Beauty Advice

Ahh, the joys of winter. And what it does too our poor skin! Layer on cold low humidity air with indoor heating and all essential...

Winter is hard on your skin. A cold climate, harsh winds, and low humidity, together with artificial indoor heating and more relaxed dietary...

The Summertime for many, presents a time to get a tan which, we know, there is no such thing as a healthy or safe tan! For many it is also about sun-safety and

Winter is here and with that comes the dryness that our skin always suffers during these cooler, dryer months! 

Are you looking to simplify your skincare regime while keeping ageing at bay? Are you sick of using a gazillion products every day and night without seeing a real difference to your complexion?

Some people love Winter, others dread it. It is a love hate relationship that brings warm scarves, hot chocolate,

Hello!  This article explores the everything you need to know about the world of BEAUTY BUNDLES. They are becoming one of the most popular ways for all beauty customers to shop for their beauty essentials due to their excellent value proposition, convenience of shopping and solution-driven benefits. And, Origani presently have some added discounts on top of some of our already discounted beauty bundles so now is the time to explore them!    WHAT IS A BEAUTY BUNDLE? A beauty bundle is a curated collection of multiple complementary beauty products that are sold as a package and driven by value and savings.  WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BUYING A BEAUTY BUNDLE? Solution Driven Benefits A quality composed beauty bundle is not just about putting a group of random products together; it is about curating and presenting a complete solution package designed to target a specific beauty need. Bundles are often made available by an everchanging selection of beauty products designed for all different varieties of skin concerns and types, so it is a clever idea to keep checking in to see what is new!  It is important to note too that rarely does only one product help any particular skin issue. A regime of products targeted to a skin concern will always give better results as each product has a function and designed to work in unison with one another. Lastly, our skin needs different things from our skincare through seasonal changes and other lifestyle factors that we may encounter. For example, you would likely use a heavier moisturiser in the Winter etc. Beauty bundles are designed for specific purposes and are thus a wonderful way to shop for your beauty needs – they are ever changing, and we need to adapt to what our skin needs and wants to keep it healthy, balanced, and happy!  Value Driven Benefits You get bang for your buck when purchasing a beaty bundle!  When you buy a bundle, the collection of products is marked at a lower cost than if you were to purchase each item separately. This is such a wonderful way to try a new range for the first time, at a discounted price to ensure that the products suit your skin’s needs.  Ease of Shopping & Time-Saving Benefits  When you shop for bundles, you skip the laborious task and challenges of choosing (or guessing!) the right products for you. Why? The beauty experts have already carefully curated a selection of products for each bundle keeping in mind what product compliments other products for the best skin experience possible. So, you get to skip the hassle which makes shopping for your beauty needs so much easier and more economical. The Ultimate Gift Giving Benefits We at Origani curate bundles that are available for all types of skin. We also offer different bundles for special times of year and momentous occasions. This is why beauty bundles are a fave way for people to shop when they are looking for the perfect gift. We know that finding the perfect gift can be a challenge but now it does not have to be!  HERE ARE 4 BEST-SELLING BEAUTY-FULL SKINCARE BUNDLES TO LOVE!  Origani have become well known for offering a wide variety of bundles at exceptional value. From brightening, to pampering, anti-aging and instant skin transforming bundles, there is something for everyone! Here are some of our best-selling sets that are filled to the brim with organic bio-actives, vitamins, and high-tech delivery systems that will leave your skin in awe!  For daily anti-ageing and skin protection   3-STEP ASAP SKINCARE BUNDLE FOR ESSENTIAL BEAUTY: Our best-selling skincare favourites come together in a must-have streamlined regime, encasing all one needs for the healthiest, freshest, and most youthful looking skin yet!  Set includes Erda Daily Glow Cleanser, Erda Rich & Hydrating Day Cream & Erda Soothing & Reviving Night Cream. For glowing and hydrated skin   2- STEP PLUMP & GLOSSY GLOW FACE MOISTURIZING BUNDLE: This perfect Radiance enhancing and facial moisturizing Bundle to bounce your skin back from dehydration and dullness. Set includes Oz Fraiche Copper PCA Revitalising Cream & Manuka Honey Peel    For all eye area concerns    ALL EYE WRINKLE CREAM BUNDLE: You no longer need to dream of rested-looking fresher and more youthful peepers! More youthful looking eyes await with a diminished appearance of crow's feet, puffiness, and dark circles. Set includes: Immortajell Wrinkle Diffusing Eye Cream + Erda Eye Gel Concentrate  For skin healing and repair   MANUKA HONEY MAGIC SKINCARE SET: Harnessing the power of healing Manuka Honey, this pampering Spa Bundle includes all you need to feel amazing…from top to toe!  Set includes Manuka Honey Peel, Manuka Honey Soap & Manuka Honey Lip Balm  We at Origani believe in using Nature’s best Organic ingredients in skincare formulas that deliver targeted results for your skin concerns. Our Brilliant Bundles deliver all of this with products selected that work wonderfully together…and with the added terrific value full of blissful value and brilliant results!  All you need to do is simply choose the beauty bundles that meets your needs and enjoy the value and results! Explore more of our incredible bundles here! Love, Origani. 

Here is an interesting story we would like to share with you about Green skincare innovation…

One of the best recommendations about beauty products that you can get are from people who are actively using them and then taking the time to write a review based on their experience of quality and results. 

Origani’s Manuka Honey Peel is the Global Holy Grail of instant skin transformation treatments that delivers ten skin benefits in only 10 seconds thereby outshining other exfoliating skin treatments.

Exfoliation is the process of loosening and removing dead keratinised skin cells from the top layer of the skin (Epidermis) with a particular topical skincare product designed to do this. 

