Meet Sally Qiu | Founder of For Sea and Oats

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sally Qiu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sally, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
For Sea and Oats was born from my personal experience of having sensitive skin and my professional background in climate change & sustainability.

A few years ago, I had the worst acne breakout that I have ever had, and that’s also when I discovered the soothing effect of colloidal oatmeal as a skincare ingredient. Since then, oat-based products have become stables in my skincare routine. However, I found there is a lack of all-natural options in oat-based products, so I decided to make my own by completing a diploma course in organic skincare formulation.

As a former environmental science student and current climate policy researcher, I have always loved the ocean but was deeply concerned about the ocean plastic pollution crisis. I became particularly distressed by the plastic-infested beach during a 4-week sea turtle conservation volunteer trip a few years ago.

The idea of starting a company that focuses on both issues came to me during the 2020 pandemic lock-down. After I completed a diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation, For Sea and Oats was founded in Feb 2021, focusing on making oat-based skin+body care products with low-waste and plastic-free packaging. Co-launched with the brand is our “Profits for Sea” Social Impact Initiative, under which we donate part of our profits to ocean conservation projects.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
For Sea and Oats is a skin and body care brand based in Brooklyn NY that focuses on oat-based and ocean-friendly products. Our mission is to create all-natural, minimalistic, and effective products for the need of sensitive skin, while providing low-waste alternatives in daily skincare routine to reduce the amount of plastic going into the ocean. All of our products contain concentrated oat-derived ingredients, including oat oil, colloidal oatmeal, and organic oat milk, as they are excellent for those with skin sensitivities or irritations. We believe the quality and sustainability of a product are equally important, and one should never be achieved at the cost of the other.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many exciting things to do in New York City. My top recommendation is to definitely visit all of the amazing museums. Some of my favorites are the MET, Guggenheim, MOMA, and the Brooklyn Museum. I also enjoy walking around different neighborhoods and checking out all the cute local cafes, shops and bookstores.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shout out to Lisa Pantaleo, who is the owner of Barre 3 studio at Long Island City, New York. I have been a member at her Barre 3 studio for the past few years. When I told Lisa that I launched a skincare brand back in 2021, she has been very supportive. She became the first retailer that carries our products, and she invited us to do a Mother’s Day pop-up at the studio a week later. To be honest, I was a bit nervous before the pop-up event, because that was the first time I was face-to-face interacting with customers. I was very grateful for the positive feedback from that day, which gave me a lot of confidence and eventually motivated me to open up my own shop a few months later that year.

Website: https://forseaandoats.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forseaandoats/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/forseaandoats

Image Credits
Alexandra Schmelzer (for the founder portrait photo).