Good products should always be trying to solve a problem. For TWYG™ that is tackling environmental damage to our skin, that can lead to premature ageing. 

This is born out of Totarol providing that job for the Tōtara tree, enabling it to live for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. When carefully harvested, Totarol has the same antioxidant and protective properties for skin.

TWYG™ is also about celebrating the ritual of skincare by igniting all of our senses. 

It captivates the senses through its rich, 100 million year old journey, its union between nature, science and creativity, to tell a skincare story like no other.

1. Hearing this 100 million year old story helps to remind us of our deep connection to mother nature and the many gifts she has provided us.
   
2. Seeing these potent potions encased in a beautiful small forest demonstrates the power of science and nature combined.
   
3. The Smell of TWYG brings us closer to nature and our role within preserving the planet. 
   
4. Feeling the powerhouse of active ingredients protecting and rejuvenating our skin makes it a complete ritualistic experience.

100 million years ago the Podocarpus ancestors of the Tōtara tree began. And for over 80 million years Bioactive Totarol™ has been protecting this mighty forest giant. Totarol™ is found in larger quantities after around 150 years of growth and protects the tree even after it has fallen… and that’s when we collect it (no live trees are ever harmed or cut down), ensuring the process is completely sustainable.

With a special patented process we extract out Bioactive Totarol™ in its purest, organic form; yielding a potent anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory coumpound. So what protected the Tōtara Tree against environmental attacks for 80 million years, can now protect us too.

Totarol™ provides anti-microbial efficacy against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria by disrupting the bacteria cell, it creates an environment that starves bacteria of any environment for it to survive in, while not harming any of the other useful microorganisms.

Bioactive Totarol is a scientifically proven powerful antioxidant that neutralises free radicals that cause premature ageing of the skin. Bioactive Totarol™ strongly inhibits lipid peroxidation and scavenges ROS (reactive oxygen species); its high antioxidant properties have been tested and proven to be seven times more effective than Vitamin E, a popular antioxidant ingredient used in skincare.

Antioxidants are molecules that neutralise free radicals, unstable molecules that can cause harm if their levels become too high in the body. They’re linked to multiple illnesses and are caused by oxidative stress caused by lifestyle and environmental factors. The antioxidants in Bioactive Totarol™ are able to help counteract these issues.

The Tōtara is chipped and transported to a specialist extraction facility in Nelson. Totarol is extracted from the Tōtara chip using high pressure Co2. This patented and specialised method was chosen as it removes the need to rely on solvents (e.g. ethanol, which would tarnish the chemical profile of the ingredient).

As a result Totarol is able to be extracted in its purest, organic form, allowing the ingredient to be certified organic by BioGro and NATURE.  The chip looks exactly the same as pre extraction (we have just taken the essence from it).

This chip is utilised by a plant nursery as fertiliser, returning it to mother earth and making the end to end process truly circular.

Totarol™ is sustainably sourced from fallen Tōtara, and harvested through MPI (Ministry of Primary Industries) certified facilities. No trees are cut down.

The main parts of the tree are milled into things like floorboards, window frames, and table tops. We only use off-cuts which would otherwise go to waste.

Despite not cutting any trees down and only using off cuts, we have partnered with charity Trees that Count to plant 500 trees for the equivalent of every one Tōtara tree used, replenishing forests for future generations.