Caroline Diamantis – Pharmacist and Buyer at Balmain Community Pharmacy
“At our Community Pharmacy, our focus is Always on Total Wellness. Beauty must look good and feel good and BE Good for you both inside and out. Australia has been surveyed to be the third largest consumer in the world for vegan products, and so some of my products are inspired by this upcoming trend.
Biokap Vegan Hair Colour – Regular hair colour becomes part of the monthly routine for women of a certain age needing to cover the greys. I’m so excited to be stocking a brand new Vegan range of hair dyes. Made in Italy, Biokap is nourishing, colouring and repairing with bio argan oil and Tricorepair complex. It’s free from PDD (Para-Phenylenediamine), making it suitable for vegans. Ammonia free, nickel tested, and dermatologically tested, giving 100% grey coverage. And the best news in our busy world is only a ten-minute developing time – this one is going to be big.
Biokap Vegan Root Touch-up – Biokap complements its colour range with an amazing in-between touch-up spray to cover the grey re-growth. Also vegan, with Tricorepair and argan oil, it gives an instant natural and uniform instant colour touch-up. It dries in under a minute, will not stain and washes out after one shampoo. There are six colours in the range designed to match any hair colour.
Natio – Well known as a health and beauty brand with affordable products made from luxury ingredients, Natio products never disappoint. I’m super excited to be using their new shampoo and conditioner ranges. This unique haircare range is made in Australia and combines thrilling Australian bush scents from native Australian plants with nourishing plant extracts to deliver high tech formulas for beautiful healthy hair. With nine products, they’ve got everyone covered including our gorgeous Fur Babies – luxurious Pet shampoo which won’t irritate animal’s skin
Clarins – My favourite go-to for all makeup and skincare – being plant-based is kind to us and kind to the planet. Clarins’ new mascara, Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D is just that – perfect! Made with Rose Wax it’s gentle on those sensitive lashes while delivering on natural. It increases both Volume and Length of bare lashes just after four weeks. Who knew we could be growing our lashes just by applying our daily mascara?!
Moo Goo – A household name, this Australian Company prides itself on providing Natural Solutions for ALL skin concerns. Clicking to their website I am always amazed how down-to-earth their policy is – they name all the bad ingredients they don’t include, as well as the good stuff they do. And most importantly, they do not (ever) test on animals. Look out for their Mother-to-be Starter Kit with their special Baby Scalp Cream, Soothing MSM Moisturiser (an organic skin soothing compound), a Natural Mini-Moo Bubbly Wash, and a Nappy Balm Barrier cream to prevent irritated baby nappy skin.
Formula 10.06 – With so many masks on the market, I can’t seem to move past my favourite range of troubled or acne skin products Formula 10.06. With a comprehensive range of cleansers, washes and acne creams, this range was created by a chemist in 1933 and excels at perfecting troubled young skin. My go-to in this range (for all ages) is the draw-it-all-out skin-detoxing peel mask with Charcoal and Plum.
La Roche-Posay – In my book, sunscreen is a mandatory daily skin essential so it must be easy to wear and blend under make-up with no fuss. My go-to is made by a leading French Dermatological Company- La Roche Posay and is called Anthelios XL 50+ … a mouthful to say, I can guarantee you’ll be wrapped with this fragrance free, paraben free, ultra-light very high protection sunscreen 50+ made with thermal spring water.
Dexeryl – Australian skin suffers more than other countries due to extreme elements and our outdoor lifestyle. Dexeryl is a new emollient, dry-skin cream which provides skin protection for the treatment of signs and symptoms of skin dryness (xerosis) especially in various skin diseases such as dermatitis. Backed by the heritage and R&D of parent company Pierre Fabre (Avène and Klorane). I personally apply daily, especially in the winter months when my skin is super dry. You don’t need to have dermatitis to enjoy the emollient benefits of this rich and luxurious cream.
Wot-Not – Australian made, certified organic and vegan (unless noted), biodegradable, gluten free and not tested on animals – for pharmacists, this ticks every box in keeping our bodies well and healthy inside and out. Self-tanners often contain harmful ingredients including dyes, perfumes, alcohols, parabens, etc which cause reactions and hormonal disruptions. WOTNOT organic self-tan contains Kakadu Plum and Camellia Oil providing antioxidants and nutrients assisting colour development, while organic aloe moisturises and sooths. I love the natural aspect of what is normally a traumatic experience for our skin.
Bio-Revive – Standing on your feet all day or participating in an active lifestyle can often lead to hard and sometimes painful skin on the bottom of our feet. Milky Foot Intense Exfoliating Foot Pad distributed by BioRevive is a miracle solution which is as easy as wearing the brand’s specially impregnated contoured fitted socks for up to 60 minutes. The low irritant formula with almond based mandelic acid works gently to start removing the hardened skin over the next three to seven days leaving smooth milky soft feet behind. It’s just heavenly and so easy.