Episode Transcript
Nina Huchthausen (00:05.679)
Hello everyone and welcome to the Makers Business Tribe podcast. My name is Nina. I'm the founder of the Makers Business Tribe. And in this week's episode, I feel so honored to have a conversation. Finally, it's been six months since Olivia and I started working together with Olivia from Arlo Wellness. Olivia is a mom of three, is a very, very passionate maker and
skincare creator. And I in this conversation, I would love to delve deep into Olivia's story. What made her decide to make this massive, incredible jump from being upset about what is currently available in the skincare and sun protection industry to creating the change to creating real amazing products
that are breastfeeding and pregnancy safe that we can put on our skin every single day and truly make us more beautiful without harming our skin and without creating any long-term harmful effects, either for ourselves or for our babies. So thank you so much for joining, Olivia. I'm so excited to have you. Thanks for having me, Nina. I'm excited. I'm nervous, but I'm excited to be here. And I can't wait to see where this conversation leads to. Nice. And I think the nervous thing is good thing.
because that means that you care, you know? And we're not just half-assing this conversation, but we're going to have a really good one. awesome. Olivia, can you please, because my intro was very short, my very first question is, you as a mama, a businesswoman, a wife, and having that Italian spice, what's your story? Tell me a little bit more about how you really.
That's a really good question because I, in some ways, I still feel like I'm trying to figure that one out. You like you grow up and you're the daughter, you're the sister. And then, you know, you go to uni and you study, you start your first job. So I'm a teacher by trade and I absolutely love teaching. But I suffered depression in those years of study.
Nina Huchthausen (02:31.566)
And I haven't opened about this up on socials yet, but that was a real turning point for my health and wellness because it was really difficult. it took me, I was so, I used my medication. took me eight years. Yeah. Eight years of medication. put on over 30 kilos at the time or just before I got together with my husband, Luke, this all sort of began.
And there wasn't really a trigger as such as to why I started other than maybe finishing off high school and then moving into university, like maybe the transition. But I find that with every transition, you sort of have to reassess who you are. And I didn't really know who I was and I'm still learning who I am. I know where my values are. I know what I love. I know what I don't like.
but I haven't really stopped to look at me as a person. So, yeah, so with my journey with depression, that led me and then building a relationship with my now husband. there was a lot of feelings of like unworthiness or I wasn't lovable. And the more and more I open up about this with other women, it's not because I want pity, but it's, it's to offer that.
support and to hold space for others because I haven't come across one woman that hasn't felt that way. So that's a really part or a big part of my journey. And I as much as it was such a horrible time, I'm so grateful for that because it made me the person I am now. the only reason I came off medication is because once we were married a few years in, we wanted to try for children.
And I was set on not being on medication. So it took me, I think over about a year just to get off the medication under the guidance of my doctor. But I was determined to really make a change. Like if I'm going to become a mum and I don't want my child feeling the way I felt. And I know it's not always an option. You don't always get to choose what your children will go through. It's part of their journey.
Nina Huchthausen (04:58.723)
But I wanted to be that role model. So I really got into health and wellness. I looked at gut health. I looked at everything around how I could support my now baby and myself. So I didn't go back to where I was because I was set that I wasn't going back there. I didn't want to be on medication. I didn't want to feel numb. I actually lost contact with all my friends from high school, not because I didn't want to have that relationship, but just because in that time,
It was just difficult being around anyone. So that was a big part of my journey to where I am now. And since having Azalea, our first daughter, she was really the flame that ignited the spark, was it the spark that ignited the flame. And she gave me the drive to want to be empowered, to want to
choices for myself so then I could teach her and support her and that went across you know nutrition, health, wellness, well-being, everything, physical, emotional, spiritual and then having the two boys obviously just continue to grow because you are ultimately responsible for these beautiful blessings and it can be very overwhelming and knowing my history with depression
They often say that they're at a higher risk as well because it's in their genetic makeup now. That doesn't mean that they will experience it because your environmental factors absolutely call the trigger. So that was my first experience. And then with Eli, I had huge hormonal shifts. Like my symptoms were off the chart. Some doctors brushed me off.
until I got a naturopath to do hormone testing and my hormones were up, down, just all over the shop. And the physical symptoms I had just confirmed what the hormonal testing was showing me. I think with Eli as well, because he had colic all day or night, like there was no settling this little boy.
Nina Huchthausen (07:22.733)
And at the same time as Alia was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, so her oxygen was actually cutting out to her brain during the night, there was extreme stress as well. And I actually think that that's what... I would assume, hey? Sorry? And fear. yeah. was survival mode. Like if there was ever a moment of pure exhaustion,
raw, like emotion, that was it. And it developed an empathy in me for other mums, because until you go through something like that yourself, you can say, yeah, that's hard, but actually living through like exhaustion and, you know, fear and your own house going left, right and center, it's really hard to truly understand. So I actually believe that that was my next trigger that
caused some thyroid issues. A few years after that, I went in after a few doctors again brushed me off because I just wasn't feeling myself. And I just, I didn't know what it was, but I just, something wasn't right. So I went in for a checkup for a lump on my neck. And he's like, Helen, you had it. And I'm like, a few years. He goes, normally after a few weeks, we get a check done.
