Tuesday, 21 June marks the Winter Solstice for 2022. During the Winter Solstice, the sun travels the shortest path through the sky resulting in the day of the year with the least sunlight and therefore, the longest night.

While this might mean longer dark hours, don’t fret! This is the perfect opportunity to settle in and hibernate at home. There are many ways to turn your home into a cosy sanctuary, whether it’s filling your space with dreamy aromas, running a steamy bath to wind down or treating yourself to a home spa day, here are a few ways to mark the occasion and indulge yourself.

Home spa night

Research shows that our brains are impacted by the level of sun exposure we get. In winter, and particularly around the darkest periods like the Solstice, our serotonin levels are more likely to drop due to less time basking in the sun. Treat your body and soul to a much-needed recharge with a home spa night this Winter Solstice.

If you are lucky enough to have a bath in your home, now is the time to make the most of it. A restful dip in warm water is just the thing to pass the time. Spa Relaxing Magnesium & Mineral Bath Salts not only provides soothing aromatics, but the salts also work to ease tension and loosen the muscles after a long day.

To provide further aromatherapy comfort, try diffusing some key essential oils to spread the spa beyond the bathroom.

Aromatic evening

The Ambient Essential Oil Diffuser is the perfect way evoke a sense of calm, with the gentle mist spreading your scent of choice throughout the home for up to eight hours – that’s plenty of time to reset and relax. With just a few drops of Essential Oils, feel your tension melt away. Mandarin, Bergamot and Lavender come together in our Calm Blend, which as the name suggests, is sure to provide fast relief from any mid-week stressors.

Skin solstice

Take this downtime as an opportunity to mask up and detoxify your skin. In the hustle and bustle of the work week it can be hard to find time for yourself. Make the most of the Solstice dark hours to apply a clay mask, like our Spirit Green Clay & Manuka Honey Purifying Face Mask. The Green Clay draws out congestion while honey works to heal and hydrate. Leave this on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.

Finish up your evening with an Overnight Repair Sleep Mask, to start your post-solstice day refreshed and completely regenerated. Hopefully between this luxurious evening routine, and plenty of dark hours for a restful sleep, you’ll feel brand new.

Sure, nothing beats the feeling of skin that’s been freshly massaged with our Ageless Antioxidant Rosehip Oil, but here at Natio we believe that beauty is more than skin deep.

It’s spending time with friends and family earning those well deserved smile lines. It’s creating a home that you love coming home to and taking good care of your body. It’s taking a moment to meditate when life gets too much and reaching out for a chat when you need it. 

To us, taking care of your insides is just as important as taking care of your outsides, so here are some quick tips to create a home and environment that’s happy and trust us your skin will thank you. 

Get your beauty sleep.

It turns out that getting your beauty sleep isn't just reserved for Disney Princesses.  It's a must do for your body, mind, spirit – and skin. Adequate sleep has been linked to improving blood sugar, regulating cortisol and helping your body repair itself on a cellular level. Not to mention linked to having a brighter, more glowing complexion. 

 So how can you create a home atmosphere that makes catching those Z’s easy? 

• Reduce screen time 2 hours before bed. Around dinner time you can start to turn your electronics off and have dinner with family or friends and catch up. 
• Invest in quality bed linen and a mattress that supports your back. 
• Indulge in heavenly, relaxing scents from our Home Happiness range of oils and diffusers to calm your mind and get your body ready for bed 

Actively manage your stress. 

After living through a once in a lifetime pandemic, it’s safe to say that most of us reading this can relate to feeling stressed! Whila a little bit of stress in life is unavoidable, we can do little things to destress throughout the day and take dedicated self care time to make sure we’re bringing the best we can to every day. 

Plus, when we feel stressed, we’re more likely to opt for sugary or oily food that causes breakouts, skip our skincare routines or suffer from insomnia. Here are some of our favourite ways to bring peace back into our days and create more balance. 

• Set 10 minutes aside to breathe deeply before you start work. This helps to refocus your mindset and clear any annoying thoughts. 
• Try to make lunch 2-3 times a week if you’re notorious for being the office UberEats instigator. This will help to ensure you’re being mindful about what you eat, but still giving yourself the opportunity to treat yourself! 
• Apply some of our focus on wellbeing range to your wrists to bring your focus back to the present on particularly busy days. Our "focus on stress" roll on is our favourite! 

Create your own ritual.

