As a kid, Aaron Self watched his mother light up cigarette after cigarette. He didn’t judge her — but he hated how it made her cough. The constant throat clearing, the wheezing — it hurt to watch. And so, he made her a promise:

“One day, I’m going to make something that lets you smoke without hurting yourself.”

That promise became a purpose. Aaron grew up in the lab — not metaphorically, but literally. His father, David Self, was the founder of Cosmed Laboratories, a respected name in health, beauty, and wellness manufacturing. David specialized in contract chemical manufacturing for private-label products used by leading companies across the U.S.

Aaron didn’t just inherit a legacy — he lived it. From a young age, he was trained in formulation, safety testing, compliance, and advanced chemistry. He worked alongside his father for decades, learning every step of the production pipeline — from raw materials to large-scale manufacturing.

Over time, Aaron became a second-generation chemical formulator and contract manufacturer in his own right — carrying forward a 40-year family tradition of innovation in safe, effective, consumer health products.

But the promise to his mother never left him.

In 2019, at Burning Man, surrounded by smoke, desert air, and inspiration, it all clicked. What if the same kind of scientific care that went into cosmetics and wellness formulas could be applied to smoking? What if he could finally keep his promise — and create something that filtered out the pain without sacrificing the experience?

That’s when Cough Zero was born.