Kawakawa Soap + Kawakawa Balm Combo

What’s all this hype about soap?

The immensely talented Shaddix & Co crafts wonderful cold-processed soap, among other seriously delicious goodies (seriously, check it out!). This is the sort of soap they talk about when referring to “good old-fashioned soap” being the most effective at managing viruses; saponified oils lather up to carry dirt away from our skin and to dissolve the structure of pathogens like viruses…all in a handy little bar.

The bars in stock here at Treebrush Apothecary have been custom made to match our Kawakawa Balm range. They’re fragranced only with the ingredients making them (primarily hemp seed oil, kawakawa infused olive oil, and shea butter), and because they’ve been thoroughly cured, they are also a delightfully firm, glassy bar, yet wonderfully mild. If you’re a bar soap fan, these will blow your mind.

Soap + Kawakawa Balm = ???

No matter what you’re using to wash or sanitise your hands (or your whole beautiful self!), you’re breaking down some of your skin’s natural oils in the process. Lovely cold-processed soaps like these certainly help to nourish the skin afterward, but if you’re frequently washing your skin, it’s worth giving it a helping hand in recovering that natural lipid barrier.

Kawakawa is a native New Zealand plant respected for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and analgesic properties; infused into oil, it bestows those calming properties upon otherwise angry skin and aids in the healing process. Whack it onto dry or cracked skin, eczema, bug bites, razor burn, ashy knees and elbows, or anything else you can think of, and enjoy the calming, soothing effect!

These balms make an excellent follow-up for frequently washed hands and for dry, irritated skin, and the 30mL metal tins happily take a bashing on the go without losing their integrity. Heck, a few have even gone through the wash and dryer, intact!

Which balm should I pick?

All Treebrush Apothecary kawakawa balms are full of the good stuff, but since you have choices…

Thuck: Kawakawa-infused hemp seed oil, kokum butter, beeswax, and mānuka essential oil. This has a soft fragrance from the hemp seed oil and beeswax, and is especially good for super dry or cracked skin, or skin that’s crying out for nourishment. Hemp seed oil can help with developing smoother, happier skin and stronger nails. As with all kawakawa balms, it works great on irritated skin such as razor burn, bug bites and sunburn.

Thun: Kawakawa-infused sweet almond oil, shea butter, beeswax and mānuka essential oil. This is almost completely fragrance-free! While this is also a deeply nourishing balm, regulars have reported that THIS is the balm you want for your eczema and similar skin conditions – shea butter in particular is respected for its soothing qualities. It’s also great for anti-itch purposes, of course.

No Regerts: Kawakawa and horopito-infused hemp seed oil, kokum & mango butters, beeswax, tamanu oil, and rose geranium, lavender & mānuka essential oils. This balm smells INSANE – it’s like a spa in a jar! It’s also formulated with aggressive relief in mind, with both mango butter and tamanu oil in particular selected for their after-sun and restorative properties. This balm is great for truly punished skin, and for the clutzes of this world like us here at Treebrush Apothecary…

Mellow: Kawakawa-infused hemp seed oil, shea butter, beeswax, and mānuka essential oil. This wonderfully creamy, soft balm started off life as a special request to cater for a long list of allergies – and the end result was so lovely it’s sealed its fate as a permanent Treebrush Apothecary product. It has all of the soothing properties of shea butter and all of the nourishment of hemp seed oil, but without more common nut allergens that may be present in other balms, such as sweet almond oil and mango butter.

Buzzbox: Kawakawa and horopito infused hemp seed oil, beeswax, honey, soy lecithin, cetyl alcohol, stearic acid, benzoin styrax, amyris essential oil, ginger essential oil, cedarwood essential oil, vitamin E. Our barrier balm! This makes for a fantastic natural barrier that still lets your skin breathe, unlike petroleum-based products. Fantastic on cracked heels, chapped lips, and very angry hard-working hands.

Wayfarer: Kawakawa infused coconut oil, cocoa butter, candelilla wax, meadowfoam oil, babassu oil, safflower oil, brassica alcohols, stearic acid, mānuka essential oil, vitamin E. Our vegan balm, and it smells like a chocolate bar! This is the perfect summer balm, and has fantastic long-distance spread. Soothe itchy bites, razor burn and dry skin with this tropical delight.