Sharing Raw Stories is a way for us to connect, acknowledge the beauty, strength and perseverance involved in every journey. We hope these stories enlighten, inspire and encourage you as you walk your own path and help you to know that you are never alone.
What is your Raw Story?
My name is Gemma and this is my story,
I was born with a missing left forearm and have hidden it all my life…up until the start of this year. I was tired of hiding it under clothing or buying clothing to cover up my arm. It became a habit of hiding it, something I’ve done my whole life, something that was part of my nature. In January, I had the realisation that I let it control my life and stopped me from being me. I’ve always been scared of what people think, what they would say, I hated people staring, I hated people looking at me like I was weak or less than…. But I allowed them to think this by covering up my arm. So I went out, I bought the sleeveless dresses that I’ve always wanted to wear, I started an instagram to promote body positivity, I followed beautiful people on instagram with disabilities similar to myself and I felt the confidence that I never had. As I hid myself away from the world I wasn’t able to see the community behind disability, the strong empowered men and women fighting for diversity in the fashion industries and the millions of people with disabilities that are out there. It‘s a shame how society perceives disabled people, how there is a stereotype around the word that is very negative that allows every person with a disability to feel insecure and powerless. It’s a shame there isn’t enough diversity in fashion and media industries so that the younger generations have someone to look up to as a role model.
24 years I hid my disability from the world, I always believed I was given my disability for a reason and that’s to make a difference. I am now an Ambassador for an amazing charity @modelsofdiversity supporting diversity in the fashion and media, I am now a disabled model in the hope to get more disabled models out there to inspire the younger generations, I will continue my instagram in the hope to inspire others and most importantly, I will never hide my disability again.
This year, it’s all about little gifts of self care. 2020 has helped us lose our need for fancy and instead put the focus on how to make our homes our personal work space, sanctuary and spa. So along with the cozy sox and the requisite Christmas candy, add some personal care treats, some clean living inspiration and feel-good gifts to rock their Christmas morning.
Here’s our list of our Raw Sugar favorites to stuff, wrap or tie on the tree.
Body Wash and Hand Wash for all your Vanilla Lovers.
Body Wash in a totally new scent: Avocado + Cactus Pear .
Surprise your favorite Raw Sugar Lover with one of our brightest new scents. Avocado + Cactus Pear Body Wash is a beautifully luxe, skin-conditioning, pretty scent that cleans and hydrates skin with every shower.
Give a Happy Glow: Pineapple + Maqui Berry + Coconut Sugar Scrub.
Our adorable star ornaments come with two essential 2020 gift items and are perfect for stuffing in a stocking or tying on the tree: Hand Cream to keep hands soft in a year of washing 24-7 and one of our Natural Lip Balms because no one is wearing lipstick under their masks anymore.
The Wish List:
Don’t miss our limited edition holiday scent in Winterberry + Mint in a fabulous four-pack gift set with Body Wash, Sugar Scrub, Body Butter and Lotion to help your squad glow for the holidays.
The Naturals Lip Balm Gift Set:
Our trio of fan favorite Natural Lip Balms will make all your mask wearers happy. They not only keep lips soft and smooth under your mask, but the flavors act like aromatherapy, so everyone can breathe easy and happy.
The Favorites:
We’ve boxed up full sets of our fan- favorites for you so you don’t have to guess what anyone will love. Choose from Green Tea + Cucumber + Aloe Vera for your sensitive skin friends or Raw Coconut + Mango. Each set comes with a Body Wash, Sugar Scrub, Lotion and Body Butter
Vanilla Bean + Sugar Dreams
Gift the vanilla-lover in your life with head-to-toe holiday sweetness. The Vanilla Bean + Sugar Dreams gift set includes Simply Hand Wash, Simply Body Wash and ultra-hydrating Lotion, all crafted with plant-derived ingredients and skin-loving, Cold Pressed extracts in a scent that evokes pure holiday magic.
Sharing Raw Stories is a way for us to connect, acknowledge the beauty, strength and perseverance involved in every journey. We hope these stories enlighten, inspire and encourage you as you walk your own path and help you to know that you are never alone.
