How I Went from Hobbyist to Professional Cosmetic Formulator

How I Went from Hobbyist to Professional Cosmetic Formulator

Welcome to Mabuja Labs,

It is with a great pleasure that we welcome you as we have so many great things in store, literally, and have been working behind the scenes creating amazing skin and hair care products that we can't wait to share with you.

A little story about us.

My name is Alida Kaburundi, and I was born and raised in Burundi, a country in central-east Africa. I'm the founder and CEO of Mabuja Labs. I have a bachelor's degree in Applied Biotechnology sciences; a master’s in business administration in Pharmaceutical Management, and I am currently training to become a formulator of natural cosmetics. Obviously, I love science and nature.

    When I started my natural hair journey in 2003, I didn't know the impact of cosmetic ingredients on my hair and overall health. All I knew was that I would never relax my hair again. During my transition period, my regimen consisted of using mainstream products to wash, condition my hair, and then braid it for a few months.

    With the natural hair movement, came on the market products aimed for natural black hair care. These products were not satisfactory to me and through research I discovered that many of the natural hair brands were still using the same synthetic ingredients as mainstream cosmetics.

    I was really disappointed because some of these synthetic ingredients were drying my scalp and causing dandruff, others were found to be carcinogenic or irritating. So, I wanted to create truly natural products for hair and skin care. I then started making my own cosmetics by mixing culinary ingredients such as olive oil, aloe vera, flax seeds, and so on. I evolved into experimenting with more complex ingredients such as emulsifiers, waxes, hydrosols and preservatives.

     At one point, while making my own natural products, I encountered multiple stability and shelf life issues. My creations were falling apart or growing mold, things you don't need near your skin. I felt the need to learn how to effectively formulate with botanical extracts and preserve the cosmetic naturally to ensure its stability and safety throughout its shelf life. I then enrolled with Formula Botanica, an award-winning online academy, to learn how to make safe natural and organic cosmetics.

    In July 2019, I officially launched Mabuja Labs, a cosmetic formulation and production company based in Ottawa, Canada. We assist beauty enthusiasts, consumers and entrepreneurs express their creativity, take care of their hygiene and run a successful business. From DIY kits to consumer brands to formulation and manufacturing services, Mabuja Labs strives to provide its customers with innovative cosmetics that are ethically made using natural and organic ingredients.

    We strongly recognize how generous and rich nature is in raw materials that are safe and beneficial to our health, and we want to shine the light on these botanical compounds through our cosmetic creations.

    If you or someone you know would benefit from our services reach out to us at mabujalabs@gmail.com, and we'll be glad to assist you in your entrepreneurial journey.

    Otherwise, stay tuned by subscribing to our email list and be the first to know about our formulating journey.

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