Aloha everyone, welcome to Ao Organics Hawaii’s new website–we’re so excited to have recently launched our refreshed site, including the addition of our blog, #AOGlow Beauty Bulletin. In our first post, we are highlighting our founder and formulator Chelsa Davis with a fun Q&A. Take a moment to learn about the #AOGlow face behind our natural skincare brand!
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background! (where you’re from, family etc.?)
A: I was born in Kailua, Oahu, but grew up on Maui and the Big Island. I had my oldest son at the age of 19–becoming a young mother was one of my greatest and most rewarding experiences. I was eager to educate myself and become someone he could look up to.
Q: How did you start Ao Organics Hawaii?
A: Ao Organics started when I was pregnant with my third keiki. I have always been conscious about the ingredients in our food, but then began looking deeper into the household products we were using and the ingredients in them. One of the main products we were always using was sunscreen, but I couldn't believe all the toxic ingredients that were in them. That's when I started my research to find out what ingredients were safe while protecting our skin, and understand the toxic effects that these chemicals had on our bodies, plus our environment. I tried to search for locally sourced, trusted and organic sunscreens that would be safe for my family...there were none. That's when I decided to make it myself, and after a lot more research (trial and error of figuring out how to make it!) I finally found the consistency I loved. I shared the sunscreen with family and friends, who after using it shared how much they loved it. So many people told me they had no idea about the damage it was doing not just to our bodies, but to our coral reefs. That was when Ao Organics Hawaii was born! I wanted to 1) create products that were safe for our families and 2) educate people on the (toxic) ingredients that are in our everyday products and lives.
Q: How do you pronounce the name of your brand and what is the story behind it?
A: The correct pronunciation for ao is “ah-oh,” and in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, it translates to world, earth or realm. When I decided to start my business and create these natural products, everything I created was to be just that–from ao, from our earth. I wanted products safe for your skin, keiki, ohana, and of course, our ao.