Hi Friends,
One thing most people don't know about me is that I'm naturally blond.
Not "I was blond as a child" blond. Really blond.
Both of my parents had dark hair and dark eyes, but somehow I inherited my grandmother's coloring. My mother was Bulgarian, my father is Polish, and growing up in Hawaii, between the sunshine and salt water, my hair was very light. People would often think my mom and I were not related by sheer discrepancy in coloring.
I thought my mother's rich brunette color was so beautiful and sophisticated, and when I was sixteen we decided it would be fun to see what I looked like as a brunette. As it turns out we liked it, because I've been coloring my hair every five weeks ever since. Nearly forty years later, I honestly have no idea what my natural color looks like anymore. My guess is a light brown-gray, but my dark hair has become a big part of who I am.
Like most people, there are things I'd happily improve if I could. My hair isn't one of them. I've always had a lot of it, it's healthy, and when it's cooperating I feel like the best version of myself. On the flip side, a bad hair day can really affect my mood. You know what I mean?
Hair is Personal.
We wear it every day. It frames our face and can make us feel polished, effortless, confident—or completely out of sorts. That's why we are so particular about what we use on our hair. Like many of our customers, I don't want products that weigh my hair down or leave it feeling coated. I want it to feel like my hair, just on its very best day.
That's one of the reasons I've loved Innersense Organic Beauty for so many years.
Innersense has been with Beauty Heroes since we launched in 2014. Over the years I've watched them grow into one of the most respected brands in clean beauty. And I think that’s because Greg and Joanne Starkman have never wavered from their belief that salon-quality performance and exceptionally clean formulations should go hand in hand.
But the thing I admire most about Innersense has very little to do with my own hair.
Before Beauty Heroes, I spent years as a Spa Director, and even back in the late '90s—before ingredient databases and smartphones—I found myself thinking about the professionals more than the clients. Guests experienced products for an hour. Our service providers had those same products on their hands six to eight hours a day, every day.
That perspective never left me.
Years later, one of my friends, a lifelong hairstylist, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. There was no family history, and her physicians believed environmental exposure was a likely contributor. No one can ever know exactly why these things happen, but it reinforced something I'd believed for years: the people working behind the chair deserve products that care for them just as much as the clients they're serving.
That's exactly what Innersense has built their company around.
Yes, they make beautiful haircare, but they've also created products that minimize unnecessary exposure for the stylists using them every day. That commitment—to performance and to people—is one of the reasons they've had a place at Beauty Heroes from the very beginning.
This month's Discovery is especially meaningful because it brings together one of my longtime staples with three of Innersense's newest innovations.
Let's start with the product I simply don't like to be without.
The Detox Hair Mask first launched with Beauty Heroes years ago, and I've been using it ever since. It's one of those products you don't realize you need until you use it a few times, and then suddenly, you’re lost without it.
I think of it as pressing the reset button on my scalp.
About once a week—give or take, because I've never been one to follow strict beauty rules—I shampoo, apply the mask, leave it on while I finish everything else in the shower, rinse, and then condition. It couldn't be easier.
Every time, my hair feels lighter, fresher and more balanced. My scalp feels cleaner, my roots stay fresher longer, and my hair has noticeably more movement. It's one of those Hero products that simply makes everything else work better. If you already love Detox Hair Mask, I'm thrilled you're receiving a full-size tube this month. If it's new to you, I'd love to hear what you think after you've had a chance to use it.
The second product makes me just as excited.
Air Dry Styling Cream has become one of the biggest launches in Innersense's history. It just launched, and they keep selling out. They simply can't keep it in stock! I first tried it earlier this year while I was home in Hawaii, which felt especially appropriate because I grew up letting my hair dry naturally. We never really used blow dryers.
Until Innersense introduced me to this product, I'd never really thought of "air dry" as a haircare category. But suddenly, it makes perfect sense. This cream gives hair just enough structure and definition to dry beautifully on its own, while the algae-derived algin helps tame frizz without making hair stiff or crunchy. The result is fast-drying, natural-looking hair with a smoothness and texture that still feels like your own.
If you're already an air-dry person, I have a feeling this will become a favorite. If you only let your hair dry naturally during the summer—as I often do—I suspect it'll become one of those products you look forward to pulling out every year.
The final two products in this month's Discovery are especially exciting if you're someone who loves skincare that's backed by science and thoughtful innovation. Innersense has taken that same approach to hair with two of their newest launches: the Repair Mask and the Overnight Repair Serum.
You've probably heard the phrase "bond repair" by now. It's become one of the biggest conversations in haircare over the last few years, but it can also sound a little intimidating. The simplest way to think about it is this: every time we color, bleach, heat style, brush, or simply live our lives, the internal structure of our hair takes on a little wear and tear. Bond-repair technology helps reinforce that structure so hair feels stronger, smoother, and more resilient over time. It's not about making your hair look healthier for an afternoon—it's about helping improve the condition of the hair itself.
The Repair Mask is wonderfully straightforward. Think of it as your deep conditioning treatment, but one that's working a little harder behind the scenes. It deeply conditions while helping strengthen hair that's been stressed by all the things. If your hair has been feeling dry, overworked or just not quite itself, this is the product you'll reach for.
Then there's the Overnight Repair Serum.
I'll admit, this one was completely new to me.
I know what a face serum is. I LOVE a body serum. But a serum...for my hair?
At first I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.
It's not a hair oil, and it isn't a scalp treatment. It really is exactly what it says it is—a lightweight serum designed for your hair. Before bed, you smooth a small amount through your mid-lengths and ends, leave it in overnight, and wake up with hair that feels noticeably softer, smoother and healthier.
One of my favorite details is the lavender aroma. It's beautifully subtle, and almost signals that the day is done.
Apparently my nighttime routine now extends from my face...to my body...to my hair.
One thing I've learned over the years is that there are very few hard rules in beauty.
Products are designed with a particular purpose, but that doesn't mean you can't make them your own. You might find yourself using the Repair Mask every time you wash your hair instead of reaching for a traditional conditioner. You may love Air Dry Styling Cream but decide to finish your style with a quick pass of the blow dryer. You might even discover that Overnight Repair Serum becomes part of your morning routine before heat styling because that's what works best for your hair.
I think that's one of the joys of beauty.
It's personal. So consider this your permission to experiment.
And if you stumble upon a routine you absolutely love, I hope you'll hit reply and tell me about it. Some of my favorite product tips over the years have actually come from all of you.
Finally, if you're curious what little blond Jeannie looked like before she crossed over, you can take a peek here.
Hero On!
Jeannie