How beautiful is Autumn? The transitional season between the extremes of summer and winter that is filled with the golden shimmer of falling leaves representing change

More and more we are seeing people whip out their facial atomiser sprays to give their skin some comfort and hydration. It makes complete sense

Ceramides are ESSENTIAL fatty molecules (lipids) are naturally produced by the body’s sebaceous glands. They make up around 40-50% of the skin's outer layer and hold our skin cells together to keep the skin barrier strong and healthy.

ou may be hearing the beauty buzzword, Veganism. There is no doubt that consumer preferences for vegan skincare formulas is growing exponentially and so we waned to share with you why people are gravitating to it and incorporating such formulas into their skincare regimes! But before we go there, let us tell you what vegan skincare actually means. Vegan skincare refers to any skincare formulation that is free from animal products and by-products and those nasty pesticides that animals are subject to in certain farming environments. In short, none of the ingredients were sourced from or originated with an animal. Vegan skincare preparations are in fact, mostly plant derived. Essentially, if you adopt some vegan-friendly products into your regime, you are minimising harm to animals, the planet, and human beings. No that’s what we call conscious, happy beauty! Here is a list of some skin benefits of using vegan-based skincare that you may not have even known about! Vegan-sourced ingredients/formulas: Are often more concentrated and potent delivering A+ results on the skin. Contain fewer in any chemical irritants so your skin stays healthy, calm and toxin-free. Are generally environmentally friendly helping to support a better planet. Are more likely to be biocompatible. This means such ingredients are well-matched and readily accepted by human skin. Are healing, calming, balancing and antioxidant/vitamin rich. You can obviously skip past the first section or two if you’re already in your element. We just wanted this information to be useful to everybody (and we want you all to try our delicious meals) so we’ve included a brief explanation! Committed to helping create a world that is kinder and safer for the animal kingdom, the planet and your skin, Origani offers a comprehensive assortment of vegan-friendly skincare and makeup options, utilising organic, plant-based ingredients and is cruelty-free on all levels. Some of our best vegan formulas include results-proven ingredients like aloe vera, essential oils, peptides, natural hyaluronic acid, avocado oil and Kakadu plum. The list goes on! Check out our vegan beauties that will have your skin in AWE here!  

The shiniest nails you have ever seen awaits!   While we all love a good mani-pedi, the pandemic has put a bit of a pin in many of our beauty plans. Getting up close and personal with strangers at the nail bar doesn't seem like as good of an idea as it did a little over a year ago, which has led to many of us giving DIY manicures a go. This is certainly a great way to express creativity and can even be considered a form of self-care, but it also exposes us to ending up feeling like one of those expectation vs reality memes. That’s why today we’ll be exploring how to get the perfect at home mani-pedi with the help of our famous Total Care For Hands & Nails Kit.     What You’ll Need For an Indulgent Home Manicure:  Origani Total Care For Hands & Nails Kit  Nail Brush  Cuticle Tool (optional)  Nail treatment (optional)  Your preferred nail polish if a colour coat is desired – or go A-La-Naturale!    Where To Start Your Home Manicure:  The first thing you’re going to want to do is give your hands a thorough wash with a nourishing soap such as our Origani Face & Body Cleansing Bar. This will ensure you have a nice clean canvas to get started with and can help protect you from infection if you’re the type who likes to push their cuticles. This is also the stage where you’ll want to use your nail brush to remove any dirt or debris that has found its way under your talons.     Caring For Your Nails:  Step 1. Understand The Correct Manicure Process Now your hands are fresh and clean, it's time to give your nails a little shaping. Our Total Care For Hands & Nails Kit includes both a nail file and a buffer block - for the first step of the process, you’re going to want the file. Believe it or not, there is a right (and a wrong) way to file your nails, and we're not just talking about how to achieve certain shapes. For example, you’ll want to file from the base to the centre rather than simply running the file across the whole edge. And you should NEVER run your nail file backwards and forwards no matter how tempting this may be as it can cause fairly significant damage. Decide on which shape you feel best suits your hands (or mood) and gently sculpt your nails to match.  If you’re the type who likes to push their cuticles back, it’s time to grab your cuticle tool and gently relocate them to your desired position.      Step 2. Buffer Your Nails Next you’re going to need your nail buffer. This multipurpose tool is fabulous for smoothing, stimulating and polishing your nails. You will note that this beauty accessory has three different types of buffer, this is because there are three stages to achieving that perfect shine.   The first step is to use the dark grey buffing panel to remove ridges and stains. This buffing panel should be gently rubbed across your nails in a single direction avoiding the tips.  Next, you’ll want to take the light green buffing panel and draw it rapidly back and forth across the top of your nails. This will assist in stimulating circulation underneath the nail which will in turn promote faster, stronger and healthier growth.  The final step is to polish your nails with the white buffing panel. This is where the magic happens. Watch before your eye, the shiniest nails you have ever seen sans nail polish!      Step 3. Time To Paint:  If you’re looking to level up your mani-pedi, now is the time to add a pop of colour. Start with a nourishing base coat to give your nails a little extra love (and your colour coat something to stick to) and then follow these tips to get that just stepped out of the salon look.  Note: If you used a clear nail treatment in the previous step, this will generally replace your base coat.    Step 4. The Finishing Touches:  Now your nails are shaped and coloured, it’s time to add the finishing touches and show the rest of your hands some love. This is where you get to play with the skincare portion of your Total Care For Hands & Nails Kit.   Our Nourishing Cuticle Oil is perfect for moisturizing your nails and contains plant extracts to give your talons a natural boost. This treatment should be applied over the nails and tips of your fingers and massaged in until all absorbed.   Once your cuticle oil has absorbed, you can slather our Hand & Nail Perfection Cream over the entirety of your hands to provide all day protection and hydration.. You can also re-apply the Hand & Nail Perfection Cream any time that you feel the need.   So there you have it, the perfect at home mani-pedi with the help of our Total Care For Hands & Nails Kit. If you post your masterpiece to the gram, be sure to tag @origaniskincare so we can see your wonderful creations! 