It ended up being that that lump was okay, but they found abnormal nodules in my thyroid. And as you would know, your thyroid's very much linked to your hormones. So then that journey took me straight to specialist rooms and tests and biopsies and all sorts of stuff. The cancer word was mentioned. That was like my big shake-up call. So it's not diagnosed cancer.
but I get monitored because they are abnormal growths. So every six months and 12 months we do different testing. But that was really the moment that I thought, hold on a minute, what's going on? Like I eat well, we, minimal processed foods, you know, like we still have a movie night. We still enjoy going out for dinners, but during the week, everything was home cooked, fresh produce made from scratch. What's going on?
Nina Huchthausen (09:48.622)
And again, no answers, just surgery or medication. None of those I felt very aligned with. I'm very much a person that wants to know why. Why is something happening? And then how can I support my body or how can I heal? Or, you know, like I feel like God has designed our bodies perfectly. It's everything else that
We're either eating, putting on our skin, breathing in, drinking, that is causing this imbalance. And we don't need to look far to know that cancer rates are up, fertility rates, know, fertility is down. Something's not right. Something is there's a bit of a mismatch. So that was the moment that I thought, hold on a minute, there must be more to just eating well, you know, so.
I started to learn about low-tox products. I started swapping everything that I could in the house. I learned that pretty much everything has chemicals that affect your health and affect your hormones. And knowing the last few years of my hormonal journey, I'm like, well, I don't want any more of that if I can help it. And also I want to, I suppose, support my children.
and as much as I can and not have the exposure or limit the exposure because we can't remove it completely. Limit the exposure to as many of these chemicals as possible with making cleaner swaps. So we started looking at cleaning products, personal care products, whether it was soap, shampoos, moisturisers.
Sunscreen, I was sort of already on to more of a low tox one because my kids are very sensitive. But I then learned more about the preservatives in skincare that they were actually reacting to and that were causing some dermal irritation and also like some eczema or very dry skin. So there were so many steps.
Nina Huchthausen (12:06.51)
that led me up to this because I feel like they've all played a role. So who am I to the short question? The short answer to your question is it's more that who I'm not. And I'm not someone that takes my health for granted or my children's health for granted. I'm not someone that will just take someone's I want to know why I want to get to the bottom of.
whatever it is I'm trying to solve or explore. And I'm very much invested in being of service to other mums who have maybe had similar stories to mine or who just want to look out for their kids, which we all do naturally. yeah, sorry. Because I mean, this is the first time that I'm hearing this story, right?
Who are you? You've gone through a lot. You're like one strong woman to go through this and to not give up. my gosh, it makes me teary. Because man, like, I feel like when there's so many scary things happening and it's all so confusing and so complex because hormonal issues, skin issues,
breathing issues, babies crying, not sleeping, being in pain. It's so easy to just give in to a doctor and say whatever you're saying, man. Knowing that that's not going to be the answer, but you just wanted to stop. And I feel like, you didn't.
Yeah, I actually worked through this shit. Yeah, it wasn't easy. And I look back and I think. Because I think I've blocked a lot of it out, like I've blocked the depression out. It did come back when I had a Romeo, I had some postnatal, but I think that was just I contribute that to Covid lockdowns, not having the support, feeling isolated, stressed, overwhelmed, all of those things that, you were a result of being
Nina Huchthausen (14:31.404)
locking up healthy people and not being around your village when you really need it the most. But yeah, like I just, I think I block a lot out of it. But then I think to myself, without those experiences, like I don't think I'd feel as empowered to stand in between my kids and the world and to really fight and be conscious about their health and
and everything because the world we live in, they just bombard it. If it's not social media, it's marketing. And do you know what I mean? Like there's a lot of programming that takes place from a very young age. And as parents, we always need to be that shield. And I feel, I think because of my experiences, that it has given me the strength to be that shield because you do want to protect naturally as a mother. But even more so when you know how hard you have to fight.
to come out of those trenches. Yeah. Yeah. And it's almost like...
I know. I always see it like whenever I really had to fight something or like gone through something dark. I'm like, man, how can I make, how can I somehow help someone to not do the same thing? Because I've done it already. And it was so horrible. And one thing I've learned is it's got to be in your own time, in your own terms.
Like if someone had told me one year into my depression, snap out of it or you know, you're being silly. Like I had anxiety attacks and I ended up passing out, you know, like I wasn't there yet. I needed to work through it and it needed to be my decision that, I don't want this anymore and I deserve better and I'm going to fight for it. But at the start, it was very much different. It was, I can't leave the house. I can't go to uni. I can't do this because
Nina Huchthausen (16:34.72)
You need to honor where people are in that moment. You could give them the information. could be that you would want to be that support and help them. But I've learned from my own experience and trying to help others that they've got to be ready to receive it as well. Sometimes, you know, you have to give yourself grace and you have to give yourself time and you need to do that for others as well. So how did this let up and guide you to start Aloe?
Yeah, OK. So like I said, with Azalea having sleep apnea, Eli having severe colic, there was a good eight, nine months where I don't think I got half a night's sleep. I hit rock bottom exhaustion. I could really, I felt like if this was torture, like it felt like torture.
