Whether it’s a bowl of homemade chicken soup or a serving of sound advice, grandma always knows what’s best. For one beauty entrepreneur, that expertise can even include cosmetics.

In honor of her grandmothers, Mary and Louise, 27-year-old Akilah Releford Gould founded Mary Louise Cosmetics. Her goal is to share family skincare secrets with fellow beauty enthusiasts while helping them take pride in their own heritage and family roots.

“I think incorporating that legacy into our formulation philosophy really helps to keep the family involved and keep their legacy alive,” she told Happi “I think it’s something a lot of people can relate to.”

Since she was old enough to remember, Releford Gould marveled in watching her mother, a Clinique lover, apply her makeup and skincare.

“I loved how she made it a ritual every single day,” she recalled, adding that her mother’s No. 1 self-care principle for maintaining great skin is never going to sleep without washing makeup off.

“[When it comes to] self-care and beauty, [it] doesn’t matter necessarily about the products you’re using, it’s about taking time for yourself and using whatever feels good for you and prioritizing those moments of self-care,” said Relefordgould.

Collegiate Star Power

Aside from wanting to channel this knowledge into a beauty line, Releford Gould says Mary Louise Cosmetics was born in her dorm room at Howard University in Washington, DC circa 2014 when YouTube makeup tutorials were all the rage (pre-TikTok). While she had chosen majors in pre-med and biology, she fell in love with entrepreneurship, encouraged by her friend to sell her self-made oatmeal masks designed to tame eczema flare-ups and quench dry skin.

Her peers also petitioned a solution to fade the dark marks and discoloration that acne leaves behind long after it’s healed.

“Once you finish the battle with the actual breakouts, the scarring is another thing to take on, and it can be emotionally draining,” she explained.

During winter break, Releford Gould sat down with her father, a physician and biotech entrepreneur, to formulate what would one day be call Miracle Serum.

After finding cosmetic chemists to ensure product safety and shelf stability, the duo tracked down a contract manufacturer to mass-produce the product.

Miracle Serum went on to become a bestseller. It remains the brand’s flagship and hero product.

Miracle Serum Starts the Journey

Miracle Serum is billed as a “practical, durable and cleaner way” to soothe and heal hyperpigmentation, and it lives up to its name, according to Relefordgould. The day-and-night, oil-based serum – along with many of the brand’s other oil-based products – are sourced from West Africa and Fair Trade-certified with 90% of ingredients sourced from California. The fast-absorbing and fragrance-free serum imparts what the founder describes as a “non-greasy glow.” Its star ingredient, jojoba oil, contains anti-inflammatory properties which aid in the relief of eczema and psoriasis, speeds up wound healing, prevents scarring and moisturizes skin for improved softness.

Long before this direct-to-consumer brand reached the hands of a broader audience, Releford Gould’s product was well-received by a focus group at Howard.

After taking a hiatus from college to allot more time and attention to her beauty brand, she officially launched Mary Louise Cosmetics in 2017. She targeted beauty editors and influencers in Los Angeles and leveraged social media’s top platforms, Instagram and TikTok, to promote her products.

Looking back, the brazen decision to drop out of college proved lucrative. In less than a decade, Mary Louise Cosmetics has expanded its product line to include seven SKUs and has earned fanfare from mass media, including Byrdie, Elle and Cosmopolitan.

Other SKUs include Turmeric Facial Serum, an anti-inflammatory cocktail that contains organic cold-pressed turmeric and baobab oils, vitamins E and C, and sunflower seed oil to target acne and hyperpigmentation; Green Tea Facial Cleanser, a cleanser that works to balance the complexion; Olive Renewal Facial Cream, which is infused with organic extra virgin olive oil, cocoa butter, rosehip seed oil, aloe vera, glycerin and radish root extract; and a body oil that is designed to be used post-shower or during a full-body massage.

“Over the years, [the line has] really helped to refine what the customer wants and what their needs are, and it gives people a good range of products to use in a full skin care routine,” said Releford Gould.

Mary Louise Cosmetics is currently available online at mymarylouise.com and ThirteenLune.com. Additional retail partnerships and product expansion in body care will be announced in early 2025.