Tag Archives: Natural Beauty

All-Natural Flaxseed Hair Gel!

all-natural

Veggie Lovers: I’ve missed you. Been M.I.A. for photo shoots, film shoots, auditions, etc. which took over my blogging mode, but best believe through it all I am still on my Vegan A-Game (with a few minor slip-ups here and there). By slip-ups I mean, too much cooked food! Thank God for juice bars on the go, and also for introductions to new vegan restaurants to add to my emergency arsenal of places I can stop for acceptable food. This past week I had a photo shoot for a fashion week campaign. I am going to be one of the “faces” of a new fashion week coming in February. Check out and like my facebook update page for what I’ve been up to and to see the new pics of me in Kamoy Magazine released last week: www.facebook.com/EsosaUpdates.

Anywhoo, as usual at this photo shoot, I got into some natural health conversations. I had my snacks with me, and all of the models were comparing natural health tips. It would amaze you the crazy diets some models have, and still continue to work. It doesn’t sustain their beauty longterm, and  I know for a fact that my lifestyle gives me a great advantage, especially the “vegan glow.” One girl who had an amazing curly Afro, mentioned that she makes her own hair gel from flaxseed. This incredible gel  apparently leaves no build up, residue, or flakiness in your hair but holds any style firm. Even better, it saves you a nice wad of cash. She mentioned that the flaxseeds can be strained and saved in the fridge to make another batch of gel! So you have many months supply of awesome hair product for the price of a bag of flaxseeds! Better believe I’m going to try this soon. It is safe to use everyday. Below is the recipe, feel free to hit me up on Facebook on the Raw Girl page if you test this out and love it. Until next time, stay raw, stay beautiful. -XoXo Raw Girl

The Stuff You Need:

2 Tbsp Whole Flax Seeds
1 cup water
Few drops of essential oil for scent; To encourage hair growth add a little jojoba oil

How To Make It:

Boil the water and stir the seeds into the water and reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, and continue stirring until a gel-like lotion is formed. Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth into a small bottle. Add essential oils and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I found a recipe online that also said that you can add some pure aloe vera gel into your mix; which has awesome moisturizing properties great for keeping your hair healthy and strong.

The Ultimate Beauty Salad

anti-agin

Last week I had a great time hanging out with a good friend, and she was game to try one of my salads. I warned her it would be one of the best salads she’d ever had. We got together a bunch of stellar ingredients, and while making it I realized that the salad was packed full of veggies that offer the amazing beauty minerals that I have been writing about recently. Below is a list of the ingredients in the salad and the nutrients they offer to optimize your beauty. Besides being good for you this salad was lip-smacking good! Have fun experimenting and make your own version using some of the foods rich in beauty minerals listed in previous posts. – XoXo Raw Girl

The Ultimate Beauty Salad

To prepare, wash all veggies thoroughly. Wash mixed greens and arugula and toss together in a large salad bowl. Chop up green and yellow squash, red bell peppers, and olives.  Add toppings to greens, pour on olive oil, add in sea salt and curry, and squeeze the wedge of lemon. Massage the veggies with your hands for a few minutes. Add in a couple teaspoons of nutritional yeast and toss together. Use a veggie grater to finely grate beets on top, sprinkle in some pumpkin seeds, and add in fennel leaves for decoration. Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

  • Mixed Greens – Vitamin A
  • Arugula – Sulfur
  • Red Bell Peppers – Silicon
  • Avocado – Sulfur
  • Fennel – Vitamin A, C, sulfur
  • Pumpkin Seeds – Sulfur
  • Beets – Vitamin A, Calcium, Phosphorous
  • Green & Yellow Zucchini – Vitamin A
  • Olives (black and green) – Sulfur
  • Wedge of Lemon (squeeze juice)
  • Olive Oil (extra virgin, 2-3 capfuls) – antioxidants
  • Yellow Curry (1 teaspoon) – antioxidants
  • Celtic Sea Salt ( a couple pinches)
  • Nutritional Yeast (3-4 teaspoons) B-complex Vitamins, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorous etc.
The copyright of this recipe is owned by Esosa Edosomwan AKA  Raw Girl AKA Chef Eazy E. Permission to republish this recipe in  any format must be granted by the author in writing.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4oAW9oBY00]
For more on beauty minerals, check out these past posts:

Minerals 4 Beauty: SILICON

cure acne naturally

What beauty mineral can prevent bone deformities, brittle nails, thinning of hair, and help maintain glowing skin? Silicon is one of most powerful and interesting minerals because it has transformative properties. If you are looking to perfect your personal physical appearance, many believe that consuming silicon-rich foods can help you do just that.

