The Go-To Ethos

We are committed to transparency.

We are committed to transparency.

Especially in formulating.

Hello! Let's chat about what you're actually choosing to put on that lovely face of yours when you use Go-To, and why it was made that way.

We formulate with best-in-class ingredients and our own in-house team of experienced and talented formulators ensure what you put on your skin is genuinely effective, of the highest quality, and developed with the most stringent safety protocols.

Being an Australian-owned and made brand, we test our products here, under the strictest cosmetic and SPF regulations in the world. You have our word that we enthusiastically work to exceed them every time.

One of the keystones of Go-To is transparency. We are an open book. You can easily assess the full ingredient glossary, fragrance profiles, and INCI list for all products. Go have a lil' peep!

A very fussy ex beauty editor.

A very fussy ex beauty editor.

We use the best in science and nature to create useful, effective skincare to optimise skin health. Or in plain English: we make nice stuff to help your skin feel healthy, balanced and calm.

Go-To was developed by a beauty editor back in 2013. As a direct-to-consumer brand, our founder Zoë set out to make products that would be, A) universally useful, B) nourishing and soothing, and C) effective for as many people and skin types as possible. She entrusted a formulator with decades of experience in organic and natural skincare, and asked that he formulate the products to be as effective as they were safe, and remove anything likely to cause rashes, redness or returns. This desire to protect a trusting customer who had no chance to sample Go-To in-store became a core value for Go-To, and a key benefit for customers and their trust in the brand.

Eco-responsible.

Eco-responsible.

Go-To is working diligently to limit our impact on the earth by reducing, reusing and recycling, continually assessing options to ensure that the 2025 Australian Packaging Covenant Targets are not only met but exceeded. We are working to fully eliminate any ingredients that are made from palm oil, or palm oil derivatives. (We are reliant on a highly complex and frustrating supply chain: read more here.) We will constantly evolve to ensure we are using the most sustainable packaging technology available, that we can reasonably use, while still offering a stable and safe product to the consumer.

In 2021 we transitioned the majority of our packaging to PCR (post-consumer recycled) or glass. We avoid excessive plastic, have deleted all but essential cartons, practice eco-responsibility publicly and privately, and we partner with Reforest Now to help Australia regenerate critical rainforest. Go-To has been operating as Carbon Neutral since January 2018, partnering with SouthPole in FY23 to take on a broader journey to reducing our carbon output.

What we use, and what we don't.

What we use, and what we don't.

We want to protect skin, nourish it, look after it, and keep that barrier strong. We carry on the experience and research of the scientists and formulators who have gone before us. We are rooted in nature, and we rely heavily on (chiefly Australian) plant and nut oils because we know them to be extremely effective.

We can exclude ingredients that have been shown to be potentially harmful to the body, because to be frank, it's easy to find alternatives that are shown to be less likely to piss off someone's skin. Things like parabens, PEGs, sulfates (SLS/SLES), GMOs, mineral oils and petrolatum, we leave out. It costs us nothing in terms of sensory, and means more people (sensitive, highly-reactive, compromised skin) might be able to use our products, so it's an easy choice.

Stability and safety, first.

Stability and safety, first.

Preservatives are essential to keep skincare stable, safe and effective. They prevent bacteria and microbes from growing, which is the very important reason we will always, always use them. We choose mild preservatives with long safety records that are compatible with the skin and offer no or low irritation to ensure the product you buy arrives in perfect, effective, working order. And! We test every product to the highest Australian cosmetic standards to ensure it stays in perfect, effective, working order until the use by date.

Is Go-To a 'Clean' brand?

Is Go-To a 'Clean' brand?

'Clean', like 'natural', does not have a clear definition. It is a term used to provide a shortcut for consumers looking for skincare that formulates without ingredients commonly known to (potentially) irritate. (So-called 'nasties'). Being clean can also include things like sustainability and eco footprint.

Go-To fulfills the clean quota set by specific retailers (Sephora, Credo, Detox Market etc) but since clean is an unregulated term, and there is no regulatory board overseeing brands and products, the term is less useful than it seems, which is why we are moving away from it.

For one, any product or ingredient can irritate anyone. The dose may be the cause. The wrong pH. Using AHAs alongside your retinol can irritate. Natural does not infer gentle, safe or effective - tea tree oil is natural and it will burn your dang face right off - and we strive to be those things above all.

Designed to play well with others.

Designed to play well with others.

We make products that stand alone, but can be easily incorporated into routines with multiple actives or treatment programs. Our goal is to bring the skin to good health and maintain it, by keeping it calm, nourished, protected and hydrated. There is a place for this in any skin routine.

Is Go-To allergy-safe?

Is Go-To allergy-safe?

Well, to be frank no, because that depends on your skin, not our products. Hormones and genetics play a huge role in skin reactions: it is in the best interest of the consumer to be informed, and brands to be transparent so these reactions are limited.

We cannot formulate to satisfy every customer with a skin allergy, but we can formulate to be as effective as possible, while being as gentle as possible, and with the least amount of ingredients possible. While we try very hard to not piss off your skin, we must keep the balance of efficacy and sensory, too. For example, we love the olfactory association that is created when skincare has a beautiful scent, so we use minute amounts of essential oils in our fragrances. This may be problematic if you have skin that reacts to essential oils. But we use very low amounts, no synthetics, and calming carriers so that most people can use our products without risk of a reaction.

What are your claims?

What are your claims?

We claim only what we, or our ingredient supplier, has performed clinical studies on.

These products are dermatologically tested to be safe for sensitive skin: Very Luxe Face Cream, Very Useful Face Cream, Very Lightweight Moisturiser, Fancy Face, Much Brighter Skin, Much Plumper Skin, Skin Party, The Removalist, The Repair Shop, Face Hero, Super Handy, Bro-To Very Useful Face Cream, Bro-To Properly Clean, Bro-To Face Hero. 

Go-To products are painstakingly formulated to be: calming (thanks to soothing superstars like buriti oil, camellia oil, aloe vera), brightening (thanks to glow boosters like niacinamide, lactic acid, Kakadu Plum extract), hydrating (thanks to hydration heavyweights like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, hyadisine), moisturising (thanks to the magnificent shea butter, jojoba oil, lanolin, rosehip oil) protective (thanks to supercharged antioxidants CoQ10, vitamin e), and clarifying (thanks to ultra clearing BHAs, kaolin clay, willow bark extract).

We are certified cruelty-free.

We are certified cruelty-free.

Proudly accredited by PETA. It's the bare minimum!