Keen on natural and organic skincare? Then the chances are that New Zealand skincare brand Antipodes is already firmly on your radar.
As well as being vegetarian-approved and never tested on animals, Antipodes products are also free from genetically modified organisms and don’t contain any animal bi-products other than honey. Not all of their offerings are certified organic, but those which are not come pretty close (there is a strict criteria for this, and 70-95% of the ingredients must be certified organic for the product to be considered so, with 100% of them being natural).
The brand’s products are packed with lots of delicious natural ingredients, such as avocado oil, manuka honey, macadamia and goji berry to name but a few, and as a whole they come across as a really wonderful brand with fantastic ethics – and delightful-sounding products, to boot.
Containing nourishing cacao butter and Vinanza grape antioxidant from New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc grape seeds, The Grapeseed Butter Cleanser (certified organic), £25.00 from Selfridges, is a luxurious hybrid of a cleansing balm and butter, and aims to soften and moisturise the skin as well as helping to repair free-radical damage, with lavender and chamomile aiming to soothe and calm.
The product comes in a sturdy jar with a screw top, and you are also provided with a little spatula with which to remove the amount of product you need. It’s not the most luxurious-looking of products from the outside, but the contents more than makes up for it.
The product itself is a coarse yellow balm in texture, which emulsifies and takes on a light, oily consistency when warmed between the hands.
Antipodes recommend that this is used both morning and evening, by people of all skin-types. The tiniest amount is all that’s required, and tends to go a surprisingly long way. Massaged in circular motions over the face and neck, it’s highly efficient when it comes to removing makeup, melting it off as you work it into the skin. Personally, I would always suggest go in for a second, deeper cleanse afterwards, and spend a good couple of minutes really massaging it in and getting it down into the pores for an extra-deep clean.
The Grapeseed Butter Cleanser leaves skin feeling soft and nourished after use. Personally, however, I also noticed that an oily, film-like residue remained even once it had been rinsed thoroughly with warm water. Not ideal in the mornings when makeup application follows skincare – and as a result, reserving use for bedtime is recommended.
A pleasure to use in the evenings, the cleanser offers up a soothing and vaguely menthol aroma alongside an enjoyably luxurious texture.
It’s worth taking note, however, that natural ingredients and essential oils can often be comedogenic, obstructing the pores and causing breakouts. With both cacao butter and coconut oil listed in the ingredients, it’s definitely worth doing a patch test to see how your skin reacts to them before going full steam ahead, and those with oily or blemish-prone skin are advised to proceed with caution.