Silicon is present and working all over our bodies in  blood vessels, muscles, nails, skin, etc. The highest concentrations of silicon are found in our hair and nails.  It is also present in parts of the body where there is active growth. Silicon rich diets help to increase bone density, and prevent cavities and bleeding gums.  If your diet is in need of a silicon boost or if you have a silicon deficiency you may experience brittle  nails and hair, dental cavities, weak tendons and ligaments, and lackluster skin quality to name a few. If you are a vegan or at least a “whole foodist” the good news is that diets high in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are most likely to ensure an adequate supply of silicon to keep your body healthy. Many people on diets consisting of refined and processed foods are silicon deficient and don’t even know it! I’ll be back on Monday and will share my recipe for The Ultimate Beauty Salad, which is full of veggies that supply beauty minerals. -XoXo Raw Girl

Here’s a partial list from David Wolfe’s book “Eating for Beauty,” of silicon-rich foods with a few extras added for good measure:

  • Horsetail
  • Hemp Leaves
  • Nettles
  • Mature blades of grass (in superfood powders)
  • Alfalfa
  • Radish
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Burdock Root
  • Cucumbers (in skin)
  • Bell Peppers (in skin)
  • Tomatoes (in skin)
  • Oats (steel cut oatmeal is best)
  • Raw Cabbage
  • Apples
  • Oranges
  • Cherries

Anti-Aging SHE-RO #10: Mimi Kirk

aging

How many  grandmothers do you know that can still turn heads in the streets? Yesterday, I came across a lovely article about 72-year-old  raw foodist, Mimi Kirk. She was named the Sexiest Vegetarian over 50 a couple of years ago. A grandmother of seven, she decided to become a vegetarian in her thirties and then in 2008 went raw and has stayed on the path. Mimi is the author of Live Raw, and remains incredibly vivacious through diet and positive energy. More power to Mimi, I’m coming for her title in a several decades!  Check out the videos and the article below. -XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VdeC3OJJIzA]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcvq63B2bOY&feature=youtu.be]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-kanner/meatless-monday-what-raw-_b_878055.html

10 Ways to Use Coconut Oil 4 Beauty

coconut

In sanskrit the coconut palm is known as “kappa vrishka” which means the tree that supplies all that is needed to live.

So here’s a list of ten fabulous ways to use Coconut Oil. Like I mentioned in the previous post, don’t forget that you can eat it! The recommended daily intake is around four tablespoons. You can eat it straight, blend it into smoothies, or even salad dressings and desserts. This list  below should give you some ideas of how to use the jar of coconut oil in your bathroom. Got more ideas of how to use coconut oil for beauty? Post them on our Facebook page! -XoXo Raw Girl

10 Uses 4 the Miracle that is COCONUT OIL:

1. Face Cream

It has been established that lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid that is abundant in coconut oil, improves acne, making it a good option for some with oily and combination skin.

2. Make-up Remover

Coconut oil is an effective makeup remover and a great natural moisturizer!

3. Face Mask

Add a bit of honey (a natural antibacterial) to coconut oil and apply to your face. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes, then rinse.

4. Lip Balm

Apply directly to chapped lips. You also can transfer a small amount to a container for lip moisture on the go, but be careful now that its officially summer! Heat liquefies the oil, and you don’t want your fabulous tote dripping as you go.

5. Body Moisturizer

Keep your skin soft and supple and apply coconut oil after a bath or shower to lock in moisture.

6. Bath Soak

Pour a little coconut oil into your bath with other oils and bath salts and enjoy a relaxing soak.

7. Body Scrub

Add a tablespoon of brown sugar or raw sugar to three tablespoons of coconut oil for a delicious body scrub.

8. Foot Treatment

If you have calluses or rough heels, exfoliate with a pumice stone right before bed. Slather coconut oil on your feet and put on a pair of socks to lock in moisture overnight.

9. Cuticle Cream

Apply to cuticles, then push them back with an orange stick.

