Tag: vegan

Organic Travel Size Toiletries

Did I mention that I’m heading to Europe next week for vacation? Ok, so I probably have mentioned it once or twice. Like when I told you about carry-on only travel, or my meticulous planning of post vacation meals, or like when I’m just so giddy I can’t contain myself.  Yeah well, to be clear, I’m not just bragging, I actually hope that I’m giving you some useful information that you can apply in your own day to day, even if you don’t travel. I always use trips to take the opportunity to test out new skin care products.

There’s something just so darn cute and non-committal about those little travel size packages. Besides, my skin always goes crazy when I’m traveling anyway, so I like to experiment with different products just to see how my travel weary skin will react. If a skin care line can make my travel skin look and feel great, then imagine what it will do on the reg. I’ve probably tested out hundreds of beauty lines using the travel size/ sample size method. You can totally get a feel for the product without having to purchase the larger, more expensive version. Here are a few of my favorites, and by favorites, I mean the ones that I actually bought the full version of after trying them out!

Pai Skin Care

Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser melts away make-up and impurities while nourishing skin with Omega 3 and Vitamins A, B & E. Together, the anti-inflammatory rich BioAffinity Tonic and Calming Day Cream instantly soothe reactive skin and provide the perfect level of hydration to keep skin comfortable and hydrated all day long. This kit even comes with an organic muslin cloth!

Laurel Whole Plant Organics

This travel set comes in a USA-made canvas zip bag that’s perfect for travel or gifting. For oily, problem, or combination skin. The set includes a facial cleanser, facial elixir, balancing serum, almond grain exfoliant, and citrus spice lip treatment.

Odacite

Odacite designed a kit specially for oily skin including 6 products enough for 10 days. All products are freshly made with certified organic ingredients. It includes a cleanser and 2 facial sponges, one mint toner, one day moisturizer, one night serum, one exfoliant, and one eye cream. This travel kit also comes in Mature/Dry skin and Combination skin versions.

Try This—Banana+Coconut+Cardamom Ice Cream

Banana, Coconut, Cardamom Ice Cream. A quick and simple banana based ice cream with a little bit of spice. This post first appeared last year and is still one of my favorite nice cream recipes!

I’m not sure if I could have told you what cardamom was good for if you had asked me a couple of weeks ago. It’s one of those spices that I have on the spice rack, but I never use. I spent a weekend at my bestie’s house and she spiked our morning coffee with a little bit of cardamom. I wasn’t really down with it, but I drank it anyway because coffee. To be fair, I’m not really that into flavored coffee (this iced coffee recipe is as close as I get), so it wasn’t the cardamom that threw me off. Maybe coffee and cardamom isn’t for me, but I could totally see myself combining it with something else. I started to think about recipes that might benefit from that distinct herbal, citrusy flavor. With Summer right around the corner, I decided to make some ice cream.

Dude. This may have been the best decision I’ve made in a while. Even though it was absolutely freezing in the city this weekend, this ice cream was so good that I turned the heat on, curled up with a chunky throw on the couch, watched some Netflix, and totally gorged myself on what was supposed to be enough ice cream for two servings. Don’t judge me, just try this!

Banana+Coconut+Cardamom Ice Cream

recipe from Chitra Agrawal’s Vibrant India

serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 tablespoons dried unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
  • 1 tablespoon bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
  • granulated brown sugar, for garnish
  • sliced almonds, for garnish

Directions

  • peel the bananas and cut them into 1/2-inch disks.  place in a glass bowl or freezer bag.  freeze the bananas for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
  • using a food processor, pulse the frozen banana pieces.  they will first get crumbly, then gooey, then look like oatmeal pieces, and then start to bunch on one side of the bowl.  scrape down the sides and keep pulsing through these stages.  eventually, the banana will become smooth and creamy resembling soft-serve ice cream.  pulse the processor until the mixture aerates and becomes somewhat fluffy, then mix in the coconut, cardamom powder, and chocolate chips.
  • you can the ice cream immediately; it will be like soft-serve ice cream, or transfer it to an airtight container and freeze until solid, like traditional ice cream.
  • serve with an optional healthy sprinkling of jaggery (find it here), sliced almonds, and more grated coconut on top.

Source: Dolly and Oatmeal via Chitra Agrawal’s cookbook, Vibrant India.

Cleansing Grains Facial- A Step by Step Guide

Before you invest in putting a mini-fridge in your bathroom to house all of your DIY beauty goodies, maybe you should give this cleansing grains skin care routine a try. Cleansing grains are a gentle powdered mixture of all natural ingredients such as oats, clays, nuts, and adaptogenic herbs. Much like the just-add-water facial masks I told you about, cleansing grains are a powdered no-fuss version that are the building blocks of this gentle skin care routine.

The Good Hippie, a small batch natural skin care company, offers a comprehensive beauty routine with specialized blends that target the concerns of the 3 major skin types: Balance for normal/combination, Repair for oily/acne prone, and Thrive for dry/mature. Each blend consists of the products necessary to achieve the best results in this 5 step beauty ritual.

