Our plants

Every Girl Native formula is built around a plant of Aotearoa. These are the rongoā behind the ritual: where they come from, how they have been used, and why they belong in each product.

Rongoā knowledge belongs to whānau and iwi. We share these stories with respect, as they were shared with us.

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Kawakawa

Piper excelsum

Found inN°04 Kawakawa Face Oil · N°05 Kawakawa Balm

Kawakawa grows in the shade of the ngahere, with heart-shaped leaves that are often full of small holes. Rongoā practitioners prefer the leaves the looper caterpillar has eaten, believing the plant has drawn its strength to them.

Kawakawa has a place in life and in death: leaves are worn as wreaths or held at tangihanga as a sign of mourning, and the plant is used to cleanse and to welcome. It was one of the first rongoā many whānau reached for.

Traditional use

Leaves were infused or warmed and laid on cuts, sores, bruises and aching skin, chewed for toothache, and drunk as a tea for the stomach and general wellbeing.

Why it belongs

Kawakawa has always been prepared by warming or infusing its leaves, so oils and balms are its natural home. In the face oil, kawakawa-infused oil meets apricot kernel, blackcurrant seed and jojoba oils with chamomile-infused oil. In the balm it sits in beeswax, shea and coconut, which hold it on dry spots for longer.

Kawakawa is the plant that started Girl Native: the first balm Rawinia made, for her daughter.

On the skin

Comforts and softens dry, tired skin
Helps skin feel calm
Leaves a nourishing layer on very dry areas
A green, peppery scent, the signature of the range

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Harakeke

Phormium tenax

Found inN°01 Harakeke Gel Face Cleanser · N°06 Harakeke Body Wash

Harakeke is the plant of whānau. The pā harakeke, the flax bush, is seen as a family: the rito, the young centre shoot, is the child, protected by the awhi rito, the parent leaves on either side. Only the outer leaves are cut, so the family is never broken.

The whakataukī “Hutia te rito o te harakeke…” asks where the bellbird would sing if the heart of the flax were pulled out, and answers that the most important thing in the world is people. Harakeke was woven into kete, whāriki, ropes and clothing, and its muka fibre was prized for cloaks.

Traditional use

The clear gel at the base of the leaves was applied to burns, cuts and wounds, and roots and leaf bases were prepared for skin complaints.

Why it belongs

Cleansing is where skin can feel stripped, and harakeke balances that. Our harakeke is harvested in Kāwhia by Mana Wāhine. In the cleanser it sits in a gentle gel of plant-derived cleansers with glycerin; in the body wash it joins mild coconut- and sugar-derived cleansers.

As the plant of whānau, harakeke belongs in the products the whole household shares.

On the skin

Gentle enough for morning and night
Helps skin feel comfortable after washing
Leaves skin soft, never tight
Suits all skin types

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Mānuka

Leptospermum scoparium

Found inN°03 Mānuka Honey Moisturising Cream

Mānuka is one of the first plants to return to cleared land, sheltering the young forest that follows. Its hard timber was made into tools, paddles and digging sticks, and its scented leaves and bark were part of everyday rongoā.

Mānuka honey came later: honeybees arrived in Aotearoa in 1839, and today many iwi and Māori-owned businesses are kaitiaki of mānuka land and hives.

Traditional use

Leaves and bark were boiled for drinks and steam inhalations, leaf infusions were used for washing, and bark and gum were applied to burns and skin complaints.

Why it belongs

Honey is a natural humectant: it draws moisture in and helps hold it in the skin, a natural fit for a moisturiser. Aloe keeps the cream light, while avocado oil, shea and cocoa butters give it richness.

On the skin

Draws in moisture and helps skin hold it
Leaves skin soft and supple
Rich but not heavy
A soft, warm scent with a hint of vanilla

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Mamaku

Cyathea medullaris, the black tree fern

Found inN°02 Mamaku Glycolic Toner

Mamaku is the tallest of our tree ferns, its black stems rising above the bush with great curling fronds. The soft inner pith was cooked and eaten, especially in lean times, and the fronds were laid on paths and used to build shelters.

Traditional use

The slippery gel from the young frond stems and pith was applied as a cooling poultice for burns, swelling, sore feet and wounds.

Why it belongs

Glycolic acid smooths and brightens, but on its own it can feel sharp. Mamaku’s cooling, hydrating character balances it, and rose and cornflower waters add softness. Use it in the evening, as glycolic acid can make skin more sensitive to the sun.

On the skin

Smoother, brighter-looking skin
Cooling and hydrating
Leaves skin fresh after cleansing
Prepares skin for cream and oil

Traditional uses are shared as history and taonga. Girl Native products are cosmetics and are not intended to treat any condition. Always patch test before first use.

Kawakawa

Traditional use

Why it belongs

On the skin

Harakeke

Traditional use

Why it belongs

On the skin

Mānuka

Traditional use

Why it belongs

On the skin

Mamaku

Traditional use

Why it belongs

On the skin

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