Having an oily skin type is both a blessing and a curse. Sure, you’ll look younger for longer, but you’ll also spend a fair amount of time stressing about breakouts and dealing with a shiny complexion for the privilege. And don’t even get us started on that gross tight feeling you get when you try to use a harsh cleanser to sort things out. Or, if you’re quite oily, that constant film that makes your face feel bleugh… Today we’ll be going over how to care for oily skin and deal with breakouts, and suggesting the ideal skincare for acne fighting.  How To Cleanse Oily Skin Oily skin needs a slightly different cleanse to other skin types. While generally the role of your cleansing step is simply to remove any environmental stressors that have found their way onto your skin during the day, those with an oily complexion will need a cleanser that also reduces excess sebum (our skin's naturally occurring oils). Unfortunately, many products go a little too far in this regard and strip all oils, rather than simply those that are excessive, leaving our skin feeling tight and dry while also making us more vulnerable to sensitivity and reactiveness. When searching for a cleanser for oily skin, it is important to select one that provides gentle results while also hydrating and soothing skin. We recommend the use of our Dermassure Clear & Calm Foaming Cleanser for those who like this type of application, or our Cranberry Face & Body Cleansing Bar for those who want a little less foam. Dealing With A Shiny Complexion A shiny complexion is pretty much par for the course for those of us with oily skin and it can be quite inconvenient and damaging to confidence and self-esteem. The good news is that this shine is generated by the presence of excess sebum (our skin’s naturally occurring oil) so by balancing out the production of this oil, we can reduce, or even eliminate shine. For those with an oily skin type, this balancing is best achieved via a targeted skincare routine suited specifically to oily skin. You’ll want to look for a combination of hydrating ingredients and those targeted towards reducing sebum production and rebalancing the complexion. We recommend our Dermassure range for this purpose.  For those who are experiencing a shiny complexion as a skin concern, you will first need to identify what has caused the situation to arise. Nine times out of ten, this is due to dehydration, as your skin will naturally create more oil if it feels that it is not getting enough moisture. This can generally be rectified by upping your water intake, making use of a gentle, oil-reducing cleanser and applying hydrating serums and moisturisers. We suggest our Dermassure Clear & Calm Foaming Cleanser paired with our Erda Firming Serum followed by our brand new, soothing and hydrating gel cream moisturiser, Oz Fraiche.  Does Oily Skin Need Moisturiser? A common misconception that seems to arise quite often in the beauty world is that oily skin types should not use moisturiser. The justification for this is that oily skin does not need any products that will increase the amount of moisture on the skin and that any skincare used will simply clog pores and increase breakouts. While this assertion is incorrect, there is some truth to certain parts of it. Oily skin types should not use thick, oil based moisturisers as yes, these products will increase oil levels, fuel breakouts and provide little benefit for your complexion. The problem here, however, is that if you choose to use no products because of this, your skin can easily end up dehydrated and unprotected - especially if you’re using a harsh, stripping cleanser to try to deal with the oil that your face produces naturally. This will then lead to your skin creating more oil as it can feel attacked and become damaged. So what do we do about this? Well, we apply moisturiser, but we apply the right type of moisturiser. Our Dermassure Matte Comfort Moisturiser, for example, is specially formulated for oily skin and is designed to reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts by balancing sebum production. It also nourishes deeply without adding extra oils and provides the hydration that your skin craves.  Can Skincare Cause Acne? Short answer: yes and no. While the use of incorrect skincare can cause acne, the right products for your skin type should not cause breakouts. When skincare causes acne, it is generally because the products being applied are commodegenic or otherwise unsuitable for your skin. Irritated skin is far more likely to break out than happy skin, so if you’re stripping all oil from your skin, applying treatments that aren’t right for your complexion or concerns, or using moisturising creams that are too thick for your skin type, there is a possibility that your skincare can cause acne. If your skincare is properly suited for your complexion and concerns, the only time that you should experience breakouts due to usage will be when you are first establishing your routine. This is because, unfortunately, things do tend to get worse before they get better. Give any new routine at least a month or two to see whether it works well with your complexion as otherwise your skin will still be trying to purge any nasties and rebalance itself meaning you’ll end up in a never ending cycle if you change before this time.  Skincare For Acne - Your Perfect Breakout Banishing Routine The intricacies of your skincare routine will depend on your skin concerns and goals but the base of your routine should always be based on your skin type. With that in mind, we’ve outlined our recommended skincare routine for banishing acne below: Cleanse: Dermassure Clear & Calm Foaming Cleanser - a gentle cleanser suitable for sensitive and irritated skin that will remove impurities and excess oils without stripping your skin and leaving you with that gross, tight feeling. Treat: Dermassure Clear & Calm Flaxy Balance Serum - as the name suggests, this serum is designed to help clear your complexion of blemishes, calm irritated skin and balance out sebum production. Moisturise: Dermassure Clear & Calm Matte Comfort Moisturiser - designed to provide hydration and deep nourishment while being light enough not to exacerbate issues with oily skin, this moisturiser can also help reduce shine and improve the appearance of blemishes. Mask: Dermassure Clear & Calm Pore Refining Mask - designed to provide a deep cleanse, refine the appearance of pores and balance the complexion, this mask is the perfect weekly treatment for those with oily skin.  Is There Any Skincare That Can Remove Acne Scars? While scarring from acne is generally permanent, you can certainly reduce the appearance of scars through an appropriate skincare routine. Our Complexion Perfection Ultra Bright Serum is designed to brighten skin tone and reduce hyperpigmentation (spots that do not match the rest of your complexion). Because of this, it can be quite helpful in reducing the appearance of acne scarring. You can also consider using our Manuka Honey Peel if your skin is not currently broken or experiencing severe irritation. This cult-favourite best seller provides ten benefits in just ten seconds and can be helpful in evening complexion, smoothing out skin and improving the effectiveness of other skincare products applied after use.  Hot Tip: If you're going to use both of these, check out our Revive And Brighten Bundle. Is There Anything Else I Can Do To Help Manage Oily Skin? While you may hate your shine now, the good news is that the aging process is generally slower for those who naturally produce more oil as a significant factor in the appearance of aging is the amount of sebum that our skin produces. Having said that, we understand that you probably don’t want to be dealing with acne well into adult life just to have less wrinkles as you get older. The best way to manage oily, problematic skin is to take a holistic approach. Make sure you’re eating right (you may even want to consider a skin clearing diet) and caring for your skin properly at all times, but especially following a workout. You should also focus on prioritising self-care, as the less stress you are under in general, the better your skin will look and feel. Apart from this, all you can really do is maintain an appropriate skincare routine and visit your dermatologist if you find that your complexion is having a significant impact on your quality of life. If you’ve got any other questions, drop them in the comments below and we’ll be happy to help you out. Otherwise, have a beautiful day and we’ll see you next time. 

