About

Plot twist: the mom became the cosmetic chemist.

First, there was a girl from Puerto Rico.

I moved from Puerto Rico to United States in my twenties. I had plans for my life, although looking back, I don't think I had any idea what I was getting myself into.

I became a mom. And then my son developed eczema.

I knew absolutely nothing about the skin barrier, cosmetic ingredients, or how skincare products were made. I was just trying to figure out why my son's skin was struggling so much.

And that sent me down a rabbit hole I never really came out of.

Fun fact: Before moving to the States, I spent two years in beauty school back in Puerto Rico. Apparently, beauty and I had some unfinished business.

The kitchen was NOT ready for this.

I started making body butters and oils in our little apartment.

Were they good? Some of them. Were they pretty? Absolutely not all of them.

I was learning everything from scratch. Reading, researching, buying ingredients, trying things, and realizing how much I still didn't know.

And while all of that was happening, we were also dealing with my son's eczema and topical steroid withdrawal. It was a really difficult time for our family.

But I couldn't stop asking questions. Those questions eventually became a whole new interest.

Fun fact: We were STRUGGLING financially. And those expensive little 2 oz skincare jars? Gone in less than a week. One day I caught myself reading the ingredient list and thought... wait, what if I just make it myself?

Wait. Wasn't this supposed to be a clothing store?

Here's a part of the story most people don't know.

Before Scrachee, I had a little online clothing store called Alpha Gurl Attire. I sold clothes, handmade polymer clay earrings, and eventually started making lip glosses too. A little bit of everything, honestly.

But what most people didn't know was that behind the scenes, we were in the TRENCHES with eczema and topical steroid withdrawal (TSW).

That's actually where I shared our story publicly for the first time. And somehow, it went viral.

A lot of my Alpha Gurl customers became interested in what we were doing for my son's skin. They started asking questions, wanting to know what we were using, and that's when I decided to start selling some of my homemade skincare products through the store.

So yes, Scrachee technically started in a clothing store.

And in June 2022, it finally became its own brand.

And just like that, Scrachee was born.

After everything we'd been through with eczema and TSW, I felt like I had found a whole new purpose.

I had spent months and months researching, learning, experimenting, and figuring things out as we went. And I wanted to share ALL of it. The things we'd learned, the things we'd tried, and the things I wish someone had told me when we first started.

I was passionate about it. Like, REALLY passionate. I wanted to dive headfirst into this whole world of skincare.

So on June 16, 2022, which also happens to be my birthday (because apparently launching a business wasn't enough of a birthday present), Scrachee officially went live.

Fun fact (and a little launch-day chaos): I spent HOURS building Scrachee's website myself. The day before launching, we got an eviction notice. We were $300 behind on rent, and I still needed $200 to publish the website. We didn't have either. So my husband and I asked our parents to lend us $500. We paid the rent, launched Scrachee on my birthday, and somehow made that $500 back in sales THAT SAME DAY. We were able to pay our parents back. I don't think I'll ever forget June 16, 2022.

And somehow, here we are.

Over four years later, here we are.

I'm now a certified skincare formulator, very soon to be a cosmetic chemist.

Scrachee has grown into something I could've never imagined back in our little apartment. We have this beautiful community of families who have trusted us, shared their stories with us, and allowed us to be part of their journeys.

And knowing that we've been able to help so many families along the way? That's something I'll never take for granted.

But there's another part of Scrachee that means so much to me.

As a Latina, I know how little eczema and especially TSW are talked about in our communities. So much of the information and conversations surrounding these conditions happen in English. And I know firsthand how lonely and confusing this experience can be, even when you understand the language.

That's why being a bilingual brand matters so much to us. We're creating a space where Latino families can find information, share their experiences, ask questions, and feel included in conversations they deserve to be part of, too.

And I love that Scrachee has become a place where English and Spanish speakers can come together over something we understand all too well.

We're still growing, still learning, still working on better formulas, and I have SO many things I want to do with Scrachee. Seriously, my brain never stops.

It's crazy to think that all of this came from one of the darkest, most heartbreaking chapters of our lives.

When I first moved from Puerto Rico, I thought I knew where life was taking me. And when we were going through my son's eczema and TSW, I definitely couldn't imagine anything good coming out of it.

But looking back now, I realize something.

What I thought was my destination was actually just part of the journey.

And the story isn't over yet.