Eli's first Christmas, I gifted myself. thought that's it. I'm going to buy something for me because, know, I don't know why we as moms will buy for everybody else, but we're the last ones for us. And I've noticed that with my customers as well, they're purchasing products, for their children, but not for themselves. And I used to do the same and I still do the same, but I gifted myself some beautiful skincare and it became a ritual to me.
It became at the start it was five minutes and I would cleanse and I put my eye cream on and I would put my face cream on and I do a little massage and it would only be five minutes but that five minutes was like heaven. was really, nothing else mattered. don't even think, I kind of remember what else was happening in the house. It was generally when the kids were getting put down to bed or getting ready to or maybe were asleep for a bit.
it became a ritual of self care. And it took me back to the things that I had to do to break out of that depression. And that was to put myself first. what I needed in those moments were different, you know, it depended on what I was going through at the time. skincare- Your identity. Yeah. And when you become a mum, I did feel like I lost a bit of myself.
Nina Huchthausen (18:59.266)
Like I gained so much as a mother. But I always felt like I was just a mother, you know, that I wasn't a woman. And even now, like I went on a retreat and they're like, you as a mother, you as a woman. And I'm like, what do you mean me as a woman? Because I just see myself as a mother. But we are so much more than that. And we need to honor that because when we take care of ourselves, we obviously can give the best to our children and our partners, our husbands.
So that skincare ritual became an every night thing, then an every morning and every night, and then five minutes, one to 10 minutes. And then I started experimenting with oils and things for my children because they were so sensitive and they would like tummy massages and back massages before bed. And it was our nice little time of connection.
where I could sort of calm their nervous systems down and reconnect with them after working or a big day or, you know, just to calm and settle them. So that's how it sort of came. It came from a place of self-love and then it grew from there. So before I was pregnant with Romeo, because I loved this so much, I did a skincare formulation course. And this was probably five or six years ago now.
And I was like, I think I want to do this. I think I want to give other moms this experience because we might not have time to get to the gym or go to Pilates or walks, whatever it is, but surely we can have five, 10 minutes, you know, because that was the start of my journey and it really helped me. And so I did the skincare formulation course.
was exploring ingredients and formulas and butters and oils and extracts and all these beautiful actives as well. And it was very much about around organic ingredients and health conscious ingredients. So which was right up my alley because I didn't want any more home hormonal issues. I was still working through those. And even now I'm still working through those. And yeah, so Arlo was born.
Nina Huchthausen (21:22.272)
with this idea of wanting to give back to women and also wanting to change the direction for our girls. So beauty, you know, like I said before, we're very programmed from a young age and beauty is often, you know, like it's not good to age or you're sort of told what you should look like, what you should wear. And it can cause a lot of
self-esteem issues and low confidence and I had all that and I thought to myself well how can we teach our girls to take care of themselves? How can this skincare translate to skincare and beauty and wellness? So I'm working on things for that but that's still quite far away but the idea of Arlo is definitely getting them to take care of themselves, to be that role model for their daughters especially
to change the direction of beauty and beauty coming from within. And it's not what other people say or think you are or what beauty is. It's how you see yourself. Because that confidence from within gives you that glow. As a matter of what cream you're using, it's the confidence you're in to really glow. I, you know, like I said before, I don't want my daughter to have the low self-esteem issues or
you know, growing up not feeling she's beautiful or anything like that because the world tells you otherwise. So I think as a mum, we can really be mindful of how we speak to our girls and how we teach them and model for them how to take care of ourselves. Yeah, yeah, it's so interesting. think this actually came from one of my colleagues, Alex.
the other day, because he has these snippets of wisdom. was like, isn't it interesting that women have to put on makeup to leave the house, and men don't, except they're gay. Yeah. It's like, why the mask? Yeah. And it's a horrible thing if you...
Nina Huchthausen (23:48.278)
have to feel like you have to put on a mask. Absolutely. In order to feel self worth. And it's starting from a very young age these days. Like you've got, I think they call them tweens now where they want to go into Sephora and Mecca to buy skincare and beauty products at 11, 12, 13. Like, so what's causing our girls to feel that they need that? You know, like let's teach them.
to appreciate their bodies, let's teach them to nourish their bodies, let's teach them to, you know, about wellness journals and gratitude and teach them to be empowered. Like let's teach them how to make their own oils, why not? You know, it starts from a young age and hopefully when they're 38, they're not going, you know, like I'm just learning that I am worthy or I am, you know, beautiful.
