Freebie Friday: It’s our Anniversary!
July 13 marks exactly one year of ONLY! And we couldn’t have done it without all of our loyal friends. So we invite you to tag one of your friends on this post, entering you both for a chance to win.
Happy Friday, friends! We’ve made it through another week, and this is a special one: Our anniversary week! But before we start the celebration, it’s time to announce this week’s lucky winner: Elizabeth Sovine! Congratulations! We’ll send your free sample of ONLY conditioner very soon!
Saturday, July 13th marks exactly one year of ONLY! And we couldn’t have done it without all of our loyal friends. So we invite you to tag one of your friends on this post, and then you’ll both be entered to win a free sample — two winners in one!
Good luck, and have a great weekend!
Summertime Hair & Skincare, Part I: Beat the Heat
Let's dive into exactly what the summer sun is doing to your hair and skin, and how to minimize the effects.
Ahh, the summertime woes of haircare. The heat, the sun, the endless days of pool time all make for a hard time keeping your hair perfect. But it doesn’t have to throw off your schedule!
Let's dive into exactly what all of those summertime elements are doing to your hair and skin, and how to minimize the effects.
Sunshine Days
It’s a common misconception that the sun is closer to Earth during the summer months, but it’s actually the opposite. The sun is farther away from us leading up to July, and closest to the Earth leading up to January. So what does this mean?
Have you ever taken a magnifying glass and focused light on something to create a small spark or fire? This essentially is what happens during the summer. The sun’s rays hit at such a steep angle that the sunbeams are more focused. Not only that, but we have longer daylight hours during the summer months, and the Earth has longer to heat up. MMMMM, toasty.
But, don’t worry, there are ways of protecting your skin and hair.
The best way to minimize damage and to prolong the longevity of our skin and hair is by avoidance, at least during the peak hours of noon to 4 pm. But since we can’t always avoid the sun’s rays, it’s best to wear a hair and skin SPF. Check out this cool list from Elle magazine online of some great products.
And don’t forget to put sunscreen on the top of your ears, lips, nose, shoulders and the tops of your hands!
Heat Protectant vs. SPF
Your next layer of sun protection is a heat protectant. They are not the same as an SPF, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The sun can break down the melanin in our hair, causing the color to fade and the protein between the cell layers to thin. Heat protectants help to create an oil barrier in between the hair follicle and the heating tool to minimize mechanical damage to the keratin.
Just hydrate first with ONLY Conditioner, then use a product with an SPF. Then apply a heat protectant to ensure you’re fully protected.
It is very important to know that if you’ve been using ONLY Conditioner or ONLY Everything as your cowash, and you use a silicone based product, you will also need a clarifying shampoo to release the silicones from your hair and prevent frizziness. Silicones, which can cling to hair and cause a film, need to be broken down.
Not every oil is a heat protectant, either. An oil will only be viable up to its smoke point, the point at which it starts to break down and oxidize — i.e., the point at which it starts to cook your hair instead of protecting it.
Next up: Protecting your hair and skin from prolonged exposure to water.
XOXO,
Nina
Land of the Free-bie
July Fourth is all about celebrating our freedoms. So feel free to like, share or leave a comment, and you’ll be entered to win your own sample of ONLY next week. Good luck, and have a great holiday weekend!
Happy Freebie Fourth of July! (Yes, yes, we know the holiday’s over. But let’s extend this celebration of freedom, OK?)
First of all, let’s celebrate this week’s winner, Gina Ojeda! Congratulations! We’ll get you your free sample ASAP!
And for everyone else, we’re offering all 8 oz. bottles of ONLY Conditioner and 6 oz. bottles of ONLY Everything at a 20 percent discount until Sunday. A percentage of our proceeds will benefit ROCK On Veterans, an equine-based therapy program “to improve the lives of servicemen and women who have suffered injury in the line of duty, helping them to adjust physically and emotionally to their post war lives.”
July Fourth is all about celebrating our freedoms. So feel free to like, share or leave a comment, and you’ll be entered to win your own sample of ONLY next week. Good luck, and have a great holiday weekend!
