sustainable beauty review: byron bay

Another week another review!

This time provided by the lovely people at Byron Bay. Byron Bay is a natural range of skin care products that are both sustainable yet pocket friendly! As the winter months are drying out my skin like no other I was on the hunt for a new skin care regime to help me get rid of my dull skin. Enter Byron Bays exfoliant & mask! The exfoliant is made of jojoba seed oil and lychee shell. Now as always before we get to the review and the pros and cons of this product we will have a short interview with a representative from the brand. Continue reading below....

What inspired Byron Bay to be a sustainable brand
Byron Bay Skincare brand comes under the umbrella of Cawarra Cosmetics, owned by Greg and Jicky Milham, who moved to the Byron shire in 1989 after running a cosmetic manufacture and fill business in Sydney. In 1989 the Byron Bay Skincare journey began on the pristine, unspoiled coastline of Byron Bay, when Greg and Jicky Milham moved there in search of a cleaner, more peaceful lifestyle to raise a family.
It was here they found the inspiration to start researching, developing and creating naturally derived skincare, combining locally sourced ingredients with therapeutic levels of active herbal and plant extracts, essentials oils and vitamins. The result is a range of skin, body and hair care treatments that are, in a word…amazing. Byron Bay Skincare range (BBSC) has only come to the market place in 2015 after many years of research and development undertaken as well as having launched two other ranges “Sanctum” and “Organic Spa” prior to 2015.
Everything is done in-house, including label design work, label printing, manufacturing and filling. All the ingredients used have total transparency leading to the actual farm gate so to speak.  Now exporting to 15 countries, the Cawarra cosmetics brand has steadily grown in popularity. 

2. In what ways is Byron Bay sustainable?
Byron Bay Shire is a unique place on the very Eastern point of Australia.  Byron Shire is a hub of grass-roots sustainability. As humanity confronts resource shortages and the effects of accelerated climate change, local communities across Byron Shire continue to reduce their ecological impact and improve social and economic justice within their neighbourhoods and beyond. 
Both the locals and visitors have also taken a proactive approach towards sustainability and are progressively reviewing many internal practices to improve corporate sustainability. Council also strives to support community initiatives in recognition of the value of local knowledge, culture and skills in journey towards sustainability.
"The Byron Shire is a beautiful vibrant area full of natural beauty and flourishing communities. The long term protection and improved resilience of these valuable assets has lead Byron Shire Community to incorporate sustainability into the core of its philosophy

3. Your motto is to give back to the planet, but how do you personally try being sustainable?
This is a question I have asked myself on many occasions. It is one I will continue to ask in order I may take nothing for granted and do much to ensure our wonderful planet does not implode.   Of course sustainability begins with understanding, which is a constant mission of mine.  From the food I consume to the rubbish I generate, the manner in which I keep myself clean also the house I live in is borne out of consideration for sustainability.  In life I have been very fortunate to have lived and worked in many countries ranging from the Arctic Circle to the jungles of South America and many environments in-between.  I have learned from people who have learned to survive by adopting the basic principles of sustainability.  
I read many years ago a very famous saying “And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count.  It’s the life in your years.”—Abraham Lincoln

4. What’s in the future for Byron Bay?
In June 2016 a vision statement was presented that addresses the future of Byron Bay in all aspects of sustainability and improvement.   Byron Bay – an iconic destination in the State of New South Wales in Australia attracts 1.5 million tourists a year and is home to 9,420 shire residents.  Both the residence and those who visit have a very strong passion to protect. Hence a holistic plan is in place to capture the communities’ passion with a deliverable plan of sustainability and continued evolvement.

​So here is the run down for the product itself.
For the first time ever on this blog I also had a male test bunny other than myself to see the fit of this product for men. As Christmas is around the corner I know it can be tricky to come up with gift ideas for men and here is the inside scoop from a guys perspective. The first time we tried this we used it as an exfoliant (see embarrassing pictures below). The scent of this is non offensive and reminds me a little of something edible yet fresh. Putting on the mask was easy and when it dried up it didn't feel stiff on the face. After the first rinse off my face was a little red but thats from the small grains in the product that worked as a peel. The rest of the week I used it every other day in the shower to wash my face. Heres the verdict!

Pros: Easy to work with and who doesnt love a two in one product! The peel scrubs all the nitty gritty away leaving the face feeling clean from the city pollution. Also its male friendly and got the thumbs up from our testing bunny. 

Cons: This doesnt give you an instant dramatic result using the mask that some other masks such as glamglow, but then again glamglow isnt sustainable nor natural! So if you have the patience to use this more frequently you'll get better results long term. 

BYRON BAY EXFOLIANT AND MASK