Whether it’s a cooking ritual or a skincare one, finding your own routine is key to bring happiness into your day. Having something to look forward to can do wonders in improving your mood, grounding you and also helping to soothe your mind and body. While there’s no right or wrong way to create a ritual, it’s important that it’s something that brings you joy and relaxes you. You can share it with someone else, such as a weekly group yoga class, or go solo such as nightly bath.

Here are some of our suggestions if you’d like to create your own ritual at home.

• Create a skincare routine to fake your glow on the weeks that are just harder than others! Start with a face wash and toner to cleanse your skin, before infusing it with natural plant based serums to rehydrate and brighten, before sealing it all with a nourishing night cream. Try our skincare finder to create your perfect routine 
• Why not get family or friends involved in a weekly cooking extravaganza!? Each week, choose a recipe that’s simple but tasty and have everyone involved in some way; from chopping to frying to plating. It’s a great way to spend some time offline and connecting with your loved ones. 
• With so many resources on the internet, it’s a great time to learn a new skill or hobby! As the weather gets colder, we have been loving experimenting with our own essential oil blends. If you’d like to try, we have put together our best tips here.

After a long week, a pampering facial can help refresh your skin, remove impurities, and improve your mental health. For many of us, however, getting to appointments at our favourite salon is difficult. By taking beauty into your own hands (literally), you'll feel fabulous and your wallet will thank you.  

Let's get your 'me time' ritual started this weekend with our recommendations.  

Start with a cleansing oil  

When using a cleanser, your skin should feel clean, comfortable, and never tight or dry. Natio's Gentle Facial Cleansing Oil is the perfect solution. This product removes makeup, leaves skin smooth and supple, and works on all skin types. 

For a deeper clean and more concentrated nourishment, we recommend double-cleansing. 

Exfoliation  

Next, let's look at Treatments Radiant Skin Exfoliating Wipes. These pre-soaked, ready-to-use biodegradable wipes work to gently dissolve away dead skin cells without abrasion. The result is a smoother skin texture and a healthy, radiant, glowing complexion. 

Mist 

When applying masks, a face mist is helpful. We love using the Rosewater Hydration Drench Mineral Face Mist at this step. It's infused with natural essential oils to help product penetration and effectiveness before masks. 
 

Clay mask 

You can experience smoother, calmer, and more balanced skin with a deep charcoal mask like the Clear Deep Detox Charcoal Mask. Its Kaolin Clay-based formula effectively removes congestion and excess oils. While Hemp Seeds balance oil production and Aloe calms redness. Let it on the skin for 10 minutes or less if your skin is sensitive. Rinse well and wipe your face with a clean cloth.  

Nourishing mask 

For those of you hoping for a five-star facial, this added step is for you. We recommend adding another mask, yes you read correctly. By adding a thick nourishing repair mask, you can add moisture back into the skin it might have lost by detoxifying with clay. Our Marine Mineral Overnight Repair Sleep Mask is an intensive mask formulated with vitamin and mineral-rich plant extracts from both land and sea, along with hydrating Hyaluronate for brighter, firmer and more refreshed skin. 

Face Oil and Cream    

Our recommendation is to apply a thick moisturiser after the above treatments, such as the Ageless Extra Firming Night Cream. 
 
Application tip: Mix 1-2 drops of our face oils face oil into your moisturiser before applying to ensure greater slip and effectiveness. The suite of face oils from face oils are vegan-friendly, made in Australia, and each one is made with natural plant oils, extracts and essential oils.  

Final step  

Don’t forget to treat and nurture your lips with a nutrient-rich lip balm. Lip balms like Paw Paw Lip Balm are perfect as they provide a silky barrier against moisture loss. 

Let us know on social media what DIY facials you do! 

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One of the decades trending lifestyle shifts has been the push to use more vegan based products. Nowadays, more and more people are making conscious decisions about what they consume and the products they use in their daily lives and of course, on their skin. 

Firstly, it’s important to recognise the difference between vegan and cruelty free. A product that is vegan does not contain any animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients. This includes ingredients such as, beeswax, lanolin, carmine, gelatin and more.  

The term cruelty free in cosmetics and skincare refers to a company’s stance whether they or a third party test their products on animals.  

What is Natio’s position on cruelty free?  

Natio is proudly cruelty free. We have never tested on animals and we never will. In 1996 we gained accreditation with Choose Cruelty Free. We believe in the ethical development of our products, ensuring no furry friends are put in harm's way.

choosecrueltyfree.org.au

Why is it important to Natio to have vegan products in the range?  

