New Zealand’s beauty and skincare landscape is all the better for making use of the country’s actual, physical landscape, with brands harnessing local, natural and unique ingredients to offer them global editorial coverage and enhance their products.

With so many natural ingredients offering extreme skincare benefits, and New Zealand beauty’s large focus on organic products that also support local businesses and locally produced innovations, these unique ingredients are more paramount than ever.

Here are 3 unique ingredients hailing from our great country that caught our eye.

1. Deer Milk

With important hydrating properties, deer milk is an apparent skincare winner. Beauty brand kōtia is already expanding across international waters by having this as the hero ingredient in their entire skincare range.

2. Bee Venom and Royal Jelly

These ingredients are kinder than they sound. The royal jelly contains hydrating and anti-ageing properties that also tighten fine lines and wrinkles and protect the skin from daily pollutants, while bee venom stimulates the skin to boost the production of natural collagen and elastin. Skincare brand bee yü’s Hydrating Day Crème contains bee venom and natural royal jelly from New Zealand honey bees to take advantage of these skincare benefits.

3. Lemon Essential Oil

You may be more used to squeezing lemons on your salad, but your – and your clients’ – skin can also be aided with this ingredient. Lemon and Beaker utilise Lemon Essential Oil in their Foaming Deep Cleanser, made to make the skin more radiant and reduce tiredness and dullness. The ingredient is extracted from lemon peel and is rich in Vitamin C to cleanse the pores, remove dead skin cells and brighten complexions.

What is your favourite natural and unique hero skincare ingredient?