We Review The Best Go-To Skincare Products

By Alex Garlan

The first order I placed for Go-To Skincare was way back in 2014 and there have been a concerning amount placed since then, so to say I’m a fan of the skincare line created by Zoe Foster Blake is a bit of an understatement.

Go-To was my first real foray into skincare that I couldn’t just buy at my local pharmacy, and I highly recommend it’s simple but effective formulas for those who know they need to do something for their skin but aren’t really sure where to start and/or just don’t want to over complicate it.

As Go-To’s offering continues to expand both within Australia and now internationally I wanted to give you a rundown on what their products are, what’s worth your hard earned dosh.

Properly Clean

Contrary to what you might think Properly Clean is not a foaming cleanser, it’s a mousse! Mousses (Moussi? Meece?) foam using a pump instead of synthetic foaming ingredients which have been shown to irritate sensitive skin.

I expected this cleanser to be a bit drying because of its Willow Bark Extract, but that wasn’t at all the case; the mousse feels more luxurious than a regular foaming cleanser, and it smells absolutely divine. My skin was left feeling clean and fresh but not tight like with other too-drying cleansers.

My only issue with Properly Clean is that it’s a difficult cleanser to fly with (something we do a lot here at the ele offices!), the first time I did it the pump leaked a bunch of product into the lid and my make-up bag.

Go-To recommend taking the pump out of the bottle and pumping all the product that is in the straw back into the bottle until the pump is empty so there isn’t anything in the pump to leak out. This worked for me and on longer trips it’s fine but it is hella time consuming if I’m only travelling for a night.

Exfoliating Swipeys

I HEART exfoliating swipeys, I’m putting it out there early. Physical exfoliants like those little micro-beads are terrible for the environment and I am not a fan of them for my somewhat sensitive skin, so a gently lactic acid exfoliant like the Exfoliating Swipeys are a god-send for me.

Exfoliating Swipeys come as a tub full of pre-soaked pads that you swipe over your face, leave for 60 seconds and then wash off. It’s got to be the most convenient exfoliant I’ve ever used. I use it whenever my skin is looking a little dull or anytime I have a breakout but given how gentle it is you could use it 2-3 times a week and have glowing, healthy skin.

Face Hero

Face Hero exists in my daily routine for a good reason, I haven’t found a single other product that does everything that this baby can. I fell in love with Face Hero the first time I used it and at this point you’d have to pry it from my cold, dead hands if you wanted me to give it up.

Face Hero is full of plant and nut oils giving it loads of antioxidants, vitamins and even an anti-inflammatory. For me what has made it such an important fixture in my routine is that I found it super hydrating when my skin was struggling with a variety of different acne treatments, which can be extremely drying.

Traditionally people have warned that face oils can contest the skin, and while I’ve unfortunately experienced that with some other oils thankfully I’ve found that Go-To has the opposite effect, it hydrates my skin so that my body can stop overproducing oil and clogging my pores. This is my favourite product in the Go-To range and a great place to start if you are looking at getting in to face oils.

Very Useful Face Cream

VUFC is a good, solid face cream. It’s the sort of face cream you habitually buy because it does what you need it to without raising a fuss. For me what I like about VUFC is that it is thick enough to feel like a proper night cream but doesn’t sit on my skin like some others, so I’m not sticking to my pillowcase.

VUFC is definitely light enough to put under your makeup, but I like to use sunscreen during the day so tend to swap out VUFC for Zincredible in the mornings.

Zincredible (tinted)

While I’ve used both Zincredible products I really love a tinted sunscreen because I’m lazy and want to make my morning routine as easy as possible. As someone who would never be accused of spending too much time outside, the SPF15 rating fits well with my lifestyle of walking to and from the train station and getting out of the office at lunch. If I was going to a barbecue or watching an outdoor sport (lol I would never) I would recommend using a SPF50 instead.

Zincredible is a real win for me, it doesn’t feel too thick on my skin, in fact it spreads like an absolute dream. Physical sunscreen is a must for me as someone with hyperpigmentation and who is constantly on acne treatments that make me very sensitive to sunlight, so if you’re looking for something to keep your skin ageless but not make you look like a ghost this is the product for you.

Exceptionoil

Exceptionoil has got to be Go-To’s most versatile product, they recommend it for massaging all over your body, combing through your hair, fixing cracked cuticles, elbow and feet and even as an addition to your moisturiser or foundation.

I try to use this all over my body about once a week and it’s like an in-home spa treatment. For me Exceptionoil feels like a luxury, both in product and price tag. So while it’s definitely not the sort of moisturiser that I would use every day after the shower, it’s an absolutely bloody treat when I do use it. Plus it smells so good you’ll be smiling anytime you catch a whiff of it during the day.

Super Handy

When I went to take a photo of this product I dug up three tubes of it I currently have in use (bedside table, handbag, work desk) and one spare from the cupboard so to say I love Super Handy is an understatement.

Now you don’t have to take my word for how good this hand cream is, you can also take my mums, who is the sort of person who does CrossFit and gardens and actually gets calluses on her hands. She has been asking for this for every birthday and Christmas since she first used it and was stoked at the two tubes recently delivered for Mother’s Day.

Super Handy is the best smelling product in the Go-To range which is like calling it the best looking model at the Victoria’s Secret runway. It isn’t greasy, soaks in quickly, makes buying gifts for mum easier. I’m actually not sure if I owe someone my firstborn in exchange for this hand cream. To be confirmed..

Lips! and Pinkey Nudey Lips!

You can probably tell from this photo that my Pinkey-Nudey Lips! has taken a bit of a beating from me, it’s my go-to (get it?) lip product for when you don’t want anything as serious as lipstick but want something more than a lip balm, you know?

Lips! and Pinkey-Nudey Lips! are lovely, moisturising lip balms; they’re my token extra something when I have to buy a gift for someone’s birthday and want to spend an extra $15 because everyone loves them.

Transformazing Face Masks

Unlike most other skincare brands when Go-To released their sheet mask it wasn’t targeted at the market of Sunday-night Self Care, but rather for the morning after the night before. So if you have a big event, or your skin needs a pick-me-up following a big night Transformazing is full of ingredients like Niacinamide to plump up your skin and make you look as good as new (if not better). I used these before a friend’s wedding and cannot recommend them more when you want a little something-something to make your skin look great but don’t have time for a full at-home spa routine.

All in all Go-To is a great Aussie skincare range originally founded by a very funny entrepreneur who genuinely seemed to care about what you put on your face, I mean what more could you want.

Want more beauty reviews? Click here for Alex’s review of Face Halo and here for one of her favourite hair care lines, evo.