Natio has always been conscious about the ingredients selected in the product range. The ingredients for every product are carefully curated to ensure not only performance but ingredients that are natural and kind to your skin and the environment.  Whist once a niche category, the gaining popularity and demand for vegan products has provided a great opportunity to offer more products with great performance and vegan ingredients.  

Shop our vegan products here 

Get a fresh summer skin look that's all vegan  

1. After applying your Natio suncare, apply Natio Precision Tubing Mascara to lashes.  
2. For a light flush to the cheeks, using the Natio Blusher Brush apply the blush from the Natio Blush and Bronze Palette in Sunkissed focusing on the apples of the cheeks.  
3. Finish your look by applying the Antioxidant Lip Shine in Bliss to your lips for a subtle colour.  
4. Let’s not forgot your nails, apply 1-2 coats of the Nail Colour in Peony to your nails and toes and you’re ready for an Aussie summer bbq!  

After a very long make up hiatus, we were finally able to be back in the studio with our two gorgeous models Peggy & Hannah. We hope you love the 2022 Natural Australian Beauty Colour Collection as much as we enjoyed creating it.    

Armed with our favourite Australian natives and our cohesive make up collection designed to embrace and empower natural, individual beauty, we produced imagery reflecting the Australian spirit. Inspired by the radiance of our southern sky, the softly shimmering textures deliver depth and definition whilst celebrating some of Australia’s most beautiful flora.  

Below is a outline of the products used on each of the models, so if you feel inspired you can recreate the look or experiment with colour and create your own vision of natural Australian beauty. 

Peggy wears a warm, monochromatic look that reflects the beauty of our sunburnt country.  

1. Start by applying the Luminous Pearl Perfecting Primer on cleansed & moisturised skin. Follow on with your favourite Natio foundation & concealer – I used the Semi Matte Full Coverage Foundation in Vanilla and the Full Coverage Concealer in Light.  
   
   
2. Next apply the Southern Lights Blush and Bronze Duo, to the high points of the face to softly highlight.  
   
   
3. For cheeks & lips we used the Sunset Red Lip Duo. We lined the lips with Lip Liner in ‘Earth’ and followed on with Lip Colour in ‘Sienna’ – we also used the Sienna lipstick on the cheeks  - best applied with a brush to diffuse the colour.  
   
   
4. The Aurora Australis Mineral Eyeshadow Palette was used on the eye to give a pop of orange, colours outlined below.  
   
   
5. Follow on with 2 coats of the Super Long Lash Mascara from the Midnight Sky Mascara and Eyeliner Duo.  
   
   
6. Finally, give longevity to your look with the Makeup Setting Spray.  
   
   

Hannah highlights the beauty and romance of a pinky orange sunset with a touch of glimmering gold.  

1. Prime the skin and add a stunning glow with the Luminous Pearl Perfecting Primer. Follow on with your favourite Natio foundation & concealer – I used the Semi Matte Full Coverage Foundation in Golden and the Full Coverage Concealer in Dark Medium.  
   
   
2. Add that lit from within radiance to the cheeks and high points of the face with the Southern Lights Blush and Bronze Duo 
   
   
3. The golden tones from the Aurora Australis Mineral Eyeshadow Palette have been used on the eyes for a burnished gold hue – colours outlined below.  
   
   
4. Apply the black liner to the lash line and 2 coats of mascara from the Midnight Sky Mascara and Eyeliner Duo. 
   
   
5. Define brows naturally with the Daybreak Brow Duo.  
   
   
6. Give the lips a pop of colour with the Rose Dawn Lip Duo - Lip Liner Rose & Lip Colour Graceful, both used.  
   
   
7. Finally set your makeup with the Makeup Setting Spray for all day hold.  

When it comes to men’s skincare, it’s important to remember product application shouldn’t stop at the jawline or neck. The skin is the largest organ of the body, so applying vitamin, mineral and essential oil-enriched products across the chest, shoulders, arms and hands can have great benefits year-round.  

Read on for a few tips on how men can nourish their skin using Natio bodycare that is effective, fuss-free and brimming with goodness.  

For the neck and chest 

An SPF moisturiser is the number one product you need in your bathroom cabinet to prevent sun damage and ageing.  When applying moisturiser to your face, ensure you carry it down onto the neck (front and back), ears and top of the chest – especially if your day takes you into the outdoors. For this area, you can use any daily face moisturiser with a very high SPF. Try Natio for Men SPF 50+ Face or the unisex, award-winning Daily Defence SPF 50+ Face Moisturiser.  