Like, let's teach them from a young age. Yeah. And also, if you think about it, what a huge amount of lost time if any child, whether it's boy or girl, from early on battles with that issue of self-esteem or thinking beauty comes from
putting on eyelashes and sparkles and whatever else, you know, versus being able to see and teach them the beauty comes from the aura that shines from the inside out. Yeah. Yeah. And people are attracted to aura, not through eye, not to eyeshadow. Yeah, that's right. mean,
It's fun putting on eyeshadow and sparkles, don't get me wrong, that it's the difference between doing it for yourself and doing it because you don't want someone to see your skin or you're trying to cover up your freckles or, you know, someone's told you you need to do your cheeks like this or, you know, whatever it is, you need longer eyelashes or whatever. I think, you know, like I love all of that stuff, but you can put it on with confidence and you're like,
Nina Huchthausen (26:13.684)
man I'm rocking this today you know I'm gonna look like pink or I'm gonna look like this cool versus fuck if I don't I can't leave the house and I'm tears on the floor because I don't want anyone to see me because I got a pimple like yeah what is it you know yeah there's a very big difference
Yeah, it's a very big difference. And I really love that about your brand because we got so many other battles to fight in this lifetime and hurdles to jump through. And if we are stuck at that level of just being able to leave the house in our own beauty, self-
esteem issues, how the heck can we can we amount to anything great? Yeah, there's no capacity because you're stuck at level one. Yeah. Yeah. And that's, to me, is really inspiring that you that you not just care but made that your mission with your brand. Yeah. So what is your how do you see
based on the work that you're doing. I know you got two products right now, and that's the start of the journey. And I know there's going to be so much more to come to bring this to life. But what is your vision for moms and bums and future generations? With my products or just in general? With your products, with what you're gifting. Yeah. I believe there might be more than just products. Yeah. Because you got so, with whatever you're going to gift.
blue sky thinking, what's your, it's like man, if I could write this chapter. Yeah. So I did all this work before I even launched. I was like, where am I going? What am I going to do? So I looked at my own health issues. I looked at the struggles of being a busy mom, trying to nourish, you know, my own children and how sometimes that can be.
Nina Huchthausen (28:29.888)
more time consuming because the way we live our lives, it's not focused around making better choices, but just surviving and just keeping up with the demands of life. So Arlo Wellness, I am designing to be a brand that encompasses all things wellness. So emotional, physical and spiritual health. Products to support your skin health.
internally, topically with creams and things like that. But I'm also wanting to, so products for the whole family, I'll take a step back, for the whole family, redefining beauty for our girls and mums and providing high quality nutritional, I'm hoping to get into nutritional supplements as well.
because sometimes we need a bit of extra support. And there are some really beautiful ingredients that I've been using for a number of years now to help nourish the body, whether it be for the immune system, whether it be for hormone balancing or detoxing and binding. There's some really beautiful ingredients and it complements skin health because what's going on inside.
is always reflected on the outside. So oftentimes, you know, in teenage years, you're getting the acne and that's very much a hormonal thing. And that's also what you're putting in your body nutritionally as well. So if we can create products to support internally and externally and also for the busy mum that just wants to provide quality nutritional, you know, drinks and meals and how we can make that easier.
for them. So yeah, I have a big, big goals, big visions. I'm working on a few products at the moment that I'm hoping to launch. Hopefully by mid next year, we'll see how we go with everything. But that's that skincare for moms and a little something special for the younger girls as well that I'm working on. But it really depends on
Nina Huchthausen (30:57.58)
I suppose where my business can take me because obviously when you're starting out these projects, you know, it's a cost thing as well. You want to if I could do everything right now, I would. But I am a small business and I've got big goals and big dreams for my products and for my customers. And I'd love to see these products in some big stores as well. Yeah. If I can support as many families, mums and their children as possible, then that's what I've set out to do.
I love that. Because I, know, everything that I know about you and the values that you uphold with such rigor and such as like, you know, it's like no excuse. you, like you, you, you always say what you, you always do what you say you will. And with this
I use the word stubbornness in a very positive way because I think it's a really good thing because you know what you want to create and where you want to get to and what's good and what is not acceptable. And because you have this, it's not a maybe, it's not an you know, if it's 20 degrees and the sun is nice, I'll do it. It's like, get out of my way.
How you doing this attitude? And to me, that's a brand that I'm like, yeah, I'm standing behind that because thank you, I can trust you. You've done the right thing for me. You've done the right thing for my children. know, like, and that gives me a lot of confidence. And I want to delve deeper into your
the two products that you've created in a moment and the journey and the challenges. You started with skin and sun care first, right? And I feel like especially the sun care, I am so hesitant to put anything, anything on my skin because that has caused me the biggest health issues in my life.
Nina Huchthausen (33:19.586)
sunscreen because when I grew up I like we had this my gosh even the smell like when my mom would put it close to my face I feel like I couldn't even breathe my eyes were tearing it was just just like it just toxins and it's just like and I would get asthma number one and So all summer long I had asthma because I had this fight on my face You would breathe all of this stuff in and I would have eczema Yeah It was horrible
So when I finally learned about this stuff, I was like, I'm going to get completely off it. I'm going to not put anything on my skin. But sometimes seeing Queensland, maybe you sometimes need to do it. So when I first met you, Paige, that was the first time I started using sunscreen again for probably over 10 years. Yeah. And for my baby Teal, this like for the first
two years, I've never put sunscreen on them. And in Kindy, you have to. And either I supply my own or they take their toxins in sunscreen. So to me, this already, what you've created, made such a, they just give me so much peace of mind because what I left him in Kindy with his name on it, and he knows that's his sunscreen. But that's actually good stuff.
And I feel so blessed, so blessed, you know, because I don't want to send any of my babies down that path that I went down because of this shit. That's right. Yeah. So how did you come up with the Bambini and the three in one? what was that? It's, it's, it's, it's really interesting one because I went through the same thing.
