While Asia Pacific’s recent influence on the global beauty industry is often attributed to South Korea (K-beauty) or Japan (J-beauty), Australia is quickly becoming a rising star thanks to its indigenous plant-based ingredients. To avoid simply becoming a replacement for more common ingredients, showcasing their potency in more involved routines could elevate Australian beauty’s status to be a leader in skincare.
In the UK, Australian beauty brands are seeing increased interest among consumers. While growth has been comparatively slow over recent years, ‘A-beauty’ seems to be catching up with K-beauty, and has been featured in on-trend retailers like Cult Beauty and publications such as Vogue—further elevating the country’s beauty-forward status.
Source: Cult Beauty
Untapped resources
Another major beauty trend on the rise is the importance of natural ingredients and claims. This is where a number of Australian companies have leveraged their heritage to stand out. As large proportions of the country remain uninhabited, there is an abundance of native plants ready to be harvested and marketed as the next big thing in skincare.
Sand & Sky, Porefining Face Mask
Popular (to the level of cult status) Australian skincare brand Sand & Sky, made famous through the power of social media, features a hero ingredient called kaolin clay which is used in its Porefining Face Mask. The product also contains indigenous Centipeda cunninghamii, also known as old man weed, which has long been used as a treatment for skin conditions such as psoriasis and acne.
Leveraging its regional connections
With natural ingredients their main selling point, Australian brands still need to carve out their niche when it comes to skincare routines. Masking seems a popular route thanks to the popularity of K-Beauty and the benefits of Australian ingredients work well here. Further links with K-Beauty routines could cement Australian brands’ popularity in the West.
