An Indigenous-owned skincare brand from Adelaide is reshaping the way the beauty industry thinks about native botanicals, grounding every product in cultural knowledge and connection to Country.
Ruwi - named after the Ngarrindjeri word for land - has launched its first collection, blending modern skincare science with the traditional uses of plants that have been cared for and passed down for thousands of years.
One of the founders, Kokatha, Narungga, Kaurna and Adnyamathanha man Tjimari Sanderson-Milera, says the vision for Ruwi began with a simple but powerful idea: to honour land, culture and tradition while creating space for Aboriginal knowledge in an industry that often overlooks it.
“We saw a gap in the industry: some brands use native botanicals, but none acknowledge the cultural knowledge behind them or provide education about their traditional uses. Ruwi was created to change that,” he told NITV News.
More than just skincare
Sanderson-Milera says Ruwi is built on three pillars: majority First Nations ownership, being proudly made on Kaurna Country in Adelaide, and weaving cultural knowledge through every formula.
Unlike many brands that rely on a single “hero” ingredient, each Ruwi product blends multiple botanicals - such as Kakadu Plum, Quandong, Finger Lime and Davidson Plum - to deliver their combined benefits.
“Every botanical we use has influenced our formulations,” Sanderson-Milera said.
“With more than 24,000 native plants and trees in Australia, our long-term goal is to incorporate as many as possible.”
Supporting communities
Sanderson-Milera says working with suppliers connected to Indigenous communities is essential, with First Nations people making up less than 1% of Australia’s agricultural sector.
“First Nations farmers currently make up only about 1% of the agricultural sector, so finding botanicals grown and harvested by communities isn’t always easy,” Sanderson-Milera said.
“But ensuring those links are in place is how we create genuine impact.”
He hopes that as Ruwi grows, it can create pathways for young mob to learn about native botanicals and even explore farming and business opportunities themselves.
Changing the industry
For Sanderson-Milera, Ruwi is not only a business, but also a statement about the need for greater recognition of Aboriginal knowledge within the global beauty industry.
“At the highest levels of the industry, we don’t see Aboriginal skincare brands represented -not on the shelves of Mecca or Sephora, nor in international retailers,” he said.
“When native botanicals are used, they’re rarely accompanied by any education or cultural acknowledgement.”
By combining Indigenous knowledge with dermatological expertise and scientific formulation, Sanderson-Milera hopes Ruwi can pave the way for change.
A journey, not just a product
Ultimately, Ruwi is designed to be more than just skincare.
“We want people to feel that Ruwi takes them on a journey,” Sanderson-Milera said.
“Every time someone uses our products, we hope they feel closer to land, to history and to their natural state - just as nature intended.”
