New Zealand is the home of the world’s finest Kiwifruit, an oval shaped fruit with a brown and fuzzy skin and a bright emerald green or golden flesh with tiny, black edible seeds. They have a delicious taste (similar to that of a gooseberry, hence the original name of the fruit) and a fresh, full fragrance.

Originally called a Chinese Gooseberry, kiwifruit were introduced into New Zealand in the early 1900’s and has since become one of the highest earning horticultural crops with exports to many countries throughout the world. The vines grow in selected regions throughout the North Island and the top of the South Island which offer ideal microclimates to grow this subtropical fruit. They flower in spring, and the harvesting of the fruit takes place approximately six months later in May.

Not only are kiwifruit delicious to eat, and a lucrative export product, they are extremely nutritious. They are naturally high in vitamins, minerals (in fact, kiwifruit have more vitamins and minerals per gram than most other fruit) and antioxidants which are all beneficial for the health and enhancement of your skin.

The vitamins that are found in abundance in kiwifruit include Vitamin E and Vitamin C. Vitamin E, also called the “youth vitamin” which helps to regenerate the skin’s cells and maintain tone and elasticity and combats bad circulation. Vitamin C is excellent for cell renewal along with being particularly hydrating and rejuvenating. Traditionally oranges are thought of as a good source of Vitamin C. This is true, but did you know kiwifruit contain nearly twice as much Vitamin C as an orange? So much in fact you only need one kiwifruit each day to get the amount of Vitamin C recommended for your daily intake.

Antioxidants neutralise free radicals in the environment. These free radicals are caused by everyday environmental factors such as air, sunlight and pollution. They have been medically recognised as the cause of degenerative skin diseases such as wrinkles and skin discolourations, and can damage cells and harm the immune system. It is believed that using products that are high in antioxidants can help prevent or limit these negative effects.

We use either concentrated kiwifruit extract, or kiwi seed oil which is extracted when the tiny black seeds are pressed in our Wild Ferns Kiwifruit skincare products.

Vitamin and antioxidant rich, kiwifruit makes an ideal ingredient for a skincare collection from New Zealand.