10. Deep Conditioner

Massage warmed coconut oil to your scalp and hair. Wait 15 minutes, then rinse.

The Miracle that is COCONUT OIL

beauty

My  coconut craze phase has gone on for quite some time. I eat them several times a week and love consuming all parts of the coconut.  At this point I’m a life long coconut fanatic…but I had yet to really test the long-term benefits of using coconut oil. For the past three months or so I starting using extra virgin coconut oil on my skin daily. It works wonders!

Coconut oil has been used since the dawn of history as food and medicine. In Polynesia, it is used cosmetically to maintain soft and smooth skin, and also medically to relieve stiffness of the joints, and rheumatism and back pain by rubbing on a specific area. Polynesians also mixed coconut oil with turmeric to treat sick newborns and apparently also massaged coconut oil on the abdomen on pregnant women to move a baby from breach in to normal position. In India, coconut oil has been used in their healing system Ayurveda for thousands of years as well. In Ayurveda, when used as food, coconut oil is known to nourish the body tissues, improve sexual health, improve intelligence, support respiratory and urinary systems, and calm Vata and Pitta. It is also applied to the scalp to improve length, shine, texture, and overall length of hairs. It is also applied topically on skin and wounds, and also heated with herbs which strengthens the healing properties and benefits of the herb.

Coconut oil is a saturated fat that mostly contains chain fatty acids which have amazing health giving benefits. The various fatty acids give coconut oil its immune boosting properties because they have anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal qualities. Coconut oil actually contains no cholesterol and when consumed regularly can help to lower your cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels, and it doubles your body’s ability to use omega three fatty acids. Because of its amazing health benefits, and its fabulous ability to moisturize dry skin, and add luster to hair, coconut  has been used in a wide array of beauty products including lip balm, shampoos, conditioners, face creams, lotions, body scrubs, and more. But the best part about coconut oil is that it can be used alone as a multi-purpose beauty aid.

Now for a few beauty remedies you can try at home. Make sure that you purchase extra virgin coconut oil to get the nutritional and beauty benefits. First off, you can actually use coconut oil as an all-body moisturizer, as it is safe to use on skin, hair, and scalp. As I said earlier, use directly on the skin can actually fade or prevent stretch marks, wrinkles, age spots, and acne if used consistently over time. It also will assist in improving any skin conditions such as keratosis–which involves rough skin and bumps on the back and other areas of the body. For dark under eye circles, you can increase circulation in the area by using a small amount of coconut oil to massage under the eyes and keep the skin from wrinkling. For a leave in conditioner, simply melt coconut oil, apply to scalp and leave hair in a shower cap over night. This is also an effective treatment for those with dandruff. To top all of this off, don’t forget you can eat it! Coconut oil is the best oil for cooking because it does not turn rancid like other oils. If you aren’t yet convinced that you must have some coconut oil in your life, check back for the next post which will feature ten ways coconut oil can be used for beauty. -XoXo Raw Girl


Minerals 4 Beauty: ZINC

acne

Check out my new web site: www.esosae.com

It’s Esosa E. here A.K.A. Raw Girl, and I’m back with another mineral to boost your beauty. If you missed the first post, I will be continuously highlighting minerals that enhance natural beauty. Most people on the S.A.D. Standard American Diet and even a great deal of vegans with good intentions, are lacking key minerals to keep their bodies functioning optimally and their skin glowing. What  key beauty mineral plays a role in twenty-five enzymatic systems involved in digestion and metabolism, and is required for skin beauty, cell and bodily growth, sexual development, fertility, night vision, and improving sense of taste & smell?

The answer is ZINC. That’s right, zinc is another mineral essential for beauty and for optimal health.  To start off zinc is a part of the enzymes that allow the body to produce collagen, which is essential for keeping our skin soft and supple. Zinc also supports the bodies’ immune system, joints and tissue repair, and cell growth. This beauty mineral has antioxidant properties that helps our bodies to heal scars and wounds, and repair DNA damage. In fact, zinc deficiency can actually cause damage to DNA, in addition to acne, loss of taste and smell, slow growth in children, hair loss, rashes, skin disorders, low sperm count, poor eyesight, and delayed wound healing. On the beauty front, zinc can also prevent wrinkling, stretch marks, and outward signs of aging. Sounds a little better than Botox, right?

