Kawakawa is a plant endemic to Aotearoa. It has incredible medicinal properties that have been used for generations by our ancestors to treat a diverse range of conditions. It contains a bioactive molecule called myristicin, an antibacterial and antifungal which assists with treating inflammation, infections, skin irritations, minor cuts, eczema and rheumatics to name a few. When the looper caterpillar eats the leaf of Kawakawa, it triggers the myristicin compound as a defence mechanism, increasing the potency of the plant. This is why we choose the leaves with the holes for making balms.

-Dr Sally Rye