Interview with Mayte, CEO of HERBERA

To mark the 7th anniversary of Cosmetics HERBERA, the whole team here at the lab decided to corner Mayte and get her to tell us about the beginnings of HERBERA. We asked her for details; we wanted to know everything—what made her pivot to cosmetics, why she chose natural cosmetics, what inspired her, and what kind of support she had.

We wanted her to tell us all the ins and outs of HERBERA and how she managed to make our organic cosmetics brand a leader in the sector, achieving numerous milestones such as the recognition from THE BEAUTY SHORTLIST AWARDS and ORGÁNICS CLEAN AWARDS; you can see them all here.

Mayte opened up to the whole team, and now you’ll see she does the same for you, the #herberareaders ;).

Mayte, while you were studying pharmacy, did you ever imagine you would end up working in cosmetics?

A pharmacy degree leads you toward research or working in a pharmacy, but it actually has so many career paths. It’s a very broad degree in terms of branches or specialties. In my first years, I became interested in botany because plants fascinated me, and through the pharmacognosy subject, I discovered the world of their active ingredients. Later came pharmaceutical botany and phytotherapy, and I learned to use them for therapeutic purposes.

In fact, the faculty of pharmacy hired me to teach courses on it at the university, courses I called: Your Garden, a Pharmacy Without Patents.

I always liked learning about the medicinal properties of plants, and I used this knowledge later during my years as a pharmacist, always advising those who came to the pharmacy to try a more natural treatment. But it wasn’t until I took practical pharmacy and joined the department of galenics as an intern that I was able to fuse all that knowledge of phytotherapy with my desire for self-sufficiency and began making all my own face and body care products. In fact, the faculty of pharmacy hired me to teach courses on it at the university, courses I called: Your Garden, a Pharmacy Without Patents.

Did you ever think about creating your own brand? Were the values of pharmaceutical laboratories in line with who you are?

The adventure continued in a laboratory in Granada, where I started working shortly after finishing my degree. It was a pharmacy with a magistral formulation laboratory and its own brand that was very well known nationally. I learned a lot there. We made oral phytotherapy, parenterals, autologous serums, mesotherapy, and an entire line of conventional cosmetics. Thanks to that job, I discovered my passion for formulation, but, of course, I liked natural things, so when I got home, I would think about how to do the same things we did in the lab, but with the natural resources I had in my garden or in the Granada valley.

It’s an art, like preparing a delicious dish with whatever you have in the fridge… I didn’t need to bring in any other botanical species from elsewhere.

I always liked using the medicinal plants from my surroundings, knowing the properties of the nature that surrounds you without having to bring them from further away—self-sufficiency. It’s an art, like preparing a delicious dish with whatever you have in the fridge… I didn’t need to bring in any other botanical species from elsewhere.

I would go out into the field to pick St. John’s wort; my garden was full of marigolds, rosemary, immortelle, lavender, and my native Jaén soil provided me with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. I had some friends with beehives who would give me beeswax, and in a small workshop at my house, I began to create my first brand, which I only shared with family and friends.

Over the years, I felt the need to build something of my own; I believed less and less in conventional cosmetics. I spent a lot of time learning about endocrine disruptors and specialized in natural cosmetics by studying different Master’s degrees and postgraduate courses. I come from an entrepreneurial family, and since I was a child, I have always planned to put into practice the things that make me feel good while working. I seriously believed and still believe in the properties of plants, and many people already liked my formulas. So, I looked for a space, hired an architect, a cosmetic consulting firm, and professionalized the adventure.

I think it is important to show what everything costs, the hard work behind it, and the passion required to not throw in the towel and to keep staying excited about your business dream.

The beginnings were horrendous because the builders were unprofessional, and the consultant was too, so the first years were tough. Starting a business in this country isn’t easy… they try to sell us on the idea of chasing our dreams, but the government doesn’t help you, and socially, the situation of the self-employed isn’t valued… so that’s how we end up.

