A selection of Sodashi’s beautiful products in their oh-so-elegant packaging.
My first experience of Sodashi was during a facial treatment in the highly capable and healing hands of Auckland facialist, Keely Watson. She is a firm believer in the Sodashi brand and, as I am a firm believer in Keely’s knowledge and her dedication to natural skin health and healing, my interest was sparked.
Sodashi is an Australian skin care company founded by Megan Larsen in 1999 that uses a unique combination of biochemistry, aromatherapy and Ayurvedic principles to produce chemical-free skin care products that work holistically to nurture the skin and enhance overall wellbeing. A Sanskrit word, Sodashi translates to ‘wholeness, purity and radiance’ – the values on which the company and its products are based. In a market flooded with greenwashing and quasi-natural products, Sodashi is a company truly dedicated to their belief that natural is best. The products are produced at the company’s own laboratory in Fremantle in Western Australia, with the plant essences and other natural ingredients all sourced for their purity, potency and therapeutic qualities. Not a single synthetic chemical, preservative or fragrance is used in the manufacturing process, products are never tested on animals and Sodashi packaging is recyclable and printed with natural vegetable dyes. Going a step further, and staying true to her theory on ‘balance’, Megan Larsen offers her staff the opportunity to meditate every day. I’d put my hand up to work there!
Knowing how highly regarded Sodashi is by certain in-the-know ladies, I was more than thrilled when an opportunity arose to experience some of their products for myself. I had high expectations. I gratefully received the Clay Cleanser with Lime, the Rejuvenating Face Mist, Rejuvenating Face and Neck Moisturiser and Rejuvenating Concentrate to try.
My first impression is that the bottles are glorious. I’m passionate about design and having worked for one of the best ‘labels’ in the world many moons ago, I have never lost my ability to go gaga over prestigious packaging that looks ‘just so’ on my bathroom shelf. Sodashi looks exquisite. The heavy black glass bottles not only protects the ingredients from light damage, but easily makes them the most elegant products in my bathroom.
The Clay Cleanser with Lime is a lovely fragrant treat; the fresh, zesty lime giving an uplifting yet calming aroma. It is non-foaming, so I use one pump and massage it into the skin first on its own, then with damp fingertips to remove my makeup. After removing with a warm cloth my skin feels clean but also hydrated and soft. According to Sodashi, the Lime balances sebum production, while White Clay re-mineralises and softens the skin. If I have particularly heavy makeup on, I might wash twice, but I don’t usually find this necessary.
Rejuvenating Concentrate is the first product of its kind that I have tried. But I had heard of it before, in fact, it was Miranda Bond of Australian mineral makeup brand INIKA Cosmetics who told me this is her must-have daily product. A blend of concentrated, therapeutic plant essences to gently exfoliate and revitalise dry or mature skin. Lemon softens, while Lavender, Geranium and Rosewood promote healthy cell renewal. After cleansing, you add 10 drops to a basin (about 1.5 litres) of very warm water. Immerse a soft face cloth into the basin, squeeze out the cloth and compress onto the face. Repeat twice to exfoliate the skin and refresh the complexion. While I thought this sounded odd, it has become a much loved part of my routine – it is a very soothing and warming thing to do, the scent is all kinds of wonderful and it helps prepare the skin for moisturisation.
Next, the hydrating mist is spritzed on to tone and balance the pH of the skin and enhance the effect of the moisturiser. My mist contains Sandalwood to replenish moisture, while nourishing Rosewood supports cell renewal. The mist is super fine – it’s barely detectable on the skin, unlike some mists that can be a bit wet and messy.
Last, but by no means least, Rejuvenating Moisturiser is a hydrating moisturiser formulated with antioxidant-rich Macadamia and Avocado oils protect against environmental damage, while Palmarosa and Rosewood support cell renewal. Only two pumps of this is needed after using the mist, it seems to spread into the skin well and I like to ‘press’ it in a little like a balm. The scent is heavenly – I find it a truly enjoyable part of the day putting it on my skin.
The results: Since using Sodashi I have found that my blackheads have dimished and my pore size has settled. My skin seems more balanced than it has ever been. Any redness is almost immediately smoothed, and at times, I have likened the moisturiser to wearing a BB cream – it’s so calming that it makes my skin look refined. Occasionally I have felt I needed a little more moisture, so I have added a few drops of a rosehip oil blend into the moisturiser at night and this gives me a little extra boost. Another thing to note is that my occasional breakouts have diminished. I used to always have a pimple or two to cover, but I rarely need to wear foundation anymore.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Sodashi has to be one of the best skin care ranges in the world and it’s not hard to see why it has not only found a happy home in some of the world’s top spas and now pride of place in my bathroom cabinet.
Reviewed by Je t’aime Hayr
For more information: Sodashi.com
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