I grew up with a single mother, an immigrant, who worked hard to provide the best life for me.
She instilled within me a strong work ethic and self-confidence; a lot of times she was my source of motivation and inspiration. My mother shares a similar story with most immigrants: a desire to pursue her dreams, risk it all, and take a chance for the betterment of her family and its future generations. It’s a sacrifice I don’t take lightly or for granted.
Everything that I’ve accomplished is because of this sacrifice, and I admire her greatly for it. So it is no surprise that she played a big part in me becoming an entrepreneur and embarking on my journey in the skincare industry.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I felt inspired to share the path my mother showed me. As a child, I watched her use holistic ways to solve the most common beauty frustrations—from exfoliating skin with honey and brown sugar, to reducing puffy eyes with green tea bags. As I began to hone my self-care rituals during my pregnancy, it was hard for me to find products that checked all the boxes. I longed to discover brands that had diverse content and made me feel like I, a Latina, belonged—and that also offered products that were safe and luxurious, and that honored my mother’s holistic practices.
I have a genetic disposition towards stretch marks, so I made it a point to research the best practices and ingredients with which to nourish my skin during pregnancy. Although I was sure I would get stretch marks and had a few existing ones already, I didn’t get any more—and no, it wasn’t luck. I was able to do this by using ingredients that helped hydrate and retain moisture in my skin; these ingredients became the core of what is now my company’s Stretch Mark Oil. Utilizing the power of mother nature as a tool to enhance my self-care rituals during my pregnancy made me realize how important it is to feel your best in order to be your best.
With my mother as my muse and my daughter as my inspiration, I felt compelled to share this with other mothers. At Matana Organics, our goal is to provide mothers with the tools to enhance their natural beauty in a way that makes them feel good. What better way to do that than with the help of the natural world?
If you’re expecting, let me speak to you mom to mom: I know what you’re going through, and want to help ease the transition into motherhood with safe and effective products. I’m now two years postpartum, and I still use all of our products to help my body feel good and contribute to my overall confidence. As a woman founder, I always want to share my experiences and educate my diverse community of mamas on the benefits of choosing clean skincare.
Besides, maternity skincare doesn’t have to stop at pregnancy. Clean, vegan beauty is not only superior in performance—it can also be cool and sexy. As our brand and community evolves, we are setting a new tone and experience for maternity and postpartum skincare. “Matana” means “gift” in Hebrew. This brand is my gift to you.
