PHOTO
A fledgling skincare company has been going gangbusters since the diversification of a Taieri dairy farm business.
Sharemilkers Will and Sarah Kirkland launched their skincare business Elm Lab from their family farm Elm Grove in Owhiro, southwest of Mosgiel, in October last year.
"We’ve had amazing growth in the last eight months," Mrs Kirkland said.
The Kirklands harvest A2 colostrum from their herd of nearly 500 cows and use it as a major ingredient in their skincare range including a baby wash, a baby lotion and a hand cream for mums.
At Fieldays near Hamilton earlier this month, the baby lotion was highly commended in the early stage category at the 2026 Fieldays Innovation Awards.
Mrs Kirkland said the recognition felt "like a significant moment for us as a young brand".
"It’s been a remarkable eight months of momentum for us and this award feels like a real milestone."
The award winner was Hamilton-based agritech startup for its wearable equine health-monitoring device, elert EQ.
Elm Lab had won prizes at global competitions this year including the 2026 UK Beauty Shortlist mama & baby awards in April.
The prizes were for best baby wash, best baby lotion and an editor’s choice award for its hand cream.
Elm Lab was a finalist in the breakthrough brand of the year category in the 2026 Viva Beauty Awards.
The 2026 Clean + Conscious Awards winners would be announced in August.
Elm Lab’s baby lotion was a finalist in the best baby skincare category and its baby wash was a finalist in the best baby shampoo and wash category.
When Elm Lab launched, the Kirklands sold their products online.
Now Elm Lab products were stocked by retailer Baby On The Move in New Zealand and would soon be available through Auckland Duty Free shops and an Australian online baby store, Mrs Kirkland said.
Customers were ordering their products from around the world, particularly the United Kingdom and United States.
"We’re seeing strong repeat purchasing and incredible feedback from parents, which has been hugely encouraging and special to see a Mosgiel-born idea gaining national and international traction."
The Kirklands had aspirations to be trailblazers for the dairy sector by establishing a high-value pathway for the use of colostrum to claim a share of global skincare industry, which generated more than $400 billion annually.
"There’s a massive opportunity for New Zealand," Mrs Kirkland said.
