Born and bred in Auckland, Katie Higgins created Santosa in response to a frustration with ‘natural’ products available for bodies and homes. “I saw that the brands I’d loved and trusted were inconsistent with my principles of a healthy lifestyle.” Many of the brands Higgins loved stated they were eco-friendly, but nowhere did it state that they were human-friendly. It was then Higgins decided she wanted to create her own range of natural products that had human’s health and wellbeing as the main priority. Then followed by safe ingredients and had to be good for the planet. “At the core of our business is ensuring that our ingredients are high quality, pure and as nourishing as possible. We value transparency, honesty and sustainability.”
Santosa (pronounced san-toe-sha) is now 18 months old, Higgins started out by making products at home and after numerous requests from her friends and family, she started to create bigger portions to sell at local markets. For as long as she can remember, Higgins has always been interested in healthy living and natural products. Her foaming hand wash and multi-purpose spray were the starting products for Santosa, but her Good For Everything Spray is their hero product. “We created a natural multi-purpose cleaning spray that breaks down the toughest dirt and grime, using powerful natural ingredients,” explained Higgins. “We believe that you don’t need any fancy parabens or phosphates to get a great clean.”
Self-care is a huge part of what Santosa stands for. Santosa is a reminder to slow down and savour the journey rather than focusing on whats to come. Instead of a logo, Higgins thought it would be great to have inspirations messages in everyday sight, serving as little daily reminders.
Four new products are currently in formulation which will roll out in the next couple of months. Santosa is stocked in over 30 retailers across New Zealand and are excited to approach new retailers. “We’re in a huge growth phase right now and we are so excited to see where the future will take us.”
