Courtney Adamo talks skincare, sustainability and Rohr Remedy

Courtney is a businesswoman, author, blogger and mother of five! After 12 years of living in London and a long travel stint, she now resides with her family in Byron Bay. She sat down with us recently to discuss all things beauty and family. 

As a seasoned traveller, what are your travel tips for keeping your skin healthy and hydrated on long-haul plane journeys and moving between contrasting climates?

To be honest, I don’t have any general travel-specific skincare routines, apart from drinking lots of water and making sure my face is always hydrated with moisturiser. I think it’s important to have an awareness of the new climate and the water quality in your new destination. For example, whenever we travel back to London, where the tap water is quite harsh, my skin always needs a bit more love and attention. Oh, and it’s always important to ensure you’re properly protected from the sun with sun cream and a broad-brimmed hat.

Sounds like living in Byron Bay your hair and skin would get a lot of exposure to saltwater and Aussie sun – any tips to share on keeping skin glowing after sun and sea?

Like I said above, I’m a huge believer in trying to keep the sun off my face as much as possible. I wear a hat on the beach, and I even wear a surf hat when I’m in the surf. When I come home from a day out in the elements, I always try to nourish my skin with oils and keep them on overnight while I sleep. Once a week, usually in the bath, I will try to gently exfoliate my face and then add the face oil after that.

You mention the Kakadu Plum with Vitamin C Face Serum and the Boab and Rosehip Oil as favourites, how do you use them and what do you love about them?

I apply the Kakadu Plum Vitamin C Face Serum every evening after cleansing my face. After that is absorbed (often I brush my teeth in the meantime), I apply the Boab and Rosehip Oil all over my face. I love the feeling of knowing my face is being nourished as best as possible while I climb into bed, and my face feels so soft when I wake. 

Something new you have started doing that is more sustainable than how you did it before?

I’ve only just discovered the Rohr Remedy range. I had never used any vitamin serums before, so this has become an additional step for me. I love that I’m becoming more thoughtful and intentional in my skincare routine. And even if it’s purely a placebo effect, my skin feels healthier too. :)

I think you share with Rohr Remedy a common ideal that the products we use should be clean, natural and do their best for the environment, what do you look for when choosing skin and home care products for your family?

It’s becoming increasingly more important to put the environment first when making decisions for you and your family, and this includes the products we buy, the products we use to clean our homes, the foods we eat, and the products we put on our bodies. Most of us care about what foods we eat and how we nourish our bodies, so we should also care what goes onto our bodies, absorbed by our skin. It also makes me feel better when I go into the ocean, knowing that the products on my body are natural and won’t be harmful to the ocean and its wildlife. On a more general level, I also think it’s super important to support companies who are using sustainable practices in support of the environment. 

I apply the Boab and Rosehip Oil all over my face. I love the feeling of knowing my face is being nourished as best as possible while I climb into bed, and my face feels so soft when I wake. 

You talk about allowing children to be bored, tell us a bit about this?

I’m a huge believer in boredom! I think it’s such an underrated state in today’s busy, modern world. Too many kids are living over-scheduled lives, crammed with activities and plugged with television or electronics in any remaining gaps. This approach will keep our kids busy and entertained for sure, but the trouble is, the more we entertain them, the less capable they become of entertaining themselves. Instead of trying to fill their days, I really believe we should allow our kids to be bored. When my kids run out of activities or interesting toys, they almost always end up playing in the most imaginative, creative ways. They’ll crack open the dress-up box, build a fort from cardboard or make up a new version of ‘tag your it’. Or, they’ll grab a set of coloured pencils and begin drawing, or grab a book and sneak off to a comfy corner of the sofa. ‘Necessity’ may be the ‘mother of invention,’ but boredom is the mother of imaginative play!

Three quick tips for anyone wanting to embrace a slower pace today.

          1. Cook and eat your meals together as a family.  

          2. Get outside and connect with nature.          

          3. Ditch your TV.

The destination currently at the top of your wanderlust list, and why?

This past year I offered a 5-week e-course on family lifestyle, and one of the weeks in the course was devoted to travel. I was so inspired by seeing photos and hearing stories of other families’ recent travels. One of the places I bumped to the top of my list was the Lofoten Islands in Norway. It looks incredible! I would love to camp and explore these islands with my family.