With Winter well and truly upon us down here in the land of Aus, we thought now would be a good time to explore what affects the chilliest season has on our skin and how we can keep our largest organ happy and healthy during the colder months.  What Does Cold Weather Do To Skin? The first thing we need to unpack here is how Winter - and the icy conditions that come with it - impacts our skin’s health. Colder temperatures often bring with them lower humidity, this can wreak havoc on your skin as it isn’t getting any environmental hydration, but also because the dry air can actually strip water from your complexion and cause problems for your moisture barrier. When we combine this with the extreme changes in temperature between our homes, offices and cars, and those in the outside world, this can bring about a whole host of skin concerns including: Both dehydration and dryness (if you’re wondering what the difference is, head over to this blog post) Flaky, irritated or inflamed skin Chapped lips Itchiness  Dullness Sensitivity Worsening of conditions such as eczema or rosacea    Because of this, our skin requires different care solutions to those we would employ in warmer months. Namely, it requires us to focus far more heavily on protecting and hydrating it. This isn’t to say that you need to switch up every part of your routine - but it does mean that there are certain elements you’ll want to swap out.  How To Look After Your Skin In Winter: Now that we’ve established why our skin needs special care during Winter, let’s look at how we can give it the nourishment it craves:   Love Your Body One of the best things you can do for your skin during the colder months is remember to take an approach that cares for your entire body, not just your face. Often the rest of our skin is neglected if we’re not slathering on moisturiser after a day at the beach, but whenever any part of our skin is vulnerable, our whole body can suffer due to toxins and bacteria receiving easier access. Our body, after all, suffers just as much as our face when those icy winds blow. To help conquer this, we suggest following our three steps to body bliss: Three Steps To Body Bliss: Step One: Cleanse with a gentle and nourishing bar or wash. Our recommendation: An Origani Face & Body Cleansing Bar - available in Clarifying Cranberry and soothing Manuka Honey Step Two: Exfoliate weekly with a hydrating, eco-friendly scrub Our recommendation: Origani Body Summer Lychee Salt Scrub Step Three: Pamper your body with a deliciously moisturising butter Our recommendation: Origani Body Pure Tranquility Whipped Body Butter Bonus Tip: Look after your hands by regularly applying a soothing hand cream Our Recommendation: Origani Hand & Nail Perfection Cream The best thing about our three step body bliss checklist? We figured these products go so well together that they simply had to become a collection. Kick start your self care routine this chilly season with our brand new, Winter Skincare Essentials Collection.   Layer Your Hydration Another super important aspect of looking after your skin in Winter is layering your hydration. Because our environment tends to be dryer during the colder months, locking in hydration is super important and the best way to do this is to have multiple layers. This helps ensure that if your top layer is depleted or stripped off by the environment that the others are still working to protect and nourish your skin. Did you know? Our Erda Firming Serum Concentrate isn’t just a great anti-aging treatment, it’s also wonderfully hydrating! Layer this serum with our brand new hydrating skin hero, Oz Fraiche, for ultimate daily hydration.   Look After Your Lips As one of the thinnest layers of skin on your body, your lips will likely be one of the first places to crack (pun intended) under the pressure of icy winds and drying environments. Especially since every time you lick them, you’re actually drying them out even more. Combat this by keeping a protecting and soothing lip balm easily accessible. We suggest our Manuka Honey or Strawberry Lip Balm as they’re designed to hydrate and repair lips with nourishing ingredients such as avocado oil, beeswax, and shea butter.   It’s All In The Eyes Your delicate eye area is another that suffers greatly from excessively cold weather. Dryness, redness and irritation are common during the Winter months and if the wind chill is high enough, and temperature low enough, you could even experience vision problems. While we can’t help with the latter, we do know a thing or two about caring for the eye contour area. Our Erda Eye Gel Concentrate is great for hydrating and brightening the area and if your eyes need a little extra nourishment and love, our Immortajell Wrinkle Diffusing Eye Cream is perfect for the job. Or, if you feel like your peepers need all of the above, check out our All About The Eyes bundle.   