Meet Charmaine

Hi, Beautiful! Welcome Home

i am

I am EssenceTree’s Founder, Chief Creative Spirit and self-proclaimed modern goddess. A proud entrepreneur, doting mother and loving wife. I am equal parts botanical nerd, artist & alchemist. You will see that I believe firmly in the healing powers of essential oils, sisterhood & vision boards. Having spent over 20 years following a naturopathic lifestyle and 14 years crafting holistic therapies, I’m super passionate about natural beauty, intentional living and empowering women.

my dream for you

- To Experience your innate magic (because it IS world-changing).

- To Know that your TRUE beauty stems from the dedication given to your dreams; the selfless way you help others; and the love you shower on your skin & spirit.

- To Harness nature: the healing essential oils, organic herbs and balancing gemstones are luxurious beauty tools in your medicine bag.

my story

EssenceTree represents the culmination of my (complex) coming of age journey from a shy little girl born in a Philadelphia Housing Project. Surrounded by high-rise buildings of asphalt and concrete, starved for nature, I loved to take trips with my father to the park. There, I fell in love with trees, especially their autumn finery of golds and corals. To me, engaging with nature was a spiritual experience. And trees were certainly God’s avatars. Regal, strong, gorgeous symbols of divine beauty.

Later, as an undergrad English major at the University of Pennsylvania, I became smitten with Essence magazine. Essence and Susan Taylor gave me permission to chop off my relaxed hair; supported my study abroad dreams in Africa; held my hand as I bravely broke up with my college soul mate. The proud authority on all things natural, feminine and beautiful, I’d discovered my second muse.

After graduation, I moved to New York and soon embarked upon a deeply moving, transformative rites of passage for women. Like my childhood experience with trees, it sparked a spiritual transformation. Inspiring me to study alternative therapies of meditation, herbalism, aromatherapy and crystal healing. All of this, meanwhile, coincided with my new lucrative career on Wall Street.

Leaving me to ask: “What did I really come here to do?”

A move to Nashville with my then boyfriend (now husband) was my short-term answer. The goal was to contemplate our life’s mission. There, I fell in love with a charming little farm, organic tomatoes picked fresh from my mother-in-law’s kitchen garden and handcrafting holistic beauty remedies... And from there,