Rawinia runs Minimi with help from sister-in-law (right), and inspiration from her kids.
Rawinia Rimene does everything for her kids, in fact they are the catalyst for her business, Minimi Collection.
“My kids inspired me to create sustainable and natural products and also to make my own clothing line,” Rawinia says.
The company sells lifestyle items such as kids clothing, home décor, organic beauty and aromatherapy products online and at markets.
Minimi Collection offers a range of skincare, haircare and self-care products.
Rawinia makes all the natural products herself, hand pouring her Chanel No. 5 soy candles, making hair elixirs, muscle soaks and coffee scrubs.
“The coffee scrub is 100 percent natural, so it has natural ingredients and it has organic ingredients and it’s so good on your skin it leaves it really soft,” she raves.
Finding her motivation to make these things is easy for one reason.
The company name is an ode to the “mini- mes” that are her children, the key to everything she does.
“They give me the inspiration to do well for them so when they grow up that I can give them what they need, “she says.
The entrepreneur crafts self-care products without harsh chemicals to safeguard for future generations.
“I think it’s because in the world that we live in today toxic chemicals are being exposed to our children,” she says.
She says she is concerned what that means for her kids in the long term.
Rawinia’s products covers all the conscious consumer bases.
Her children’s clothes are all sustainable, unisex, and made from bamboo.
“You’ve got different styles of them you’ve got hats, pants, jerseys, and we’ve even got teething products which are all made from bamboo as well.”
Rawinia hand-crafts all of her coffee scrubs, hair elixirs, and mineral soaks.
According to the company website, the lifestyle company’s main focuses are on minimalism, sustainability, organic, natural and traditional Māori practices.
In this vein, Rawinia uses the bounty of the land to make sure her beauty products have healing properties.
Her kawakawa cream fights skin ailments like eczema and her hemp hair elixir helps psoriasis.
The health benefits and sustainability of her products are in mind because of her roots.
“Growing up in the country, we had limited resources so a lot of families in the community lived sustainable lives and just lived off the land, so it’s maintaining that type of lifestyle, especially in the city,” the nature-lover says.
Rawinia has spread the Minimi message in local markets such as the Newtown Vintage Market and the Porirua Night Market, and continues to grow her website online.
What do ordinary people do to live sustainably?
Abby Sinclair Parker went out into the streets to ask Wellingtonians about their sustainability habits.
Jacinda Brehmer (28) left says she just does the basics like using reusable bags, but feels like she should do more.
“I always feel bad, you see all the articles on the news and stuff and then you realise you’ve gone to the supermarket and got all the little plastic things you shouldn’t have, you probably could’ve done without but it just seems so easy at the time.”
Adam Norton (25) dancer, Aro Valley, is passionate about protecting the environment by walking, recycling, and cutting down on electricity. “I have a compost at home, I’m vegetarian and trying to basically become vegan, so cutting out meat and most dairy, which I think is probably the leading cause of pollution.”
Arthur (45) Bay of Plenty, Regenerate magazine, right, went to extremes to try something different. “I used to live off the grid, with gas stoves and everything. I try and do my best.”
Lee Daroch (25),UNICEF, left, half-Canadian but living in Mt Victoria, doesn’t drive, but walks, bikes and skateboards. “My wrestling coach taught me, ‘a car costs money and makes you fat, a bike costs fat and saves you money. If it was up to me I wouldn’t have a cell phone at all.”
Amandeep Gill (32) India, Burger King, says he will try harder when he is more established in New Zealand. “I’m new here and I’m working at night and taking care of the baby in the day, so I don’t have time now for that work.”
Meg Maritz (16), right, Stories Coffee, Johnsonville, has a list of things she tries to achieve. “I try to thrift shop for clothes, reduce my carbon footprint, so I try to use fair trade things and metal straws, and when I’m older I want to get an electric car.”
Kirk Hodgson (30), left, manager Stories Coffee, Johnsonville, says he tries to avoid the two biggest contributing factors to climate change, transport and agriculture. “I don’t eat meat, and I ride my bike as much as I can, and I try cut down on dairy. Not creating more waste than is necessary, and trying to avoid plastics and use alternatives.”
Sam Norton (23), the Rockshop, right, says he can’t even think of anything that he does to combat climate change. He drinks out of porcelain cups when he orders coffee, and recycles. “I probably should do more, I think everyone could do a bit more to be honest.”
Arthur Price (34), Island bay, left, Bikespace, rides a bike every day to work. “I compost and recycle, I try to avoid using a car as much as possible, catch public transport. I teach people to fix their own bikes, recycle their own bikes. It is a conscious environmental choice, I also work quite a lot in activism towards working against deep sea oil, so I believe quite strongly about working against climate change.”
Thomas MacDiarmid (43) Mount Victoria and Joshua Bickler (17), student, Auckland, do small things to make a difference. “I guess recycling at home is now a sort of common thing we do, and I think we are a lot more aware of plastics and how we use them,” Thomas says. Joshua uses reusable bags and tries to support sustainable businesses.
The post Children inspire all-natural beauty products appeared first on NewsWire.co.nz.
