There has been no better time to be locally made after two years of restrictions for the industry. Anita Quade chats to beauty and skincare trailblazers about their determination to fly the Aussie flag.
Tell us why it’s so important to be Australian made?
“Supporting Australian Made companies means supporting our economy and providing precious jobs on our own shores. Being an Australian Made brand means we can assure our customers that they receive the highest quality skincare as we have total control at every level, with each order manufactured, bottled, labelled, and packed by my devoted Synergie Skin team.
With our entire manufacturing and despatch facility is located in Melbourne, we have a transparent, open-door policy with our stockists. We welcome customers through our doors and are always ready to share information about our products and processes.”
— Terri Vinson, Founder of Synergie Skin
What is the ethos behind Waterlily?
“At Waterlily, we honour fresh batched beauty and slow skincare, and have done since our inception back in 2004. Each product and ritual is thoughtfully imagined, and created by hand, in our Botanical Laboratory in Brisbane, Queensland. Our small artisan crafted batches are made fresh each month using clean and green cosmeceuticals and exquisite plant based botanicals to offer a complete wellness solution. And so our Waterlily HQ smells absolutely divine, as anyone who has experienced our products can imagine!”
— Michelle Reeve, Founder of Waterlily Australasia
“Buying Australian made means supporting your local economy. We love the focus in recent years on shop small, shop local. Buying locally made products shortens the distance it needs to travel, an important consideration for anyone concerned with their environmental impact.”
Michelle Reeve, Founder of Waterlily Australasia
What are the benefits of being Australian Made both in the local and international markets?
“Australian made is seen as a mark of something that can be trusted. (It is what it says it is, and it does what it says it does).
The Australian Cosmetic industry is recognised for creating sustainable products that have gained a reputation the world-over for being some of the best skincare brands in the industry. Not only are they made sustainably, using envirnomentally conscious practices but they can now also compete with any leading global, non-natural, beauty brands as well.
Homegrown ingredients have become sought after within the cosmetics market and Australia has so much to offer in terms of natural and organic ingredients, with our homegrown ingredients now also regarded as some of the best in the market worldwide, it makes sense that we would naturally utilise locally sourced ingredients!”
— Andrew Taverna, Director of Artav Australia
Are there any disadvantages of producing locally?
“One of the disadvantages in local manufacturing is lack of access to some ingredients and packaging that are just not made here. Therefore, we must source overseas for certain items in order to manufacture here. This can provide challenges such as shipping times and costs. Since international travel is currently restricted, this proves difficult and time consuming for samples to go back and forth before approval (instead of sourcing in person) and with ongoing global shipping delays.
Higher costs come with manufacturing in Australia. We hold higher standards in our manufacturing and in our wage structure. Therefore, our processes will be more expensive, translating to higher costs of goods. At Dermatonics, we work with these costs as we want to continue manufacturing in Australia. Consumers are typically content to pay slightly higher prices for products made in Australia, therefore supporting their local economy and jobs.”
— Donna Marcal, Founder of Dermatonics
What are your plans for business going forward in 2022?
“We have some exciting things on the horizon, early this year Dermalist will launch an online protected, clinical only range. The range is specifically created for use by the professional aesthetic industry and it is exclusively available through clinics and salons. This has allowed us to increase the percentage and quantity of active ingredients even more, whilst amplifying treatment results. We are partnering with Australian and International device leaders to enhance the results obtained using in clinic treatments. It’s really rewarding for us to be able to create a range exclusively to support our incredibly talented aesthetic professionals and their clients, it will add another layer to the Dermalist experience.”
— Stefanie Milla, Founder and CEO of Dermalist
These quotes originally appeared in the January-February 2022 issue of Professional Beauty.
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