For Aimee Dawson, nature has always been a source of comfort, connection and inspiration. In search of a gentler, more meaningful way to support her family’s wellbeing, she created Forest & Ocean. Born from her family’s own experiences navigating health, wellbeing and the challenges of everyday life, the brand grew from a desire to create gentle rituals rooted in nature. From sensitive skin and emotional wellbeing to women’s health and chronic pain, each collection is inspired by someone she loves or a need she has witnessed within her community. Today, Forest & Ocean is about more than natural products; it is an invitation to slow down, reconnect and find your way back to what matters most. Here, Aimee talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her business, the challenges she has overcome along the way and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Forest & Ocean was born from my family’s lived, real-life experiences and a deep belief that nature has an incredible ability to reconnect us – with ourselves, with each other and with the world around us.
Long before there was a business, there was simply a desire to care for the people I loved. As a mother, I wasn’t searching for more products; I was searching for a gentler, more meaningful way to support my family’s wellbeing. A way that reflected my values, honoured the quiet wisdom of nature and reminded us that wellbeing isn’t found in doing more, but in returning to what matters most.
My journey has been shaped by love and challenges. I am a mother to a son with autism and ADHD, and over the years I searched extensively for ways to support him alongside conventional approaches. I was diagnosed with endometriosis as a young woman, and in 2020, I was also diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. These experiences profoundly changed my understanding of health and wellbeing.
Rather than constantly striving, I began to understand the importance of slowing down, listening to my body and creating moments of stillness, connection and presence. Perhaps what makes Forest & Ocean unique is that every collection begins with someone I love.
My youngest son experienced sensitive skin as a baby, inspiring me to create gentle products I felt completely confident using on my own children. That journey became the foundation of our Sand & Seed collection.
Rite of Her was inspired by my teenage daughter and my own experiences navigating womanhood and Endometriosis. I wanted to create rituals that honoured women through every stage of life with compassion, care and connection.
Inner Tides was inspired by my son and the way he experiences emotional highs and lows, reminding me that we all need gentle reminders to pause, breathe and reconnect with ourselves.
Rooted Rhythm grew from my own experiences of living with chronic pain, and from witnessing my ageing father navigate pain as well. It became a reminder that nature can offer comfort, grounding and moments of relief, and difficult days, even when life asks us to carry more than we’d like.
While many of our collections begin with deeply personal experiences, others are shaped by listening to the stories, challenges and hopes shared by families within our community. Every bottle is created with intention because every collection begins with a genuine need.
The name Forest & Ocean reflects the two places that have always brought me back to myself. The forest reminds me to slow down, find stillness and reconnect with what truly matters. The ocean reminds me to let go, embrace change and trust life’s natural rhythm. Together, they represent the balance I hope every Forest & Ocean ritual inspires.
Every bottle I create is first inspired by someone I love and care about, or a need I’ve witnessed within our community. That has never changed, and I hope it never does.
Forest & Ocean is more than a business. It is an invitation to reconnect – with nature, with one another and with ourselves.
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Even though Forest & Ocean officially began in 2021, its roots stretch back much further through years of research, learning and creating formulations for family and friends.
The business was founded in beautiful Jervis Bay, where the surrounding forests, coastline and slower pace of life continue to inspire many of our collections today. Initially, I never imagined it becoming a business. I was simply creating blends and daily rituals to support the people around me.
I’ve never created products simply because the market wanted them. Every collection has been created intuitively, growing from lived experience, heartfelt conversations and genuine need. That has always been my compass.
As more people experienced the products and began sharing them with others, I realised there was an opportunity to turn something deeply personal into something that could support many more families.
Taking that leap required courage. I believed in what I had created, but learning to believe in myself took much longer.
Looking back, Forest & Ocean didn’t grow from a business model. It grew from love, lived experience and the quiet belief that even the smallest daily rituals can change the way we experience life.
The Innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough wasn’t creating a new product; it was realising that Forest & Ocean had become so much more than a product range.
It had become a philosophy for living.
