With the costs of Christmas and the holiday season looming large, look no further than your nearest supermarket or pharmacy to stock up on some smart Kiwi skincare buys that will carry you through peak summer with minimum fuss.
If you’re a brand-conscious buyer, you could be surprised to find that shopping in a budget-conscious manner can deliver more than you expect.
There's a strong showing of locally made and natural or near-to products on offer and while these may not be the cheapest items on the shelves, they're competitively priced.
Brands including Ecostore, Essano and Skinfood are exporters with good reason, they are charting an innovative course in the mass market, at the forefront of trends for conscious consumers.
While we reckon your everyday needs can easily be filled economically, if it’s stressful just thinking of switching routines in this busy season, then don’t.
Instead seek out a travel kit of your favourite products so many brands are doing them or decant the essentials so you’re not lugging loads of big bottles.
It’s amazing how little you can get away with when the sun is smiling on you.
1. Las Bayadas striped blanket $75
This extra large, light and soft beach blanket, made partly from recycled cotton and in four stripe combinations, is imported by Made in Mexico. It's the perfect beach cover-up (as seen in our model shot) or throw down. When summer is done, repurpose your blanket at home as a colourful table cloth or bed topper.
2. Essano Superfoods Cinnamon Purifying Gel Cleanser $16
With good everyday body and hair ranges drawing on coconut and argan oil, Essano has now branched out with its facial care into superfood ingredients. Cinnamon is used in a gentle soap-free formula to help feed your skin and deliver a daily detox. Follow with the rebalancing Kale Moisturiser or revitalising Turmeric Illuminating Face Oil. Essano's rosehip-infused wipes are an even easier cleansing option, just dispose of them responsibly.
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3. Goodness Be Cool Mist Toner $15
This doubles as an anytime spritz and makeup setter as well as a post-cleanse rebalancer laced with antioxidants. It's calming to skin thanks to aloe vera juice and coconut water, and like a refreshing green juice contains extracts of cucumber and celery.
4. Glow Lab Facial Oil $23
This brand started with hand and body washes and lotions with a luxe look that were soon snapped up by savvy supermarket shoppers. It has now branched out to face care. This oil blend of pracaxi (Amazonian conditioning oil), jojoba, marula and avocado will up skin's hydration levels and nourish with vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Like all good plant oils, it can be used in myriad ways.
5. Skinfood Kiwifruit & Tangerine Repairing Sheet Mask $7
Lie back and enjoy a 15-minute infusion from an easy-to-pack sheet mask. This one is made of bamboo and includes botanical extracts designed to brighten skin. There's also a hydrating cucumber and coconut version and pomegranate and peach to help rejuvenate. For the body, Skinfood does a rich, fruity body cream and even richer body butter.
6. Ruby Bam Bam scrunchie $19
Keep the frizz from flying by securing your beachy hair with this cute gingham elastic. Before you head out, throw in a leave-in conditioner or mask to ensure that when you untie it, your hair is sleek and tamed.
7. Bees Brilliance Super Fruity Lip Rescue $13
With its soft pink shade, this balm flatters as it moisturises. Bonuses are the lip-smacking raspberry flavour and the cute bee-embossed tin, from a fourth-generation family business involved in beekeeping, which branched out into using honey and bee venom in skincare.
8. Great Barrier Island Bee Co. SPF30 Sunscreen $16
Whether you're island bound or not, you'll always need a decent sunscreen. This one has the bonus of arnica and manuka honey to nourish and soothe skin, with the honey sourced from the Barrier where beekeeping dates back to 1880. Match with the brand's SPF30 lip balm, and if you've skimped on coverage there's always the after-sun soothing.
gel or lotion.
9. Ecostore Vanilla & Coconut Body Wash $8
Smells like summer and slice or sales of this limited edition black bottle helps support the work of the Sustainable Coastlines charity.
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This pretty floral festooned holdall, from Isabel Harris, is big enough for togs, a towel and that all-important sunscreen.
