The Beginning, or The Skin Doctor Story

As a budding botanist, I picked up my first plant identification book at a very young age and began exploring the wild desert preserve that sprawled behind my family home in Arizona. In high school, I took every science course offered and even teamed up with fellow students to revitalize a long dormant botany program. I had an inspiring instructor and his class, along with an advanced biology course, fueled my love of the life sciences. I just couldn't get enough- the summer after graduation, I joined my botany teacher in the Master Gardener Program, learning how to grow plants in the harsh desert climate. Even though I was no longer a high school student, I convinced my biology teacher to allow me into his new Desert Ecology summer program where we deepened our knowledge of the Sonoran Desert ecosystems.

College years were a whirlwind of striving for high marks in a dual major of botany and human biology and a minor in art. I was barely scraping by, paying cash for my classes and trying to save enough for food. I found that by working at the natural food store I'd receive a discount on groceries. They had a licensed herbalist and fully stocked herb shop in the store and I instantly fell in love with learning about medicinal plants and making salves. I devoured every herb book they stocked, reading late into the night after completing my homework assignments.

To make extra money, I guided river rafting and rock climbing trips. The constant exposure to the harsh elements put my sensitive skin to the test and left my hands and feet painfully dry and cracked.

This experience inspired my first plant-based product, Skin Doctor, which now two decades later, is still hailed as the ultimate healing salve by doctors and devoted fans around the world.

Every aos product has its own origin story, beginning with a client and their desire to improve their skin. Never one to chase ingredient fads, we stay focused on real results, stoking our fierce devotion to discovering complementary blends of potent plant actives that increase our skin’s—and our planet’s—vitality.

Our special blend of moisturizers, essential oils and extracts mends and strengthens dry, cracked, damaged skin. This is Angelina's first skin care formula and still our most popular item. It took her over 8 years to get the formula just right.* It's even doctor recommended!

Beloved for the instant protection it provides, it’s perfect for treating all your owies, wherever you are. (Outdoor adventurers love it’s portability too!) It’s also wildly popular with doctors, nurses and other health care providers who are required to wash their hands often. We even have doctors who swear by Skin Doctor to speed healing and reduce scarring after stitches.