I went through complete fear of similar, not the same, but I went, when I had a cell, he was like, my God, I've got to keep myself safe. So I would smother on the sunscreen, right? I can't get skin cancer. Then I learned that number one deficiency is vitamin D. We absolutely do need the sun. But the sunscreens, like you said, were causing reactions. So I would always look for a zinc based sunscreen.
Nina Huchthausen (35:47.214)
which oftentimes were very thick or left white casts. And I don't know if you've seen Eli, he's quite dark. So he's a lot darker than me. He's beautiful Mediterranean olive skin. So he was my test subject because all the different brands I worked through, if he reacted, his skin would tell me or he would tell me. And if he left looking, you know, as white as my wall, then I knew, hold on a minute.
We need to find something that's going to rob him, clear it and protect him. So sunscreen was my first product because it's the one that is really pushed on us. Like you said, in kinder, as soon as the sun's out, sunscreen on the kids. And that's not my philosophy at all, which might surprise you because I'm selling sunscreen. But I'm very much for the sun because it's your number one immune system.
vitamin that you need and most of us are deficient in it. It's also really important if you're, if you are finding cancer, it's one of the main ones that you really need high doses of to help your immune system do its thing. So morning sun or everyday sun we love, but when we're out in sort of the afternoons, the peak times, we really wanted to opt for a sunscreen that would be easy to apply.
not irritate the skin, my focus was really around the UV chemical filters. And this is a really big conversation happening now. And there's so many arguments to and from, but from the research that I've done, and I've got pages and pages of links to articles and published articles and research, they're having an effect on our body, whether we want to admit it or not.
Some people will say, well, we're only using a small percentage, so it's not really a big deal. You can use your chemical-based sunscreens. That's better than no sunscreen. I would argue that if there is a better choice that is not having an effect, that is not entering your bloodstream, that is not building up into your body and being found around your body. I mean, I've got an article that they're finding a particular
Nina Huchthausen (38:14.466)
chemical UV filter in the breast tissue of breast cancer patients. And I'm not saying that that's the cause of the breast cancer and the article is not saying that as well. But what the article is saying is why are we finding it around here? And is it a contributing factor to maybe a rise in other health problems that we're seeing more and more these days? So my argument would be if we're going to use it, let's use a non-nano based zinc product.
that the FDA has supported is one of the safest SPF ingredients that you can have. And each country, I've learned, also has their own sort of standards. So in Australia, quite a lot of, actually, I think most of the UV chemical filters are allowed, but in other parts of the world, a lot of them are banned at a government level. Yeah, so again, that argument of,
Is the quantity going to cause us house concern? Well, it's been linked to lots of them. But why would you choose a chemical UV filter that's been linked to those when we can create beautiful products that have a safe version for our families, for our kids without any hormone disruptors as well? Which is a big one for me, as you know my story. So I started with...
sunscreen and the more and more I looked into it, the more and more I learned it reacts with chlorine. There's a reaction with the chlorine and the UV chemical filters. What happens? So it can cause skin irritation, but it can also cause when you inhale it, there's a reaction and it can irritate the lungs as well. So it's just another reason why we as parents need to be empowered to make
choices that are right for our kids. But that comes with knowledge and sometimes, you know, I didn't have the knowledge 11 years ago, but I do now and I'm sharing that. but isn't that, I grew up where I lived, there was a pool in town. So in summer, I was always in the pool. That problem, if you're saying there is that double reaction. Yeah. That's wow.
Nina Huchthausen (40:36.192)
And even like reef safe sunscreen is the argument some people say that, there's not that much ingredients to harm the reef. But if we can have an ingredient that is supportive of the reefs, that is actually going to not damage us and not damage the reefs. Why wouldn't we be using that one? You know, so we've I've created two beautiful products that have non nano zinc oxide, which means that the zinc is a
bigger size, it creates a barrier of the skin. It protects the top layers of the skin all the way down as opposed to UV filters that only that penetrating and they actually don't protect the top layers of the skin. So those layers can still gets essentially get damaged from the sun. Yeah. Yeah. And what's what's the so because you have a you have a kids version and an adult version. Now, for me,
growing up, when I first looked into this, was always like, the kids version is the safer one and the adult one, that's where people start skimping on stuff. Yes. And we always buy one for the kids and a separate one for the adults. So the Bumbini one that I've got, I've got it here. This is a really simplified formula. So it's got some beautiful oils in there and it's got the non-neno zinc. It's beautiful for your face and your body and it's for the whole family.
The reason why I call it Bumbini is because I know as a mum, we generally look for the kids first and then we'll use whatever. So this is really a whole family face and body sunscreen. And it's extra gentle. So if you've got eczema psoriasis, dermatitis, anything like that, or your little ones have it, it's that gentle and supportive of the skin barrier as well that there's no issues with using that one.
One of the other benefits of using a zinc based product is zinc is naturally healing. So if there is any damage to the skin barrier and the zinc will go in and protect it from the sun, but also help heal that skin barrier as well. So we've actually used both creams for more than just sunscreen. If we've got grazes or cuts or anything like that or eczema flares up, we actually use it because the zinc think Nappy Rush Cream.