Because of zinc’s healing and beautifying properties it is found in many beauty products. Zinc oxide is a common additive that is included in sunscreens (as zinc helps to deflect the amount of ultraviolet light absorbed by the skin), calamine lotion (for its ability to heal wounds), and mineral makeup.  Many brands of mineral makeup claim that the products also provide sun protection because of zinc’s use in sunscreens. Because of it’s anti-inflammatory properties zinc oxide in mineral makeup make these products more ideal for anyone suffering from acne or  any skin conditions. Conventional foundations and foundations mostly contain harmful mineral oils and parabens that can actually make an existing skin condition worse.

Now that you know how important zinc is to beauty, here’s a partial list from Nutrition Expert David Wolfe’s book, Eating for Beauty (available in the Raw Girl Shop) of the best plant sources that have good amounts of sulfur to get you started with incorporating a wider range of zinc-rich foods in your diet: coconuts, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and spinach. Now that your equipped with a little knowledge and veggie resources, check your diet and make sure to get your zinc-on! Until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful! -XoXo Raw Girl

Minerals 4 Beauty: SULFUR

mineralization
Dearest Readers:
Sorry I’ve been M.I.A! Today I am headed to the French Riviera—Cannes, France to be exact for the Cannes Film Festival! That’s right, I’ve got a short film in the Cannes Short Film Corner (Check out my new website which also has a teaser for my short film “50 Bucks in Argentina” www.esosae.com)and I am going to network it up and also get a much needed vacay from the U.S. Promise to take my video camera; it should be a very interesting challenge trying to stay raw vegan in France. But I am a healthy food magnet and down for it, so let the games begin!  I also packed my little handy magic bullet blender and a super food powder so that I’m not lacking on vitamins. Hope to have some fun  footage to show you…Alright back to the post for today. Lately I’ve been very interested in beauty minerals—-basically the most essential minerals that keep our skin clear and give us that youthful glow. Will cover more minerals when I get back. -XoXo Raw Girl AKA Esosa E.

What  key beauty mineral can be used to treat acne and pimples, helps to heal scars and wounds, makes your skin, nails, and hair strong and radiant, and can also help you improve your memory? The answer is SULFUR. That’s right, sulfur is also known as “the beauty mineral” because it is so crucial to maintaining the beauty of our bodies.  To start off sulfur must be present for your bodies to produce collagen–which we all know is essential–as it keeps our skin soft and supple. Sulfur has a long history of use as a beauty mineral; apparently Ancient Romans soaked in sulfuric baths to prevent aging and prevent pain. Because sulfur is necessary to promote the flexibility of connective tissues, adding more sulfur to your diet can help those who work out. It actually reduces the amount of lactic acid that builds up in the muscles, can relieve or eliminate muscle cramps, and promotes healing and recovery of injuries faster! Going back to beauty, sulfur is found in keratin, a fibrous protein that makes up about 98% of your nails. So if you ever find yourself with brittle nails that break easily, you definitely need to increase your sulfur intake. Because of its glorious beauty benefits sulfur can be found in over the counter beauty products and in prescribed medications use to treat a range of skin issues such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne.
Beyond beauty, getting adequate amounts of sulfur also helps increase calmness, mental concentration, and boosts your memory.Now that you know how important sulfur is to beauty, here are some fruits and vegetables that have good amounts of sulfur to get you started: AVOCADOS, papaya, coconut, pineapple, banana, watermelon, watercress, garlic, onions, bok choy, cabbage, and spirulina –which is a blue-green algae that can be bought in powder or pill form. We’ll get into more beauty minerals when I return from France….Au Revoir!

Need a Natural Beauty Boost? Try Papaya!

acne

As they say you are what you eat! Well if you are what you eat you also are what you put on your skin.  Although it may seem a little quirky there are plenty of ways to boost your beauty naturally using and products you can find right in your kitchen! I was doing research and came across a fruit I didn’t even know could be used as a beauty remedy, PAPAYA. Yes, who knew but this amazing tropical fruit is not only great in a fruit salad, but it can help brighten your skin naturally, treat wrinkles, age spots, remove dead skin, and even treat ACNE.

