CLEAN + CONSCIOUS AWARDS 2026 PROUDLY PARTNERED WITH
Kawakawa Balm – Aotea
GOLD
Best Sensitive Body / Eczema 2026
$18.00
A Medsafe-registered therapeutic balm for eczema, dermatitis and compromised skin, containing Diayangambin and beta-Triketones, native plant actives with proven anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial mechanisms. Grown, extracted and made on Aotea (Great Barrier Island, New Zealand).
Clean Ingredients / Materials
Formulated with excellent clean ingredients.
Ethical Practices
Aotea Health is a Māori-founded and led business built on tikanga Māori, with all native flora grown, harvested and extracted on Aotea (Great Barrier Island, NZ) using vertically integrated, on-island production and no outsourced manufacturing or supply chain opacity. Manufacturing is maintained on-island to create employment within the community and the business ensures the commercial benefit of rongoā Māori knowledge remains within the community, without licensing or appropriating it to third parties.
Sustainable Practices
Aotea operates on a remote New Zealand island using solar-powered production facilities and is moving toward complete carbon neutrality in operations. Water used in the distillation process is recycled, with grey water returned to irrigate crops. Biomass from extraction is fed back into the farm, closing the loop between farm and distillery so that nothing leaves the production cycle as waste. All flora is grown, harvested and extracted on-island and regenerative, circular farming techniques are used to operate within the existing ecosystem.
Social Impact
Aotea’s social responsibility is structurally embedded through Māori ownership and self-determination, maintaining manufacturing on Aotea / Great Barrier Island to provide skilled, stable employment for local whānau in a remote community with limited economic opportunities. The brand reinvests in research and development to scientifically validate the healing properties of native New Zealand flora, supporting the credibility and longevity of mātauranga Māori. Te Reo Māori is used throughout communications and marketing, contributing to its revitalisation in a commercial context.
Product Reviews by Experts
The Aotea Kawakawa Balm is like a really comforting, old-school style eczema support product that focuses on calming and protecting the skin rather than overcomplicating things. I like that it’s made with simple, natural ingredients like kawakawa, manuka oil, and beeswax, which all feel very intentional for soothing inflammation, reducing irritation, and helping support the skin barrier when things feel dry, itchy, or flarey. It goes on balmy, but doesn’t feel thick or uncomfortable once applied. I do like that it comes in a jar and a tube, so you have the flexibility of packaging choice. Being a small, NZ-based brand that leans heavily into traditional Māori plant knowledge and locally sourced ingredients, it gives a really grounded, place-based approach to skincare. It feels less like a heavily industrial skincare brand and more like something built around natural healing traditions and small-batch production, which feels beautiful to use.
Three ingredients. That’s it. And somehow this balm does more for irritated, compromised skin than most prescription alternatives I’ve used. The texture is incredibly smooth and velvety, it layers beautifully without feeling heavy, and the calming effect is almost immediate. As someone who’s previously relied on steroid creams to manage psoriasis, finding something this clean and this effective is life-changing. Aotea embodies sustainability in every aspect. Solar powered, zero waste production where biomass feeds the next crop, water recirculated back into distillation, everything grown and made on the same remote island. But what moves me most is the intentionality around keeping manufacturing on Aotea specifically, a remote community with limited economic pathways, when it would be considerably cheaper not to. That’s genuine social responsibility.
It feels immediately soothing on irritated or dry patches, with a rich but non-greasy texture that settles comfortably into the skin. A little goes a long way, and it leaves the skin feeling calmer and more resilient by morning. The natural scent is grounding and herbal without being overpowering. The fact that everything is grown, extracted, and manufactured on Aotea within a closed-loop system feels genuinely considered. The alignment with tikanga Māori and reinvestment into community employment and knowledge preservation gives this brand a level of cultural and structural integrity.
