She’s a natural. When Obia Ewah was in med school, she got sick—and realized the natural world could help heal and fuel her body in a uniquely dazzling way. By 2010, she was searching for clean beauty products for her textured hair… and couldn’t find ones that really worked. After experimenting in her home sink, the trained chemist and biologist realized her safe, stellar formulas weren’t just great for her own hair—they worked for friends and family, too.

Now OBIA Naturals are sold to millions of fans thanks to Amazon. The products are beloved worldwide for their fantastic results and naturally-derived ingredients… and Obia herself is a self-care star for scientists and beauty junkies alike. We asked how she got started, and what’s new in the world of natural hair.

You make hair products for a living. But what’s your hair care routine?
I never produce something that I don’t personally use… I literally formulated these products for myself, and I’m just sharing them with you! My current favorites are the Obol Body Oil, Curl Hydration Spray, Sweet Almond Heavy Cream and Babassu Detangling Conditioner.

When was the first moment that OBIA Naturals became a reality for you?
I always loved running “Salon Obia” in my college dorm room, and I spent hours doing my hair and learning makeup hacks. [But] I realized that it could be a career when someone offered to pay for the hair care products I created as a hobby.

After that, how did you grow OBIA Naturals from a hobby into a business?
The next step was to identify the core mission, and what problem the business would solve.  Deciding to focus on vegan, safe ingredients helped shape us and our products… Next, “proof of concept” was achieved… We needed to know, did people actually like the products developed?  Are they filling a void in their life? Then I did research on product pricing and packaging… Then it was time to test, and test, and test until everything was perfect.

What’s it like selling your product on Amazon? Has it been good for your growth?
Amazon significantly increased our business… They gave us access to same-day shipping, which we could never have done on our own, and exposed us to a new demographic of customers we wouldn’t reach on social media or traditional marketing channels.

How did you get funding to start your own company? How do you recommend approaching investors or partners?
This company has been self-funded from the beginning. I had a full-time job in the beginning, and I used my paycheck for the initial business licenses, website, and packaging. After the launch, we reinvested every penny of our product sales into growing the business. To date, we still don’t have outside investors.

What was your dream job as a kid?
I wanted to be a pediatric hematologist and run sickle cell research trials to find a cure for sickle cell anemia!

What did you study in college? Was there any part of school you thought wouldn’t be that important, and now it’s a huge part of your job?
I was a career student for years. I have a BA in Biology and Chemistry, and a Masters in Public Health. I was a third year medical student (and studying for my MBA) when I decided to start a business… [but] the one thing I thought would not be important in school was chemistry… I only studied it to help my MCAT test scores! I never intended being a chemist, but that’s the degree I used to start my business.

What’s it like being a boss? What do you wish you’d known about how to manage people?
There is a lot of responsibility that comes with running a company. One thing I wish I had learned earlier in business is to delegate. You realize quickly that you can’t do everything by yourself.

Have you ever fallen out of love with your job? How did you get your motivation back?
I get paid to do what I would do for free, so I love my job… but when it gets difficult, I remember that I prayed for this opportunity, and that gives me all the motivation that I need. I remind myself, “if it was easy, everyone would do it.”

Buy OBIA Naturals here.