Nina Huchthausen (43:00.878)
Zinc is naturally healing. So you're getting so many more benefits than just sun protection with that one. You got me onto this. I don't know when happened, but a while ago, think Tio had something and for some reason, we were like, why don't you put sunscreen on? was like, why would I put something? Because I was thinking the chemical stuff. And then you mentioned this to me and I was like, yes.
And it's like, honestly, it's so powerful because Teal, where we used to live, there was a two-month period, there were so many mozzies in the afternoon where the kindy was, and I love him. like, my gosh, his skin is still healing. has all these like white dots. I've been putting the sunscreen on just for the zinc, for the nourishment, and it's been helping a lot. And it's also his magic potion. I love that. I love that. So sweet.
yeah, it really is a beautiful product and only, a few weeks, maybe two weeks after the website went live. haven't even made sales yet. that product was announced as a clean and conscious finalist. So that was sort of like such a humbling experience because I almost didn't answer it. And I was spending Easter typing up, I was late to Easter lunch because I was typing up still the,
the application for it, thinking, am I going to send it? And I did. And it just gave me the reassurance that we're on the right track here because I look at the ingredients and, you know, it's not just about ingredients for yourself, but it's also great to support the environment as well. So that was, yeah, a huge honor to be a part of. And then that brings me to my next product, which is my favorite because it's for the
for the mum. Well, it's even for the dads, but it's my 3-in-1 product. So this is sort of like a skincare meets beauty meets sun care all in one. So it's a really hydrating, moisturising formula. We've got hyaluronic acid in there and some beautiful oil. So they're really hydrating and nourishing for the skin. And then some of my favourite extracts. I remember I spoke about those ingredients like
Nina Huchthausen (45:27.042)
five, six years ago, they were like the key ones that I loved. And I've been using on my kids that calendula is a very calming extract or you can have it in an oil. I was using that on my kids skin and any balms or little lotions and potions my husband calls them that I would make and put on their bites and stuff. And Kakadu plum, Kakadu plum is an Aussie ingredient. It's one that I take internally because it is the most
potent source of vitamin C on the planet. so having it, yeah, and it's from Australia, which I love. So having it internally, I take that. But it's also in this cream. what that does for the skin is it supports brightening the skin. It supports evening the skin tone, ageing of the skin as well, and can even support with...
like melasma and those pigmentation and redness that you can get sometimes. So that's in here as well. And then there's one more ingredient that I really loved and it's called Thusia, which comes from a cedar tree and it's a really potent antioxidant, but it's really gentle and it's antibacterial. So that helps with so many different things. So like when my husband's leg broke out in eczema,
And we were out. didn't have anything other than my samples back then of my cell phone. And I thought, look, this is zinc. This will help. I know what the ingredients do. Let's put it on there. And instantly it calmed it because the antibacterial. Sorry, my battery is just going beeping at me. The calming effects of the zinc and all those extracts combined with the oils really nourished it and
harm the skin. So the ingredients in here, it really is for all skin types, but the Thusia also helps rebalance the skin if you have acne prone skin, which is one thing that in my hormonal adventures, I did break out a lot with hormonal acne. So it was beautiful to be able to put that in. So this is, yeah, and it also doubles, triples up as a primer.
Nina Huchthausen (47:50.434)
And we've tried and tested this with makeup artists, a few different makeup artists under full glam makeup all day. And the makeup doesn't slide around. It really helps set, creates a perfect buttery base. And I never really use primers to be honest, but to be able to have that all in one and be sun protective. Like it was just, it's my favorite. Yeah. And it is the three year I
I only saw it once because I started using it in winter when kind of really the moisture in Queensland went down. I was like, man, I need something for my face. And I used to have that. There was a person who used to make potions. So like homeopathy. Yeah. That's where it comes from. And so I would always go to that lady when my eczema was bad and she would make me a three-year cream.
Yeah, but like, I don't know what else she put in there, but it was always like so it would just it's it's like, ha Zen making for the Zen, Zen for the skin. Yeah, the turning that angry red fiery skin into just something that can settle. So I hadn't even thought about that that could be in just the daily thing, but it makes so much sense because especially our face is just exposed to
It's the first thing that the world sees and it's the last thing that goes down. We never cover it with clothing. It's like a presentation all day. it's such a beautiful combination of things. just from my own personal experience, you know, I'm not a scientist, but for me, it has really just take putting it on daily.
has changed my skin a fair bit of feeling really good. Sometimes I put it on twice when depending on the moisture in the air. That's the crazy thing here in Queensland, right? Like sometimes the humidity is so high, you need nothing. But when it goes down, your body is like screaming. Screaming for hydration because you can't adjust that fast. But it does it so well. I don't know how it does it. It's it's a safety net, it catches you.
Nina Huchthausen (50:19.22)
Yes, it's my magic potion. It's a really cool magic potion, you know. So now, sorry Nina, can I pause my battery? I just want to put my charger in. When we moved I didn't bring my charger across. yes, do it.
Nina Huchthausen (50:50.942)
Are you acting cute?
Well, then I would have to finish it.
Nina Huchthausen (51:05.57)
Alright, we're back. I'm plugged in. There we go.
