It’s been seven years since journalist, meteorologist, and food writer Magdalena Roze made the move from Sydney to Byron Bay with her partner, Darren Robertson.
Most people familiar with the award-winning reporter will know she’s all about a wholesome lifestyle, from the kitchen to what she puts on her skin.
A survey conducted by NIVEA found that most women agree that it is important to look for skincare products that are made with clean ingredients. However, not everyone is clear on what ‘clean’ actually means, with over half of the survey’s Gen Z responders reporting feeling overwhelmed by information on sustainability.
So, we asked Magdalena to take us through her own beauty routine, and help demystify the process of shopping for more sustainable skin care products.
What’s the most important beauty advice you ever received, and by whom?
MR: Make the decision to own your natural beauty and do it fiercely.
For me, embracing natural beauty is embracing what we have, looking after our skin, laughing and making the most of life. Especially in my 40s, I’m leaning in towards owning the happy lines and the features that make me unique. Good skincare, food, exercise and good times are a part of this.
I can’t help but think that the filtered, airbrushed images of “perfection” that we’re surrounded with especially on social media aren’t sustainable. For me, a happy, healthy face that oozes wisdom, radiance, experience and confidence is the essence of true beauty.
Let’s run through the products you use, and why you love them.
MR: When I wake up I have a hot cup of herbal tea or water, then I cleanse with NIVEA Micellar Wash with Organic Aloe Vera which always leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean. I follow this with the NIVEA Sensitive Day Cream with Organic Chamomile which is soothing, hydrating and has a lovely silky texture. I like both products because they’re effective, and the ingredients are 97-99% naturally derived ingredients with no silicones, parabens, or mineral oils. I also always wear sunscreen and one of my favourites is the tinted Rationale Beautiful Skin which is very light and gives my skin a nice glow. Most days I don’t wear any make up (unless I have a shoot), but I don’t feel finished unless I fill in my brows and I do this with a MAC brow pencil.
And how about your evening routine?
MR: I cleanse with the NIVEA Micellar Wash with Organic Aloe Vera to remove any sunscreen, make up and impurities. I like to use as few products as possible and I love this one because it does the whole job without any need for extra cleansing oils or separate eye makeup removers. It’s a foaming cleanser and really effective at removing make up, including eye makeup, yet doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight. I’ll use a serum with vitamin A two or three times a week, such as the Dr Sam Bunting Flawless Nightly Serum followed by a richer moisturiser like Josh Rosebrook Vital Balm Cream.
Is there a key beauty ingredient you swear by?
MR: I think nature offers us the best when it comes to skincare, and some of these plants have been used medicinally and therapeutically for a very long time. Chamomile is one of my favourites for its soothing and calming properties. My mum is quite traditional with a lot of her natural lotions and potions, such as using chamomile tea bags as a cold compress for skin irritations. So, I’ve been aware of the wonderful properties of this flower and its helpful role in skincare for a while. Similarly, mum would take fresh cuttings of our aloe vera plants and dab the gel on our skin if we got a little sunburn, so its hydrating and healing properties are very well known.
I’m a big believer in good, healthy fats like avocado for glowing, healthy skin – it’s rich in all the good things like vitamin E and fatty acids which hydrate and help to repair the skin. I definitely eat my fair share when they’re in season! These are the kinds of ingredients I look for in skincare too. I think “actives”, like vitamin A for example, are really effective too, especially as we get older, but less is definitely more or they can start to disrupt the natural processes of the skin too much, so I’ll use something like that 2 or 3 times a week. Essentially, with my skincare and lifestyle, I’m trying to support my skin’s natural processes as much as I can.
Can you provide consumers who know nothing about sustainability with some advice when it comes to choosing more ethical beauty products?
MR: Sustainable skincare is a really exciting space and I’m so encouraged to see that the industry is moving in this positive direction. For a long time I didn’t know what was in my products. When I was working on TV daily, I realised that I was putting a fair bit of stress on my skin by wearing so much heavy make up every day. While I couldn’t control that aspect, I could control what I was putting on my skin at home, so I started to look at the ingredients in my skincare products more closely.
It can be challenging to navigate natural vs synthetic ingredients especially with so many long names and scientific terms. This is why the packaging in NIVEA’s Naturally Good range appeals to me. The entire product range is committed to more planet friendly packaging (recyclable or made from recycled PET plastics) and all the formulations are made from 97-99% naturally derived ingredients containing no parabens, silicones and mineral oils. They are transparent about what is in each product, which makes it easier for a consumer to make a decision around what is best and safest for them.