Cleansing Grains Skin Care Ritual

STEP 1: CLEANSE

Begin with cleansing grains (Balance, Repair, and Thrive), a gentle, soap-free facial wash. Use daily, morning + night for beautifully balanced, clean, and clear skin. Twice a month, indulge in a facial steam (Balance, Repair, and Thrive); a medley of vibrant botanicals that provides a deep cleansing, leaving your skin with a healthy glow.

sTEP 2: Exfoliate

Exfoliate, twice a week with a scrub (Balance, Repair, and Thrive). Gentle exfoliators + aromatic herbs assist in cell rejuvenation, revealing a fresh, vibrant complexion.

sTEP 3: purIFY

Twice a week, treat your skin to a mask treatment (Balance, Repair, and Thrive). Natural clays + healing botanicals provide a deep cleansing while leaving your skin beautifully toned, detoxed, and revitalized. You may also use regularly as a spot treatment on blemishes as needed.

sTEP 4: HYDRATE

Toners and facial mists (Repair and Thrive) should be used daily, morning and night or as needed to re-hydrate and refresh throughout the day. Aloe water, essential oils, and purifying witch hazel remove dirt and impurities that may have been missed during the cleansing process, closes pores, and prepares your skin for optimal hydration and moisture.

sTEP 5: NOURISH

Moisturizing facial oils (Balance, Repair, and Thrive) are a blend of pure botanical oils and healing essential oils that feed your skin vitamins and nutrients, deliver concentrated moisture, and form a protective barrier, shielding your skin from the harsh effects of the environment. Used twice a day, morning + night, these readily-absorbing serums lend a smoothness, and a hydrating glow to your complexion. For your delicate eye area, use the deeply nourishing Thrive eye serum morning + night.

Avocado, Blueberrry, and Chia Breakfast Pudding

Try This—Blueberry, Avocado, and Chia Breakfast Pudding

Start your day off right with this super healthy blueberry, avocado, and chia breakfast pudding!

I’ve really been on my breakfast grind lately. I find that when I eat a nutrient dense breakfast it pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the day. I have more energy and come lunch and dinner time, I make better choices. I’m an oatmeal and smoothie warrior when it comes to breakfast. Oatmeal and smoothies check all the boxes for me. They’re the quickest, easiest, and most nutritious breakfast staples to make in the throes of a hectic morning. Anyway, I got to thinking how dope it would be to make a breakfast pudding, because, ya know, dessert for breakfast is always the goal. Turns out breakfast pudding is the dopest of dope especially when you combine the antioxidant power of blueberries with the superfood power of avocado and chia. You must try this!

Blueberry, Avocado, and Chia Breakfast Pudding

ingredients

makes 2 servings
one serving= 296 calories, 19 grams of fat, 34 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of protein
  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 2 tbsp non dairy milk (I’ve been swimming in Oatly lately)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup, or honey
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground or whole chia seeds

directions

  • combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
  • divide pudding into 2 small ramekins or cups
  • refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the chia to thicken before serving
  • enjoy!

Source: The Iron You

Ayurvedic Beauty Routine Essentials

Rasasara Skinfood is the one skin care line that has all your Ayurvedic beauty routine essentials covered!

Rasasara Skinfood has taken the guess work out of creating your dosha specific Ayurvedic beauty routine. This product line is 100% natural, cruelty free, and vegan. Every product is tailored to  specifically address the skin care concerns associated with each of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Rasasara unlocks the power of establishing the healing practice of beauty rituals specific to your dosha. Take their quick skin type test to get you started. If you already know your dosha and you’re ready to dive right in, check out these amazing starter kits.

 

VATA (dry/mature): Vata types feel the cold, have fine, delicate skin, tiny pores, tan easily & are cool to touch. Imbalanced Vata skin becomes dry, flaky or rough & prone to fine lines, especially on the forehead & around the eyes.

BALANCE VATA skin with the warming, softening & moisture rich ingredients found in the Rasasara Vata range, which is especially suited to mature and dry skin.

Included in the Starter Kit:

Vata Hydrating Mist
Vata Face Nourishing Oil
Vata Herbal Face Exfoliant
Vata Face Cleansing Bar

PITTA (sensitive/combination): the skin is sensitive, imbalanced and feels the heat. Note their warm glowing cheeks, are often lightly freckled or dotted with beauty marks & burn easily. Imbalanced pitta skin is prone to conditions such as redness, acne, rosacea, an oily t-zone & broken capillaries.

BALANCE PITTA with cooling, calming ingredients found in Rasasara’s Pitta range.

Included in the Starter Kit:

Pitta Hydrating Mist
Pitta Face Nourishing Oil
Pitta Herbal Face Exfoliant / Mask
Pitta Face Cleansing Bar

KAPHA (oily/congested): Kapha skin type is classically pale OR rich olive skin which looks smooth, soft & lustrous. Imbalanced Kapha skin can appear sluggish, may feel damp or a little oily & be prone to blackheads or congestion.
BALANCE KAPHA skin with the application of stimulating & detoxifying ingredients found in Rasasara’s Kapha range.

Included in the Starter Kit:

Kapha Hydrating Aromatic Mist
Kapha Face Nourishing Oil
Kapha Herbal Face Exfoliant / Mask
Kapha Face Cleansing Bar

Tridoshic  (suitable for all skin types):