I realised people weren’t simply buying a roller, a balm or a body oil. They were embracing a gentler way of living – one that encouraged them to pause, reconnect with nature, care for themselves, be present with the people they love and rediscover the importance of community.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose sight of who we are beneath the busyness of everyday life. I believe we all need moments that invite us to breathe deeply and reconnect – with ourselves, with each other and with the natural world around us.
That’s where our rituals were born. They’re not about adding another task to your day; they’re about transforming ordinary moments into meaningful ones. Whether it’s applying a roller before school drop-off, taking a mindful breath before work or creating a calming bedtime ritual with your children, these small daily moments gently guide us back to ourselves.
Forest & Ocean is no longer simply about creating natural products – it is about helping people remember who they are and creating a lifestyle centred around presence, connection, self-care and the simple wisdom found in nature.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I’ve stopped striving for perfect balance. Instead, I try to be fully present wherever I am.
As a mother of three, family remains at the heart of everything I do. Forest & Ocean was created because of my family, and they continue to inspire every new collection, every new idea and every decision I make.
Some days the business requires more of me, while on other days my family comes first. I’ve learned that presence matters more than perfection.
Nature has become my reset button. Whether it’s walking through the bush, listening to the rhythm of the ocean or simply sitting quietly outdoors, those moments help me return to what truly matters.
My children have taught me resilience, patience and perspective. They are, and always will be, my greatest inspiration.
The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
One of the greatest challenges I’ve overcome has been believing in myself.
Deep down, I’ve always believed in the products I create because they come from genuine care, lived experience and a desire to help others. The challenge was finding the confidence to believe in myself enough to share them with the world.
Like many people, my life has included experiences that left me questioning my worth. I have experienced periods of being put down, made to feel that I wasn’t good enough, and subjected to abuse and mistreatment. Those experiences shaped me, but they do not define me.
Building Forest & Ocean became part of my own healing journey. It taught me to trust my intuition, create from the heart and believe that kindness, compassion and authenticity have a place in business.
Living with ongoing health challenges while raising a family required resilience, adaptability and perseverance. Every obstacle strengthened my belief that even our most difficult experiences can become the foundation for something meaningful.
Forest & Ocean became the business I needed to build for myself before I could build it for anyone else.
Today, Forest & Ocean represents self-love, hope and resilience. More than anything, I want every ritual we create to remind people that they are worthy of slowing down, of caring for themselves and of returning to the person they were always meant to be.
For Better or Worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The greatest reward is knowing that something created from personal experience is now becoming part of other families’ stories.
There is nothing more fulfilling than hearing from a parent whose child loves one of our family rituals, or from someone who tells me a Forest & Ocean routine has become a meaningful part of their everyday life. Those moments remind me why this journey began.
I also love the freedom to create with purpose. Every collection begins with a genuine need rather than simply following trends, allowing the business to remain deeply connected to its values.
The hardest part isn’t the long hours. It’s caring so deeply. When your business is built from your heart, you carry it with you everywhere. Learning to create healthy boundaries while honouring that passion continues to be one of my greatest lessons.
Hopes and Dreams: What next?
My vision is to see Forest & Ocean continue to grow while never losing sight of why it began – to help people reconnect with nature, with themselves and with the people they love.
I’m excited to continue expanding our collections in thoughtful and meaningful ways by always creating products inspired by real life, genuine need and the stories of our community. Rather than following trends, I want Forest & Ocean to continue creating rituals that encourage people to pause, breathe and find moments of calm in their everyday lives.
Giving back will always remain at the heart of what we do. We proudly donate from every sale to charities connected to the experiences that have touched our family, including organisations supporting autoimmune disease research, women’s health, children and families. As Forest & Ocean grows, so too will our ability to support those causes and make a positive difference beyond our products.
If Forest & Ocean is remembered for anything, I hope it isn’t simply the products we created. I hope it’s that we reminded people to reconnect with nature, care for themselves and each other, and discover that the simplest rituals often become life’s most meaningful moments.
Forest & Ocean began with one family searching for gentle ways to care for the people they loved. Today, it has grown into a community of people who believe, as I do, that nature has an incredible way of bringing us home to ourselves.
Perhaps that’s what Forest & Ocean has always been about.
Not escaping the busyness of life, but gently finding your way back to what matters most.
Visit the Forest & Ocean website to find out more and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
