Interview with Martina Organics

Hand blended in small batches, Martina Organics is a locally owned and operated artisanal unisex skin care range that uses only certified organic ingredients. Selected from both New Zealand and more exotic locales like Morocco, Japan, Africa and Israel, Martina Organics' botanical oils harness the power of plants that have been used by civilizations for hundreds of years. Using only the finest pure, fresh and healthy ingredients, the active ingredients don’t just feel delicious on the skin (without all the nasty synthetics, preservatives or chemicals), they are also proven to heal, revitalize, protect and condition. To celebrate the arrival of Martina Organics, we spoke to Marta Camara, founder of Martina Organics, about the benefits of oils and how first time users can introduce oil-based skincare into their beauty regimes. - How did you start your line Martina Organics and what are it's main principles? Martina Organics is all about having integrity, we use only the best quality organic ingredients that don’t contain preservatives, chemicals or any synthetic ingredients. We create superlative products that are aesthetically simple and beautifully designed, that are ethical and environmentally friendly with a real focus on craftsmanship. The brand and product launch was just under two years ago now, I quit my day job in advertising and decided to follow one of my dreams full time, which was to launch my own organic skincare brand that has integrity. I had to spend a bit of time prior to launching creating my vision for the brand, packaging the products I’d been using for facials over the years in my spare time to prepare them for the market. What are the benefits of using oils on the skin? There are loads of benefits. Firstly don't worry about feeling greasy, dry botanical oils have a molecular structure similar to the skins natural oil which don't clog your skin and makes them easily absorbed. They're rich in healthy skin essentials such as moisturising fatty acids, including omega-3 -6 and -9, which strengthen the skin’s lipid layer, preventing water loss, plumping the skin and stopping the signs of aging and are in quantities that are actually beneficial for the skin. Why should one use oils over creams? Oils are great as they are highly concentrated in their natural form, they contain loads of antioxidants which help fight the skins of aging by fighting off free radicals. They are highly active and aren’t watered down like a lots of creams are these days which is cheap to produce for mass production. A lot of creams also contain mineral oils which clog the skin and doesn’t allow it to breath, just make sure to always read the ingredient list. How should first time users approach the use of oil-based skincare into their beauty regime? I'd recommend taking baby steps, by introducing the Oil Cleanser first as that is your base and sets the tone for the rest of the products, and the Toner. Once your skin starts to get used to the change in using strong active ingredients then I would introduce the Oil Moisturiser. Which of your MO series is your favourite product and why? I love using the Oil Cleanser, but the Oil Moisturiser stays on for much longer so the benefits are stronger, so I'm going to have to say the Oil Moisturiser even though I love them both. - Test our range of the simple and luxurious Martina Organics, available now at The Shelter.