This isn't very happy, but life has these moments too, and I don’t want to write a text just thinking about marketing or talking only about efficacy, sensory appeal, and how innovative we are—which we certainly are. I think it is important to show what everything costs, the hard work behind it, and the passion required to not throw in the towel and to keep staying excited about your business dream.

Because once you overcome the bad moments… I really enjoy it with Herbera. I am tremendously happy to be carrying out my dreams. And that dream started with having my own lab rather than just being someone who orders a product from a third-party manufacturing laboratory. I love designing the product from scratch, taking into account the highest quality and most innovative ingredients, carrying out sustainable production, and putting it on sale with transparent communication. I don't have external investors; Herbera is sustained and grows by what it generates. We remain self-sufficient.

Why does the brand deserve these recognitions? How does it feel?

When I launched my first products to the market, natural cosmetics were very stuck in white plastic packaging, and almost all of them were 100% plant-derived formulas, with zero biotechnology. Herbera hit the market in 2016 with black packaging and a minimalist design, which was a complete break from the rest of the brands. Furthermore, my INCI lists were loaded with active ingredients, and even back then, I was incorporating prebiotics into my formulations and replacing water with hydrosols.

My goal was to prove that organic cosmetics were no less effective than conventional ones, provided the formulation included pure active ingredients in the concentrations necessary to be effective. And I started searching all the suppliers for these active ingredients used in conventional cosmetics, but of natural origin. I managed to get bioinspecta biovidasana to approve them, and in doing so, I paved the way for the rest of the brands that today also have this type of ingredient in their formulations.

For me, it is very important that our active ingredients and products are backed by dermatological studies and tests that prove their efficacy. In this way, the result is a brand that is not just cosmetic, but organic and vegan dermocosmetics that adapt to the different needs of the skin.

Do you think consumers are becoming more conscious every day and choosing brands like Cosmetics Herbera?

Yes. In recent years, many natural and organic cosmetic brands have been born, some with more investors than others, but the result is that organic cosmetics are more visible. Their advantages over conventional ones are shared and advertised more, and that results in greater awareness regarding natural care, both for the skin and the environment.

I think it is important to bet on brands that sacrifice part of their profits to ensure that what we reflect on the label is real.

This general awareness of the benefits of natural products has also been leveraged by many well-known conventional cosmetic brands, launching new, more natural brands.

I think it is important to bet on brands that sacrifice part of their profits to ensure that what we reflect on the label is real. And this is done through an organic certification seal, or failing that, a natural one. All brands have to make a declaration of responsibility to the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices, which inspects you every X years, but only those of us that are certified receive an annual inspection by this independent body, which looks at things the AEMPS does not, such as ensuring your ingredients have not been irradiated, that you contain no carcinogenic substances, or that they do not contain nanoparticles—things that are allowed in conventional cosmetics, even if it seems incredible.

How does it feel to have received international awards for the best organic cosmetic brand and best European vegan cosmetic brand?

Happiness, gratitude, motivation, excitement, a desire to keep working. Peace of mind.

What remains a challenge?

Being able to compete organically with brands that have a lot of advertising investment. Getting ourselves seen. Managing a team of people that grows every day and breaking through in other countries. Projecting and pursuing new dreams.

What is your ritual and your favorite HERBERA product?

If I had to choose only one to take to a desert island, I would take GOLDEN DUNE. I can use it as a gel-to-milk cleanser by adding a few drops of water, as a makeup remover by applying it to dry skin, or as a nourishing mask on clean skin, so that it also hydrates me.

In my daily routine, I use it in the morning, followed by Bio Serum Vitamin C Oil Free, the Eye Contour, and the Nutritive Therapy moisturizer.

At night, I also use Golden Dune to remove makeup, I spray the Reishi Mist, and I apply Bio Serum Bakuchiol Treatment, the eye contour, and the Bakuchiol Cream. Some days, at night, I also apply the Bio Serum Active Facial Oil to clean skin and massage with the Gua Sha stone. Its relaxing effect on the skin helps me sleep much less tense and more relaxed.

And with that last question, we let Mayte go. Did you like the interview? Would you like to know more? Tell us, we'll see you in the comments.