Use Chemical Exfoliants Because your skin is already irritated from the extremes in your external environment, purely physical exfoliation may not be the best option for you - especially if you have sensitive skin. It may sound weird for a natural skincare company to be telling you to make use of chemical exfoliation but hear us out here, we’re not talking about manufactured chemicals, we’re meaning AHAs and BHAs. These natural chemical exfoliants are fantastic for clearing and resurfacing the complexion and can be paired with a gentle physical exfoliant to get the job done just as well - if not better - than a harsher physical scrub. We recommend our Manuka Honey Peel - an amazing dual phase exfoliator that provides ten benefits for your skin in just ten seconds. You can learn more about it here but essentially, it’s the superhero product you definitely need in your skincare routine.   Don’t Forget The SPF Another thing that is important to remember is that even though the weather is cold and there are plenty of clouds in the sky, UV rays can still get through and damage your skin. SPF is important year round, even if it may not seem that sunny outside. Trust us - your complexion will thank you.  Seven Ways To Support Your Winter Skincare Routine: In addition to the skincare tips above, there are a few things you can do to support happy, healthy skin during the Winter months. By taking a holistic approach, you can help ensure general health, as well as great skin, so you can look and feel great.   Drink More Water We all know that we should be drinking at least 2 litres (about 8 glasses) of water each day to help maintain hydration, but when your environment is much drier than normal, it’s a good idea to up your water intake. Your body will tell you if it thinks that your water intake is excessive so don’t be afraid to drink as much as you feel like.   Eat Right What we eat can have a significant impact on our skin’s health and appearance. While it is possible to adjust your diet to achieve specific goals (by consuming a skin clearing diet, for example) we suggest that unless you’re after a particular result, you just munch on a healthy, balanced diet that supports your body and makes you feel good.   Boost Your Antioxidant Intake The one exception to our relaxed opinion above is your antioxidant intake. During the Winter months it is incredibly important that you increase your intake of these wonderful little helpers. Topical application will always be beneficial to your skin, but if you’re not getting enough in your diet, your skincare won’t be able to perform at its best.   Take A Multivitamin If You Need It Sometimes, no matter how healthy and balanced our diet is, we simply cannot get all of the nutrients that our body needs. When eating correctly, this is most commonly due to a lack of ability for our body to absorb or process vital nutrients so a multivitamin can be greatly beneficial to both your skin and your overall health. Please Note: While many multivitamins can be purchased over the counter these days, it is always a good idea to have a discussion with your preferred medical professional prior to taking any form of supplement or medication.   Work Out Another simple way to support your Winter skincare routine is to maintain a regular workout schedule. If you usually exercise outdoors, but are finding it a bit too cold at the moment, consider getting a short term gym membership, or looking into activities that you can do within your home. Working out regularly also provides a whole host of benefits for your mental health as well as your skin which can be particularly important in the colder months as many of us will experience lower moods during this time.   Practice Self-Care Although maintaining a proper skincare routine can be considered self-care, it is not the only way to engage in this highly beneficial practice. Finding methods of self-care that work for you and your lifestyle can greatly improve your overall well being and assist in falling - and staying - asleep each night.   Get Enough Sleep Speaking of sleep - it's vital for your complexion that you get enough of this wonderfully restful activity. Our skin, like all of our other organs, repairs itself while we get some shut eye overnight, so if you’re not getting enough, especially when conditions are so unfavourable, your complexion will suffer. Dark under eye circles and puffiness are usually the first concerns to arise, but you can also end up with a dull complexion, more or worse breakouts and a host of other concerns. The amount of sleep you need will vary depending on a multitude of factors but it's important that you work out what’s best for you - and then actually get enough. If you have any questions about caring for your skin this Winter - or any time of the year - please do not hesitate to reach out. Our friendly team of skin specialists are always happy to help with any skincare or beauty related questions that you may have and we love finding the best routine for each member of the Origani family. Have a beautiful day!