The Switch-Up Myth
Do you know why everyone says that you need to constantly switch up your shampoo and conditioner?
Do you know why everyone says that you need to constantly switch up your shampoo and conditioner?
It’s because the silicones and the oils inside of the duo you use regularly have built up, causing your scalp to become so oily that you need a shampoo and conditioner with a strong pH-level just to balance you back out. Not surprisingly, this isn’t great for your scalp or your hair.
Why even get to that spot in the first place? Use a milder shampoo and an oil-free conditioner, like ONLY, and your scalp will thank you!
Keep it balanced, keep it healthy, and keep it all without the unnecessary buildup.
Freebie Friday: Facebook Edition
Like this post on Facebook for your chance to win an ONLY sample of your own. Good luck!
Happy Friday! And congratulations to this week’s winner: Ellen Day Crady! We hope ONLY can help you achieve all your summer hair dreams — no matter how humid it gets.
And in case you missed the big news this week, ONLY Everything is now available in our online store! It’s got even more hydration to keep your hair and skin healthy, no matter how hot it gets!
Next week, we’re calling all our Facebook friends! Like this post on Facebook for your chance to win an ONLY sample of your own. Good luck!
It's EVERYTHING you've been waiting for
Our latest product is both a co-wash and a styler, proving that you don’t need a million different products to have your best hair day, everyday.
We’re pleased to announce a new addition in our Shop: ONLY Everything.
We’ve taken everything you love about the original ONLY hair and skin conditioner, and added two moisture powerhouses: aloe vera and locally sourced honey. This makes our latest product both a perfect co-wash and a styler, proving that you don’t need a million different products to have your best hair day, everyday.
ONLY Everything is made with love, and without oils, dyes, fragrances and all those other unnecessary additives that build up and drag down your hair. So whether you’re trying to simplify your shower routine, or just replace the conditioner or style finisher that’s not working hard enough for you, ONLY Everything delivers.
#FreebieFriday: It's Summertime!
Tell us your #hairgoals (and maybe even your #hairchallenges) this summer, and you’ll automatically be entered to win next week’s sample of ONLY! Good luck!
Happy Summer!
Let’s get this season started with our next #FreebieFriday winner: Amanda Sigler! Congratulations! We’ll be contacting you shortly, and hope you love your sample of ONLY!
And now that summer is officially upon us, there’s so much to look forward to: Wedding season updos, beachy waves and more humidity than you ever thought possible. (Now might be a good time to mention our 2 oz. bottle of ONLY, perfect for your traveling needs!)
So tell us your #hairgoals (and maybe even your #hairchallenges) this summer, and you’ll automatically be entered to win next week’s sample of ONLY! Good luck!
To shampoo or not to shampoo?
Do we really need to shampoo? Believers in the no-poo movement, who prefer to use baking soda and a vinegar rinse, don’t believe so. But, some people also love to fully shampoo their hair everyday. Who is right?
Shampooing has been around for ages: 300 years to be exact. It was originally called “champu” and came from an Indian tradition of massaging the head with fragrant oils. But the modern-day foamy luxurious washes that you know now were only developed around the 1930s, gaining full momentum and popularity by the 1970s and 80s.
But do we really need to shampoo? Believers in the no ’poo movement, who prefer to use baking soda and a vinegar rinse, don’t believe so. But, some people also love to fully shampoo their hair everyday. Who is right?
Well it all comes down to:
cleanliness and how well you scrub,
suds or no suds,
and how well you make sure the hair is balanced back down.
Let’s break this down further. Growing right next to each and every strand of hair is a little gland that produces oil, or sebum, to help the follicle maintain its strength and keep its elasticity.
Aside from natural hair sebum, oil does not have the ability to collapse the cuticle to make it lay flat. All it can do is coat the hair and lead to buildup or breakage if used too often or before the hair is properly hydrated. Yes, it will make it shiny, but add too much and your hair can feel weighed down, flaky and frizzy. This goes for ANY hair type.
That’s why using an oil-free conditioner will balance the scalp and create the perfect environment for hair growth and clear skin.
