About

As a kid growing up, I remember my mother was an avid wearer of Estee Lauder Youth Dew. It’s a perfume that comes in a clear hourglass shaped bottle that has a gold metallic elastic bow tied around the front of it. She would go re-up her supply every two to three months at a department store called Hudson’s. Hudson’s eventually was bought out by Marshall Fields and then Macy’s, but I’ll never forget that she would take me with her when she would go to the Estee Lauder counter.

She would get her little green boxes with the perfume, some body powder that came with a little puff, and the most important thing was her Youth Dew body cream. It’s so vivid in my mind because it was one of her favorite things. It came in a pretty little opaque glass jar and had a metallic gold lid.

My Mom is who you’d think of when it comes to sophisticated and classy ladies. She loved things that were elegant and timeless. What stuck out to me was how much this fragrance was a part of her daily routine. Although Youth Dew isn’t a scent that resonated with me, I was intrigued by her commitment to wearing that line of products every day. I think it gave her confidence and made her feel good. It was her signature scent.

Sometimes I would dip my finger in her body cream jar because I wanted to be like her . It felt really nice on my hands and that sparked my love of body cream or as I like to call it, thick lotion. Although I was interested in science and medicine as a kid, I had no idea there was such a thing as cosmetic chemistry. I ended up with a degree in medical technology/clinical laboratory science. I have an affinity to healthcare, but I discovered my love of natural hair and skincare when I decided to give up relaxer treatments for my hair. I found nappurality.com back in 2006. It’s a haircare forum for women who either wear their natural textured hair or are transitioning to natural. While I was learning about how to take care of my “new” texture, I also discovered soapmaking in one of the special topic forums. The rest is history.

Maurita’s Essentials was Founded in 2008 in Flint, MI after I learned how to make soap, lotion and body butter. It dawned on me that there is no reason I couldn’t become like Estee Lauder and have thousands of brand loyalists like my mother was to Youth Dew. You might be wondering who Maurita is. It’s actually my middle name. The name was chosen as a tribute to my late grandmother, Mrs. Katie Maude.

The Maurita's Essentials line of products is predominantly plant based and free of harsh chemicals. We love unrefined shea butter and use it as the star ingredient in most of our formulations. We are free from parabens, sulfates and phthalates. Our products are handmade in small batches to ensure quality while using premium quality butters, oils, botanicals and fragrances. Our dream is to transform your dry skin by helping you achieve a gorgeous and glowing complexion. We are now proudly based in Baltimore, MD, since 2015.