One of the easiest way you can support Australian business women this International Women’s Day is to spend your money with them.
Investing your hard earned dollars into the women who run businesses in your local community is a wonderful way to encourage and support these business owners.
We’ve curated a number of businesses below that are run by Aussie women, but keep in mind this is only a handful. There are a number of other Aussie companies founded by women that are just as deserving, so we encourage you to seek these out, and we will continually work to update this story and keep you informed.
Ultra Violette
Founded by Ava Matthews and Bec Jefferd, Ultra Violette has you covered for all things SPF. When it came to creating a range of sunscreen products, Matthews was concerned with the look and feel of each product.
“We wanted to design a wardrobe of facial sunscreen that looked good, felt nice to wear, and didn’t bore us to tears,” Matthews said.
Matthews and Jefferd completed that mission and created a range of sunscreen products that easily slip into your daily skincare routine. Simply apply your Ultra Violette skinscreen after moisturiser and before your foundation in the morning.
Our pick: Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF 50+ Luminising Sun Serum, $47
Lanolips
Kirsten Carriol was inspired by how her grandfather’s worn hands became soft after a day of shearing sheep on the family farm. Then, Carriol’s father — a molecular scientist — taught her why this was the case. And, Carriol went on to create iconic Aussie brand Lano.
Today, Lano is a pioneer of clean beauty and has some of the most well known lanolin-based products around the world. Its Lanolips lip ointment is a cult for a reason. It really, really works to soothe dry lips. Big fans also use it as a highlighter across cheekbones.
Our pick: Lanolips The Original 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm, $18.95
Go-To
At the helm of Go-To is author and former beauty editor, Zoë Foster Blake. After working in the beauty industry for over 15 years, Foster Blake created Go-To in order to provide uncomplicated, clean and cruelty-free products.
The product range is ever-expanding and covers everything you need from skincare to hand cream and body oil. And, the cheeky tone that permeates the copy on all of the products is a damn delight.
Our pick: Go-To Face Hero Face Oil, $45
Sodashi
Founder by Megan Larsen, the New Zealand born founder has been creating her own skincare products in Western Australia since the early ’90s. Her brand, Sodashi, is the epitome of clean and natural skincare that is also hard working.
Sodashi products are blended with the purest natural ingredients possible and are sourced from all around the world. While not all products are considered organic within the range
Our pick: Sodashi Arabian Oud Face & Body Mist, $99
Venustus
Situated on Oxford Street in Paddington, Venustus is a haven of healing, protection and restoration. Founded by Jeannie Bourke, this is a spa like no other. Jeannie and her team pride themselves on the “ability to tune into your specific energy on the day, listen between the spaces and draw upon many different modalities to offer you an intuitive treatment or package that uniquely defines the experience that is Venustus.”
Our pick: Choosing a treatment is an extremely personal decision, so it all comes down to what you’re looking for. But, we do have to say that the Personalised Six Hand Massage looks pretty amazing.
Sand&Sky
Founded by twin sisters Sarah and Emily Hamilton, this A-beauty brand has a simple approach to its skincare products. Based on clean and effective formulas, Sand&Sky uses Australian pink clay as the base for products.
According to the sisters, the lifestyle of their home country inspired their product line.
“We are determined to share our healthy Australian lifestyle around the world and deliver results that equate to spending a week relaxing on our beautiful beaches,” they said.
“Sand&Sky went through a year of rigorous research & testing, and scaring our kids with all of those mask trials, leading us to Australian Pink Clay and it’s mountain of benefits.”
Our pick: Australian Pink Clay Porefining Face Mask, $69.90
Original & Mineral (O&M)
London-born Jose Bryce Smith moved to Sydney in 2000 and has been working in the hair industry even since. Bryce Smith created Original & Mineral to bring colour, care and styling products to the world that are safe, effective and a pleasure to use.
Filled with native Australian ingredients like Kakadu Plum, Quandong and Banksia Flower, O&M products walk the line between clean but hard-working beauty.
“I have always been passionate about natural products, wellbeing and beauty, and when I saw firsthand how harsh chemical products harm hairdressers and clients, I knew we could make a difference with O&M.” Bryce Smith.
Our pick: O&M Seven Day Miracle Moisture Masque, $37.95
Grandiflora
Saskia Havekes opened a small flower shop in Sydney’s Potts Point in 1995 and 25 years later, Grandiflora has bloomed into an internationally renowned business. These days, Havekes is not only known as a florist, but as an author and fragrance creator as well.
While Sydney residents are the lucky ducks who are able to order from Grandiflora, following the brand’s Instagram page provides a big dose of colourful inspiration. Sydneysiders, send the women in your life a stunning bouquet from Grandiflora this International Women’s Day!
Flora & Fauna
Australian beauty and lifestyle store, Flora & Fauna, was created by Julie Mathers in 2014. The online store stocks a plethora of items including skincare, beauty, body, fashion, health and home products.
Flora & Fauna has strict guidelines for the quality of products in stock and everything must be vegan, cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly. The company is also committed to making environmentally-friendly choices when it comes to packaging of orders.
“We focus on low impact products and send our parcels out with plastic-free minimal packaging. We have been doing this for 4 years and have saved over 20 tonnes of unnecessary packaging by doing so.”
Flora & Fauna also has a recycling partnership with TerraCycle, which means that products sold through the store can be correctly recycled.
Our pick: Literally anything! Flora & Fauna is filled with so many products to choose from, so it’ll have your needs covered.