What is your Raw Story?
Living with Epidermolysis Bullosa, or better known as EB has brought to me scars that affected the way people treated me. It affected the way I felt coming back home from a day out, feeling like I’d never be able to fit in. My skin is as fragile as a butterfly wing, I can easily tear my skin with the slightest touch. My skin blisters everyday due to the lack of collagen 7 that holds the two layers of skin together. Because of the seriousness of this condition, most of my body is wrapped in bandages. Scars and bandages have been part of my daily life and although it’s gotten me into the darkest mindset, it’s now motivated me to speak out and let the future generations know that it’s okay to look “different” amongst societies norms of what’s beautiful and what “is not.” It is important to break the beauty standards by sharing our truth. By portraying scars and physical differences as something powerful and beautiful. Our unique bodies are not something to be ashamed of but rather proud of as they have brought us to where we are now.
Sharing Raw Stories is a way for us to connect, acknowledge the beauty, strength and perseverance involved in every journey. We hope these stories enlighten, inspire and encourage you as you walk your own path and help you to know that you are never alone.
What is your Raw Story?
Living with Epidermolysis Bullosa, or better known as EB has brought to me scars that affected the way people treated me. It affected the way I felt coming back home from a day out, feeling like I’d never be able to fit in. My skin is as fragile as a butterfly wing, I can easily tear my skin with the slightest touch. My skin blisters everyday due to the lack of collagen 7 that holds the two layers of skin together. Because of the seriousness of this condition, most of my body is wrapped in bandages. Scars and bandages have been part of my daily life and although it’s gotten me into the darkest mindset, it’s now motivated me to speak out and let the future generations know that it’s okay to look “different” amongst societies norms of what’s beautiful and what “is not.” It is important to break the beauty standards by sharing our truth. By portraying scars and physical differences as something powerful and beautiful. Our unique bodies are not something to be ashamed of but rather proud of as they have brought us to where we are now.
Here’s to keeping it clean. To all the adventurers, lovers-of-life, bold, raw, strong, confident, kind, mindful, health-conscious, earth-loving, smell-good, feel-good, do-good Raw Men — Happy One Year Anniversary!
It’s been a year since we launched our Raw Men Body Wash and Bar Soaps formulated with scents made for men. In the last year, you’ve rocked our four scents like nobody’s business. You’ve shown us how much you love them, how you care for the world around you by wanting to use products that are plant-derived and how good they make you feel and smell. We appreciate every one of you and look forward to another year of RAW MEN adventures.
Fun Facts for RAW MEN:
Women rate a man’s body smell as most important when choosing a potential partner.
Daily use of a pleasant smelling soap or cologne improves the mood of middle aged men, reducing tension, depression, anger and fatigue.
The way a man smells can reduce stress in women.
Studies show that from a subconscious point of view, a woman wants a man whose scent says “I am masculine, powerful and clean” as it signifies basic needs being met.
Men who smell good are perceived as more likely to “have their act together.”
Smell is our most memorable sense. It has been discovered that we remember smells for much longer than sights, sounds, tastes and feelings. Amazingly, people can remember smells with a 65% accuracy after one year, whie visual recall is only 50/50 after a quarter of the time.
If a man smells good, it can have a positive effect on the mind and help lift the mood for himself and the people around him.
It’s been a year. 2020 will go down in history as one of the most disruptive years in modern history but amidst the pandemic, we have had to pivot our perspective and become more intentional about acknowledging what we are grateful for. This time of year, acknowledging what we are thankful for and sharing that with the people we love holds even more power to shift us into a positive place.
Gratitude not only boosts our spiritual, emotional and physical well being, but our mental well-being as well. It’s a virtual switch we flip by moving our focus from what we don’t have and need to what we do have and, living in the spirit of abundance.
Here at Raw Sugar, we want you to know how grateful we are for YOU. The way you have embraced our clean living, kindness and leading with love philosophy. How you’ve responded with gusto to our new products and continued to love your tried and true favorites. We’re grateful that we were able to play a part of keeping our communities safe this year with an increased production of soaps and sanitizers.
