Redefining Natural Haircare: Q&A With Carly, The Founder of Under Luna
We chatted with the founder of Under Luna, Carly, on what inspired her to start her non-toxic, completely natural hair care company, the biggest obstacles she has faced in business and ways to improve your hair’s health.
Please introduce yourself and tell us what inspired you to start Under Luna?
Hi everyone, I’m Carly, Founder + CEO of Under Luna. Well, I’ll try to make it short. Back in 2015, my initial goal was only to provide myself and my family (knowing I wanted kids one day), a completely non-toxic and effective shampoo and conditioner. One that I knew wholeheartedly was safe and full of effective plant-based ingredients.
I was slowly coming to realize how many “clean” and “natural” companies were creating products with these hidden, completely unnatural ingredients. Beyond disappointed, I began my own research and deep-dived into the rabbit hole of herbalism. Emerging a year later as a certified herbalist and extremely passionate about all the discoveries I made, I created a few different shampoos and conditioner, all of which are still made and available today.
With amazing feedback from friends and family, I knew I wasn’t the only one searching for truly, truly natural and effective products so I thought let’s give it a shot and see who else wants to try it. Under Luna was then created and within a few months of launching it, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter Luna.
What makes Under Luna’s products different from all other natural haircare brands?
What sets us apart is our ingredients. Our shampoos are made with a very unique blend of root extracts that naturally lather and gently cleanse. The cleanse without stripping you of your natural oils, which is crucial for a healthy scalp/ hair. It is a rich brown color that most people take a second glance at first, but it’s also what keeps people coming back for more because they are magic for the scalp and hair.
All products are made with ingredients that most are familiar with and can pronounce - shocking I know! All ingredients are made from roots, plants, herbs, fruits - that’s it. Anything you wouldn’t put in your mouth, why would it be allowed on your body?
Building a brand from the ground up can be challenging. What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them?
For me, it’s always been about the product, the ingredients more so and staying true to the very simple values of being transparent, nothing but natural ingredients and no shortcuts - which always means more work but that’s also why these products are so well loved.
Without the highest quality ingredients and this specific plant material we don’t have a product, nor a brand. The biggest challenge so far has just been the ability to source everything. Trying to source these ingredients and find the right supplier that also aligns with you and willing to work with you on small quantities as you’re just starting out is very hard as well.
In addition, manufacturing everything in house also means you need to understand what types of machines you need and then also how to work them! Thankfully I can be really stubborn so the determination in me, as well as my husband (he joined in 2020 because I couldn’t do it alone anymore) didn’t stop us from the countless obstacles we had to work through.
Talk to me about how to keep our hair healthy? Is there something else we should be doing aside from using natural, non-toxic products on it?
Our hair and particularly our scalp is a mirror of what’s going on internally. So, it’s absolutely key to also be aware of what we are feeding ourselves and how we are maintaining a balanced life in terms of stress and any hormonal shifts or swings. These are big factors for healthy hair so if your scalp is feeling particularly dry, out of sorts, dandruff, eczema flare ups, I always recommend to do a quick check in to see where there’s a calling for your attention. Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking 1 night a week to give yourself a little extra attention and care. The best and most effective is an overnight hair mask with our Revive Conditioner or a scalp treatment with our new Deep Magic Serum (formerly Ancient Remedy Hair and Scalp Oil) will help nourish, hydrate and calm your scalp! It’s so lovely.
Carly was so generous to give you a discount code on your first Under Luna order at underluna.com. Enjoy 10% off with code 'araza'. Expires 9/30/23
To learn more and shop Under Luna products please visit their website https://underluna.com/ and follow them on Instagram @under_luna
