JOURNAL

This month the spotlight at work is Climate & Sustainability.  The more I look into sustainability, the more complicated it becomes. There are carbon emissions, energy use, water consumption, waste, transport and packaging to consider – and every decision affects another part of the supply chain.  That’s why I prefer to use the term stewardship – because it is the careful and responsible management of all resources entrusted into our care.  So, let’s look at some of those challenges: Is glass always more sustainable than plastic? Glass uses a lot of energy to manufacture, and because it is heavy, and it is expensive to transport.  It can be put out for kerbside recycling, if it is not too small.  In addition to recycling, you can reuse it or repurpose it, and some brands like Aleph Beauty offer a return program to recirculate their product packaging.  Returned packaging still needs to be cleaned and sanitised and may still require new lids/seals.  Conventional plastic is generally made from fossil-fuel-derived petrochemicals; it is cheaper, lighter and depending on the type it can be recycled.  Unlike glass, plastic generally cannot be recycled indefinitely. Mechanical recycling can degrade the polymer over repeated cycles, eventually limiting its suitability for some applications.  Not all types of plastic are recyclable in New Zealand and even for those that are, for example lids, are not able to be disposed of in kerbside recycling. Is recyclable packaging actually recycled? Recycling also has an economic and logistical reality behind it. Waste has to be collected, sorted, transported and processed somewhere, and that infrastructure isn't available for every material in New Zealand. For example, a serum pump is likely to be made of mixed plastic grades and may contain a metal spring, therefore it cannot go into kerbside recycling in New Zealand.  Many soft plastics can be recycled at participating outlets, but it can be confusing for the consumer to know if that particular soft plastic can be recycled locally – especially if the product originated overseas.  A recycling symbol on the packaging doesn't necessarily mean that our local recycling system accepts it.  Is refillable beauty packaging always better? There are two forms of refills to consider – refill pods/pouches that you buy or by going to a refill station.  It can be better, however there are other considerations. Refill pods/pouches will most likely be lighter but may have foil tops or plastic lids. Will the internal container be recyclable? Some brands like Ecostore offer refill stations, but that doesn’t work for all types of products.  Then there is the question of contamination. If consumers are expected to clean their own containers, how confident can brands be that they have been cleaned thoroughly? Pumps in particular can be surprisingly difficult to clean, with product trapped inside components that are almost impossible to access. Does “natural” mean sustainable? Not always.  What if the ingredient involved child or forced labour? Or if harvesting it threatens the species itself or the surrounding environment? Sometimes, a nature-identical version of an ingredient can actually be the more responsible choice when the natural resource is scarce or unsustainable, or for stability issues. Are botanical ingredients automatically better for the environment? "Natural" tells you where something came from, not necessarily what happens to it after processing, use or disposal. For example, the safety data sheet may indicate that expired ingredients are toxic to aquatic organisms, in which case you cannot empty them down the drain.  Just as you shouldn’t tip leftover cooking oil down the sink.  Tapioca starch is a good case in point, it can have significant environmental impacts including water usage, energy consumption and waste generation. What does “upcycled” mean in skincare? “Upcycled” refers to ingredients that might be discarded as a byproduct of another process.  Take hydrosols for example, they are the water recovered through the distillation process used to extract certain essential oils.  Tomato seed oil is derived from tomato seeds that would normally be discarded during tomato sauce manufacturing process.  This is something I actively looked for in ingredients for Tatawai formulations. Does buying local make beauty more sustainable? It can — but local isn't automatically lower impact.  That’s because there is a difference between environmental sustainability and economic/social sustainability. A locally produced product may support local employment and keep economic value within the community, but that doesn't automatically mean it has the lowest carbon footprint. Sustainable practices in the beauty industry extend beyond the traditional environmental viewpoints. Fostering relationships with organisations such as Te Whare Owhero — something I do as a Hope Champion — a conscious decision to lift up others within our community is just as important to me. Why is sustainable packaging so difficult for small beauty brands? The simple answer is cost.  I have spent days if not weeks on Alibaba looking for options.  And I have genuinely found beautiful packaging that is recyclable and fun. However, in the end I either cannot afford the MOQ’s or I cannot afford the freight costs and possible import costs/hassles at this point in time.  Similarly, I’ve tried to source products locally within New Zealand, but I can’t commit to MOQ of 10,000 units, or the unit prices are too high.  So I have opted for glass, done my best to limit courier costs and made an extra effort with QR Codes to explain the recycling method for each product. Then there are the certifications – they are also expensive, rigorous (as they should be) and need to be renewed.  Then there are annual fees for the privilege using the logo.  It can be expensive to change your formulation to be classified as COSMOS/NATRUE approved, or as Organic and there is a substantial amount of supply chain documentation involved.  I would really like to be B Corp Certified, but I have to be trading for a minimum of 12 months before I can even apply.  Consumers quite reasonably want small brands to make sustainable choices. But small brands often don't have the purchasing power, infrastructure or cash flow to access the same solutions as large brands. Sometimes the more sustainable option isn't economically viable for a small business yet. That is disheartening. Can a beauty product ever be truly zero waste? Maybe, but that doesn’t mean we stop trying and some brands are making substantial strides in this area like Emma Lewisham.  I’m not chasing the perfect product. I'm making the best call I can with what's actually available to me as a small New Zealand brand right now.