The Connection Between Skin And Diet   Our skin is our largest organ, and just like any other organ, it is affected by what we put into our bodies. While topical application of skincare products is certainly effective, your skin will be happiest - and healthiest - when you take a more holistic approach to caring for it. Which leads us to today’s topic: the connection between skin and diet.  Because our skincare lines are crafted from natural and organic ingredients, we’ve picked up a fair amount of knowledge about the heroes that we include in our treatments and today we’ll be sharing some of our favourite information with you so you can tailor your own skin clearing diet.  But before we jump into it, we need to discuss two things: Firstly, although our focus in this blog will be on helping you achieve clear skin, we prefer to look at our recommendations as more of a skin nourishing diet. This is because, although the foods we’ll be exploring can help with acne and any associated issues, they also have wider benefits and we want to celebrate these natural beauties for everything they can do for you.  Secondly, the most important ingredient in any skin clearing diet is, and always will be, water. All of our organs require adequate hydration to function at their best, and our skin is no exception. Dehydration can cause a whole host of issues to arise and your skin will have no problem telling you that it isn’t getting enough of what it needs - it does reflect how we are internally after all. You’ll often hear us talking about how our products can help hydrate your skin, but if you’re not drinking enough water, this topical boost may not be enough to keep your skin balanced - no matter how consistently you apply your serum or moisturiser. As a general rule, it is recommended that an adult human consume a minimum of eight glasses (two litres) of water a day but unless you’re going really over the top, there’s no such thing as too much water.    What Is A Skin Clearing Diet? You’ll hear the words skin clearing diet thrown around a lot, but when asked to explain the concept, many will simply respond, well, it’s a diet that clears skin. While this is obviously the end goal of this form of eating, it doesn’t really tell you what you need to consume, or where you need to start. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be defining a skin clearing diet as a lifestyle which is rich in ingredients, foods and practices that assist in maintaining balance in regards to both nutrients and skin. Please be aware, our choice of words here is no accident, for any kind of diet to be effective long term, you need to make sustainable, on-going changes. The suggestions we will be making in this article are not restrictive and they are designed to be integrated into a generally healthy lifestyle for best results.    What Foods Should I Be Eating To Help Clear My Skin? Your skin reflects everything that you put into your body so a generally healthy diet will always be beneficial. Keeping hydrated, eating plenty of fruits and veggies and limiting your “junk” food consumption will all be helpful, but you don’t have to go on a super restrictive diet to help your skin thrive. All of the foods and ingredients listed in this section absolutely adore your skin and adding them to your diet can certainly help with clearing up your complexion. Berries Berries are naturally high in skin loving antioxidants so they’re the ideal food to get more of if you’re looking to clear up your skin - especially since they’re so versatile. Antioxidants offer great anti-inflammatory benefits and they’re perfect for fighting off free radicals and other nasties that are damaging to our bodies and skin. Plus, they’re super easy to find - the brighter your food’s colour, the more antioxidants it has! We suggest munching on your berries fresh, turning them into a delicious smoothie like this vegan super shake that the wonderful Tal has been kind enough to share the recipe for, or even pureeing them into a jam or sauce for your other treats. Salmon Rich in both Omega-3 fatty acids which help your skin retain moisture and bring anti-inflammatory benefits, and Vitamin E which is great for supporting your skin’s natural barrier as well as the general promotion of skin health, Salmon is a delicious and healthy protein option for those looking to clear up their skin. In fact, it’s even been referred to as a skin superfood thanks to the support it provides for your complexion. Oh, and don’t feel bad about eating the skin, it’s full of high concentrations of nutrients, can be made deliciously crispy and salmon fillets have “good” fats so you don’t need to worry about that.  Potatoes Bet you weren’t expecting to see these guys in a skin clearing diet! Potatoes, however, are a wonderful source of Vitamin C and we wanted to give you something a little different to what’s normally presented. Vitamin C can help heal damaged skin, provide protection for your cells and reduce inflammation so you’re onto a winner with these tasty, and versatile veggies. Plus, good old Vitamin C can also assist in boosting the radiance of your complexion meaning it can help you achieve brighter, as well as clearer, skin. Potatoes also contain a whole host of other vitamins and nutrients that are essential for our overall health and are even a great source of antioxidants.  Greek Yoghurt Greek Yoghurt is full of helpful probiotics and can be wonderful for assisting in skin detox. It also provides our bodies with healthy amounts of both zinc and lactic acid and is a great way to boost your protein intake if you have a plant based diet.  Avocado Full of good fats including monounsaturated fatty acids, Avocado provides a healthy serving of Vitamins B, C and E as well a decent portion of magnesium. This superfood can assist in boosting and maintaining moisture while also providing anti-inflammatory benefits and helping to fight off signs of aging. Everybody wins! Fun Tip: Lightly fry a salmon fillet in avocado oil and serve it with a baked potato topped with greek yoghurt to get four skin loving foods in one meal! Dark Chocolate Although often considered a “naughty” food, dark chocolate is surprisingly healthy and can actually be wonderful for your skin. This tasty treat contains a decent amount of zinc (which has been shown to be effective at assisting with the prevention and treatment of acne) as well as antioxidants for protection, manganese to help improve nutrient absorption and, thanks to its mood boosting properties, it can also help prevent the breakdown of collagen.  Green Tea Known best for the amazing amount of antioxidants contained within a brew, Green Tea actually offers a whole collection of other benefits for our skin and body. It features wonderful skin repairing properties, for example, and can also aid in boosting and maintaining hydration. Plus, catechin lends anti-inflammatory properties to this hot drink making it a fabulous all rounder.     Any Other Diet Tips? Try to keep the majority of your diet to foods which have a low glycemic index (GI). High GI foods create a sugar high in your bloodstream which is great for an instant energy boost, but not so fabulous for your complexion (or your overall health). Sugar spikes have been linked to increased sebum production (the oil that our skin naturally produces) as they make your body speed up the rate at which it produces insulin - in other words, sugary things = inflammation, breakouts and sadness when you crash from that sugar high. Low GI foods, however, provide a slower, more sustainable energy release, won’t give you that crashing feeling and do not cause spikes to blood sugar.   What Skincare Should I Pair With My Skin Clearing Diet? Dermassure is our specialised range for oily, problematic, sensitive and breakout prone skin. Designed to assist in clearing and calming skin, the Dermassure range features everything you need to create a basic skincare routine.  Start your routine off with our Dermassure Clear & Calm Toning Cleanser to purify, reduce congestion, soothe and tone in a single step.  Follow with our Dermassure Clear & Calm Flaxy Balance Serum to help control excessive oil production, assist in clearing breakouts and reduce irritation & redness. Then complete the process with our Dermassure Clear & Calm Matte Comfort Moisturiser to refine the appearance of pores, mattify the complexion, and, of course, moisturise and hydrate.   Is There Anything Else I Should Know? While your diet and skincare routine are two major factors in how your skin looks and feels, they’re not the only aspects that can have an impact. Your workout regime, hormones, self-care practices, environment and more can all affect the health of your largest organ, so don’t forget to look at the big picture and take a holistic approach. To level up your routine, use our Dermassure Clear & Calm Pore Refining Mask weekly to balance, refresh, clear and nurture blemished or stressed skin.

