Science with a
Southern Touch
sootheKA was founded in Auckland to formulate for a reality most skincare brands never consider: skin shaped by the Southern Hemisphere. The name draws on ‘KA’, inspired by te reo Māori, meaning to begin or activate — the spark of a new approach to barrier-focused skincare.
Our ApproachWhy Southern Hemisphere Skin Needs a Different Approach
New Zealand and Australia experience peak UV levels around 40% higher than equivalent latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere — a gap driven by thinner ozone, cleaner air, and the Earth’s orbit. For skin, that means more cumulative exposure across everyday life, not just at the beach.
Add coastal salt air and a strong outdoor culture, and the result is skin that’s frequently under pressure — often without visible signs until the barrier is already compromised. sootheKA was formulated with this specific environment in mind.
Formulated for Where You Live
Every sootheKA formulation starts with barrier function. Our products are formulated to help support the skin barrier and visibly calm signs of stress — using ingredient concentrations backed by published research, not trend-driven inclusions.
We design for Southern Hemisphere conditions specifically — higher everyday UV exposure, coastal climates, and the lifestyle that comes with them. It’s a small shift in focus that changes how a formulation needs to perform.
Where Research Meets Tradition
Research-Led Actives
Our formulations are built around ingredients with strong published evidence — like Pentavitin® and Niacinamide — chosen for what they’re shown to do for the skin barrier, not for how they look on a label.
A Long History, Confirmed by Research
Centella Asiatica has been used in traditional herbal practice for centuries to visibly calm the skin. Modern research backs up what that history suggested — which is exactly why it features in our Barrier Resilience Rich Cream.
Your skin's southern era
starts here.
Join the waitlist for early access, launch updates,
and the science behind what we're building.