Kawakawa Balm – Aotea
$18.00
The Aotea Kawakawa Balm is like a really comforting, old-school style eczema support product that focuses on calming and protecting the skin rather than overcomplicating things. I like that it’s made with simple, natural ingredients like kawakawa, manuka oil, and beeswax, which all feel very intentional for soothing inflammation, reducing irritation, and helping support the skin barrier when things feel dry, itchy, or flarey. It goes on balmy, but doesn’t feel thick or uncomfortable once applied. I do like that it comes in a jar and a tube, so you have the flexibility of packaging choice. Being a small, NZ-based brand that leans heavily into traditional Māori plant knowledge and locally sourced ingredients, it gives a really grounded, place-based approach to skincare. It feels less like a heavily industrial skincare brand and more like something built around natural healing traditions and small-batch production, which feels beautiful to use. Three ingredients. That’s it. And somehow this balm does more for irritated, compromised skin than most prescription alternatives I’ve used. The texture is incredibly smooth and velvety, it layers beautifully without feeling heavy, and the calming effect is almost immediate. As someone who’s previously relied on steroid creams to manage psoriasis, finding something this clean and this effective is life-changing. Aotea embodies sustainability in every aspect. Solar powered, zero waste production where biomass feeds the next crop, water recirculated back into distillation, everything grown and made on the same remote island. But what moves me most is the intentionality around keeping manufacturing on Aotea specifically, a remote community with limited economic pathways, when it would be considerably cheaper not to. That’s genuine social responsibility. It feels immediately soothing on irritated or dry patches, with a rich but non-greasy texture that settles comfortably into the skin. A little goes a long way, and it leaves the skin feeling calmer and more resilient by morning. The natural scent is grounding and herbal without being overpowering. The fact that everything is grown, extracted, and manufactured on Aotea within a closed-loop system feels genuinely considered. The alignment with tikanga Māori and reinvestment into community employment and knowledge preservation gives this brand a level of cultural and structural integrity. A Medsafe-registered therapeutic balm for eczema, dermatitis and compromised skin, containing Diayangambin and beta-Triketones, native plant actives with proven anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial mechanisms. Grown, extracted and made on Aotea (Great Barrier Island, New Zealand).
Categories: Best Sensitive Body / Eczema 2026
$18.00
The Aotea Kawakawa Balm is like a really comforting, old-school style eczema support product that focuses on calming and protecting the skin rather than overcomplicating things. I like that it’s made with simple, natural ingredients like kawakawa, manuka oil, and beeswax, which all feel very intentional for soothing inflammation, reducing irritation, and helping support the skin barrier when things feel dry, itchy, or flarey. It goes on balmy, but doesn’t feel thick or uncomfortable once applied. I do like that it comes in a jar and a tube, so you have the flexibility of packaging choice. Being a small, NZ-based brand that leans heavily into traditional Māori plant knowledge and locally sourced ingredients, it gives a really grounded, place-based approach to skincare. It feels less like a heavily industrial skincare brand and more like something built around natural healing traditions and small-batch production, which feels beautiful to use. Three ingredients. That’s it. And somehow this balm does more for irritated, compromised skin than most prescription alternatives I’ve used. The texture is incredibly smooth and velvety, it layers beautifully without feeling heavy, and the calming effect is almost immediate. As someone who’s previously relied on steroid creams to manage psoriasis, finding something this clean and this effective is life-changing. Aotea embodies sustainability in every aspect. Solar powered, zero waste production where biomass feeds the next crop, water recirculated back into distillation, everything grown and made on the same remote island. But what moves me most is the intentionality around keeping manufacturing on Aotea specifically, a remote community with limited economic pathways, when it would be considerably cheaper not to. That’s genuine social responsibility. It feels immediately soothing on irritated or dry patches, with a rich but non-greasy texture that settles comfortably into the skin. A little goes a long way, and it leaves the skin feeling calmer and more resilient by morning. The natural scent is grounding and herbal without being overpowering. The fact that everything is grown, extracted, and manufactured on Aotea within a closed-loop system feels genuinely considered. The alignment with tikanga Māori and reinvestment into community employment and knowledge preservation gives this brand a level of cultural and structural integrity. A Medsafe-registered therapeutic balm for eczema, dermatitis and compromised skin, containing Diayangambin and beta-Triketones, native plant actives with proven anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial mechanisms. Grown, extracted and made on Aotea (Great Barrier Island, New Zealand).