Keep it smooth and soft  

Man or woman, we all desire soft, smooth healthy skin - especially on the arms and shoulders.  Regular exfoliation will help to remove dead skin and product build-up on the body, revealing the perfectly supple skin beneath. It only takes a few extra minutes in your routine once or twice a week and the results are worth it.  

For a dry-style scrub that is massaged into damp skin, try the Spirit Desert Lime and Coffee Salt Scrub. Enriched with the potent goodness of native Desert Lime plus natural Salt and Coffee granules, this scrub brightens and protects skin while leaving you with a zingy, uplifting fragrance that has to be smelled to be believed.  

 TIP: also use the scrub on your hands and feet to help smooth any rough skin in these areas.  

Spa Papaya and Cane Sugar Gentle Body Exfoliant: this microbead-free formula uses both fruit enzymes and natural exfoliating granules to slough away dead skin. It’s incredibly easy to use in the shower: simply work into the body in circular movements then rinse off.  

The natural oils in this scrub have an added benefit – they moisturise the skin, leaving it feeling nourished and smooth once you dry off.  

For hard-working hands 

A complete bodycare routine doesn’t ignore the hands. Especially if they are dry, rough or calloused. Whenever skin needs it, simply apply a small amount of Spirit Hemp & Muntrie Hardworking Hand Cream onto hands and rub into the front, back and forearms, including knuckles, fingertips and nails.  

While the product is fragrance free, it is also packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory naturals including native Muntrie, Lilly Pilly and Hemp Seed, to moisturise and soothe hard-working hands.  

Sun protection for the entire body 

Whether you’re hitting the beach, off to work or out on the bike – skin should be protected from the sun anytime you head into the great outdoors. No ifs, ands or buts.  

Natio has a great range of SPF 50+ sunscreens for the body that moisturise while offering very high UVA/UVB sun protection, so you know your skin will be protected and nourished at the same time.  

For an easy-to-apply formula, try the Moisturising Sun Spray SPF 50+ in a spray bottle. The nozzle makes this ultra light sun lotion both convenient and quick to apply. Also available in a 100ml tube, 200ml bottle or 500ml family-sized pump pack.  

Cool down and cool off 

If you spend a little too long in the sun and skin is uncomfortably red and hot, try the unisex Spirit Tassie Kelp and Aloe Cooling Soothing Gel.  With Aloe, Tassie Sea Kelp and native Saltbush, skin will be calmed and soothed, the Australian way.  

Our tip? Keep it in the fridge for extra relief. Future you will be glad you did.  

Whether it’s a day in the yard or a swim at the beach, the festive season generally means most Australian men are out in the elements, making the most of the summer sun. However, as we know, the Australian sun can be amongst the harshest on the planet, making a few hours of recreational activities a regrettable endeavor for those who march out of the house under prepared.

These days, the modern man tends to want to know he’s protected from the sun but not lathered in heavy lotions. This is why Natio’s non-greasy, lightweight and high protection SPF 50+ Facial Sunscreen has proven to be a best seller each and every year. It quickly absorbs into the skin without an oily residue and give you confidence to step outside knowing you’re covered.

While some men have developed a routine to protect their skin from harmful UV rays, the fact remains that many still don’t always think to slip slop slap as much as they should. So, if the man in your house is searching for a fuss-free, head-to-toe men’s skincare range that won’t break the bank, yet will keep him well-groomed and sun-protected over summer, then Natio has him covered. Our Men’s range is affordable and easy-to-use, leaving more time in the day for what’s important.

Featuring products that cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise, with deodorants and suncare - his side of the bathroom will be brimming with great selections.

Or, if you can’t think of what to get the man of your dreams this year, why not pick up one of our Christmas Packs?! From products to soothe hardworking hands, to native scrubs, with formulations filled with anti-ageing ingredients, you too will enjoy the perks of seeing his skin glow, whilst helping protect him from the elements.

We all know blokes sometimes overlook their personal grooming, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Even with a much-needed holiday or a few days on the road this festive season, our handy travel packs will ensure all his skincare essentials make it in the suitcase!

So, if you’re thinking your handsome hubby or partner could do with some pampering this summer, whilst helping keep him safe from the sun’s harmful rays, then take a look at the award winning products within the Natio mens range as there’s something for every summer occasion.

Summer brings to mind images of lying on the beach soaking up the sunshine (with sunscreen on, of course!), wearing breezy clothing, applying light coverage foundation, and letting your radiant summer complexion glow. Right? 

