Everything You Need To Know About Kangaroo Paw Flower Extract In Skincare

Might this be the Australian skincare ingredient of 2023? Pinching the crown from our beloved Kakadu Plum? (Never!) (Maybe?) Kangaroo Paw Flower is the latest botanical to weave its way into the beauty industry for its regenerative powers. 

As the name so obviously suggests, this plant (more specifically the bright red buds) resembles a curved kangaroo paw. The variation of this extract now found in Go-To formulas is from the tall species Anigozanthos Flavidus.

For centuries the native plant, the whole plant, is believed to have been used by Indigenous cultures for its healing properties. Becoming part of a natural remedy applied to wounds, cuts, and burns. With modern science we’ve decided to take this concept a step further.

You might have noticed that Kangaroo Paw Flower extract can be found in Go-To’s brand spanking new moisturiser: Very Luxe Face Cream. And it has quite the story to go with it. Whilst endemic to the south west of Western Australia, we found a small organic Kangaroo Paw Flower farm situated in Queensland’s south east. An area characterised by high biodiversity and fertile soils. It’s a family owned and run enterprise with the growers committed to sustainable practices and cultivating produce with as little environmental impact as possible. Weeding is done by hand, harvesting is done by hand, fertilisers and pesticides used are all natural, and the region experiences high rainfall (Kangaroo Paw Flower being very drought tolerant) so the watering requirements are minimal. How ‘bout that. 

The growers of our Kangaroo Paw Flower primarily harvest for the flower industry, seeing as it’s great for long-lasting native-style bouquets. But by servicing the skincare industry this farm is able to diversify their income stream and business offering. It’s why we love to continuously support local suppliers. 

But back to the goop. Kangaroo Paw Flower extract is one ingredient in the symphony of Good Stuff™ working harmoniously inside Very Luxe Face Cream, that contributes to skin firmness, smoothness, and ensuring your face looks lifted after each application. This moisturiser is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, with many thanks to this natural botanical. 

The particular Kangaroo Paw Flower extract Go-To is getting around is one that is standardised in fructose and rutin (ensuring every batch of the extract made will have the exact same concentration of actives, acting like a cookie cutter). Fructose is a natural sugar which carries humectant properties, and when incorporated in skincare formulas like Very Luxe Face Cream, helps to hydrate and plump the skin. Rutin on the other hand is a flavonoid (polyphenol which is a type of antioxidant, in short) which can be found in green tea, and contributes to the many healthy benefits attributed to this kind of hot cuppa.