We all know that working out is great for our health overall, so it makes sense therefore, that our largest organ, our skin, would also benefit from getting our blood flowing. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things we need to be careful of. Today we’ll be exploring why your skin loves the way you move as well as some things you need to be wary of while working out and our top three tips for preventing the post-workout breakout blues. Plus, we’ve worked out the perfect, post-workout skincare routine and laid it out for you at the end of this article. Top Ten Benefits Of Working Out For Your Skin: Help Detox Apart from our liver, our skin is the organ most responsible for the expulsion of toxins and other nasties from our bodies. These are flushed out when we sweat so working out is one of the best ways to help detox and release free radicals, pollutants and grossness. By removing these toxins from our bodies we improve our overall health and wellbeing but the great thing for our skin is that sweating these nasties out also pushes out dirt and bacteria that have gotten caught in our pores. This means that those who exercise regularly are less likely to encounter skin concerns, such as breakouts, that stem from pollution finding its way into their pores. You just need to be careful to remove the results of your detox from your skin as soon as possible after a workout or they may settle back into your skin and cause issues.  Reduce Inflammation Now depending on how you work out, this one could be a double edged sword as the wrong kind of exercise for your body can actually cause inflammation. But, if you match your gym routine with some stretching or yoga and focus on workout activities that are suited to your current fitness level, exercise can actually help reduce inflammation. This is great for your skin because when it isn’t busy being inflamed and trying to heal said inflammation, it can focus on repairing itself and keeping cells strong and healthy. This, in turn, can provide great anti-aging benefits, helping you keep that youthful appearance for longer.  Post-Workout Glow No, you’re not imagining that post workout glow. Because raising your heart rate also gets your blood pumping, the increased circulation helps you glow up from the inside out. Not only do you get the immediately visible results of a brighter complexion, you’ll also be helping your cells take care of themselves and regenerate which results in a much happier, healthier complexion over time.  Improved Sense Of Wellbeing Because exercise both boosts our happy brain chemicals (like dopamine) and helps us release stress ones (like cortisol), it can lead to an increased sense of wellbeing. This is great for our skin because stress is known for attacking skin cells meaning that we will experience skin concerns more often (and more severely) when we’re constantly under pressure. Plus, when we feel better, we look better so your complexion will thank you in more ways than one. Carry Nutrients Around The Body When we live sedentary lifestyles, nutrients can be hoarded by vital organs meaning our skin and extremities can often feel a little left out when all the good stuff is being passed around. By getting everything moving, you help deliver nutrients to where they’re needed most at any given time and ensure that all the goodness you’re putting into your body can actually do its job. This, in turn, boosts our skin health as well as our overall physical wellbeing. Increase Confidence  Working out is a great way to increase your confidence and when you feel better, you look better, literally. When we feel confident, our brains release more happy chemicals and we experience less stress, this translates to happier, healthier skin as our cells are able to focus on repairing, renewing and protecting themselves.  Sleep Better  Like any other part of our body, our largest organ requires a good night’s rest to function at its best. Working out helps us to get to sleep more easily and improves the quality, length and restfulness of our shut eye. It can also reduce our stress levels, boost endorphins and even assist anxiety sufferers in finding relief. These benefits, in turn, help our skin repair itself overnight and boosts its ability to protect us, and itself, from external toxins, pollutants and free radicals. This leads to better health overall as our skin is our main defence against the outside world. Timing your workout schedule to align with your chronotype will be particularly beneficial both for performance during your workout, and achieving those sweet dreams and benefits so make sure you give this quiz a go before you start overhauling your schedule.  Toner, Younger Appearance Because working out tones your muscles, it also results in a toner appearance. This is great for those fighting off the signs of aging as skin that sits over toned muscles will always look firmer and less wrinkled than skin that is permitted to just do whatever it wants.  Healthy Habits Breed Other Healthy Habits Another great way that working out can benefit your skin is how healthy habits breed other healthy habits. By investing the time and energy it takes to maintain a proper exercise routine, you’ll be training your brain to stick to programs that are beneficial for your body. This means that keeping on top of your skincare after your workout will become second nature very easily, and as you build, improve or expand healthy habits in other aspects of your life, they’ll become easier to implement and stick to.  *May* Boost Collagen Production Some studies have also shown that working out can help boost collagen production, although the jury is still out on this one. Five Things You Need To Be Careful Of When Working Out: Just because working out is great for our physical and mental wellbeing and can have fabulous benefits for our skin doesn’t mean that everything is sunshine and roses. There are some things that you need to be aware of before implementing your new workout routine and we’ve listed five of the most common issues below: Clogged Pores And/Or Ance When we work up a sweat we expel toxins and other nasties from our bodies through our skin. As noted above, this is a great way to give our body’s natural detox processes a helping hand, but if you’re not careful, all of your hard work can easily be undone. Anything that is left on our skin will eventually be absorbed to some degree, and what we’ve sweated out is no exception. When these pollutants are absorbed back into our systems, they can clog our pores and cause acne or nasty breakouts. This is the most commonly noted concern from our skin conscious gym friends, so we’ve put together a section further down this blog with our top three tips for preventing post-workout acne.   Sun Damage Working out in and of itself obviously cannot cause sun damage, but if you’re exercising outside, the risk is always there. To help minimise your exposure, we recommend only working out in outdoor areas when UV levels are lower (the time of day for this will vary depending on your location) and always making use of a high quality SPF product.  Irritation Due to increased friction and body temperature, some individuals may experience skin irritation when working out. If this is a persistent issue for you, we recommend switching up the type of exercise that you are doing and consulting a medical professional if required.  Chafing Thick thighs may save lives but they’re unfortunately also super prone to chafing. To help prevent this nasty little skin concern, we suggest wearing lightweight, breathable materials when working out and always following your workout session with some good old-fashioned pampering with your favourite body butter.  