with something else or recycled. Genius. Although this cleanser is not as strong as the ones I normally use I can tell my skin is thanking me for it. At night my skin feels softer and more moisturised than when I use a foaming cleanser, over the last month I have been using this morning and night and I even pumped some into a travel tube to take away with me. Good if you have sensitive skin but still want a deep clean or if you have dehydrated skin in need of a healthy boost of nutrients.
Avocado Pear Night Cream
As the seasons are changing my combination skin tends to be oilier and drier in places than usual, I prefer to balance things out my using a deep cleanser to purifying my t-zone and then pop on a nourishing night cream to help my skin heal overnight. Especially with the snow and harsh temperatures we were having back in March my skin felt almost raw from the wind. That is where this incredible night cream comes in, this isn’t an exaggeration when I say this night cream has to be the thickest most heavy duty cream I think I’ve ever used. Enriched with Manuka honey this night cream brings natural radiance to the surface whilst also being full of natural anti-bacterial properties whilst the avocado oil deeply nourishes. This blend of oils has been proven to stimulate synthesis of collagen production in skin cells by up to 92%. Amazing for battling pre-mature ageing (not that I’m worried about ageing at 22 but by keeping my skin well hydrated it never hurts to be prepared) . As you can see from the image above this is a super rich cream, again in their glass jars so its good for the planet as well as your complexion.
Jubilation Body Cream
You might have remembered me mentioning the Antipodes body creams in my Christmas gift guides, these body cream are so luxurious and perfect for taking away with you because they’re the perfect size. I’m a firm believer in active ingredients in skincare, especially things like body creams are not going to be their best once they’ve been open for eight or nine months. It feels much wiser to have a smaller amount of product and be able to use it up whilst it’s still fresh and the ingredients can actually do what they’re designed for. I’m going to plan a whole post on active ingredients, what they mean and what to look for. These creams feel so luxurious to put on and sink in just enough to not feel sticky when you put your clothes or pyjamas on. A beautifully balanced dose of Vitamins A, C and E provides the ultimate daily nutritional skin boost, the more you use it the better your skin looks, body care is so often overlooked but as the days heat up its just as important to get your limbs glowing.
Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream
Ok so I’d like it known I am full in love with this metal packaging, I think it’s so different and it means you can really get every last drop out of the products and again, the packaging is fully recyclable. A gentle, light and non-oily facial day cream. Packed with rich avocado oil helps perfect a healthy, plumped skin tone and help to decrease the appearance of fine lines. Manuka flower oil, renowned for its health benefits and anti-bacterial properties, promotes the a blemish-free complexion. Again I’m a huge fan of this day cream, it is slightly heavier than what I normally wear but the benefits to my skin are that much better as well. There’s a distinct almond smell which isn’t my favourite but it doesn’t linger which is what you want for a day cream, not a fan of smelling like almonds all day but with the natural scent coming from the oils it does make applying the cream feel more luxurious.
Apostle Brightening Serum
Ok so this is the product that took me the longest to love, the Apostle serum is a dark red in colour and quite a thick watery gel like consistency. Bizarre description I know but those of you who have used this product will know what I mean. I used this serum for a few days in a row and wasn’t in love with how it felt on my skin, it’s quite thin so I felt like it sunk in too fast to be doing any good. I picked it up again after reading the back of the bottle “helps correct dull, blemished or uneven skin” SOLD. Although as I mentioned my skin isn’t as blemish prone now, I do struggle with scarring from acne and discolouration. This has been back in my nighttime routine for about two weeks now and I feel like Im already starting to see a difference in the clarity of my skin. In the summer I love turning up the glow and maximising my skins brightness and this serum is doing wonders. Exfoliating enzymes from the superfruit kiwifruit and soothing Vinanza Oxifend from pinot noir grapes are amazing at promoting cell turnover in your skin and sloughing off any dead skin cells. Stay tuned but this might just be my favourite serum yet.
So that’s my brand roundup of everything I’ve tried from antipodes so far, my skin is loving their products and I think next I’d like to look at their face masks and mists. The Antipodes products are luxury feel, which wholesome ingredients and an environmentally aware packaging which also happens to look super luxe on your bathroom shelf. If you’re going to try one product for me it would have to be the Hallelujah cleanser, unless you love a good night cream in which case I challenge you to find one thicker or better packed with goodness.
