It is from the earth that the best solutions to our problems are born. And it is from the plants that sprout from it that a small company in the health and beauty sector, Mavie Cosméticos, is being created. The initiative brings essential oils, soaps and shampoos (both bar and liquid), scrubs - all with medicinal properties - and air fresheners to the Mozambican market. 

At a timid pace, in 2020, at the peak of the restrictions due to covid-19, the young Irene Mavie decided to align herself with the cosmetics sector by creating natural and artisanal products focused on aesthetic improvement. The first input came from her sister, who offered her five liters of oil. The idea was to fill her spare time, but she hasn't stopped since.

For the 24-year-old entrepreneur, perseverance has paid off to this day, as she was just starting out in marketing. "I started by selling mineral water bottles and I didn't even take off the brand labels. It wasn't easy. Some people even rejected it for that reason alone. The packaging didn't add any value," said Irene, noting that it took around a month to sell the first five liters of oil.

After multiplying her sales of coconut oil - she now sells around two liters a day - the young woman, who has a technical degree in farming and intends to study chemical engineering, has broadened her horizons.

"I chose to do something different, and that's how the other oils based on natural products came about," Mavie revealed. Most of the natural ingredients are easy to find, such as rosemary and aloe vera, which she grows at home, and others such as cinnamon and ginger, which she buys in the markets. The list includes castor (oil and leaves), yucca leaves (matapa), rice (water), caustic soda, vegetable glycerin base, lauryl (liquid and powdered foaming agent), natural extracts, essences, dyes and recycled coffee grounds.

It could work very well to combine ingredients to obtain the greatest number of products, but the idea is different: "As well as being products for daily use, I make them to solve skin problems," she revealed.

His products have already helped several people get rid of acne vulgaris (pimples with or without pimples), dark spots, strengthen their hair and accelerate hair development. "In all of this, one of the biggest challenges so far has been to create a product that cures mycosis". And she succeeded. Unlike all other products based on coconut oil, she uses matapa and castor leaves to treat mycosis. The mixture results in a naturally green soap with an eccentric and unique aroma, which is worth appreciating.

Some products can be sold for their unit value, around 300 meticais, but when the intention is to solve a specific skin problem, it is recommended to buy one of the following comboIt costs around a thousand meticais. All you have to do is follow the recommendations and the result will be certain.

"People have been in a hurry with these products, forgetting that they are natural, and because they are natural it takes a long time for the results to become more visible. Although it takes a long time, the results are definitive," said Irene Mavie, stressing that users of the product "also need to know and eliminate the causes of the illnesses" for the treatment to be more effective.

If previously she didn't even have her own packaging to sell coconut oil, today all her products are properly packaged, with images that she designs and prints herself. What's more, the soaps and aromatic candles, which go through a solidification and curing process, take on different shapes, from the most regular to the unimaginable.

Now, she proposes to apply different shades to the products - especially the soaps and candles - because the current coloring comes naturally from the products.

Aware of the potential of her products, Irene Mavie wants to spread the word about their healing power: "I realize that I can help a lot of people who are suffering from skin problems, and that lowers their self-esteem. I'd like them to be able to take the necessary care without spending too much."