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Kate Robertson is a star. With more than two decades of in-depth skin care wisdom and knowledge, Robertson is New Zealand’s answer to American “cosmetic cop” Paula Begoun, albeit with a natural twist.

At age 42 (but looking a good decade younger), Kate has devoted her entire life to absorb-ing every ounce of information possible about natural skin care.

Now that knowledge radiates out through several streams—including a unique bespoke service formulating incredible natural creams and lotions for clients.

Robertson also runs a groovy central city business called Urban Botanica selling plant-based cosmetic ingredients to herbal and mainstream manufacturers; she tutors students in herbal medicine and the art of inner beauty at Wellpark Col-lege of Natural Therapies and consults with skin care companies about new formulations.

Robertson also conducts classes teaching people how to make their own skin care products.

In the big picture, she dreams of turning her 65 acres of Northland New Zealand wilderness into fields of exotic plants for worldwide cosmetic ingredient sale.

Robertson’s story begins growing up on a country orchard. Long interested in organic horticulture, at age 18 she began for-mulating her own skin care products before moving to Auckland to train as a beautician. Later, she returned to work for a Northland skin care manufacturer.

“I soon realized that my real passion was actually in formulating skin care products, rather than working on women’s faces,” said Robertson, who is mother to three sons (Jesse, 21, a mechanic; Jordan, 19, a Northland scuba diver and foster son Alex, 21, a medic in Canada).

Next came a foray working in laboratories in New Zealand and overseas, deepening her knowledge of skin care technology and manufacturing. Then, she spent years qualifying in natural therapies and herbal medicine.

Robertson and a friend opened Urban Botanica in Auckland in 2008. Countless trial and error experimentations led Robert-son to develop breakthrough technology in being able to produce very potent, cosmetic-grade herbal extracts in a very pure form. It has global sales ramifications.

One of Robertson’s biggest strengths is her deep under-standing of the true science behind skin care. Just because something may be natural doesn’t mean it’s necessarily brilliant (lanolin is a big case in point with sheep drenched and living in chemical environments). She said that cutting-edge modern technology can bring real enhancements to natural skin care products.

Robertson knows there is plenty of dodgy stuff on both sides of the skin care counter—natural and scientific—and that a whole raft of ingredients get sold simply so manufac-turers can make label claims, rather than offering therapeutic value.

Robertson hasn’t bought a skin care product for her own skin for 20 years: Seeing the damage even prestigious brands can do is just part of the issue. “It’s amazing how simple things work,” said Robertson as she tells compelling stories of clients and students amazed with the effectiveness of the all-natural formulations she prepares.Just one story is the nasty skin virus molluscum contagiosum,which can linger for years, but is gone in days with her natural preparations.

Secure enough to pass on what she’s learned to students, Robertson devotes one day a week to teaching at Wellpark College: she tutors in herbal medicine, herbal pharmacology, botany, manufacturing and materia medica (www.wellpark.co.nz). She’s particularly proud of the required textbook for herbalists that she revised with Gil Painter—a New Zealander who is world renowned in herbal medicine—which passes on decades of both women’s herbal manufacturing experience.

Robertson said her own youthful skin comes despite a life fully lived. Her own regime involves twice daily cleanse and moisturize; regular use of an exfoliant and a French clay mask; a daily salad with vegetables from the garden and extra antioxidants from spirulina, aloe juice and pine bark extract.

Her own home garden is a profusion of gorgeous and healing flowers and plants, while the dream that really keeps her awake at night is transforming her corner of Northland New Zealand into a global beauty garden.