Hi, I'm Mariah - creator and maker of Mama Bee Essentials and mama to four wild-hearted, mud-covered, tree-climbing, perpetually barefoot kids who are, without question, the entire heart and soul behind everything I do.

I’m a Santa Ynez Valley native, raised in the very cute and very tiny town of Ballard, where I spent my childhood walking to the Little Red Schoolhouse, romping through the creek, gathering wild blackberries and mistletoe, and setting up little roadside stands with my girlfriends to sell whatever treasures we had collected or baked that day. Our bikes carried us everywhere until the sun went down, and so much of my childhood was spent barefoot, outdoors, and connected to the land around me.

I also grew up dancing, which later led me to San Francisco where I became a San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleader — truly one of the most exciting seasons of my life. Though pretty quickly, I realized city life was not where my heart belonged. The traffic alone was enough to send me running back to the country — to the wide open spaces, majestic oak trees, the smell of hay and manure, and nights so dark you can actually see the stars.

Shortly after moving home, I met my now-husband — on a blind date at the The Hitching Post — and together we set out to build a life rooted in nature and adventure for us and our children; one filled with salt air, dusty trails, endless days outside, and skin kissed by the sun.

Every bottle is still lovingly handcrafted by me in small batches here in Santa Ynez Valley using the same thoughtfully chosen ingredients I originally selected for my own children.

My hope is to help families enjoy the outdoors more freely and more naturally, with products they can genuinely feel good about using every day — free from the harsh, unnecessary stuff and crafted to stay as close to their natural form as possible.

There’s something incredibly special to me about knowing that something I’ve made is becoming part of your creek days, camping trips, trail adventures, and the memories your family is making outdoors. It sincerely brings me so much joy to play even a small part in that.

Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting my small business and allowing Mama Bee Essentials to become part of your family’s outdoor adventures.