How did you go from being a bio-engineer to founder of a skincare brand?

My motivation to study bio-engineering was to contribute to a more sustainable supply chain of everything natural in our lives. At first glance, we’re talking about food. But it’s also skincare, clothing fibre, medicine, books, ... I have always been fascinated by nature, and indignant towards social inequality. Natural ingredients are vital parts of our lives, and their production is often concentrated in rural areas, where the poorer part of the world’s population takes care of its production and harvest.

Besides this, my skin has always been a challenge, I suffered from acne and scarring for many years. I was fascinated by rosehip’s potential in healing these particular concerns. Its abundant presence in Chile’s Andes mountains made all my interests come together. That’s when I started developing the brand, by studying Chile's wild roses for almost two years. The name MAIWE comes from the Maiwe lake in the Chilean Andes mountains where we would always go to with my family, rosehip grows all around it.

"I have always been fascinated by nature, and indignant towards social inequality."

What makes MAIWE different to other skincare brands on the market?

Our tag line is Traceable Beauty. We know where our ingredients come from. We could even say we know the names of the women harvesting our rosehip. Every step in our production chain is intended to empower women, it runs like a thread throughout everything we do. We combine this social pillar with scientific knowledge on ingredients and cosmetology. The products we develop are real gamechangers for people that suffer from sensitive, reactive skin. So in a way, our products also empower our users, by giving them that healthy, calm complexion we all want. We’re one of the few natural skincare brands that chooses not to use any kind of essential oils and fragrance. We want our products to be perfectly tolerable by sensitive skin and not cause irritation whatsoever.

"We know where our ingredients come from. We could even say we know the names of the women harvesting our rosehip."

Why did you decide to focus on Rosehip?

The benefits of rosehip are countless! From a skincare perspective, rosehip is an amazing source of vitamin A. This vitamin mainly stimulates cell turnover, and therefore fights wrinkles, fine lines but also any discoloration of the skin such as hyperpigmentation. Rosehip is incredibly powerful at fading scars. Above that, it contains vitamin C, E and K. When it comes to its fatty acid profile, rosehip is very rich in linoleic acid. It has been scientifically shown that applying this fatty acid in high concentrations is very beneficial at healing acne, as it dilutes sebum, preventing pores from clogging.

Besides, rosehip grows in the wild. From a sustainable perspective, rosehip is such an efficient plant. Its growth is climate neutral, it goes beyond organic. You don’t need to water, fertilize, treat or manipulate the plant. You just carefully remove the fruits, and the plant keeps on giving fresh harvest every year. Women who don’t own large pieces of land can still access the rosebushes to harvest, as they grow on mountain ridges, beaches, along roads, … That way they can still earn an extra income thanks to the rosehip.

"Women who don’t own large pieces of land can still access the rosebushes to harvest, as they grow on mountain ridges, beaches, along roads, …"

Why was it important for you to work with women in Chile to create the products for MAIWE?

Chile has changed my life. I fell in love with the country, and after years of living there, I feel like part of me is Chilean too. My daughter was born in Chile and her father is Chilean. The country faces many challenges, especially from a social point of view. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most privatized and unequal countries in the world. Especially women feel this, as the culture is still very patriarchal. That’s why I wanted to work together with Chilean women, to counterbalance this and support their emancipation struggle.

What are your best selling products and what would be your biggest tip on how to use it along with other products?

MAIWE believes in a concise, effective skincare ritual that is beneficial to all skin types: gentle and profound cleansing, intense hydration and specific treatment. We recommend to skip harsh ingredients, fragrance and never ever dry out your skin.

Rosehip is such a versatile ingredient, it truly benefits all skin types and concerns. That’s why our Rosehip Oil Serum (the purest form of rosehip you will find on the market!) is our ultimate bestseller. But it only works its magic, if you strip the excess of the rest of your routine, and keep your skincare minimal, gentle yet potent. The Balancing Facial Cream is our all-round hydrating cream, that feels lightweight yet is packed with prebiotics, hyaluronic acid and squalane to hydrate deeply and strengthen the skin barrier. We are big fans of the Double Cleansing Ritual: cleansing with an oil-based cleanser first to remove any superficial dirt, followed by the Purifying Cream Cleanser to cleanse deeper into the pores. New releases are coming soon to complement our line!

 - Q&A taken from an interview we did for Galerie de Aims