When properly balanced, it produces enough to cover each individual strand and the scalp remains clear and without excess oil. But, if the scalp is not cleansed properly, over time the excess oil produced on the scalp can lead to dandruff and hair fall. (WHAT!?)
Don’t worry, keep reading.
How pH Levels Affect Your Hair
Think of pH as a level system that exists from 1-14. Right in the middle is neutral water at a 7. Your hair and scalp want to live around the 4.5-5.5 level. Now, the more that your hair stays in the level of 4.5-5.5, the better it will grow, the healthier it will be, and the less oily it will be. Are you following me so far?
Anything that is from 6 all the way to 14 will start to open the cuticle of the hair (think of a pinecone opening) which can lead to water loss. Levels 9 to 14 can actually start to cause damage to the cuticle and really dry out the hair if not properly balanced back.
The suds that are in shampoos, or the surfactants, help to rid the scalp of all of the excess oil, dead skin cells, dirt and grime that has accumulated since the last time that it was rinsed. For the most part, shampoos exist from about 6-8.5. Shampoos lower on the scale are softer, and only open the cuticle a little. Shampoos that are higher on the scale are stronger, opening the cuticle more.
The Low Down on No ’Poo
In the no ’poo world, baking soda does the same job as shampoo. (Baking soda is medium on the pH scale at a 9, the same as a purifying shampoo. They open the cuticle up so it can get rid of the oil and debris.)
The no ’poo method works by using baking soda as a “shampoo” to cleanse and then apple cider vinegar to rinse and neutralize. It can feel like it works, but remember: Baking soda is a very harsh surfactant at a pH of 9. Harsh surfactants can be harmful to your hair and actually lead to more hair distress over time, with more breakage or build up.
Strong cleansing shampoos can also lead to more damage because they can strip all of the natural oils off of the scalp, leading to consistent dryness and flakiness if not properly balanced. And that means potential hair loss!
What works best are very mild shampoos to cleanse normal, everyday dirt and excess oil off of your scalp without fully stripping all of the natural oils that balance your hair.
Do you want to know how you can use ONLY Conditioner like a shampoo? I’ll guide you through co-washing, step-by-step.
What do we want? ONLY Everything!
It’s EVERYTHING you love, plus honey and aloe vera, two moisture powerhouses that will hydrate your hair and skin to the extreme.
Have you heard the news? We’ve got a brand-spanking-new product for you: ONLY Everything!
It’s EVERYTHING you love, plus honey and aloe vera, two moisture powerhouses that will hydrate your hair and skin to the extreme.
Honey is a humectant, meaning it attracts water, becoming denser. Blow-dried in, honey helps make your hair feel more voluminous with a light, airy, teased-but-it’s-not, “Did my hair just double in size?” look. Honey is also antimicrobial, which helps heal your skin -- making it perfect as a makeup remover, a face cream, curl cream, or even a non-oil beard tamer. We’ve sourced our honey from Good Flow Honey, a local farm here in Austin that collects from wild bees.
Meanwhile, the addition of aloe vera helps promote new cell growth. Aloe heals your skin by calming inflammation, while helping to break down dead skin cells naturally. The aloe vera in ONLY Everything is always sourced from the inner fillet of the leaf, to keep the product pure.
Are you ready for ONLY Everything? The first 10 people to DM their mailing address to us on Instagram or Pinterest will get a free sample! Good luck!
#FreebieFriday: Follow Me!
This week, we’re looking for a few good follows — on Pinterest, where we’re exploring hair and skincare, the best green ingredients out there and how they can work for you.
Hello, friends! I hope your week went swimmingly. It’s about to get even better for our first #FreebieFriday winner: @versalview on Instagram.
Congratulations! We’ll be contacting you today for your information so we can send your sample of ONLY straight to your door.
This week, we’re looking for a few good follows — on Pinterest, where we’re exploring hair and skincare, the best green ingredients out there and how they can work for you. (There’ll definitely be some hair inspo boards, thrown in there, too. Who doesn’t love a great updo?)
Every new Pinterest follower will be automatically entered to win this week’s sample of ONLY. Happy Pinning!