RAAIE, the new active cosmetics brand founded by New Zealander Katey Mandy, arrives on the international market with a proposition based on indigenous botanicals and highly effective formulas. The New Zealand-based brand combines clinically backed ingredients with natural extracts grown in extreme environments characterised by high sun exposure.
The project follows Mandy’s career in the fashion and beauty industry in London and New York.
Mandy’s connection to local nature began in her childhood, when she participated in the ecological regeneration of the family farm in the north of the country. Together with her father, she worked on the restoration of native ecosystems, an experience that sparked her early interest in the properties of New Zealand plants. Back in his native country, he identified the potential of local biodiversity, particularly resilient plants that have developed high levels of antioxidants in response to one of the highest UV indices on the planet.
The brand takes its name from ‘Ra’, god of the sun, and ‘ray’, as in ray of light, and is articulated around a double cosmetic function: prevention and repair of the effects of sun exposure. According to studies, the New Zealand sun is responsible for 80-90% of visible skin ageing.
RAAIE debuts with a line of four essential products:
Morning Dew Vitamin C Serum: a daytime antioxidant serum with two types of vitamin C, alpine rosehip, black fern (mamaku), New Zealand blackcurrant, native kānuka and seaweed. It promises to improve radiance, even tone and reduce fine lines.
Yellow Moonbeam Retinal Elixir: Night treatment with encapsulated retinal, bakuchiol, mountain rosehip, mamaku, native harakeke, vitamin E and niacinamide. Promotes cell renewal and improves skin texture.
Sun Milk Drops Tinted SPF50: tinted sunscreen with high UV protection.
Cocoon Ceramide Cream: repairing cream with ceramides and barrier actives.
The brand also introduces its latest launch, Golden Nectar Mānuka Honey Enzyme Cleanser, a cleanser with Mānuka honey, fruit enzymes, kumerahou, kawakawa leaf, mamaku and Antarctic seaweed. The formula removes impurities, make-up and SPF, while providing gentle enzymatic exfoliation. Can also be used as a mask.
In clinical studies, a 42% reduction in wrinkle volume has been observed in the first 15 minutes after application, and 31% after two hours.
RAAIE uses sculpturally designed reusable containers that can be refilled by the brand at no cost to the customer. This initiative is part of a sustainable approach that seeks to maintain traceability between nature at source and the final product. The complete collection is available at www.raaie.co.uk
