Eczema Relief

The Kawakawa shrub (Macropiper excelsum) is one of the most distinctive native New Zealand plants with its aromatic heart-shaped leaves. It is one of the most important and widely used plants in Rongoā Māori (traditional Māori herbal medicine), and is still widely used as a topical treatment for eczema and dry, irritated skin today.

The wonderful healing properties of native Kawakawa have been used in traditional rongoá remedies for centuries, as it was obvious to Máori that Kawakawa contained very special healing actives.

Kawakawa has been used to care for eczema and sensitive, dry and irritated skin by Máori healers for generation upon generation and there is no doubt that for those suffering from eczema, psoriasis, rashes or dermatitis, Kawakawa Salve can soothe or resolve the symptoms, and provide lasting relief.

As well as being an effective skin remedy, Kawakawa leaves can be chewed or made into a tea infusion to treat gastrointestinal stomach ailments, high cholesterol bladder problems, to balance blood sugar and blood pressure, and reduce the pain of tooth aches.

In rongoá, Kawakawa was also used for bronchitis, rheumatism, bad bruising, burns, stings and insect bites, sunburn and dry, generally irritated skin.

The distinctive leaves of Kawakawa (Macropier excelsum) meant it was easily recognised as a relative of the famous Pacific Kava plant (Piper methysticum) by Máori when they arrived in New Zealand; and as you would expect, Kawakawa shares some of the medicinal properties of Kava - although not the mild narcotic effect!

Scientific Basis

With laboratory testing scientists have demonstrated that Kawakawa has:

• Myristicin, a pain-blocking substance related to the antiseptic eugenol
  "Myristicin is an anticholinergic agent, meaning it blocks certain nerve impulses. Anticholinergic drugs are used to treat a variety of medical conditions including bronchitis and gastrointestinal disorders."

• Lignins which are useful in cosmetic and topical skin treatments
  "Kawakawa leaves also contain a series of lignans which act as powerful antioxidants in the presence of oil (such as Kawakawa oil), which act as free radical scavengers, and boost skin cell health dramatically."

• Antimicrobial and analgesic properties useful for reducing inflammation caused by skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and rashes
  "Kawakawa extract has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity."

• Diayangambin which has anti-inflammatory and immuno-suppressant effects, which means it can help with anti-immune disorders like rheumatism and psoriasis.

• Antidyspectic actives which can help control dyspepsia and indigestion

• Antispasmotic properties which can ease cramping and muscle spasms

[ link to sources ]

How does it actually help?

The Kawakawa leaves and root are packed full of chemical actives that have numerous medicinal and healing properties. Chemically, Kawakawa contains pain-blocker myrsticin, eugenol which is an antiseptic, and antioxidant lignins. It is rich in iron, magnesium and vitamins. We preserve the effectiveness of all these natural chemical actives in our Kawakawa extract. To ensure they are not lost quickly in our products like Kawakawa Salve, an additional antioxidant must be added. This is why we use natural beeswax, high in polyphenol antioxidants, as a natural preservative in our Kawakawa Salve.

Note: Several other kawakawa balm & salve makers add Vitamin E to their mixtures as antioxidants, usually source from nuts or grains, adding to the risk of a reaction.

Eczema is an inflammatory response within the body to some internal or external trigger. This is why finding out what's triggering your Eczema flares is so important - see the Eczema Triggers section below. However this can take some time and it's crucial to manage your Eczema before it gets out of hand and begins to affect your everyday life.

Once an inflammatory response is triggered, the body reacts by releasing a huge amount of moisture from the skin, which leads to the shredding of the outer skin layers, exposing the inner layers and altering the pH of the skin. This is what causes eczema damaged skin to become itchy, inflamed and raw.

Apothecaire Kawakawa Salve an intensive natural moisturiser containing zero water. This means our Kawakawa Salve is strong enough to create a long lasting barrier over the skin, trapping in the moisture that is trying to seep from the skin. This also allows the healing Kawakawa Salve active ingredients enough time to do their job in repairing the itchy, inflamed skin.

You may have tried many eczema creams and seen little difference. This is because the water content in most eczema creams means they are just not strong enough to create a lasting barrier on the skin - and the synthetic chemicals required to preserve conventional eczema creams are usually Eczema triggers in themselves.

We recommended applying our Kawakawa Salve 2-3 times a day to very eczema inflamed skin, and then once a day to help prevent future flare ups of eczema irritation. Always consult your Health Care Professional.

But wait, there's more

Traditionally in Aotearoa, Kawakawa plays an important role in the spiritual and physical world of Māori, following the life cycle from conception, birth, life and death.

Kawakawa wreaths are worn as a sign of mourning, and used in the powhiri as tangata whenua welcome the manuhiri onto the marae. To conceive, a woman would place a sprig of Kawakawa under her bed before intercourse as a good luck charm. It is used in birth and name ceremonies, to remove tapu at the opening of a meeting house and as a blessing of food and war and a symbol of mourning.

As a key healing plant, Kawakawa was heavily employed in the ancient lore of Rongoā Māori, the traditional Māori healing system where ailments are treated in a holistic manner which encompasses the use of herbs with healing in the mental and spiritual worlds. Aspects of rongoā can be explained as taha wairua (spiritual), taha hinengaro (thoughts and feelings), taha tinana (physical), and taha whanau (family).

In essence rongoā endorses a holistic embrace of all aspects of wellbeing - and Kawakawa plays its part in this healing methodology so beautifully.

We wild-harvest our organic Kawakawa for our all natural remedies using traditional practises - harvesting certain leaves at certain times of the moon cycle, from the northern-facing side of the plant, accompanied by karakia; as well as replacing used leaves back into the forest, and whānau (family) are involved in the harvesting process and planting new Kawakawa shrubs to ensure a vigorous and healthy forest.

Kawakawa and many of the other medicinal plants used in the Apothecaire range are grown sustainably on our Te Kaha, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand farm. Our Kawakawa is entirely wild & regeneratively sourced. At this stage we do not organically grow plants from seed.

Eczema Triggers

If you or someone in your family is struggling through Eczema at the moment, we hope you find this information on the causes of eczema and eczema treatments useful.

We have gathered together our most helpful tips for Eczema relief to share with you, and we hope you find this eczema information useful in your eczema journey.

1. Please always consult your preferred health professional first and foremost. Visit your Health professional or GP to assess your Eczema. They can help eliminate any infection and arrange for allergy testing.

2. Undertake a food elimination diet to eliminate the presence of a food allergy which could be causing your eczema. We have shared an easy to follow food elimination diet on our blog to help you identify what any food-based causes of your eczema are.

3. Begin applying Apothecaire Kawakawa Salve to help your Eczema up to 3 times a day. Our natural Kawakawa Salve is designed to soothe itchy inflamed skin and also create a strong barrier against moisture loss and external allergens - this is a crucial step in ensuring your Eczema does not worsen.

4. Try to eliminate all synthetics from the home - washing powders and cleaners, soaps and body washes and shampoos and synthetic fabrics in clothing and bedding. We have shared information about eczema triggers in clothing here.

5. Eliminate all dust and mould in the home, and ventilate your home everyday. Here is an article on eczema help that addresses environmental eczema triggers.

6. Introduce a good probiotic to your diet either in pill, liquid form or by eating a diet rich in probiotics (yoghurt, kefir, bone broth, fermented foods).

7. Take note of when you feel stressed, and if your eczema flares up at the same time - stress is a common trigger for eczema.

8. Be ready for the seasonal changes that can provoke eczema flare ups. We have written a guide for Eczema in Winter and Eczema in Summer.