How to read a native-ingredient label
A field guide to INCI lists, cameo percentages and the difference between a harvest and a mood board. Take it to the chemist with you.
Tom Adebayo · 12 min read
What actually grows here
Native Botanicals
A field guide to Australian natives used in skincare: what they do, what the evidence says, and how to tell a real inclusion from a marketing leaf on the box.
Quandong, desert lime and forgotten natives
Beyond Kakadu plum and tea tree sits a cupboard of fruit with real chemistry and thinner evidence. How to meet them without collecting a cartoon bush.
Tom Adebayo · 11 min read
Macadamia oil and the lipid barrier
Macadamia is the rare native ingredient that behaves like a moisturiser rather than a myth. How it sits on Australian skin, and when it is just salad.
Tom Adebayo · 11 min read
Lemon myrtle, eucalyptus and the Australian scent
The old eshu range smelled of eucalyptus, citrus and mint, then got out of the way. How to wear native scent without fighting your cologne or your colleagues.
Tom Adebayo · 11 min read
Tea tree oil without the folklore
Melaleuca alternifolia is a useful antiseptic with a talent for irritation. Dilute it, stop treating it as a personality, and know when a GP beats a vial.
Tom Adebayo · 11 min read
Kakadu plum: what the science actually says
Terminalia ferdinandiana is a genuine antioxidant fruit with a supply chain and a lot of adjectives. Separate the vitamin C numbers from the miracle.
Tom Adebayo · 12 min read