Our founder's health recap.

I can't believe it's been four years since Yours Only launched. We've grown so much, and my health has completely changed too. I launched the brand after living my WHOLE life with sensitivities. 

I've gone from being so sick all the time, to finally feeling in control of my story. All with the Yours Only community by my side. 

So, let's recap what that's looked like. 

Ash x

2018

Growing up, I was whacked with the allergy stick pretty hard. I've always been a sensitive human — dealing with eczema, asthma, coeliac disease, dairy and nut allergies and Hashimoto's disease (my thyroid attacks itself, not cool). 

In 2018, everything just got worse. My symptoms were never-ending: brain fog, puffy skin, hives, vomiting, nausea, new intolerances all the time, extreme fatigue, IBS, plus more. Long like that three-hour movie that your friends dragged you to. 

I couldn't eat, sleep, breathe, work, scroll Netflix, live my life without feeling sh*t. I was gaslit by specialists who told me nothing was wrong. 

Eventually I found a person who believed me. I met Chloe McLeod, an incredible dietitian, who diagnosed me with a histamine and salicylate intolerance. This was the start — I realised the healthy food I was eating was triggering me. Hardcore. It's natural pesticide found in fruits, veg, coffee, wine, all skincare, literally everything. Yeah, it was a lot. Imagine explaining that to people. So, I didn’t — I suffered in silence.

After finding out about the salicylate intolerance, I went to Mecca to replace all of my skincare. I walked out crying, coz nothing was safe for my skin. All that was left were clinical, boring and blah brands that I was embarrassed to have on my vanity.

So, the idea for Yours Only was born. 

2020:

After two LONG years of development, and needing needed products that were safe for my dramatic body, we launched online in August 2020 (peak lockdown in Melbourne). I hoped they would help soothe other sensitive humans, too. I started by launching CLEAN, our cleanser, and COAT, our moisturiser. 

Then, just when I thought I had enough on my plate, my skin decided to develop perioral dermatitis. My lips were constantly tight, itchy, raw, and would bleed when I spoke. I ended up changing my toothpaste, letting my skin breathe more and threw out all of my potent lip balms. 

 This is when the idea for BALM came about — our third product, and a saviour for my lips. It took while to develop too (launching in 2022). Sensitive skincare is a lengthy process. Kinda handy it happened after I developed a skincare brand, hey. 

2021: 

This is when I started to get more answers. Although I worked out my trigger foods, I could not for the life of me introduce new foods. I still had constant stomach aches and I was just. so. puffy. I did LOTS of research and found naturopath Leila from Aesara Health who swore up and down that I had mould illness, and SIBO. 

We did a SIBO test, and boy was she right. Although Leila got me the answers, she couldn't treat me with her usual herb subscription — as they're all full of salicylates (my bodies enemy).  

She gave me the deets for my (now) integrated GP who saved me — Dr Anjana.  

From here, we worked out: 

• I developed mould illness after living in a mouldy sharehouse in my early 20's, and the current house I was living in had hidden mould too (urgh)
• My body had gone into overdrive from this and developed CIRS and MCAS. Basically I was having allergic and inflammatory attacks to things I used to be able to handle: like certain foods. 
• I had SIBO — small bacterial intestinal overgrowth, so even more foods didn’t agree with me. 
• It was going to take at least two years to get better because my body was an absolute wreck

2022

Another new diagnosis: adenomyosis (where tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus instead of the uterus itself). 

At this point, my medical bills were sizeable to a house deposit. My days consisted of working myself to the bone, and specialists, treatments, medications, clean eating and vitamins. My symptoms became manageable — as long as I stuck to seven 'safe' foods.  

The only foods I could consume were quinoa, bok choy, chives, chicken, passionfruit, carrot and cos lettuce. That’s literally it. 

We finally brought out BALM, and COAT Mini at the start of the year, followed SCALP (now called MASK) and SLEEK closer to the hotter months — the biz was growing really nicely. 

At the end of 2022, I ended up in hospital for a week with COVID and salmonella. Not an ideal combo. My body basically went into shock when I got COVID and brought up any dormant bugs in my system.

Who’s that unlucky that they have salmonella hiding somewhere? Apparently me, lol.

From that experience, my periods became extremely irregular. Not ideal for someone who’s planning on trying to have a baby in the near future. 

2023

I officially cleared most of mould illness with my integrated GP. The COVID recovery was rough (like, really rough), but the light at the end of the tunnel was being able to eat a few more foods: coconut icy poles, rice, and the occasional potato. I think the strong antibiotics cleared out some of the baddies in my gut, too. 

Then everything changed. After months of trying, countless acupuncture and medical bills, in July 2023, I fell pregnant with my little girl. 

Growing a baby while dealing with Hashimoto’s is not ideal — I was bed-ridden and really sick for the first 27 weeks. I cut back on work and just pushed through. 

 Until — I realised something. A bunch of my intolerances were gone. 

I started eating fruits that I hadn’t tried in years coz they have salicylates in them.  Then, I was eating onion, garlic, tomato, and anything under the sun that wasn’t gluten, dairy or nuts. 

As Milla grew, I started to feel so much better. I could finally eat all of the foods I’d missed, and my health was finally back on track. 

 At the end of the year we bought out CLEAN Mini and the 1L’s of CLEAN and COAT, as requested by the community. 

2024

Milla was born in April 2024, and as I am breastfeeding, I’ve still been able to keep my intolerances at bay. I’m still a lil sensitive, but nothing like I was before pregnancy. WILD. 

Apparently, when you’re pregnant and breastfeeding, your body is so focused on other things that it forgets how much it hates certain foods, lol. 

It’s been a literal dream, and I never imagined that pregnancy would open so many doors for me. 

Now? Focusing on growing Yours Only even bigger. We've brought out new products like Big BALM and have so much more in the pipeline. I'm spending time with my little girl, and doing everything I can to keep my health at this level. 

This is your reminder that health has MANY ups and downs, but you're never alone. If you ever wanna chat about your journey, our DM's are always open. x