Meet Oni Auer

We were lucky to catch up with Oni Auer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Oni, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from my childhood, from my past. I grew up in a single-parent home with a mother who struggled with severe mental illness and self-medicated, leading to a lot of abuse. It’s not something I talk about often, but I feel it’s important to share, because maybe my story could be something someone else can hold onto in a low or lonely moment.

Eventually, I was adopted by my half-sister’s father, a man named Barry, who taught me to believe in people and to be open and accepting of all kinds of individuals. He was a constant source of love and stability, and sadly, he passed away when I was in my early 20s. For a long time, I carried that emptiness with me until I found a way to channel it into a form of love I could share with the people who mattered most in my life.

Now I believe it’s incredibly meaningful to share love openly, whenever you can. I think when we face extreme adversity, we’re left with two choices: give up or find a way out. As a child, I encountered many moments of intense hardship, and I don’t think I was born a fighter. I became one because, over and over again, I chose the second option—find a way out. And that’s something I continue to do every day – choose the second option.

“Find a way out” eventually evolved into “find a way through,” and sometimes that means being vulnerable and allowing myself to grow. Other times, it means rising to the occasion, whatever that may be. Ultimately, my resilience has helped me achieve things far beyond anything I could have dreamed up as a little girl. Back then, it wasn’t even on my radar. But now I see that everything I went through then has shaped the person I am now.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My journey started in Baltimore, MD, where I faced significant adversity before being adopted as a pre-teen. Growing up, I believed opportunities were rare for someone like me, but I held onto a strong sense of resilience. At 17, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of working in fashion design. Every day, I worked to manifest the life I wanted and the kind of person I aspired to be. My ultimate goal has always been to create beauty in the world while making a positive impact. 



After building a fulfilling career in fashion, I started to feel a disconnect between my love for design and the environmental toll of the industry. Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and I couldn’t ignore its impact. I began researching sustainable practices and stumbled into the science of clean chemistry, which opened my eyes to the power of thoughtful formulation in creating solutions that are better for both people and the planet. 



At the same time, I had always been passionate about skincare but grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of transparency and safety in products marketed to consumers, especially in the U.S. When I learned about the significant differences in ingredient regulations between the U.S. and Europe, where many harmful ingredients are outright banned, I realized this was my chance to create something meaningful—to protect and empower others while staying true to my values. I realized I had an opportunity to combine my love for beauty, my commitment to sustainability, and my desire to challenge the status quo. That’s how ITP Beauty was born. 



With ITP, I wanted to offer products that simplify beauty routines without compromising on safety or effectiveness. Our flagship product, Daily Bawse, is a multi-use, EWG-verified tinted SPF serum with hyaluronic acid, moisturizing technology, peptides and more. It’s perfect for busy people like me who value clean, trustworthy skincare and for people that just want to simplify their routine and reduce their impact. 



What sets ITP apart is my commitment to crafting solutions that align with modern values: sustainability, simplicity, and care. I’m most proud of building a brand that empowers people to feel confident in their own skin while knowing they’re making mindful choices. Through ITP, I hope to show that beauty can be a force for good—both for individuals and the world we live in, enhancing the person you already are but in your most optimal state.



(ITP stands for In The Pynk, a cheeky little saying that means in your most optimal state)

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

My three most important qualities that have been impactful in my life are tenacity, curiosity, and the ability to keep growing.

Tenacity: My advice is that if you truly care about something, keep going—tenacity will pull you through. Forward movement in the right direction, even if slow or if you lose your way here and there, is still progress.

Curiosity: Stay curious about the people, the world, and the things around you. This is how you will find solutions to tough problems, connect with the right people for your journey, and get better at strategy by seeing the full picture beyond the boxes we sometimes put ourselves in.

The ability to keep growing: Some people believe that once you reach a certain age, growth stops. That is closed-minded. Keep reflection in tow, keep asking yourself questions about who you are and how you do things, keep going to therapy, and keep growing. That is what will make you a good leader.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

I feel overwhelmed often these days as I am juggling many things. I have learned to listen to my body, and when it tells me I am feeling this way, I take time to do things that help me relax or turn my brain off—take a hot bath, watch mindless TV, or go hiking with my dogs. We all have our things. This has helped me decompartmentalize the tasks and “have to’s” in my life. Balance is the key.

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Image Credits

Professional photos taken by Karl Richter.

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