Categories: Best Sensitive Body / Eczema 2026
The Aotea Kawakawa Balm is like a really comforting, old-school style eczema support product that focuses on calming and protecting the skin rather than overcomplicating things. I like that it’s made with simple, natural ingredients like kawakawa, manuka oil, and beeswax, which all feel very intentional for soothing inflammation, reducing irritation, and helping support the skin barrier when things feel dry, itchy, or flarey. It goes on balmy, but doesn’t feel thick or uncomfortable once applied. I do like that it comes in a jar and a tube, so you have the flexibility of packaging choice. Being a small, NZ-based brand that leans heavily into traditional Māori plant knowledge and locally sourced ingredients, it gives a really grounded, place-based approach to skincare. It feels less like a heavily industrial skincare brand and more like something built around natural healing traditions and small-batch production, which feels beautiful to use. Three ingredients. That’s it. And somehow this balm does more for irritated, compromised skin than most prescription alternatives I’ve used. The texture is incredibly smooth and velvety, it layers beautifully without feeling heavy, and the calming effect is almost immediate. As someone who’s previously relied on steroid creams to manage psoriasis, finding something this clean and this effective is life-changing. Aotea embodies sustainability in every aspect. Solar powered, zero waste production where biomass feeds the next crop, water recirculated back into distillation, everything grown and made on the same remote island. But what moves me most is the intentionality around keeping manufacturing on Aotea specifically, a remote community with limited economic pathways, when it would be considerably cheaper not to. That’s genuine social responsibility. It feels immediately soothing on irritated or dry patches, with a rich but non-greasy texture that settles comfortably into the skin. A little goes a long way, and it leaves the skin feeling calmer and more resilient by morning. The natural scent is grounding and herbal without being overpowering. The fact that everything is grown, extracted, and manufactured on Aotea within a closed-loop system feels genuinely considered. The alignment with tikanga Māori and reinvestment into community employment and knowledge preservation gives this brand a level of cultural and structural integrity. Kawakawa Balm – Aotea
A Medsafe-registered therapeutic balm for eczema, dermatitis and compromised skin, containing Diayangambin and beta-Triketones, native plant actives with proven anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial mechanisms. Grown, extracted and made on Aotea (Great Barrier Island, New Zealand).
Categories: Best Sensitive Body / Eczema 2026
The Aotea Kawakawa Balm is like a really comforting, old-school style eczema support product that focuses on calming and protecting the skin rather than overcomplicating things. I like that it’s made with simple, natural ingredients like kawakawa, manuka oil, and beeswax, which all feel very intentional for soothing inflammation, reducing irritation, and helping support the skin barrier when things feel dry, itchy, or flarey. It goes on balmy, but doesn’t feel thick or uncomfortable once applied. I do like that it comes in a jar and a tube, so you have the flexibility of packaging choice. Being a small, NZ-based brand that leans heavily into traditional Māori plant knowledge and locally sourced ingredients, it gives a really grounded, place-based approach to skincare. It feels less like a heavily industrial skincare brand and more like something built around natural healing traditions and small-batch production, which feels beautiful to use. Three ingredients. That’s it. And somehow this balm does more for irritated, compromised skin than most prescription alternatives I’ve used. The texture is incredibly smooth and velvety, it layers beautifully without feeling heavy, and the calming effect is almost immediate. As someone who’s previously relied on steroid creams to manage psoriasis, finding something this clean and this effective is life-changing. Aotea embodies sustainability in every aspect. Solar powered, zero waste production where biomass feeds the next crop, water recirculated back into distillation, everything grown and made on the same remote island. But what moves me most is the intentionality around keeping manufacturing on Aotea specifically, a remote community with limited economic pathways, when it would be considerably cheaper not to. That’s genuine social responsibility. It feels immediately soothing on irritated or dry patches, with a rich but non-greasy texture that settles comfortably into the skin. A little goes a long way, and it leaves the skin feeling calmer and more resilient by morning. The natural scent is grounding and herbal without being overpowering. The fact that everything is grown, extracted, and manufactured on Aotea within a closed-loop system feels genuinely considered. The alignment with tikanga Māori and reinvestment into community employment and knowledge preservation gives this brand a level of cultural and structural integrity.You Might Also Like