Nina Huchthausen (51:13.934)
Cool. awesome. Ready to go? Yeah, sorry. I just, didn't want it to cut out. Yeah, no, no, that would be the worst. So now that you've created these beautiful products, right? And you've launched them about six, six months ago. think the website went live April, May, end of April or started May.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think we kind of start working end of May together, right? Yeah, I think so. Yeah. To get you pitch ready to help you get kickstarted on that retail journey. Where are you at? And what's your plan? What lies ahead? What are your key steps to now get this product in love by millions? Yeah. So since working with you and
benefiting from your wealth of knowledge and information and the amazing support I got. I'm now in eight stores across Victoria and one in Queensland and I'm working on more. Hopefully I can reach a bigger audience which I think is probably the biggest challenge because I didn't have a huge, I was very quiet on social media because I'm just quite a private person. But
Getting it out there and to a bigger audience and sharing it with others is probably one of the biggest things that I need to work on. So I'm getting into more stores and working on connecting with people around Australia that either want to be stockists or want to use a product themselves or for their families, their children. So that's probably where my energy will be going.
And then that alongside developing my next range of products, which I've been working on throughout the years since January. I've personally sourced all my ingredients and really taken the time and the care with those. So yeah, hopefully a bigger range, more stores and a bigger audience that will hopefully.
Nina Huchthausen (53:34.54)
If it resonates, be called to try these and yeah, hopefully love them as much as I do. Yeah. And make sure to tap to reach out to partners, you know, people who sell something that the sunscreen, your skincare goes well with. Really, really. It's often missed opportunity with other people. Like, I think we spoke about this
once was like, man, if you think about those that have already made it in the space, that are not selling what you got, but something that you kind of need this product to as well. really great way for them to stock your product as an add on to sell because if they have a database of 100,000 people, yeah, they promote your product to that database a few months, yeah, they made a huge boost.
and that can help you drive demand in store as well as online. Yeah. It's a lot of networking, isn't it? It's a lot of connecting with like-minded businesses, mums in business as well, because it really is a juggle. having that support network of just being able to talk about the challenges. And yeah, absolutely, getting it.
getting it out there and supporting other businesses or partnering up with other businesses that we can both leverage off each other and support each other because there's enough for everybody. know, there's this, sometimes this mind of scarcity that I can't promote someone else's business because it's going to take away from my business, but I'm very much, and I've always been in working and collaborating with other teachers.
let's join forces and let's get the best for both of us. And in the classroom, it was for our kids. And then hopefully in this space, it will be for our businesses and our families and obviously providing those beautiful products. Yeah, I still believe Corkabanas, they should be having in their product, your product. I have emailed quite a few and it's just, yeah, it's a journey.
Nina Huchthausen (55:59.918)
It's a very long time away. You'll find a way maybe with this podcast. Maybe we'll tag them. Exactly. Absolutely. We shall because I believe it. Yeah. Yeah. They're out. They're missing out big And you just have to, know, it might take you 100 no's before you get the S and I'm willing to willing to work through that process. Exactly. Mel, Canva lady got a lot of no's.
Got very far with accepting the no's and finding yeses, you know? Yeah, let's see. And summer's coming, so hopefully, you know, this is the summer that could really take Arlo off and propel Arlo and give me the opportunity to really spread my wings and work my magic and share my passions and in providing and creating those other
products that I know will be so helpful to other women and their families. So it really is more than a business to me. And yeah, if we can take off this summer, we can really, really move forward and yeah, branch out. So we'll see. Exactly. Let's see. Let's see. The most important thing is, I think is always to stay focused on the one channel that you really want to get into.
and see, what else can I do to really boost that one channel? I think the biggest struggle that we see so often is when people want to do everything at the same time. I'm still at a TikTok website sales, stockist, I want to do partnerships, I'm going to run events. I'm like, who the heck are you? How much? Tell me how that fits into your schedule. You only got 24 hours in a day.
Yeah. And then I've learnt the hard way almost when I nearly burnt myself out a few weeks ago that you have to work within your limits. You know, like I'm a mum first, I've got three kids. There is a house with a lot of washing and a lot of dishes. I have to use the time. I have to prioritise what's where my energy goes.
Nina Huchthausen (58:23.242)
And at the moment when the kids are at school or at kinder, my energy goes towards my business. When they're home, my energy goes towards them. When they're in bed, well, we'll see how I feel. It could be work. It could be me on the couch just unable to get up or it could be some washing. So I have to be realistic and hopefully I can get a little team of and support other mums that want some flexible hours. And that could be a way of giving back as well, building a local
small local community here and supporting other mums with those kind of things as well. It would be nice to have a little team around me. But yeah, we'll see. Only time will tell and obviously we need to grow a bit more before we're ready to do those kind of things. So we're still a baby. Just keep taking the steps, you know. But that's...
That's really how big companies are born when you have a really clear focus, you're very stubborn about it and you just keep going and doing your thing. Yeah, your thing. What you are in our guidance campus tells you to do is the right thing. Don't look left or right or wonder why other people are there. You can't compare. If you start comparing, you can
And that's with everything, not just with business. If you're comparing this photo and Instagram to your life or your kitchen or something, like it's just not reality. It's a snapshot. So you have to just keep being. And I think because I feel so aligned in what I'm doing, even though I'm looking around at what everyone else is doing or how quickly they're growing, I just come back to why I'm doing it. And I don't feel that pressure.
