A Chat with Chuin Wei Koh
Founder of luxurious ethical beauty website, Chuin Wei Koh is bringing a holistic approach to the everyday products all women find in their bathrooms. With experience in finance, a love for fashion and a passion for healthy living it was a dream for Chuin to combine these interests into one purposeful project.
This was the birth of Après Avant
Her alternative view on life meant Chuin’s website Après Avant was a means of educating the public on why they should be mindful about their skincare choices and ingredients. Chuin was clearly not the only one cautious of skincare products ingredients and what started as a small idea has now branched out to include a limited, well-curated retail section of brands that are the best possible options for your body and health.
Our skin is the largest organ we have and so it is vital that we look after it. Unfortunately, a concerning amount of personal care products, that state to be good for your skin, contain toxic chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and triclosan – chemicals which link to hormonal imbalance, toxicities and reproductive health problems. Often, out of the thousands of ingredients used in skin care products, only 20 percent or less are reviewed and checked for its suitability, meaning there is a high chance some of your favourite products have ingredients you should be staying away from.
Chuin accepts that straying away from your favourite products or popular mainstream brands can be difficult but assures that there is always a better option; it’s just up to us to make that effort.
We were first introduced to Chuin by her gorgeous boyfriend who bought one of our iconic bags, the Bank-Black as a gift for her. A number of emails were sent back and forth and soon we had discovered what an incredible and passionate entrepreneur Chuin is, and we knew she is just another ideal addition to our YOU Campaign.
Who YOU are?
Born in Singapore, studied in Australia and currently based in Dubai with her boyfriend, Chuin has been fortunate enough to experience so many different cultures and opportunities around the world, all which have had a great influence on how she has created her brand.
"I am the Founder of Après Avant - an editorial and e-commerce based company that revolves around the idea of living consciously. I love curating, working out, and finding that ‘needle in the haystack’ idea."
What YOU do?
"I love to discover new and discerning products and brands that could contribute to a more healthy routine, be it in skincare or in one’s lifestyle. I love how the website has allowed me the chance to connect with the amazing and inspiring founders behind these incredible products. These encounters I truly treasure as every single meeting has to lead me to be more inspired and begin new ideas for the website."
With an unrelenting determination and belief in all things healthy and in moderation, Chuin watches what she eats, discredits crazy diets and exercises daily; She leads her family and friends to live a holistic lifestyle too and so it is no surprise that wanting to inspire women around the world was the next step.
Why YOU do it?
Being aware of what to look out for in personal products meant Chuin knew whatever she was using was good for her, but what about all the women who didn't know? The purpose of her website was to change this exact issue.
"I love understanding the ‘why’s behind things, questioning its root, basis or existence. Coupled with my interest in publicity and marketing, I began an insatiable thirst and was determined to make a website that would make healthy living easier for all women...
Much like food, healthier options don't necessarily need to cost more. And there isn't a need for anyone to be using products with potentially toxic carcinogens in them. I believe one always has a choice. The options for natural, greener and less-toxic products should be more readily available, and a shift has to be made on the standard of beauty."
How YOU started?
"Après Avant literally means “after before”, which stands for what you do after the fact and before you act in all things, and all aspects of your life. Funny enough, Après Avant was initially meant to be an active wear line that I had been envisioning for years. I had sketches of the designs and was convinced this is where I wanted my inspiration to go."
A healthy life, however, doesn’t come from good active wear and so it didn’t take long for Chuin to realise she wanted to focus on a larger scale of holistic living that would have long term benefits.
Who YOU look up to?
"With my line of work, I get to meet so many like-minded and hardworking people. These strong men and women behind each company featured on Après Avant all started from nothing and have worked their way up to success. This is where I see myself going and will continue to work hard till I reach that goal."
What’s YOUR final message?
"Live always with an open heart and an open mind."
