Shopping Local: How To Find Australian-Made Beauty Essentials

Any trip to the supermarket can feel like sensory overload, with shelves of near-identical products – particularly in the beauty aisle. From skincare and haircare to everyday body essentials, it’s not always clear what’s made locally and what’s imported.

If you’re trying to prioritise Australian-made products, small cues start to matter. Understanding what different labels actually mean, knowing which categories are more likely to be dominated by imports and recognising trusted markers can make navigating the shelves far more straightforward.

The Australian Made logo is one of the most recognisable of those cues, backed by a certification process that verifies a product has been made here. It’s also the focus of Australian Made Week, a national campaign running from May 18 to 24, which supports local manufacturers, makers and growers across a wide range of industries.

And the impact is tangible. Research from Roy Morgan suggests that if each household spent an extra $10 per week on Australian Made products, close to 10,000 new jobs could be created.

With that in mind – and with beauty as a practical place to start – here’s how to navigate the supermarket and make more informed choices about what’s actually made here.

Check the label

When it comes to origin claims, wording matters. “Australian Made” refers to where a product is manufactured – specifically, if it underwent its last substantial transformation in Australia. That’s different from “Owned in Australia”, which refers to the company behind the product, or “Packed in Australia”, which may only indicate where it was finalised before sale. 

Using beauty products as an example, De Lorenzo Haircare does all of its conception, research, development, testing and manufacturing under one roof in Sydney. That makes it absolutely Australian made. And while that brand isn’t usually carried by major supermarkets, it can be found in salons and authorised retailers.

Look for the kangaroo

If you don’t have time to decode fine print, the green-and-gold kangaroo logo is the quickest shortcut. Introduced in the 1980s, it’s a widely recognised country-of-origin mark that indicates a product has met Australia’s official criteria for being made locally. You’ll spot it on products that have been proven genuinely Australian via third-party accreditation. Let’s say you’re in the health and beauty aisle at Coles. The supermarket’s in-house Koi range includes moisturisers, lip balm and hand and body wash, all made with 100 per cent naturally derived botanicals and essential oils. Koi products have been certified as Australian made, complete with the familiar logo.

Learn how to spot importsSome supermarket categories are more likely to be dominated by imports. Beauty and personal care are key examples, alongside certain cleaning and household products. That doesn’t mean Australian-made options aren’t there – just that they can take a little more effort to find.

In these aisles, it’s worth slowing down and scanning for origin details or the Australian Made logo. Even something as common as soap can present uncertainty. Some of the most popular brands don’t bear the Australian Made logo, with products made overseas in countries like Thailand. By contrast, the Melbourne-based Australian Botanical Soap is both Australian owned and made, with a signature focus on using sustainable pure plant oils rather than chemicals.

Do some advance research

You don’t need to memorise every brand, but having a rough sense of which companies manufacture locally can make in-store decisions easier. And once you’ve found a reliable Australian product, stick with it and help spread the word. Something as simple as following the brand on social media will help you keep up with new releases and news.

If you need quick verification, head to the Australian Made website to hunt for verified products. Just typing in “face cream” will bring up options that you might not have known about. So browse away, and find a new favourite homegrown band that you can feel good about supporting.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Australian Made.