about us
About
Menos mas is a plant-powered skincare brand rooted in the art of ritual. Born out of the idea that less is more, our multi-functional products serve as the foundation to experience the luxury of slowing down driven by our mission to feed your skin
Our Story
After struggling with persistent acne in her early 20s , frustrated with ineffective products and overdoing it, Annya Santana turned to traditional beauty practices passed down by her Dominican mother. Exploring indigenous remedies, Annya discovered the transformative power of natural oils, butters, and botanicals. Embracing a “less is more” holistic approach to beauty inspired by her roots, led to a transformative lifestyle change. After many homemade formulas she created for her personal routine, extended to friends and family loved and thus the inception of Menos Mas.
Burnout during the 2020 pandemic, compounded by the founder's discovery of a brain tumor diagnosis and subsequent paralysis due to functional neurological disorder (FND) forced Annya’s life to come to a halt. Whilst in recovery, unknowing if she’ll ever walk again, Annya re-discovered the impact the self care routine could have on her mental health right from her hospital bed.
“I had no control of half of my body or life. One day on bath day, my mother brought Menos Mas to the hospital to do a small skincare routine and for the first time since being paralyzed, I felt a sense of self beyond just being a sick person. These small daily acts of caring for myself -, as simple as touching my own skin while moisturizing and putting on a face mask, helped her reconnect with my body, gave me an escape and sense of myself as a whole being, I wasn’t sure I’d ever regain.”
This new profound appreciation for the gift of slowing down, was a feeling deeply reminiscent of the Sunday “wash day" she experienced growing up that re- fueled her purpose for Menos Mas.
Ethos
creating a culture of care, Crafted for the homebodies
Feed your skin intentional rituals of relaxation
Menos Mas was born to capture the essence of self-care, drawing inspiration from the Annya’s childhood tradition of weekend cleaning rituals, experienced in many black and immigrant households.
From formulas to packaging, we prioritize naturally-derived efficacious ingredients to help restore, rejuvenate, and enhance natural radiance. Each product serves as a simplified solution to indulge in the luxury of slowing down and reconnecting with your body, one ritual at a time.
Sustainability
We strive to be responsible .
By the nature of existing, no brand is purely sustainable. At menos mas, we strive to be responsible with our products by sourcing responsible ingredients and materials, using recycled materials and innovating packaging that minimizes the environmental impact, where possible, like with our completely compostable body scrub packaging. As a small business, we are not perfect but we are mindful, learning and educating ourselves everyday on how we can create solutions to improve and evolve our products to serve you and our planet in the best way possible.