“The New Culture Of Skincare”: The brands at the forefront of gender neutral beauty
New on the scene, FentySkin, is here to make a good first impression, with a gender inclusive campaign that targets both men and women aptly titled ‘The New Culture Of Skincare’. Rihanna enlisted the help of friends A$AP Rocky and Lil Nas to star alongside a cast of female models that demonstrate the racial and body inclusivity we have come to associate with the Fenty brand, saying: “that’s right baby...@fentyskin is for my fellas too! No matter who you are, you deserve to have great skin!”
But, it has to be said, Fenty is not the only skin care brand ditching gender norms for a more inclusive stance, because let’s be honest, regardless of gender we all have skin issues. So, we’ve rounded up the brands at the forefront of the good fight for inclusivity and clear skin (and yes, they’re all available downunder).
Hunter Lab
With a focus on natural ingredients and promoting skin health and chic, yet sturdy black and white packaging, Hunter is for the modern, no-fuss minimalist who likes a simple yet effective routine. A real home-grown hero hailing from Melbourne, all products are made right here in Australia. We love.
Asarai
Another unsung Aussie hero is Asarai, developed by one of the country's leading naturopathy experts, the brand focuses on incorporating the same natural wellness ethos into their products. Purchase each product separately or try one of their discounted skin care routine sets to streamline the process and let Asarai do the hard yards for you. Perfect for all of us self-professed lazy boys and girls.
Aesop
Certainly not new kids on the block, Aesop are kind of the OG’s of gender neutral beauty. Plus, with design at the forefront of the brand’s identity and formulas that include deliciously fragranced essential oil blends, from purchasing in-store to application, Aesop products provide a decadent user experience that you’re unlikely to forget anytime soon.
Grown Alchemist
Organic, toxin-free, cruelty-free and made right here in Australia, Grown Alchemist is your one stop shop for all things clean beauty, and boy do we mean one stop shop. The brand sells everything pertaining to your beauty and lifestyle needs from skin care to hair care - hand sanitiser to supplements, these guys pretty much do it all. Sorted.
African Botanics
A love letter to Africa’s scenic beauty and cultural diversity, this South African brand triumphs the incredible biodiversity of their environment with formulas that highlight ingredients native to the continent. Aptly categorised as eco-luxury skin care the brand’s decadent offerings add an air of bougie to any skin care routine.
Votary
Hailing from the UK, Votary produces natural, plant-based formulas that utilise the nourishing effects of plant oils on skin to promote ‘beautifully healthy skin for everyone’. Founder and makeup artist Arabella Preston came up with the idea for the brand at her kitchen table, while trying to create her own customised oil-based cleanser using a blend of plant oils. We love an innovative queen!
Speaking of brands doing good things. These are the eco-conscious beauty brands to know about.
Main image credit: @badgalriri
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
