What we're celebrating in Aotearoa
Look up on a clear winter's night and you'll find them. Matariki, the cluster of stars that rises in the eastern sky each Pipiri (June), telling us the old year has closed and a new one is beginning.
More than anything, this is a time for coming together. Whānau gather, kai is shared, and we take a moment to remember those we've lost, give thanks for those still beside us, and look ahead with hope for the year to come. Matariki has never been a season for celebrating alone.
At Koa, it feels like our story too.
A walk through the ngahere
It began with a stroll through the Whakarewarewa Forest during New Year, 2018, alongside my family. There, Kawakawa leaves literally blocked my path, and on impulse, I took them home to make a balm.
When I saw my niece's dermatitis clear up in just three days, I knew I was onto something.
That balm became a label. The label became a name. I combined my middle name, Joy, with the Māori word for the forest that brings me so much joy, Ngahere. Together, they became Koa.
Nature has been my guide ever since. Every product we make is botanically inspired, because nature holds the deepest wisdom there is.
— Michelle, founder of Koa Botanics
Watched over by the stars
Each star in the Matariki cluster holds a role. Waitā watches over the moana, the ocean and its life. Tupuānuku and Tupuārangi watch over the whenua, the food grown in the ngahere and the land around us. Together, they remind us that the forest and the sea have always been connected, cared for, and shared as one, just as we're meant to share with each other.
That's the same meeting point our brand was born from. The ngahere gave us Kawakawa. The moana gave us Magnesium. And the stars above have been watching over both, long before we ever bottled a single drop.
A taonga of Koa's
This Matariki, we wanted to share a little more about the taonga (treasure) we hold closest. Our Magnesium + Kawakawa Butter with Lemongrass carries both, the ngahere in its Kawakawa, the moana in its Magnesium, brought together with pure Lemongrass essential oil to restore balance.
It's made for easing muscle pain, neuropathy, joint aches and inflammation, and for supporting recovery from injury, tension and chronic pain. 100% natural, it absorbs deeply and leaves no residue, made right here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Watched over by the same stars that have guided the forest and the sea long before we ever bottled a single drop, it's a small reminder that Matariki is best when it's shared.
Real Stories, Real Transformations
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Kawakawa & Magnesium Butter with Lemongrass"Easy to use, with a beautiful nourishing texture. Am using it primarily for m .plantar faciitis, + as a handcream for my arthritic fingers.
As advertised, the Magnesium is a wonderful balm for inflammation."Maggie A. 24 June 2026
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Kawakawa + Magnesium Butter"It's a smooth creamy feel that melts into your body, it's smell is earthy. I use it on my shoulders and feet each night it helps with rested sleep. Thank you I will certainly buy again."
Susan S. 27 June 2026 -
Kawakawa + Magnesium Butter with Lemongrass"I have plantar fasciitis and read that this butter was helpful. I've been putting it on my feet before I go to bed at night and.... no pain when I get up! It's wonderful."
Heather S. 29 June 2026