You know, I just have to make sure that I continue to look after my health, which is my priority. That's one of the reasons, one of the biggest reasons I started this was to help others. So I need to make sure that I'm being that role model for my kids, but also for others that may be looking and going, hold on a minute. know, doing 16 hour days with kids, it's not it's not practical and it's not sustainable and it's not in my best.
Nina Huchthausen (01:00:47.776)
It's not in my best, what's the word I'm looking for? Mum brain moment. It's not in my, it doesn't serve you. Yeah. It doesn't serve me. So I just have to, yeah. One day at a time and yeah, you just keep. And I feel like that really, that's what taught being me being a mom as one identity, as you said, it's not the only thing he taught me is like, gotta maybe.
cutthroat, like whatever is not serving you, whatever is wasting your time. Goodbye. And I'm starting to learn that and I'm 38 and learning that. Like hopefully my daughter learns that and my children learn that. Hopefully I impart that wisdom onto them a lot earlier because, you know, we shouldn't be burning ourselves out. We shouldn't be stressing over the washing of the dishes, like to a point where it causes anxiety. We should be able to
be in the moment and enjoy the process. And I want to enjoy this process. I'm not creating it for a year or two. I want to create it to be something that, you know, will be around for many years to come. And who knows, maybe my kids might take it over or something. We'll see. But, you know, that's a good goal to have to create a family legacy, you know, because men like what an inspiration.
And for that, you have to enjoy every single step because otherwise, there is no end, right? There is no top of your mountain and you've made it and you are done. Yeah. Unless your plan is to sell it in three years time, and that's what you're working towards, and then you sell it, then yes, then you are like literally done. Yeah. But if it's your, want to just create and build and see how far I can take it, you have to like...
Cherish and make it delicious. Yeah. And you have to enjoy it now too, because you can't wait now. You can't wait to 65, 70, 75 to enjoy life. Like I want to enjoy my kids now. I want to enjoy the moments, the laughter, the, you know, the gray hairs, everything. I want to enjoy it all now while they're here. And because once they grow up, you know, life gets busy and I don't want to miss anything.
Nina Huchthausen (01:03:12.0)
And they're constantly reminding me because their initials are in the brand name and my husband's. So every time I think of Aloe, it goes straight to my little familiar. So magical. So the last question I just wanted to ask you, if you can step back to that day where you looked in the mirror at yourself and you're like, Olivia, I'm going to do this. I'm going to create this brand.
going to give this magic to the world. If you could travel back to that point in time, what would be the number one tip that you would gift to your past self back then to make this journey even more enjoyable? Yeah, great question. I would probably start by saying, you've got this. You can do this. And to say, shut up.
to that little voice in your head that puts the doubt, know, like, Silencio Bruno or Fluka, like, I've got a Bruno in my head constantly telling me what I can't do, but now I just tell it to shut up. And the only limits you put on, the only limits are the ones you put on yourself. And I'm done with putting limits on myself in every aspect of my life. I don't want my children to put limits on themselves.
or my husband. you know, I'm going to live that and I'm going to work hard and it's going to take a lot of hard work, you know, like with any business, things don't just happen overnight. So, you know, you've got this and you can do this and you're worthy and you have an opportunity to help others. So just go for it. That's what I'd be saying and take a break when you need it.
Probably that too. I love it.
Nina Huchthausen (01:05:15.182)
I go to a very old fashion gym and they have these like really old clothes and weathered and stuff written by like some big, big, big guys. They all used to be like old. They're now really old. Bodybuilders used to be young when they built the gym. And it says, if you can't do it, you're right.
But what if you told yourself you can? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And I told myself I couldn't do it for about five or six years. And that's why I didn't start it when I did my skincare course. But now I'm like, who says I can't do it? I'm saying that. No one else is saying that. I'm going to flip the script and I'm going to change the way I speak to myself and change the way I treat myself.
because ultimately we can create our own reality and I'm doing it. So it's not always perfect, but it's mine and yeah. Exactly. That's the story of our lives and we are here to write the book. Nobody's writing it for us. No, that's right. Thank you so much for your time, Olivia. This was an amazing conversation. I feel so blessed we had this. I feel very energized. I feel very inspired.
and I cannot wait to see where we're going to get this brand to. Thank you. Thank you for your time. yes, last thing. I think you had a link or a discount code or something for people to check out. If you want to purchase, there'll be a discount code, especially for your followers, Nina or whoever listens to the podcast. So it'll be Nina 10, the 10 % off your first order.
And then make sure you subscribe because I'll start getting my emails out to all my subscribers with updates on the business, updates on the juggle, updates on products and exclusive offers. And then the website, do you want me to say it or will we put it on the notes? alowwellness.com.au. I'll put everything into the show notes.
Nina Huchthausen (01:07:33.048)
Thank you so much for that little discount. Everybody check out Olivia's website. I put everything into the show notes. And thank you, Olivia, for being so raw, honest, and open to sharing your story. Thank you for your time.
