Review: Antipodes Skincare

Hello beautiful strangers, I’ve been trying out products from the natural skincare brand Antipodes for more than a year now and so I thought it was about time I did an overview…

Antipodes is a natural skincare brand from New Zealand. Their products are carefully formulated from selected pure ingredients from nature, and are a healthy and positive alternative to products containing synthetic chemicals. Antipodes conducts scientific investigations through clinical trial and human testing, and their products are “scientifically shown, under in-vitro investigation to stimulate the synthesis of elastin, Type I collagen and Type III collagen in human fibroblast skin cells”.

Oh cool, their products stimulate the renewal of skin cells in petri dishes, but anything is possible in a laboratory, no? So do they really perform in real life, on ma face?

The first product I tried from Antipodes was their Aura Manuka Honey mask and if you’ve been following along you’ll know that it’s one of my favourites. I’ve reviewed it already here, but in short, I like to use this when I get a bit pimply as Manuka honey has anti-bacteria properties, and I find this mask really soothes and nourishes my skin.

Ingredients: Aqua (water), Leptospermum scoparium mel (manuka honey), Persea gratissima (avocado oil), Glycerine (vegetable), Cetearyl alcohol, Stearic acid (coconut derived), Glycerol stearate (coconut derived), Tocopherol acetate (Vitamin E), Vanilla planifolia (vanilla oil), Citrus reticulate (mandarin oil), Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Daucus carota sativa (carrot oil), Pohutuakawa (metrosideros excelsa) extract, Citrus grandis (grapefruit seed extract), Iodopropynyl butylcarbarnate.

But the product that I’ve appreciated most is the Avocado Pear Nourishing nightcream. I didn’t like this cream at first; it smells funky – like sandalwood or patchouli or something, and it was such an annoying scent to bear with while you’re trying to sleep. (ah, I read the ingredients: “essential oil fragrances of sandalwood, ylang ylang and patchouli”, wow, my nose is quite good…) The cream doesn’t feel heavy, but it does leave you looking greasy. So, funky smell, greasy texture… what a nightmare, but I persevered, because well, thrifty Asians like me do not just throw stuff away. I started using this night cream around November, and it was as moisturizing as any old night cream. But then! At the beginning of this year I noticed that my pores were a lot smaller than they used to be, so I thought long and hard about what it could be and I realized this was the only new thing that I’ve added into my routine. As claimed by Antipodes, the Avocado Pear nourishing night cream is scientifically shown to stimulate synthesis of Type I collagen by up to 92%; so I suppose the buildup of collagen and improved cell renewal explains why my pores have diminished? Yay!

Ingredients: Aqua (water), Butyrosperum parkii (shea butter), Squalane (vegetable), Persea gratissima (avocado oil), Leptospermum scoparium mel (manuka honey), Macadamia ternifolia (macadamia oil), Calendula officialis (calendula oil), Caprylic triglyceride (fractionated coconut oil), Glyceryl stearate, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl alcohol, Cetyl palmitate (natural source), Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), Lecithin (vegetable), Citrus grandis (grapefruit seed extract), Santalum album (sandalwood oil), Pogostemon cablin (patchouli oil), Cananga odorata (ylang ylang oil), Lodopropynyl butylcarbarmate, Phenoxyethanol.

The Kiwi Seed Oil eye cream I’ve used on and off for about a year and like any other eye cream – I can’t really see a difference… But maybe that’s just how eye cream is, you don’t see immediate differences but when you’re 70 years old, you’re so glad you started wearing eye cream since you were 18. This eye cream has a really light fast absorbing texture and is fragrance free. A pot of this contains 30ml, which is worth your money because most eye creams are under 15ml. But for something named Kiwi Seed Oil eye cream, kiwi seed oil is listed pretty far down in the ingredients list...

Ingredients: Aqua (water), Persea gratissima (avocado oil), Glycerin (vegetable), Cetearyl alcohol (coconut derived), Cetearyl wheat straw glycosides, Steraic acid (vegetable), Glyceryl stearate, Tocopherol acetate (vitamin e), Beeswax, Daucus carota sativa (carrot oil), Kiwiseed oil (actinidia chinensis), Borage oil (borago officinalis), Citrus grandis (grapefruit seed extract), Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Iodobutylcarbamate.

I bought the “Divine face oil” – Organic Avocado oil & Rosehip because I know that rosehip is really good for hyper-pigmentation. Avocado oil benefits your skin with nutrients such as, Vitamin A, B1, B2 and D, as well as Omega 3 & 9, and is also abundant in antioxidants like chlorophyll and Vitamin E. This Antipodes oil is certified organic: 100% of total ingredients are from natural origin, while 95% of total ingredients are from organic cultivation. I apply this at night and it provides good hydration and my face is plump and dewy in the morning. But I suppose, any kind of face oil does that, so this really isn’t that divine. While the Antipodes face oil is packed with good ingredients, I not overly impressed. The texture is also quite heavy and sits on top of your skin so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Ingredients: Persea gratissima (avocado oil)*, Macadamia ternifolia (macadamia oil)*, Buxus chinensis (jojoba oil)*, Rosa canina (rosehip oil)*, Canaga odorata (ylang ylang oil), Amyris balsamifera (torchwood), Santalum album (sandalwood oil), Jasminum officinale (jasmine oil), Citrus sinensis (orange oil), Tocopherol acetate (vitamin e), Benzyl benzoate+, Benzyl salicylate+, Citronellol+, D-limonene+, Farnesol+, Geraniol+, Isoeugenol+, Linalool+.

* Ingredients certified organic by AgriQuality.

+ Components of essential oils.

So in conclusion? Antipodes skincare products are nice – not miracle workers, but nice. The mask is enjoyable, and the night cream helped diminish my pores – so these are the two that I would recommend if you’re looking to try Antipodes skincare. The face oil, along with the eye cream are pretty standard; and overall I wouldn’t repurchase any of the four items. *Please remember these are just my opinions based on my 22yo combination-dry skin.

Last but not least, I have a body product to share with you. My best friend gifted me with the Antipodes Joyful hand & body cream last Christmas, and it smells divine.

“Gorgeous summer berry flirts with South Pacific hibiscus flower to 

enchant the trials of everyday life with moments of fragrant joy”

This body cream sinks in like a dream so there’s no greasy residue after you apply. It’s so decadent and beautifully scented so I only use it for special occasions. The scent lingers all day and isn’t overwhelming or too girly. While I’m not a believer in lavish body creams (I just use Johnson’s baby lotion), and would never purchase this for myself, it does make a very lovely gift option. This 120ml tube is so delightfully packaged you wouldn’t even need to giftwrap it.

Overall, I do really like Antipodes as a brand – the philosophy and science behind their products is admirable, and their website is really informative and user friendly.

Their products come in a good size and contain a good amount of product so I feel like you’re really getting your money’s worth and the green flora designed packaging and heavy glass jars are stylish, yet sustainable (recycle your jars yo!).

I got my Antipodes products online via Look Fantastic or Feel Unique because they have free shipping and always have discount codes running, but I believe you can purchase from the Antipodes website also. Have you tried Antipodes before? What are your thoughts and recommendations?

Happy Friday everyone,

Linzi x