The Lab Organics

Jo Jackson used to buy organic skincare products in the US or Europe on her visits as a buyer for large retail stores. In her opinion, Australia was lagging behind the trends, with most all-organic skincare only being available in health-food stores.

Jackson opened The Lab Organics in 2011. It offers natural and organic choices in a tightly curated boutique, so there’s no mindless trawling through stock as you might in a department store.

The range includes local heroes such MV Organics and Salus Body, plus Herbivore Organics from the US. New brands come in every two months, featuring handpicked labels from across the globe. Chemical-free makeup, hair care, perfume and a small range of bathroom essentials are also available.

The Rathdowne Street site was fate. Jackson’s husband asked which building she would pick if she could choose any. When she drove by to show him, a florist who’d held firm for more than a decade was leaving.

Walls were knocked down to open up tiny Victorian rooms; the whitewashed interior was given a fresh lick of paint; and the back wall was stripped to expose the building’s brick foundation.