One of our favorite things about Skin Savior is that our customers always come up with the most fascinating ways to use it, so we couldn’t help but share this latest tip with you about the versatile Skin Savior Waterless Beauty Balm. It worked so beautifully that it surprised us!  

A hair stylist and customer of OLO was excited to tell us about her new and favorite use for Skin Savior as a special hair conditioning treatment. She favors long hair and knows how important healthy hair is to achieving thick and glossy locks, especially as we age.

Here’s her secret:

• Apply Skin Savior by massaging it evenly into your scalp and hair.
• Apply the balm gently through your hair until it has been absorbed into the strands.
• Turn your flat iron on to the lowest setting, and working quickly and in small sections, pass the flat iron over your hair. (This opens the hair and seals the moisture into the hair shaft.)
• Cover with a cap (if you like, we just went to bed) and sleep on it.
• Wash your hair as usual the next morning. (We recommend washing twice to thoroughly remove all oil.)
• Then apply a very small amount to the ends only, before using the flat iron again to smooth your hair.

Voila! Silky and beautifully conditioned hair! Our stylist also loves the way Skin Savior tames fly-aways, and the way it protects hair from the damage caused by heat. Of course, we couldn’t wait to try this, and we were amazed that we had such fantastic results after just one treatment.

1. One Love Organics Skin Savior / 2. Palm Beach Pink Shower Cap / 3. Flat Iron

Bedroom Photo by Emily Anderson / Featured in Rue September/October 2011

What makes this work over a regular conditioner? There are actually several reasons:

Raw, organic coconut oil: This healing oil, part of the powerful ingredients that make up Skin Savior, has a molecular structure unlike other oils. It is able to penetrate the hair shaft, not just coat it, allowing the oil to get past the cuticle to repair damaged hair from the inside. The fatty acids present in raw, organic coconut oil (in particular lauric acid) have an affinity for the proteins in hair, and actually help to restructure it, strengthening the hair by preventing protein loss.

A recent study done in India compared the different effects of mineral oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil on dry hair. Researchers applied the oils individually to separate samples of hair and then analyzed each for changes in their structure or appearance. They found that coconut oil was the only one to remarkably reduce protein loss in damaged and undamaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product. They concluded that using coconut oil could result in thicker hair, with less drying and split ends – creating stronger and healthier hair.

Mango Butter: Vitamins C and A directly contribute to hair growth, and mangoes are rich in both. Additionally, mango butter is very similar to cocoa and shea butters, but contains more fatty acids, which enhance the spectrum of antioxidants and vitamins that can be absorbed by the hair.

Supercritical Extract of Chia: Chia seeds contain some of the richest botanical omega-3 fatty acids on earth. These provide superb nourishment for the hair, while also protecting it.

Supercritical Extract of Oat: Oats are known for their superior emollient properties, softening and penetrating skin and hair, while also improving elasticity.

A final word about conditioning: Real emollients, not plastics

Employing real emollients to repair and condition hair is vital to getting real results, but it can be hard to find products that actually condition hair in a lasting way, and plastics don’t work! Here’s why:

When we consider that most conditioners are actually water, alcohol and/or mineral oil and petroleum by-products, it is no wonder. Water and alcohol are drying. Mineral oil and petroleum by-products are created as a result of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. The effect on hair? Mineral oil forms a film on the surface of your hair akin to plastic wrap. (Yes, plastic is made from crude oil, too!) This film does lock in moisture and looks great after the first few uses, but it doesn’t actually condition – it just coats the hair and over time makes hair look limp and dull. This may be why something you love at first seems to mysteriously stop working!

We recommend using a very mild shampoo on hair washing days and then using hair powder to extend the time between washes. Washing hair less frequently, such as every other day as opposed to every day, can make a big difference in hair health, allowing for less drying and breakage. And giving our hair a nourishing treatment, such as the innovative one described above, can offer truly gorgeous results – and a lift to the spirits!