About

INSTINKS is a small family owned and family operated business dedicated to handcrafting high quality, healthy and effective skin and hair care products that will nourish your skin and be kind to our planet.

Our products are plant based, natural, palm free and plastic free.

All of our recipes are invented, created and manufactured on our property in the Snowy Mountains of NSW Australia. The business came about due to my own skin issues and so many synthetics in products including fragrance cocktails with unknown lists of ingredients. Allergies and skin irritations were a never ending story.  Our traditional recipes - some of which are a twist on very old recipes, are made with pure oils and butters and only natural goodness.  

OUR INGREDIENTS

We use ethically sourced natural and organic ingredients.

Some of these ingredients include, but are not limited to, naturally occurring glycerine, natural plant-based oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, caster oil, Shea, cocoa butters, hemp oil, Apricot kernel oil, and Sweet almond oil. All of these ingredients produce naturally nourishing and moisturising elements to the skin.

Additionally we use natural essential oils, flowers, herbs and spices to add colour and perfume to the products. We also use ethically sourced and cruelty free mica. This allows INSTINKS products to feel absolutely gorgeous, gentle and healing to the skin, plus you can see every ingredient. There is no hidden ingredients. 

We only use lab tested certified essential oils, absolutes and resins in our formulations. We will never incorporate artificial fragrances due to their endocrine disruption, carcinogenic properties. Artificial fragrances cause endless health issues. There is plenty of independent research out there to support such.. We work with many highly sensitive clients so this is extremely important to us. 

When you think of all the products in your house and what you use, most contain a fragrance. From your dish washing liquid to deodorant, soap to laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, creams and lotions, it doesn't end.

According to HealthDirect.gov.au 1 in 3 people report having health problems from fragrances and that statistic is increasing as well.  

While one fragrance may not cause an issue, the fact that we are bombarded with fragrance is an issue for many. Fragranced products contain chemicals — including pollutants — that become airborne and this can be a concern for some people, particularly if they are sensitive. 

Sadly fragranced products aren’t as heavily regulated in Australia as food or pharmaceutical products. Manufacturers can put the words ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ on a list of ingredients rather than the specific chemicals used. This makes it more difficult for people to identify the substances they know may affect them.

This is why at INSTINKS we only use ingredients we can list. So you as a buyer can choose what you know works for you and not gamble with unknown ingredients. Personally once i ruled out the cocktail of fragrances and only started using natural known ingredients my skin calmed down, my skin problems vanished and so did our kit. Friends noticed and wanted what i was making. Hence the business was born. 

We challenge you to write down for just one day all the ingredients you come in contact with, including how many times fragrance is listed, This includes your laundry detergent and cleaning products. 
Say you use the following:
Deodorant, soap, shampoo, conditioner, face cream, body cream. 6 fragrances all of which have an average of 30 ingredients each time. That's approximately 180 unknown ingredients in one sitting, and all you did was get ready for work. Which is why we offer our products with and without a scent and when we do use scent it is our own blend of essential oils. So that we can help you lead a happier life knowing what ingredients you are including in your daily routine. 

Why we don't use natural fragrance and choose only essential oils as our scents. (but its natural)

Of course you can get natural fragrance. There is plenty of makers who can offer these to you. But at INSTINKS we still refuse to use these as you cannot see what is in a natural fragrance either, Fragrance natural or not is proprietary ( a company does not have to list what is in their fragrance) so how do you know if you have an allergy or irritation to one of the ingredients when you do not know what is in it. Many people have allergies to natural products as well and may be unaware that a simple ingredient in natural fragrance could be causing issues. 

 

How Did the Name INSTINKS Come About.

Instinks is not a spelling error, it’s a play on words… Trust your instincts “INSTINKS” and enjoy the latest IN Stinks!   Great essential oil blends and great products. 

OUR PRODUCTS

INSTINKS method of soap-making is using the cold-press method. This method creates a biodegradable soap and is not harmful to the environment. There is literally no waste. Everything gets used and turned into beautiful soaps which assists the skin and in turn our feeling of well-being.  Every bar (and every product) made at  INSTINKS is poured, cut, stamped and packed by hand, here in the the Snowy Mountains of NSW.

We make natural and quality products. In addition there are no nasties in our products as we are extremely diligent in using natural ingredients (Preservative is the only exception in our water based creams as it is law to use a preservative in this case, Our pure butters and salves do not need preservative as they contain no water). We do not use Parabens or SLS.  The flow-on effect when water is going into our drains and then into our waterways is my way of contributing to our beautiful natural wildlife and our local Jindabyne lake. We are against the use of microbeads in products. We use natural exfoliants such as coconut, loofah, beans and other natural items all to help our environment and water. 

Why we don't use synthetic fragrances

All INSTINKS products that are scented use essential oils which are pure plant-distilled oils, essences, resins and absolutes. Sadly, many fragranced products on the market today are scented with a chemical cocktail of potentially dangerous synthetic aroma chemicals that are propriety (meaning you don't know what is in them). We also refuse to use synthetic fragrances as it means we cannot list the entire ingredients. We like you to know everything that you are putting on you skin, so we blend our own essential oils to create unique INSTINKS natural scents and list every single item in your product.

PACKAGING/BOTTLING/LABELLING AND SHIPPING

We post your products in our compostable mail bags or cardboard mailer boxes. Our compostable mail bags are made from corn they decompose in 6 months.

We use postage packing or fillers that are environmentally friendly such as wood wool, shredded paper and only when necessary biodegradabe bubble wrap (fragile glass).  Our goal is to always improve our  products and its packaging as more and better options become available from suppliers on the market.

PRODUCT PACKAGING

Our packaging, where possible, is 100% recycled and recyclable or compostable.  we continue to research and search for packaging/bottling/labeling solutions that will be fully eco-friendly.  We are constantly researching and seeking more efficient methods of production and in turn creating a greater impact in our work practices. Packaging suppliers are coming out with better products daily and as we find better options we switch to them.

 OUR WORKSHOP AND STUIDO

Our workshop is a purpose built manufacturing soap  studio that is completely off grid using solar energy.  We are hoping to invite the public soon. ,