This is unfortunately not the reality for everyone. The fact is: summer weather causes us to sweat. Sweat can then clog pores and cause breakouts. 

To help with these seasonal flare-ups, we have provided our top 5 tips to help keep your blemishes at bay.  

1. Keep it clean 

During the party season, our skin is exposed to more humidity, air conditioning, makeup, and sunscreen. It is important to rinse away excess oil and pore-clogging impurities with a gentle cleanser in the morning, before bedtime, and after heavy exercise. Adding our Clear Oil Control Foam Cleanser can help combat this problem.  

Brimming with natural actives, the oil-free formulation uses Hemp Seed to help balance oil production and reduce shine. Witch Hazel and Willow Bark help remove impurities, naturally exfoliate skin and prevent future breakouts. 90% of people saw noticeably reduces redness and minimizes pores*.  

2. Nourish your body 

Eating a balanced diet loaded with antioxidants from fruits and vegetables can help keep the skin supple and nourished. It is also important to drink enough water throughout the day, especially in summer when our bodies are losing more water than normal. Drinking the recommended 3L per day will help aid in the digestion and absorption of food, keeping our skin smooth and soft.  

3. Resist the urge to pop  

Popping pimples can push infected material further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness, and even scarring. But resisting the urge to pop pimples is easier with pimple patches or a spot treatment. Our Quick Fix Spot Treatment can be applied directly onto spots and blemishes. Formulated with botanical actives including Licorice Root, Witch Hazel and Salicylic Acid, the treatment rapidly helps to balance oil production and dissolve surface impurities to gently neutralise breakouts. 95% of people saw a noticeable reduction in redness*.  

4. Moisturiser  

Daily moisturising is a fundamental part of your skincare routine for maintaining and protecting skin moisture levels. It is also helpful for acne-prone skin, since once the skin becomes dehydrated, the body produces more oil, further clogging pores. 

Summer is a good time to move away from your thick winter moisturisers to something more lightweight. Our Clear Urban Defense Moisturiser is a multitasking must-have. Helping to defend skin against sun damage, dehydration and excess shine, this oil-free daily moisturiser with SPF 15 is perfect for the summer season. Formulated with Willow Bark to clear pores, Hemp Seed to balance oil and Aloe to cool and hydrate, skin is nourished and shine-free. 

5. Mask your way to calmer skin 

Mask your way to smoother, calmer and more balanced skin. Our Clear Deep Detox Charcoal Mask is deeply detoxifying, the Kaolin Clay-based formulation with Charcoal effectively draws away congestion and excess oil. Hemp Seed helps to balance oil production and Aloe calms redness. Skin is left feeling clearer, smoother and hydrated. 

To get you started on your skin journey, you can try the Natio Clear starter pack range. Natio Clear is for oily and problem skin, formulated specifically to help manage shine and targets breakouts or acne when they occur. This range of Australian-made, vegan-friendly skin solutions includes ingredients known to naturally assist with the effects of acne in teens and adults, for healthy clear skin that glows with health. 

The 90’s, a true juxtaposition in music and fashion. Whatever your style, you could find it splashed across the glossy mags of Cosmopolitan, Dolly and Women’s Weekly.     

TLC fans were rocking baggy jeans and tube tops, shimmering pastel eye shadows and frosted lips. Your foundation mostly likely did not match your skin tone, but it was a vibe.  

The grunge fans smelt like teen spirit with a touch of Dewberry Perfume Oil. Teenage angst was at an all time high and brow hair was at an all time low. Brown lipstick, thin brows, an over powdered complexion and chocker chains adorned the necks of 90’s youth. Then there were lip lacquers, body glitter, bronzing beads, bath beads, glitter hairspray and Impulse Body Spray…ahhh the glory days!  

So whilst we can put down the tweezers and forget about the Yellow Pages, the 90’s are officially back… with some slight improvements.  

Monochromatic make up looks, barely there beauty, over lined lips, Smokey eyes with nude lips and brick coloured lips that perfectly match your earthy toned outfits, are all back with a vengeance. A classic red lip with a bare face never goes out of style. So lets take a look at some of Natio’s 90’s inspired make up looks and how we have taken the best parts of the 90’s and bought them into the 21st century. These are the trends of 2022…  

The monochromatic make up look with a brick lip

Natio lip colour in Sienna

Smokey eyes with nude lips 

Natio naturally nude lip colour in Chai

 A classic red lip with a bare face 

 Natio lip colour in Crimson