Every Tatawai product begins with a simple belief: skincare doesn't need to be complicated to be effective. Founder Suzanne created Tatawai after years of studying cosmetic science, exploring the role of botanicals in skincare, and developing a deeper understanding of what sensitive and sensitised skin truly needs. Guided by a philosophy of calm, restraint and stewardship, Tatawai was built to support the skin rather than overwhelm it. We asked Suzanne about the journey behind the brand, what makes Tatawai different, and the principles that continue to shape every product in the range.What made you start a skincare brand? Initially I wanted to understand what was in my skincare products, how they worked and why and so I studied Organic Cosmetic Science for 3 years.  But then I discovered that I loved the process of developing products and seeing the difference it made to peoples’ skin.  The brand grew out of desire to do more than just take, to be a good steward of the resources that are available to us and to use those resources to give back to others.  I’ve tried to weave that thread through every part of the business. What makes Tatawai different to other NZ Skincare brands? I think Tatawai gives permission to stop trying so hard, to pause and look at skincare with a calm and restrained approach.  That allows our skin to do what it does best – restore, protect, and support us.   What surprised you most about launching a skincare line? How long each step of the process takes.  There are so many people to deal with, and everyone is juggling multiple clients.  So, I’ve learnt to relax and try to enjoy the journey more.  Afterall, the destination is only the next starting point. What standards or principles were non-negotiable for you when developing the range? New Zealand does not have any requirement to register cosmetic products or prove what tests have been conducted for legislative compliance, so I choose to develop products to EU standards (one of the strictest in the world) and have them independently verified, as if I was going to launch in Europe.  Botanicals were always part of my plan, partly from my training, but also because plants have developed remarkable protective and restorative systems over time, many of which continue to inspire modern cosmetic science.  There are wonderful synergies that plants have developed that often work in ways that are difficult to fully reproduce through isolated ingredients alone.  Also, the Tatawai products have natural colour from the ingredients used, because we don’t live in a black and white world and colour makes me smile. What are some of the misconceptions people have about sensitive skin? Globally over 70% of people report having sensitive skin, which likely exceeds the number of people with true medically sensitive skin.  What most people experience is sensitised skin, either periodically or long term.  However, the causes are many, complex and often interconnected, such as hormones, environment, stress, product switching, too many products or active ingredients that overwhelm our skin etc.  Our skin is the largest organ in our body and has amazing restorative capabilities, but it does have its limits.  Before Tatawai, what experiences or parts of your background helped shape the way you approached this project? No experience is ever wasted, even if it takes years/decades to be able to put that knowledge to use.  Over 25 years ago I studied Herbal Medicine for 2 years and while I decided not to pursue it, it gave me a good foundation of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and a love for botanicals.  Now with over 30 years of experience in IT, working with and in many different organisations to develop and deliver meaningful insightful data for decision making, I can apply those skills to help me look at the brand from different angles.   What does the future of Tatawai look like to you? I would like the range to grow with different types of products, think top to toe, to include haircare and body care products.  All will have a calm and restrained philosophy behind them.  I want Tatawai to be known for products that work and that people feel good about supporting because the brand reflects a better way of doing things. Do you have a favourite (botanical) ingredient and why? Mango Butter – it is a wonderful example of an upcycled ingredient (comes from that massive pip inside the fruit) that would normally be thrown away.  I currently use it in my hand creams, and it will form part of a formula for a more nourishing/emollient moisturiser in the future.  What I love about it is that despite being deeply nourishing, it does not feel heavy or greasy on the skin. It has wonderful softening and protective properties and works beautifully in products designed for dry or sensitive skin.

It appears to me that skincare routines have got more complicated over the last few years — multiple serums, layered actives, constant tweaking based on whatever's trending. For a lot of skin types that's manageable. For reactive or overstimulated skin, that complexity is often what's keeping it from settling. I built Tatawai around three steps — cleanse, support, seal — not as a minimalism trend, and not because I think fewer products is automatically better. It's because overstimulated skin tends to respond better to something consistent and structured than to something constantly changing. Cleanse gently. People tend to put all their attention on what they apply after cleansing — the serums, the actives — and treat cleansing as a formality. But it affects the barrier every single day. Done right, it should feel calm rather than corrective: enough to prepare the skin, not enough to add to the load it's already carrying. Support thoughtfully. This isn't about intensity. It's reinforcing what skin already does on its own — hydration, barrier function — through measured formulation rather than layering more on top. For skin under pressure, tolerance matters more than potency. Seal with restraint. Moisturiser gets treated as optional, but for reactive skin it's doing real structural work — holding hydration in, reducing water loss, giving the barrier room to repair overnight. It should reinforce, not smother. None of this is about doing less for its own sake. It's structure with a purpose: take the unnecessary pressure off, and skin generally finds its own way back to balance faster than people expect.

For a lot of people, the frustrating part isn't dryness or a breakout. It's that skin stops being predictable. A product that's been fine for months suddenly stings. A routine that's worked for years no longer feels stable. Some weeks skin behaves, other weeks it doesn't, and there's no obvious reason why. Most people call this sensitive skin. In my experience, it's rarely that simple. What's usually happening is accumulation, which eventually leads to overstimulation. Our skin doesn't respond to any one thing in isolation — it carries a running total. Active ingredients, environmental exposure, over-cleansing, stress, hormonal shifts, not enough recovery time between treatments. None of these need to be dramatic on their own. It's the layering of them, week after week, that eventually overwhelms the skin's ability to recover. Tolerance isn't fixed, either. Our skin's natural defenses that handled frequent exfoliation or stronger actives comfortably a year ago can quietly lose that capacity, especially through hormonal changes like perimenopause, where the structural scaffolding that kept skin resilient starts to erode. When that happens, the usual instinct is to fight back — try something stronger, add a step, chase a fix. More often than not, that just adds another variable to a system that's already under pressure. None of this means active ingredients are the enemy, or that skincare has to become minimal forever. It means that when skin is already carrying too much, the answer is rarely "more." It's giving it fewer variables to deal with, so it has the room to regulate itself again.

A calm, structured guide to restoring an overstimulated skin barrier through simplified, barrier-first skincare and gentle recovery rituals.