How to Tell If Skincare Is Made in Australia

A label can sound Australian without telling you where a product was made. “Designed in Bondi” and “Born in Melbourne” may be true, but they do not answer the manufacturing question.

At Beaut, we look for a source behind each badge and give you a link to check it. Here are a few useful things to look for when you shop.

1. “Designed in Australia” is not “Made in Australia”

Under Australian Consumer Law, a product generally needs to undergo its last substantial transformation here to claim it is Made in Australia. For skincare, making a finished cream from ingredients may count; simply putting an imported finished cream into a local bottle does not.

Look for a maker’s explanation of where it formulates and makes its products. The profiles for Mukti Organics in Mullumbimby and Mokosh in Fremantle link to their published production information.

2. Look for independent organic certification, not self-invented seals

An “organic” label on the front of a bottle does not tell you how much of the product is certified. Look for the certifier and check whether its standard applies to a whole product, an ingredient or a particular range.

Reliable third-party standards in Australia include:

• ACO (Australian Certified Organic) and COSMOS Organic appear on some products from makers such as Mukti Organics. Check the actual certificate for the products covered.
• NASAA certification is linked from listings such as Jurlique and Mokosh. The farm and a finished skincare product may be certified differently.

If you cannot find a named certifier or a current certificate, ask the maker what the claim covers.

3. Respect Indigenous botanical knowledge and ownership

First Nations communities have cared for and used native botanicals for generations. If a brand names a plant from Country, it is worth asking who grew or harvested it, and who benefits from the sale.

Bush Medijina, founded and run by Warningakalina women on Groote Eylandt, is an example of an enterprise making products on Country. Read the maker’s own account of its work rather than assuming that the use of a native ingredient means a business is Indigenous-owned.

4. Check what “sustainable packaging” looks like in practice

Look for practical details: can you refill the bottle, buy a solid bar, or recycle the container where you live? Local council rules vary.

• Larger refills: Victorian soapmaker Dindi Naturals offers five-litre wash refills alongside paper-wrapped bars.
• Waterless formulas: Mokosh makes concentrated skincare without added water. Check its directions for how much to use.

On a Beaut listing, select a badge to open the source behind the claim. It may be a certifier’s register or the maker’s own published policy.