With Sculptural Packaging and High-Powered Formulas, Raaie Is on a Mission To Redefine Botanical Skincare Using Native New Zealand Ingredients

As antipodeans we know the importance of slip-slop-slapping to protect our skin from the sun. So when a new line of skincare products hits the market – and it claims to provide additional protection against sun damage – we investigate.

Founded by Auckland-based Kiwi Katey Mandy, Raaie is an active skincare brand that harnesses the power of some of Aotearoa’s most resilient and antioxidant-rich plants – along with highly effective lab-derived ingredients.

Its products have been created to offer our skin even more UV protection than sunscreen alone provides and, while SPF should still be the first line of defence, they are designed to work in harmony.

Fittingly, the word Raaie comes from “Ra”, both the ancient Egyptian sun god and the Māori word for “sun”, plus “ray of light”.

“New Zealand’s botanicals have developed their own defensive mechanisms to survive and thrive in the harsh New Zealand environment,” Mandy tells Broadsheet. “They do this by producing very high levels of antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, as well as phytoestrogens.”

Mandy says these antioxidants act as “plant sunscreens”, providing protection for the plants against UVB radiation. Studies have shown that when we apply products that contain these antioxidants on our skin, they have the potential to protect us too.

Mandy’s experience with New Zealand’s native plants started in childhood. As a young girl, she helped her father rewild his family farm up north in Whangārei, planting it with natives to restore the ecosystem. After moving overseas, she worked in marketing and brand strategy, specialising in beauty for around 15 years. Upon returning to New Zealand for family reasons, she found herself once more among the plants she had helped put in the soil all those years ago, now taller than she is.

This sparked her to delve into further research on these botanicals, and what she found was the catalyst for the creation of Raaie. The company launched in April after two years of trialling and 148 iterations of its first products. Mandy works closely with a specialist in New Zealand natural ingredients and a cosmetic chemist (the identities of whom she keeps close to her chest), combining the plant extracts with a rigorous scientific approach and safe, effective lab-derived ingredients.

Raaie has launched with Morning Dew Vitamin C Serum (NZ$137) and Yellow Moonbeam Retinal Elixir (NZ$143). Morning Dew contains New Zealand blackcurrants that are rich in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that protects plant cells against UV radiation damage. Clinical studies have shown these anthocyanins can protect human skin in the same way. It also includes sauvignon blanc grape seeds grown in the Marlborough Valley. These contain very high levels of polyphenols, which can address signs of ageing such as sunspots, fine lines and wrinkles, and help protect against future UV skin damage.

Yellow Moonbeam is an encapsulated retinal product, which means the retinal (oxidised retinol, the more common form of vitamin A) is gradually released into the skin, making it more gentle and stable. It contains native red marine algae for potential antioxidant and hydration benefits. If you’re looking to reverse sun damage and signs of ageing, address acne and uneven skin tone, then this lotion is for you.

A mineral sunscreen is also in the works, but won’t be available for release until the end of 2022 as Mandy is still working rigorously on the formula. Alongside this, she is working on a moisturiser, two cleansers and a nourishing oil treatment.

Raaie is committed to ensuring it sources ingredients ethically, considers its carbon footprint and packages its products sustainably. The sculptural bottles are almost reason alone to buy Raaie’s products – they look so attractive on the bathroom shelf.

A circularity program encourages customers to return their used bottles for refilling. “We want to remove barriers and make it easier for people to return their bottles,” says Mandy. “So, in our circular program, the customer just emails us when they have three or more bottles ready for collection. Then they leave them outside their front door and we collect them, clean them and refill them. We give anyone returning bottles a 20 per cent off code for their troubles.”

raaie.co.nz

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