A PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH MAAYKE
The Vision Behind Belgium’s Natural Skincare Gem, MAIWE

I lived in Patagonia for a few years with my family. During that time, I struggled a lot with acne and scarring. Through conversations with local women, I learned that the oil from the countless wild rosehips growing there is incredibly powerful for healing the skin. That caught my attention, both as a scientist and bioengineer, but also as a woman with very reactive skin. I then embarked on a long research phase, studying the use of rosehip, the different qualities of oil, the varieties of roses, extraction techniques, and more. The fact that harvesting rosehips benefits the local community and that the plant grows 100% organically was decisive for me in building my brand around this exceptional plant.

The Rosehip Oil Serum is much more than just a regular rosehip oil! It’s a combination of three organically certified rosehip ingredients. First, the cold-pressed oil from rosehip seeds, made in Chile. We have access to ultra-fresh rosehips, harvested each year in March, immediately dried and pressed. By April, the oil is already in Antwerp, and we make a fresh batch of Serum. Additionally, it contains supercritical extracts from both rosehip seeds and fruits. This technique, only available in Germany, allows us to also extract the red berries, giving a significant boost to the vitamin content. It’s also an extremely environmentally friendly technique, where ‘supercritical’ air pressure gives you very pure extracts from the plant.

When you use Maiwe’s Serum, you know you have an incredibly pure bottle of 100% rosehip, from rosehips that were still growing on the bushes that same year in the wild, untouched Patagonia. This is an incredible luxury and quality that no other brand offers.

Moreover, we know the people who harvest our rosehips. We visit the harvest every year and work closely with our Chilean partners, who fully support Maiwe and its values.

Nature is the foundation of science; we draw our knowledge from the wonders of nature. They are inseparably linked. Of course, you can synthetically replicate everything, but in doing so, you lose much of the poetry, beauty, and purity. For me, the synergy between the two worlds is the key to a sustainable future. The human aspect must not be forgotten either—countless families are involved in the harvesting, processing, and further production of our products.

I started Maiwe when Filippa was 8 months old. Just over a year later, the website went live with our first three products. I firmly believe that motherhood pushed me to pursue my dreams. The daily balancing act isn’t always easy, but I think motherhood keeps you sharp and focused since your time is limited. I try to involve her in the business as much as possible, by helping with packing orders or making deliveries together. I’m expecting my second daughter in December, which is very exciting, and honestly, I’m not sure yet how I’ll manage everything, but with patience and confidence, I’m sure it will all work out.

It means a lot! Maiwe is a glacial lake in the Andes Mountains, in the south of Chile, where we always go with my family and friends. It’s a magical place, where untouched nature and pure beauty truly overwhelm you. It’s also where I had my first conversations with the locals about the uses of wild rosehip. It was literally at Maiwe that the first seeds for the brand were planted, and where I also get the “Maiwe feeling”: the freedom and self-confidence that naturally come when you feel good in your skin.

My dream is for many more people with reactive and sensitive skin to discover Maiwe’s solutions. Of course, I also dream of international expansion and would love to further develop our sourcing in Chile. My dream is to work around the Maiwe lake with some of the amazing women I know there, to further develop the pressing of rosehips near the lake. For that, I’d have to spend at least a year back in Chile, which isn’t on the cards just yet, but it’s definitely something I’m thinking about.