We interviewed Elizabeth Barbalich, founder and CEO of Antipodes Skincare

- Could you share with us the exact moment you decided to start Antipodes?

- Having three children under four years old was a real turning point for me. I became concerned about chemical-laden products and revamped my lifestyle. I searched for a genuinely natural and highly effective skincare range and couldn't find it. Many brands claim to be natural but adopt unsatisfactory testing methods.

- What were you hoping to resolve with Antipodes at that time?

- I have a Bachelor of Science and a Diploma in Natural Health, so I was very curious and interested in how I could help women solve their skin problems while utilizing the best that nature has to offer.

- What was your first product and why?

Antipodes' first product was Hallelujah Lime & Patchouli Cleanser & Makeup Remover . Every good skincare ritual should start with a quality cleanser. Combination skin is the most common skin type, that's why I developed a cleansing cream for both oily and dry skin. It helps balance oil, but also nourishes the skin and does not dry it out, while effectively removing all traces of makeup.

- Tell us why or for whom you created your latest product.

- Eve Bio-Retinol Line Reduction Serum : People are looking for anti-aging products younger and younger, but synthetic retinol is notoriously harsh on the skin and often causes redness, peeling, and dryness.

The key to this product is one of its ingredients, cacay oil. It is a natural retinol, providing all the anti-aging benefits of synthetic retinol without any of the irritating side effects. Eve also contains bakuchiol, which is an effective alternative to retinol.

- Which product do you feel most emotionally connected to? Because

- With Lime Caviar Collagen Rich Firming Cream . It's a luxurious day cream with a heavenly floral lime fragrance, making it a pleasure to apply. It's 100% naturally derived, organic and vegan, while also boasting a truly sophisticated formula packed with active ingredients to support natural collagen.

It's the epitome of antipodes in a bottle: clean and natural, but high-tech and scientifically validated.

- What ingredient/or treatments are intensely related to New Zealand?

- Number one has to be our premium manuka honey, world famous for its antibacterial, antimicrobial and regenerative properties. As a skincare ingredient, it hydrates, calms blemishes, refreshes the complexion and promotes a youthful glow.

New Zealand's largest native tree fern, the black mamaku fern, is another of our prized skincare ingredients. It has been used for centuries in natural medicine and in skin care it is famous for stimulating cell renewal and revealing younger looking skin.

New Zealand is famous for its sauvignon blanc wine, and our antioxidant compound Vinanza® Grape, which appears in many of our brightening and anti-aging formulations. It is a byproduct of the country's award-winning wine industry. These grapes are very special: they have twice the levels of polyphenol antioxidants than grapes grown anywhere else in the world!

- What parts of the brand are you most proud of?

- Antipodes' high-tech scientific approach, which has evolved and really flourished in the last three years. We are truly international pioneers, with unique high-performance formulations that deliver exceptional skin results.

I'm so proud that we can stand next to big synthetic skincare brands and punch above our weight in terms of the scientific proof we have that our products work. We use an independent third-party laboratory to test our final formulations in vitro, on human fibroblast skin cells, giving us impressive results to brag about.

We recently tested Antipodes' new Eve Bio-Retinol slimming serum against leading retinol serums, and our eco-friendly beauty product scored the highest in collagen production*. And it's totally certified organic!

- We would love to know any secrets or skin care rituals of yours. Could you share with us something special about your routine?

- Drink raw vegetable juice every day, and if it is homemade even better. Believe me, your skin absolutely reflects your diet.

Spray Ananda Antioxidant-Rich Gentle Toner throughout the day (works well on top of makeup) to help keep dehydrated or irritated skin fresh and calm . I turn to this more and more as I get older. I love it, I call it 'liquid serum'. I also love layering Antipodes products to meet my demanding skincare needs; For example, I use the Hosanna H₂O Intensive Serum under our new Eve Bio-Retinol line reducing serum; This allows my thirsty skin to be completely submerged in water, maximizing the benefits of Eve when applied to the epidermal layer.

I take a homeopathic approach to using the product, so I am not dependent on a fixed routine throughout the year. I change my product routines constantly depending on the season, skin concerns, hormones, and diet.

- What Antipodes products can't you live without?

- I can rarely beat Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream - it's an award-winning formulation and has our highest collagen results - it's been shown in vitro to increase collagen by up to 92% (Trinity Bioactives, 2009).

But, that being said, I'm currently enjoying some lighter formulations: Baptise H₂O Ultra-Hydrating Water Gel by day and Culture Probiotic Night Recovery Water Cream by night, to help soothe my red, dehydrated skin.

- For a minimal and simple skincare routine, what product/s do you select?

- A simple and nourishing routine: Divine facial oil with vanilla bean moisturizing day cream in the morning and avocado and pear nourishing night cream at night.

- Tell us, is there any product in your beauty routine that is not from Antipodes?

-Yes, the Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. I love the concept of a gentle exfoliating/brightening mask, it's a gap in our current range.

- Do you remember any special cosmetic products from your childhood or adolescence?

- My go-to was always Thalgo, I loved the rich creamy textures of these products. However, unfortunately they weren't natural and my ethos completely changed after having kids: I only wanted sustainable, 100% naturally-derived ingredients in my body.

-How do you see Antipodes in the coming years? Anything you can share with us?

- To become a leading international sustainable beauty brand that is genuinely natural, effective and results-oriented. We will continue to iterate, learn, listen to our devotees and bring unique luxury products to market. I can't wait to share them with you!

* Trinity Bioactives' in vitro study tested Eve Bio-Retinol and four leading retinol serums. Eve had the highest collagen synthesis: 55% (2023)