Ohmaia Scent Free

Did you know that nearly 1 in 5 Australians reports adverse reactions to everyday chemicals.
I sat with that number for a while when I first read it. Nearly 1 in 5. This is NOT a niche condition or an unusual sensitivity. That is a lot of people navigating this world that was not built with them in mind.
Most of us spent years feeling like we were the only one. I know I did. The research says otherwise.
You are not alone in this. Not even close.

A Note from Maya. Every Sunday. From someone who gets it.

A Note from Maya. Every Sunday.

It could be said that MCS has taken a lot from me, and at times, especially in the beginning, it felt like that. But what I also realised is that it led me somewhere I didn't think I'd be.
The restrictions forced me to think outside the box, just to keep myself safe. And somewhere in that, I ended up finally doing something I'd always wanted to do, create skincare. Not just skincare though, skincare that's actually safe for people like me. That part came from having no other choice but to truly understand what safe even meant.
It also forced me into a quiet, simple life. The kind I'd actually always wanted, I just hadn't found the courage or the way to get there myself. My mind was stuck in how society and my family had always told me I was supposed to live, not in what my heart actually wanted.
MCS forced me to protect myself, my health, my boundaries. I literally had no choice. Some people left my life because of that. New ones came in too, ones who honoured me the way I was finally learning to honour myself.
I'll be honest, mental health has always been part of my story, same as it is for most people. MCS didn't create that, but it's added its own weight to it at times. Even so, it's helped me understand myself so much better.
I didn't choose this consciously, but it's led me exactly where I needed to be.

Behind the scenes, before the bottle.

A Note from Maya. Every Sunday. From someone who gets it.

What I wish someone had told me at the beginning.
The most important thing I learned, and it took me longer than it should have, is avoidance.
Learning to leave a room. To step out of a conversation. To say to someone, I am sorry but I need to move away, your fragrance is affecting me. That took courage.
Learning to protect my space was the other big one. Being mindful of who I allow close to me. Not because I am difficult, but because I matter.
Using my voice changed everything.
If you are at the beginning of this, I hope you learn this sooner than I did. You are allowed to put yourself first. Every single time.

A Note from Maya.
Every Sunday evening I am going to share something with you. A thought, a fact, a moment that felt worth putting into words. Sometimes it will be research that says what a lot of you already know. Sometimes it will be something more personal. It will always be real.
This is my note to you. Every Sunday. From someone who gets it.

Ohmaia is nearly complete, but it will always be a journey of growing and evolving.
What I can assure you is that Ohmaia is fragrance free, essential oil free, with no masking agents, and made with the kind of care that only comes from knowing exactly what it feels like to need it.
I will be sharing the products soon, but for now I just wanted to say thank you. To everyone who read that first post and stayed. To everyone who understood without me having to explain further. This is being built slowly and honestly, and I would not have it any other way.
More soon.

I heard someone talk recently about how the broken pieces of a life can come back together like a mosaic. Not the same as before, but something new. Something that could not have existed without the breaking.
I have thought about that a lot. There have been many broken pieces in my life, and for a long time I did not know how I was going to move through the world carrying them. Who was I now. How was I going to live with this illness. What did my life even look like from here.
But slowly, without me fully realising it, those pieces started finding each other. And Ohmaia is one of the things they built. The falling apart is what made it possible.
I am grateful to be here. And I am grateful you are too. Welcome.