A little different post this week, but I've been excited to share a new ambassador role with SKIN by Ecostore, that's been quietly sitting in the pipelines for the last few months!
I've always adored my skincare routine. It's been a non-negotiable fixture of my AM and PM for years, and a little moment of self-love symbolising the day beginning and ending. I started taking more of an interest in the origin of my skincare products a few years ago, coinciding with a growing interest in health and wellness. As an organ our skin lives and (in a sense) breathes, and while it may seem pretty impermeable, it's actually structured a little like a fishing net, allowing some substances to move in (absorbed) and out (excreted) of the body. If we use products so intimately on our skin, surely we want to make sure the ingredients are as safe as possiable right?
Not only that, but taking into consideration the ingredients of our products, in relation to environmental impact, is an important question too - will they safely wash down our drains, without negatively affecting the environment? Think of all the things we wash down our drains daily, whether kitchen, bathroom or personal products, often without a second thought. Our life is a stream of choices - everything we do sends little ripples out into the world, constantly changing and influencing it. If we can go natural and benefit not only our health, but also the health of the environment, why not give it a go?
This is where New Zealand grassroots company Ecostore, are so special. They create home and body care products, using carefully selected ingredients that are safe for both us and the planet. If there's any doubt over the safety of an ingredient, it simply won't be used. They've been around for yonks, and have a permanent place on the shelves in supermarkets around NZ, as well as spots in Aussie and Asia too. I've grown up with their products - there's always a dish liquid, soap or hair product on a surface somewhere in the house.
Late last year Ecostore contacted me about an exciting venture they were embarking on - skincare! Finnnallly, a skincare line from them! I heard more about their products and vision, began trialling some samples, and fell in love with the line. I hoped on board to support the line as an ambassador, and now fast forward a few months, SKIN by Ecostore has launched!
Products
There are nine products in the line - two cleansers, two day moistrisers, one replenishing night cream, a multi-nutrient facial oil, a body lotion, hand cream and lip balm. The cleansers and day cream have two different formulations to cater to different skin types, whether dry/sensitive/normal/oily or combination skin - we're all so different after all!
My absoulute two favourite products are the Multi-Nutrient Facial Oil and Replenishing Night Cream - when I layer one on top of the other my skin's all dewy and happy-looking. With entering Winter, and the dry cool weather to match, the facial oil is my skins new BFF - it helps to form a protective barrier against the elements, sealing in moisture.
Whats so special about them?
Ecostore are big on transparency, so as an ambassador I headed to Marlbourough in the South Island of New Zealand to discover more about where their hero ingredients of SKIN are sourced. We actually shot a video of this which you can see over on the SKIN by Ecostore website for now.
Early morning wake-up to sail on the Marlborough Sounds.
The hero ingredients in the line are a seaweed marine extract and grape seed extract. A really neat element of both is that while they have incredible properties for skin health, traditionally the grape seed is a waste product of the wine industry, and the seaweed is an invasive species in New Zealand waters, so there's a huge element of sustainability to the line. They're also both kiwi-sourced - yay!
Starting with the seaweed marine extract...
We sailed on the pristine Marlborough Sounds to visit where the seaweed is sourced. The seaweed is the variety Undaria Pinnatifida (aka Wakame - the kind often eaten in miso soup!), and being invasive it grows along mussel farms in a very indesirable manner, displaces other seaweeds and upsets the ecological balance of the water. There's tonnes of it too - it hangs off the farms like ropes. We ventured to the farms with Alex from Waikaitu (who source the seaweed) and pulled some out of the water - when you rub it on your skin it leaves it noticeably hydrated and red/inflamed. By using the extract in skincare, this helps to reduce the amount in our waters, and we get to use it for its excellent skin health properties - a total win-win.
Unique skin properties: the extract is packed with bioactives such as polysaccharides, carotenoids and phenolics, which helps to increase collagen and improve skin elasticity (so its very anti-aging!). It also has great anti-inflammatory and moisturising properties, by forming a unique barrier on the skin that helps to seal in nutrients and retain moisture.
Endless mussel farms!
Alex from Waikatiu - they're in charge of sourcing the seaweed.
And the grape seed extract...
Marlborough is physically stunning. A defining point of its landscape is its endless vineyards - the area is a renowned wine growing region of NZ, world famous for its sauvignon blanc wines, which are made from sauvignon blanc grapes. Marlborough has ideal conditions to grow these grapes, with very hot days and very cool nights, which causes the grapes to produce high levels of antioxidants to protect themselves from the sun. When we use this extract in skincare, we also get this antioxidant benefit for our skin.
Unique skin properties: antioxidants are the ultimate in anti-aging - they help to prevent free radical damage (e.g. pollution, sun, diet, cosmetics, smoking...), which can otherwise lead to skin damage, accelerated aging and wrinkles. The grape seed extract is high in antioxidant, helping to increase our skins natural defenses against free-radicals.
The #thisisme SKIN by Ecostore campaign was all about being comfortable in your own skin. Three other kiwi ladies (Georgia Currie - fashion designer, Ngahuia Piripi- actress & Zoe Bell - stunt women and actress) and myself, went bare-faced in front of a camera and told to just be us! There was lots of laughing, smiling, shyness, but ultimately we just got to celebrate who we are. It was so crazy to see the posters out of the street - totally out of the ordinary.
Thanks for reading to the end! It's such a pleasure to be aligned with SKIN by Ecostore, and they truly are such beautiful products. If you want to check out more about SKIN by Ecostore, head over to their website, or check our their social to follow their journey - click here for Facebook and here for Instagram.