Meet The Taranaki Skincare Founder Who Believes Great Skin Doesn’t Need A Complicated Routine

Renee Hohaia is on a mission to simplify your bathroom.

After two decades working as a skin therapist, the Taranaki brand founder came to realise she was constantly addressing the same things. In particular, she saw clients with a damaged skin barrier and other skin challenges who were overwhelmed, chopping and changing products to try and find improvement.

Believing great skin is about consistency, Hohaia set about developing her own product line that is incredibly straightforward.

Called arkè, the New Zealand brand includes just four products in the main line – and only three are strictly necessary for daily use. There is a cleanser, a serum and a moisturiser, containing top quality clinical-grade ingredients, plus a deeply nourishing night-time treatment balm Hohaia says has become a favourite of many of her clients.

She has prioritised clarity over complexity, so the products are easy and suit a wide range of skin types. The likes of niacinamide, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and Kakadu plum do the hard work while being easy to tolerate.

“Skincare shouldn’t be about trying to look like someone else or chasing trends, it’s about supporting your skin at every stage, helping it look and feel its best and in turn, you look and feel your best,” says Hohaia, confirming she doesn’t use terms like ‘anti-aging’ even though her products contain active ingredients often marketed that way.

“I believe skin doesn’t need to be reversed or erased – it deserves respect, care and attention at every stage of life,” she explains. “Our products are designed to help skin age well, not by freezing time, but by delivering nourishment, resilience and a radiant, healthy glow.”

The four products are available full size or in a discovery set perfect for trial or travel. An additional The Lip Treatment balm made with Egmont Mānuka Honey, beeswax, kawakawa extract, and hyaluronic acid helps nourish and restore dry, chapped lips.

We spoke with the experienced skin therapist about what she wanted arkè to provide.

I’ve spent more than 20 years treating the skin of women here in Taranaki, and that has shaped absolutely everything about this brand. I’ve seen thousands of faces, had thousands of conversations, and my clients have honestly taught me what skin really needs. They told me what worked, what didn’t, what confused them and what they wished skincare was.

Taranaki is also a climate where our skin experiences all of the elements – the heat, the cold, the ocean – perfect conditions for thorough formulating and testing.

Living in Taranaki also keeps me really grounded. We live in this beautiful little slice of paradise where life is a little slower, people genuinely care about each other and supporting local businesses is just part of who we are. I’ve felt so incredibly supported from day one. This community has given me the confidence to back myself and create something I truly believed was missing. Arké is very much a reflection of where I’m from – honest, uncomplicated, thoughtful and made to last.

What could you see that was missing from the market that you wanted arké to fill?

The skincare industry has become so complicated. Every week there’s another ingredient, another trend or another 10-step routine telling people they need more. My clients were completely overwhelmed.

One day a client said to me, “They just need numbers on them.” We both laughed, but she was absolutely right. People didn’t need more products – they needed more clarity.

That conversation stuck with me, so I created arké around four simple steps, numbered in the order you use them. It’s professional skincare without making people feel like they need a skincare degree to understand it.

I also wanted every product to work harder. Take No2. The Serum, for example. Instead of expecting people to buy multiple serums, I formulated one that combines niacinamide (Vitamin B3), hyaluronic acid and clinically proven peptides. You’re getting multiple powerhouse ingredients in one product rather than layering three different bottles.

Every formula has been created from more than 20 years of hands-on clinical experience. I wasn’t creating products because ingredients were trendy. I was creating products because I’ve seen what genuinely works on real people, day in and day out.

What’s the one thing most people aren’t doing when it comes to skincare that they should be?

Wearing sunblock. Every. Single. Day.

Honestly, if there was one skincare rule I’d tell everyone to follow, it’s this. Wear it 365 days a year. Rain, shine, winter, summer – every damn day.

People spend hundreds of dollars trying to undo sun damage while forgetting to protect their skin in the first place. Sunblock will always be the best skin damage prevention product.

A moisturiser is brilliant for protecting and supporting your skin barrier, but a serum is what delivers those targeted ingredients that improve hydration, brightness, pigmentation and overall skin health.

I’m a huge believer that good skin starts well before your skincare routine. A balanced diet, good quality omega oils, zinc where appropriate and looking after your overall health all make such a difference.

And yes… sunblock. I’ll keep saying it because it’s that important.

I think we can overdo skincare as we get older. More products doesn’t necessarily equal better skin. Often less is more. Your skin is unique to you, and there isn’t one routine that suits everyone. Learning to work with your skin instead of constantly trying to fix it is often the biggest game changer.

Also getting professional skin treatments in clinic is a huge game changer. This will always keep your skin in its best health.

What ingredients are you excited by?

Clinically proven peptides are incredibly exciting. The research around them just keeps getting better, and they’re becoming such an important ingredient for supporting healthy, resilient skin.

But if I’m honest, niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is still one of my absolute favourites. It probably doesn’t get the hype it deserves because it’s been around for a while, but it’s such a brilliant all-rounder. It helps strengthen the skin barrier, improve hydration, calm inflammation, brighten the complexion and support healthier skin overall.

Sometimes the ingredients that reliably deliver consistent results are the ones I love the most.

Favourite product?

Like so many arké customers, I’ve become completely obsessed with No.4 Bed Balm.

There really is nothing quite like it. It’s the last thing I put on before bed every single night, and I wake up with my skin feeling nourished, calm and healthy.

It’s the product I reach for whenever my skin feels a little flat, dry or like it just needs a bit more love. Especially through winter or after travelling, it’s an absolute lifesaver. It just gives your skin that little bit extra when it needs it most. You wake up looking fresher, your skin feels incredible and before long it’s the product you never want to run out of.