I remember when Go-To launched in 2014. It was the land before time – well, before GRWM reels, #shelfies and wide-spread skincare literacy. Blank Space – not (Taylor’s Version) – was blasting through our iPhone 6 speakers, along with Chandelier by Sia and Pharrell Williams’s Happy on shuffle. Solange Knowles and Jay Z’s elevator drama unfolded. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian got married – so did Brangelina, and George and Amal Clooney. “Conscious uncoupling” entered our cultural lexicon courtesy of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s split. And the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral.
Around the same time I keenly added the first iteration of Go-To's Exfoliating Swipeys to my routine. I can picture them sitting on the mottled green, marbleish countertop of my share-house bathroom. (I can also picture the aftermath of my face after being overzealous with my daily use, something I would realise many years later.)
“When I launched Go-To, I had no idea what would happen,” said Zoë Foster Blake in a statement. “I felt confident we had created a range of genuinely useful, high-quality products, using the most effective and proven ingredients available. (Also: VERY CUTE.)”
Cuteness was a fairly new selling point for skincare in 2014. Up until then my routine mostly consisted of white, clinical-inspired branding from brands like Dermalogica and Ella Bache. French pharmacy skincare was starting to make waves in Australia but we hadn’t yet fully embraced 10 and 14-step routines à la K- and J-beauty.
Go-To launched with five face essentials. Ten years later, there are now 24 products that cater to a range of skin types, stages and concerns.
My skin has changed in the past decade, but the biggest difference is my understanding of it. I know now that I need to amp up the hydration with products like Much Plumper Skin serum and Very Luxe face cream when things start to go awry (read: my adult acne flares up), rather than persevering with detox masks and chemical exfoliants that I think will “clear” spots. I know to tread lightly with vitamin C for my complexion – but I also know that it can work in favour with SPF. I like to keep a Face Hero in my stash for when my skin needs a little bit of TLC at the change of seasons, but it’s not an everyday product for me personally. A Transformazing sheet mask really can make me feel brand new. And I should almost definitely start using the new De-Crease eye serum since my 31st birthday is coming in hot.
Education has been a big part of the skincare industry recently and Go-To has played its part. “We take our time to make skincare with gold-standard, clinically proven ingredients, that will still be as relevant in 10 years as they are today, and then educate our customer on how to use them for the best possible results,” Foster Blake shares.
Sub-brands Bro-To and Gro-To have joined the Go-To family. The brand released (and re-released) a gin in partnership with Four Pillars. And Foster Blake and her team have grown up, too.
One thing that hasn’t changed? Foster Blake’s best ever advice: your face still stops at your boobs.
All Go-To orders made from Sunday 17 to Tuesday March 26 will automatically go in the running to win cash prizes – $10,000 for one lucky winner and $1,000 for 10 runners up.
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