Without a vision, there is no brand. Everything starts from desire – a desire to make a change, to make something better or to be something we are not.

This is never truer than when we think about our skin. Our skin is a depiction of our inner-self. If not at its best, invariably our mood is reflective. So, the desire to look fresher, younger, healthier or more beautiful is driven by the need to be at our best, to be who we want to be.

So, the vision is simply one where we all are at our best, to go in to battle with confidence, our armour shining and to be victorious!

‘If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well’ is at the centre of MAYSAMA’s philosophy.

With the strapline Skincare with a Conscience, MAYSAMA is conscious not only of giving transparency to consumers but also providing products and packaging that don’t cost the planet.

As an eco-lux brand, MAYSAMA offers high-performance products with an eco-conscious strategy. Green doesn’t mean you can’t be luxury.

Our ethos embodies sourcing the highest grade, natural ingredients from sustainable sources, as well as cutting edge active ingredients, to create an innovative range of premium skincare products that satisfy requirements for the ethical consumer market.

We believe we have achieved this through the MAYSAMA brand, which embodies the values of inclusivity and sustainability.

To be fully inclusive, our products are formulated for all skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin. Our skin-friendly, unique product formulations effect positive changes in skin health and help protect the skin’s microbiome. All our products are registered with the Vegan Society and are approved as cruelty free under the Leaping Bunny programme.

Our sustainability efforts go beyond responsible sourcing of ingredients, to include our packaging. We use predominantly glass packaging, which is infinitely recyclable, and PCR plastic where possible.  Our  recycled cartons are crafted from FSC certified board and printed with non uv-cured vegetable inks.

MAYSAMA are conscious of giving back to the rooibos community in South Africa. We searched long and hard to find the best way to do this and to find a charity aligned with our values.

We have found this in the Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG), based in Cape Town.

The EMG have a community-based climate change adaption work programme which involves partnerships with rooibos farmers from the Heiveld Co-operative.

It was only in the early 1900s that rooibos began to be cultivated on a commercial basis. The cultivated rooibos variety is fast-growing and high-yielding, but less resistant to pests and drought than wild varieties. Because of increasing demand, much of the species’ natural habitat has been ploughed up and put under intensive mono-crop cultivation. There are very few areas remaining where wild tea plants can still be found.

EMG has been working with small-scale rooibos farmers, assisting them to access organic and fair-trade markets. EMG have also facilitated a programme of Action Research with farmers of the Heiveld Co-op and Wupperthal Co-op to identify, to characterise and map populations of wild tea. The rooibos farming community are keen to develop a sustainable harvesting strategy and gain more insight into the ecology of the plant in the wild and its response to a changing climate.

The importance of managing and protecting this wild genetic stock cannot be overstated, particularly as climate change may put new pressures on the cultivated variety and threaten the viability of the industry.

I cannot imagine a more fitting cause for MAYSAMA to support. We pledge to contribute 1% of our profits to the EMG and help research and support the sustainable harvesting of rooibos for years to come.