Kawakawa Sourcing & Harvesting Practices

From the Ngahere to Your Skin

At House of Rehua, kawakawa is more than an ingredient — it is the heart of our work. Every product we make begins in the ngahere (forest) of the Far North, Te Tai Tokerau, where kawakawa and othe Rongoā grows in abundance and has been used in Rongoā Māori practice for generations.

Where We Source

Far North New Zealand — Te Tai Tokerau

Our kawakawa is sourced and our products are made in the Far North of New Zealand by our team. This is the rohe (region) of our tūpuna, and the land that grounds everything we do.

Our whakapapa to this place is expressed in our pepeha on our Our Story page:

Tū mai rā te maunga tapu o Tarakeha
Tāhuri atu au ki uta
Ki Te Hauāuru Maro-Whara
Ko Tapokapoka o Tāwhaki te moana
Tirohia ki Te Akau Roa
he uri whakatipu nō Te Rarawa

This connection to place — to Mātihetihe, to Te Akau Roa, and to hapū Tao Māui — is inseparable from how and why we harvest.

How We Harvest

Tikanga at Every Step

We honor Tikanga Māori throughout our harvesting process. Our botanicals are sustainably harvested with Karakia (prayer) and deep respect for the land, ensuring the Mauri (life force) of the plants is preserved from the ngahere directly to your skin.

Because we follow Tikanga Māori and honor the plants' natural cycles, we do not standardize our seasonal batches. This is why products like our Māreikura Skin Kawakawa Face Oil Special Edition reflect the shifting seasons of Aotearoa — a deeper winter aromatic profile that honors the origin and soul of the plants harvested during the cooler months.

Sustainable & Ethical Harvesting

All our botanical ingredients are harvested sustainably and ethically. We honor traditional harvesting protocols (tikanga) to ensure the ongoing regeneration of New Zealand's native forests. Our products are cruelty-free and crafted without harsh artificial fragrances or synthetic chemicals.

Because natural botanicals are living ingredients, products may vary slightly in colour and fragrance due to batch differences — a mark of authenticity, not inconsistency.

The Kawakawa Plant

Kawakawa (Piper excelsum) is a powerful New Zealand native plant renowned for its exceptional anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It is highly effective at soothing sensitive skin, calming redness, and aiding in the natural healing of inflammatory conditions like eczema, dermatitis, and acne.

In Rongoā Māori, kawakawa is one of the most widely used taonga plants. At House of Rehua, we blend this ancient wisdom with modern clean beauty standards to create holistic, natural skincare that nurtures, heals, and protects your skin naturally.

New Zealand native botanicals are grown in isolated ecosystems, resulting in highly potent, bioactive ingredients — unlike standard synthetic cosmetics, our clean beauty formulas deliver pure, plant-based nutrition that works in harmony with your skin's natural barrier.

Our Kawakawa Products

Every product below contains kawakawa as a core botanical, harvested from Te Tai Tokerau and crafted with tikanga by our team.

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