Indonesia’s incredible biodiversity isn’t just a point of national pride — it’s one of the richest natural resources for skincare innovation in the world. With over 17,000 islands and a treasure trove of endemic botanicals, Indonesia offers an edge in clean, natural beauty that not many countries can claim. At From This Island, this botanical diversity isn’t a mere backdrop. It’s the heart of everything we do.
A Landscape of Untapped Skincare Potential
From the lush rainforests of Borneo to the fertile highlands of West Java and the untouched wilds of Papua, Indonesia is home to thousands of plant species — many of which have been used for generations in traditional beauty rituals. Today, modern science is finally catching up with this wisdom, uncovering the potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin-rejuvenating properties hidden in our native botanicals.
At From This Island, we see it as both a privilege and a responsibility to explore, preserve, and celebrate this natural richness in our formulations.
Botanicals You Won’t Find Everywhere Else
Many skincare brands lean on familiar ingredients like shea butter or green tea. However, Indonesia — with its lush islands, volcanic soil, and ancient herbal traditions — is home to botanicals that are uniquely powerful and deeply rooted in place. At From This Island, we’re proud to work with ingredients that don’t just work beautifully on skin, but also carry cultural and ecological significance. These are some of the endemic and locally treasured botanicals you’ll find in our formulas that are sourced with care, and crafted with intention.
-
Papua Red Fruit (Buah Merah): Often compared to vitamin E and beta-carotene, this antioxidant and essential fatty acid-rich fruit has long been treasured by Papuan communities for its nourishing, skin-rejuvenating benefits. It helps combat oxidative stress and visible signs of aging, which is a hero ingredient you’ll find in our Papua Red Fruit Plumping Cream.
-
Illipe Butter: Delivering the deep moisturization of shea butter but with a lighter, non-comedogenic texture made for humid, tropical skin, Illipe Butter is traditionally harvested by Dayak communities in Borneo. You’ll find it in our Illipe Plumping Lip Butter, where it keeps lips soft, smooth, and hydrated without feeling heavy.
-
Bali Green Coffee Bean Extract: Eye creams globally love caffeine for its depuffing, firming effects, but Bali Green Coffee Beans boast higher chlorogenic acid content, delivering antioxidant-rich care that visibly revives and brightens the delicate under-eye area. Fittingly sourced from one of Indonesia’s most famous islands, it powers our Bali Green Coffee Espresso Eye Cream.
Why Indonesian Botanicals Thrive in Skincare
Indonesia’s uniquely humid, tropical climate and mineral-rich volcanic soil nurture botanicals with naturally higher concentrations of active compounds. This makes our native plants exceptionally suited for skincare, especially for Southeast Asian skin types prone to sensitivity, dehydration, hyperpigmentation, and pollution-related damage.
It’s exactly this kind of natural advantage that inspired us to build From This Island in the first place — because while the world was busy looking outward for skincare answers, Indonesia’s own botanical treasures were waiting to be seen. When you formulate for tropical skin using tropical botanicals, you create products that work with your environment, not against it.
A Clean Beauty Standard Rooted in Heritage
However, our mission isn’t just about natural ingredients. It’s also about protecting the ecosystems and communities behind them. Through traceable sourcing, in-vitro efficacy testing (in collaboration with ITB), and green extraction practices, we uphold the integrity of Indonesia’s botanical treasures while creating products that are safe, effective, and consciously made.
From upcycling ingredients like mangosteen peel to choosing bio-based packaging for select products, sustainability is woven into both our sourcing and formulation process. It’s a responsibility we proudly carry forward.
Conclusion
From This Island was built on a belief: that Indonesia’s natural biodiversity deserves a spotlight in the global skincare conversation. By turning back to our roots, both literally and figuratively, we aim to show that the future of clean, conscious beauty is right here on our islands.