Skin Conditions Could Temporarily Worsen Some skin conditions, such as eczema and rosacea, may temporarily worsen following an intense workout session. We suggest managing these conditions as directed by a qualified medical professional and keeping on top of your general skincare routine to help keep these conditions under control. The good news is that some studies have shown that having a consistent workout routine can actually help decrease the severity of some skin conditions over time so, as long as your doctor has told you it is safe to do so, you can consider this temporary worsening as simply short term pain for long term gain and continue training however makes you happiest.  Our Top Three Tips For Preventing The Post-Workout Breakout Blues: Shower ASAP We get that it isn’t always practical to shower straight after a gym session but the sooner you can get clean, the better. Showering ASAP helps prevent the toxins and free radicals you’ve just sweat out from getting back into your body and greatly reduces the chances of your pores getting clogged up and breaking out. If you’re not sure what kind of love your skin needs after a workout, we’ve put together a nifty little guide in the next section of this blog for your convenience.  Don’t Wear Makeup* Makeup is a great way to express ourselves and help us boost confidence if we’re not 100% loving the skin we woke up with on any given morning, but that doesn’t mean it needs to come everywhere with us. Hitting the gym with nearly any type of makeup on is a recipe for breakout city later on so do your skin a favour and cleanse before you get started. *If you want to wear a full face to the gym, it would be wise to consider switching your cosmetics out for mineral makeup. As mineral cosmetics are non-comedogenic they won’t clog up pores no matter how hard you’re sweating and they’re fairly workout proof as well. Plus, mineral makeup can also provide skincare benefits so you’ll be winning on two fronts.  Bring A Change Of Clothes Change. Out. Of. Your. Workout. Gear. When. You. Finish. Your. Session. We cannot stress this enough. Staying in sweaty gear post-workout is one of the best ways to breed acne causing bacteria and clog up pores, so if you’re experiencing body breakouts, your sports bra or leggings could be the culprit. Plus, it’s just generally uncomfortable to go about your day in wet, sticky clothing so why put yourself through that? The Perfect Post-Workout Skincare Routine: For Your Face: Step One: Cleanse - You want to get all of the toxins and free radicals that you’ve expelled off of your skin as soon as possible. Plus, sweat that’s left to sit on skin can cause a shiny appearance and uncomfortable texture. Our Dermassure Clear & Calm Toning Cleanser is perfect for this step as it gently cleanses while removing excess oil that may have been produced during your workout. Step Two: Treat - Now that you’ve cleansed any nastiness out of your skin, it’s time to show it some love and give it what it wants and needs to thrive.  Your main goals at this point will be to rebalance and hydrate your complexion so we suggest using our Dermassure Clear & Calm Flaxy Balance Serum paired with our Erda Firming Serum Concentrate. As suggested by the name, our Dermassure serum will help balance your skin’s levels out and our Erda Firming Serum provides firming, anti-aging benefits with a sneaky hit of super hydration. This is also the stage at which you want to apply your eye treatment. Our favourite is the Immortajell Wrinkle Diffusing Eye Cream but if you’re after something a little more lightweight, our Erda Eye Gel Concentrate will give your sensitive eye area some love and work to fight off dark circles and puffiness.  Step Three: Moisturise - Even those with an oily skin type need to moisturise, and this step is particularly important for anyone after exercise. Because our skin has been working hard to expel toxins and impurities while we were exercising, we want to give it some vital nutrients at this stage as it will be hoping for some love and can also best absorb any products applied at this point. Our fabulous new gel cream moisturiser, OzFraiche, is the ideal hydrating and soothing solution for most skin types. Those with particularly oily skin should reach for our Dermassure Clear & Calm Matte Comfort Moisturiser and those who are prone to dryness will benefit from our Immortajell Wrinkle Diffusing Cream. For Your Body: It is just as important to cleanse the skin on your body post-workout as it is to cleanse your face. That’s why our Cranberry Face & Body Cleansing Bar is such a wonderful addition to your routine. Specially designed to cleanse, balance, hydrate and nourish without upsetting your skin’s natural pH levels, this delicious cranberry soap is the perfect way to refresh after working up a sweat. It is also important to give your body a little extra love after an intense session and our Pure Tranquility Whipped Body Butter is here to help with exactly that. Full of delicious goodness such as Shea and Cocoa Butters and deeply nourishing Coconut, Wheat Germ and Jojoba oils, this gorgeous butter can help your skin bounce back happier than ever, even after the most strenuous workout.  Optional Extras To Help You Glow: While the steps outlined above are essentially just standard housekeeping and should be done daily to keep your skin in optimal condition, the options below are designed to take your skincare routine to the next level and should be completed as noted in each section: Exfoliate - While you were working up a sweat, there’s a good chance that you also dislodged some dead skin cells (working out is great for helping our skin renew itself after all) so it’s important that you exfoliate once to twice a week while working out. As long as they aren’t too close together, we suggest incorporating this step on your two most intensive days of the week. For this step, you can use either our cult favourite, best selling Manuka Honey Peel or our gorgeous at home spa treatment, the Erda Activating Thermal Peel Collection. You can also give your body a nice refresh with our Summer Lychee Exfoliating Salt Scrub which can be used once or twice a week. We suggest lining the days that you use your salt scrub up with the days that you also exfoliate your face for the ultimate pampering experience.  Love Your Lips - It’s easy for our lips to be overlooked when doing our post-workout skincare but they need just as much care as any other part of our body. To help you glow all over, we suggest adding a touch of our Manuka Honey Lip Balm so your lips can feel the love too. Mask Up - Don’t worry, we’re not talking about the type of mask that we all had to run around wearing last year, we’re talking about our wonderful facial treatment masks. The Dermassure Clear & Calm Pore Refining Mask is great for giving your skin that extra deep clean after an intense workout and our Immortajell Wrinkle Diffusing Mask will give your skin a fantastic hydration boost. Just remember not to do your mask on the same day that you exfoliate if you’re using a cleansing mask as you don’t want to irritate your skin. Nourish Deeply - Finally, if you want to show your skin some major pampering and love, our Green Caviar Super Natural Butter makes a great overnight treatment. Those who aren’t focused on combating the signs of aging just yet can use this magical moisturiser as a weekly overnight mask for the ultimate nourishing, hydrating and strengthening treatment.  So there you have it, the good, the bad and the dirty effects that working out can have on your skin. Plus, your perfect post-workout skincare routine and our top tips for avoiding breakout blues. Let us know your thoughts on this blog and share your favourite workout ideas in the comments and we’ll see you next time!