Turn intentions into actions by supporting these Indigenous owned and operated skincare and beauty brands
Okay, so you’ve posted a black tile on your Instagram, but what now? Florence Nightingale said it best when she said “I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.” Sharing or liking a post on social media or declaring #BlackLivesMatter is a start but it’s not enough – it’s time to turn intentions into impact and use your privilege to affect positive change. One small but tangible way you can do that is to support local businesses that are Indigenous owned and operated, or are in support of local Aboriginal communities in Australia. Over the next few weeks, we will bring you a range of businesses across categories including (and not limited to) Aboriginal art, apparel and jewellery so you can continue your commitment to listening, learning and supporting. Remember, we all have a long way to go to become anti-racist allies. If you are seeking more resources to assist you, head to our list here.
View this post on Instagram
Bush Medijina
Bush Medijina began in a small shed fuelled by a big dream – to support Warningakalina women, share culture and preserve traditions and knowledge for future generations. The Warningakalina elders sought to positively impact the lives of women, children and families within Groote Eylandt communities that had been experiencing poor health, low school attendance and high rates of unemployment. Anindilyakwa Services Aboriginal Corporation (ASAC) introduced the Bush Medijina program to strengthen values, knowledge, culture and community wellbeing. Governed by an all-female board, 80 percent of Bush Medijina’s team is Indigenous and 100 percent of the team members are women. Bush Medijina’s skincare products are handmade on country using recipes passed down by mothers, aunties and grandmothers alongside native botanicals harvested using modern techniques. Shop the Bush Medijina range here.
View this post on Instagram
Juddarnje Natural Skincare
Juddarnje is a proud Indigenous family business owned and operated by the Slockee family, who are based on the Sunshine Coast and have deep connections to the Bundjalung tribe of northern New South Wales. Juddarnje’s journey started with a batch of original handmade soap and has since expanded to include creams, lotions and balms. The luxurious natural range harnesses the nutritional and medicinal power of Australian bush botanicals and the products are free from nasties such as sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS or SLES), propylene glycols and parabens. Shop Juddarnje’s natural skincare range here.
View this post on Instagram
Indigiearth
Bringing 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture to homes, Indigiearth was founded by Sharon Winsor, a Ngemba Weilwan woman from western New South Wales. Indigiearth provides premium bush foods made from authentic Australian native products that are ethically sourced from Aboriginal communities to ensure employment, income and education stays within the community. Indigiearth’s products are housed in environmentally friendly packaging and the range has grown to include native foods in the form of herbs, spices and chutneys as well as candles, diffusers, essential oils and all-natural skincare. Treat yourself to a little R&R with the clay face mask, get your glow on with a slather of Davidson plum illuminance day serum, boost collagen production with the Kakadu plum night serum or shop Indigiearth’s range here.
View this post on Instagram
Dilkara Australia
If your locks are in need of a little love, look no further than Dilkara Australia. The range was created by Julie Okely, a proud Kamilaroi woman and mum of two, who set out to combine her Aboriginal heritage and extensive experience owning and operating hairdressing salons to create a range of salon-quality hair products that utilise native Australian ingredients (Kakadu-plum extract, lilly pilly berry, lemon myrtle and native peppermint oil). Dilkara Australia ingredients are sourced from specific raw-material suppliers that support local Indigenous harvesting techniques. Dilkara Australia also offers a range of skincare, which includes an active collagen serum, a hyaluronic acid serum and intensive eye cream. Shop the luxurious haircare products here.
View this post on Instagram
Native Secrets Australia
Native Secrets brings traditional medicinal practices to everyday products by extracting essential oils from wild-harvested Australian natives and transforming them into high-quality skincare goods. Native Secrets is the handiwork of Phil and Cherie Thompson – Phil is of Bidjara/Kara Kara descent and Cherie has a deep spiritual connection and traditional link to the Wailwan people of central-western New South Wales. The business began as a way to reignite old conversations and preserve knowledge, and along the way the pair discovered a way to reinvigorate small ecosystems by managing overgrown populations of white cypress, making this skincare powerful in more ways than one. Shop the range here.
View this post on Instagram
Earth Blended
If you love essential oils, you’ll find your kindred in Jame – a strong Gumbaynggirr Nyami (woman) and Miimi (mother) of three wild boys. Her passion is driven from a place of culture and family and, as a First Nations woman, Jame believes it is important to acknowledge the way of life her ancestors loved and lived. Earth Blended is a way for her to share her culture and stories through art, and passion for motherhood through a little bush magic – shop the range here.
Bush Balm
Indigenous Australians have used native plants to treat illness as well as skin issues such as eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis for generations – it’s this knowledge that has inspired the creation of Bush Balm products. Made from wild-harvested medicinal plants expertly collected on Aboriginal lands, Bush Balm is run by Purple House – an innovative Indigenous-owned-and-operated health service based in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The social enterprise provides employment opportunities for patients and their families. Shop the range here.
This list is intended as a starting point and is by no means exhaustive. If you know of some other businesses that are Indigenous-owned, operated, or in support of local Aboriginal communities that do amazing skincare, shoot us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be sure to add it to the list.
Image credit: Bush Medijina’s Facebook