Papaya is  a fruit native to South and Central America. If you did not know papaya is a very nutrient dense fruit packed with beta carotene, vitamin A & C, iron, calcium, folate, potassium, fiber, and more. Just eating it will make your skin glow–but the coolest thing is that the nutrients in it are also very beneficial to maintaining flawless skin. A small papaya contains around three times the daily recommended value of vitamin C –which is essential for maintaining collagen and keeping our skin soft and youthful. The Vitamin A helps your body when forming new skin cells,  and it contains a beneficial enzyme that not only eases digestion but also exfoliates the skin and removes dead cells. Because of this papaya is a common ingredient in a lot of anti-aging and anti-acne skin lines and it’s conditioning abilities make it great to use in creams, shampoos, and conditioners. The skin of the papaya has been used to heal wounds and even get this–surgical incisions! It can also be used to ease swelling and to combat dry skin.

Here are a few papaya beauty remedies you can whip up at home. For acne: try making a papaya mask using one teaspoon of honey, one egg (for those who are not vegans), and one teaspoon of papaya oil. Mix the ingredients and apply to your skin. Also for deep cleansing apply a papaya mask followed by papaya vinegar heavily diluted in water afterwards. Leave the mask on for ten to twelve minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water. For age spots & acne you can use the fleshy side of green papaya skin from a mature green papaya on problem spots. For wrinkles use papaya to get rid of old skin cells, which can make wrinkles deeper. Use a papaya powder which you can find in health food stores to smooth out your skin. For a general natural beauty glow, I like to keep it simple and mash or blend some papaya and mix with honey or plain yogurt to make a mask and leave on for 10 minutes.  Make sure when using papaya to not leave on for extended periods of time or the acidity may irritate your skin. If the home remedies are too hippie-esque for you, don’t worry, you can always find some great natural products with papaya as a main ingredient. So, yes, papayas can be added to your beauty routine, but don’t forget that just eating them is good for beauty as well! -XoXo Raw Girl

P.S. When you eat papayas, you can use those seeds for something. Apparently the seeds when consumed in small amounts on empty stomach regularly can kill parasites!

P.S.S. For more natural beauty ideas check out this past post 9 Ways to Get More Bang for your Beauty Without Spending A Buck: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/03/01/9-ways-to-get-more-bang-for-your-beauty-without-spending-a-buck/

Natural Cures: The Wonders of Bentonite Clay

acne

Years ago, my skin was horrible. Just before I started to really change my diet, a colleague of mine who was deep in the holistic lifestyle introduced me to bentonite clay to use on my skin. I was amazed at how it seemed to literally suck impurities out of my pores and left my skin feeling tight and firm.  Since then, I have kept a large container of bentonite in my bathroom amongst my beauty products, and every now and then I can be seen roaming around the house with my bentonite mask on.

Besides it’s ability to be used topically on the skin to heal acne, eczema, wounds, insect bites (worked for me with mosquito bites–shrunk them down in a day), bentonite can also be taken internally and can heal anything from heavy metal posioning, food allergies, food poisoning, mucus colitis, spastic colitis, digestive disorders, viral infections, stomach flu, ***parasites (apparently parasites cannot reproduce in the presence of clay), stomach ulcers, diarrhea, arthritis, anemia, and the list goes on.

This miraculous clay has been used by indigenous people since the dawn of time, and even animals in the wild have been observed eating the clay or rolling in it to heal wounds. It gets its name from Benton, Wyoming; although bentonite clay can be found throughout the world, the largest concentrations of it actually are in the Great Plains in the U.S.

So how exactly does it work?  Well, the clay itself has a negative electrical charge. When it absorbs water it expands and becomes like a porous sponge. Toxins and impurities have a positive charge, so they are drawn to the clay and bound. Not only is this clay amazing for intestinal health because of its ability to eliminate toxins, according to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology it also can absorb pathogenic viruses, herbicides, and pesticides. Want to make the clay more effective? Use apple cider vinegar to mix your mask instead of water.

You can find bentonite clay in powder, capsule, or gel form. Make sure if you are taking it internally, the kind you purchase specifies that the clay is safe for internal use.  To start you can take up to a tablespoon a day mixed with juice on an empty stomach or at least an hour before eating. Its very important if you take bentonite internally, that you drink sufficient amounts of water, to assist the body in flushing it out. Whether your looking for a beauty boost, or some internal healing, bentonite clay is a powerful natural remedy not to be overlooked! -XoXo Raw Girl