Can you tell us about Methven?
Methven is New Zealand’s oldest and largest designer and manufacturer of shower heads, faucets and hot water heater valves. Founded in 1886, Methven is now a publicly-traded company dedicated to transforming a simple shower into the ultimate at-home spa experience. Methven is renowned for its breakthrough design and product development, distinctive aesthetics and environmental-mindedness – and has won awards worldwide for its design and water-saving aspects of our products.

Where does the inspiration for Satinjet Maia, the world’s first beauty shower, come from?
Through extensive research, we discovered that a shower provides people the desired personal space they crave, creating the illusion of an escape, a time out; an environment that fosters relaxation and uninterrupted time to think. It’s a mental, physical and emotional escape – me time!

Methven has a vision to transform the bathroom into a true spa experience and there are two key trends that have guided us in developing Maia: the bathroom is no longer seen as a pit stop but rather a relaxing destination and women are more time crunched than ever and are looking for pampering and stress-relief in their own homes. At the same time, there has been phenomenal growth in the spa market with a growing focus on wellness in complementary and alternative medicine; women looking for natural solutions to stress and increasingly wanting at-home, tailored services to suit their schedules and needs.

The shower is the most obvious answer to achieving all of this, since very few of us actually take baths anymore. Satinjet Maia can deliver an at-home spa experience every day in your shower.

How does Satinjet Maia work?
Maia is a holistic experience. It utilizes revolutionary Twin-Jet technology which enables it to deliver an incredibly lush water flow – 3000 droplets per second – while still meeting the strictest international water-saving standard as well as a vitamin C cartridge which eliminates chlorine. Finally, it has both a facial massage and a body massage function for the ultimate shower experience. Maia comes with all the fittings you need so you can swap over your existing shower without needing a plumber.

What are some of the benefits of using Satinjet Maia?
A) Maia is a chlorine-free facial hydration shower that harnesses vitamin C to neutralize chlorine, purifying the water before it hits the skin. There is a growing body of literature linking chlorine with birth defects and cancer. Most of the harmful effects are associated with inhalation and skin absorption from the water supply. By showering in pure, unadulterated, chlorine-free water, you’re indisputably safeguarding your health. You’ll notice the difference in your outward appearance too — chlorine strips the skin of its natural protective barrier, it dehydrates the hair and affects the color, especially chemically colored hair. After using Maia, you’ll immediately see that your hair is cleaner, silkier and more manageable and your skin softer. Dr Karyn Grossman, Methven’s advising dermatologist, states “Removing caustic chlorine from the water with vitamin C helps to keep the skin on your face and body more hydrated, less irritated and less dry and flaky. Hair will be softer, less brittle and the color will remain more true.”

B) Maia’s special facial massage function, designed specifically for use on the face, stimulates the skin’s nerve endings and skin cells, improving the look and texture of the skin.

C) According to a 2007 study conducted by Marie Claire, American women wash their faces for an average of only 20 seconds, leaving behind a filmy layer that inhibits the penetration of their skin treatments. Our advising Dermatologist, Dr Karen Grossman, says that using Maia on your face for 60 seconds will more effectively cleanse, allowing better penetration of other skin treatments.

How does your spokesperson supermodel Rachel Hunter fit the Methven brand image?
Throughout the world New Zealand stands for purity and purity is the first functional benefit of the Maia system. Maia’s Vitamin C filter removes impurities from the water or neutralizes them, which is the foundation of the Maia proposition “The World’s First Beauty Shower.” Thus, we decided that appointing a spokesperson who had beauty credentials and was from New Zealand was the ideal way to start establishing the brand. Rachel is the perfect person to do this for us.

Can you tell us about Methven’s upcoming plant based shower infusion collection?
We believe that the complete spa experience should be a fully holistic process engaging all the senses so we created a range of Shower Infusions unique to Satinjet Maia which will launch in Spring 2008. Our Infusions are designed to combine the relaxing properties of your Satinjet Maia with the mood-enhancing, health-giving benefits of essential oils, herbal remedies, along with rare New Zealand plant extracts — Horopito, Harakeke and Kawkawa. The healing qualities of these special plants were originally discovered by the New Zealand Maori people and remain in use today. At launch, there will be four Infusions to choose from. Each combination of fragrances and aromas work together to produce a different mood and feeling — from fresh and hydrating to calming and romantic. The Infusions are available in a 1.35 fl oz cartridge which is easily inserted into an Infuser pod, attached to your Maia shower hose. As the water passes through the pod, it is infused with fragrance and natural plant extracts. These infusions add a whole new dimension to showering and complete the Methven at-home spa experience.

How are Satinjet Maia showerheads environmentally friendly?
Maia was designed with our proven Twin-Jet technology, enabling it to perform well beyond the strictest international Water Conservation Standards. It is a low-flow shower – it just doesn’t feel like one!

What else can we expect to see from Methven this year?
As 2007 comes to a close we are thrilled with the response to Maia thus far and are looking ahead to 2008…especially to the launch of the Shower Infusion Collection.

Where is Satinjet Maia available?
Satinjet Maia is available at Barney’s New York and through Bliss spas and their website www.blissworld.com. We will be announcing additional retail outlets in the next few months.

Truth or myth: Once you shower with Satinjet Maia showerhead you can’t go back?
Truth! The first time I washed my hair with Maia, having the chlorine removed made the water smell like rain and my hair was left soft and full. I have been hooked ever since. The shower experience itself is so much better than any shower I have ever had. I take Maia with me whenever I travel and install it in the hotel showers – no matter where I am on the globe, I always have an amazing shower experience.

What is the best part of your job?
Traveling around the world telling people about Maia and our Shower Infusions, products I so believe in – the best part is when people ask “Why hasn’t anyone done this before?!”.

What is your number one beauty secret?
It’s the shower! Turning something so routine as a shower into a beauty experience has to be one of the biggest beauty secrets ever. The dechlorinated water leaves my hair soft and shiny and I use the facial massage function to freshen up my face. Finally, I use the Grapefruit and Pomegranate Shower Infusion to invigorate me and leave my skin feeling silky. It is the best way to start the day!

It was a pleasure to interview Nicky you can read more about methven and satinjet showers on their website: http://www.satinjet.com/