We are grateful for our frontline workers and the efforts of every person that has had to sacrifice and rise above the circumstance of the day. We are so thankful that we can move into 2021 with a host of new products coming your way that will make your life and self care routine even sweeter. And that we are able to continue to give back with our Raw Sugar Initiative.
Remember, there is always something to be thankful for. Gratitude truly is the catalyst for happiness. So when you need a boost, remember all you are grateful for and watch how your emotions shift. Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and blessed Thanksgiving, Sugars. Thank you for being part of our Raw Sugar family.
Sharing Raw Stories is a way for us to connect, acknowledge the beauty, strength and perseverance involved in every journey. We hope these stories enlighten, inspire and encourage you as you walk your own path and help you to know that you are never alone.
What is your Raw Story?
I think that this journey of listening to, loving on and coming home to these homes we have the honor of calling bodies is honestly less about positivity and more about gratitude. Somedays, we will not always feel positive about our homes, some days we will feel nothing, some days we will just exist and not acknowledge only flaws or only goodness we will just-be. I think that’s the goal of this body “positivity” journey and the point of it – less negative self -talk and more that leads you to holding yourself a little closer and being thankful that you have what you have and learning to embrace the wholeness of who you are.
Lock-downs, loungewear and ponytails are how we spent our spring and summer. And even though we can’t get a redo on 2020, we can give our hair a good refresh to close out the year in style. Our salons are open and it’s time to show a little optimism with a fresh look and maybe even consider wearing pants without elastic waistbands again.
So what’s trending for fall? Here are some of our favorite hair looks getting all the love from celebs and influencers. And don’t forget to stock up on dry shampoo that can extend your style or add volume and texture to just washed hair. Get it here.
Curtain Bangs.
If you’ve always waffled between bangs or no bangs, now is the time to go for it. Curtain bangs, or longer layers you can sweep to the side are sexy, cool and having a moment.
The Rounded Bob.
Bobs have redefined classic + classy for a few years now, but this season they get a little rounder and softer with a bit of added curve and texture.
70’s Shag
Bell bottom jeans, slouchy sweaters and a long, layered shag. Really, is 70’s fashion ever going to go out of style? We hope not.
The 70’s tousled layers are more popular than ever this season so Farrah-lovers, it’s time to get your shag on.
Classic Mid-Length a’la Kourtney Kardashian
Trimming off summer split ends will get you to a gorgeous, classic, sexy mid-length look. Keep it simple without a lot of layers. It’s versatile, classic and stunning with a little wave or texture spray added.
Long + Curly
Own it. Let loose your curls and show the world your wild and free side. Girls with girls should flaunt them with longer layers and maximum fullness for the full, I am woman, hear me roar effect.
Chandelier Layers
This is a pretty, face-softening look that’s all gentle layers and no hard edges. The back of hair is cut in longer layers with shorter, smooth, face framing fringe in front. It puts the focus on eyes and gives you a softer, gentler vibe.
Close Crop
Girl, if you just can’t deal, a close crop is your go-to. Everyone has done it in different pixie cut forms from Charlize, Halle and Katy Perry to Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and Scar Jo. It’s a sassy, powerful statement that’s both sexy, confident and rocks your no-nonsense mood.
Heck yes. Give us all the pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin facials and even the pumpkin bread. Fall is not the time to skip your comfort foods — especially now. Baking is our lifeline to longer, lazier, colder days spent inside and needing some feel-good food to nurture our bellies just a little. But how to do that and maintain some semblance of a healthy diet?
One of our favorite fall comfort foods is this recipe from Cookie + Kate. It’s a healthy pumpkin bread recipe that loses the refined sugars and replaces them with honey or maple syrup. It’s so yum, that no one will ever guess it’s a healthy version. Check their website for options to make it vegan, dairy free or gluten free as well.
This recipe takes about 10 minutes of prep and about an hour in the oven. Happy baking, babes!
Recipe yields 1 loaf.
⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
½ cup honey or maple syrup
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée
¼ cup milk of choice or water
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon allspice or cloves)
1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; they aren’t the same!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cupswhite wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit…
Pinch of ground cinnamon, for sprinkling on top
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325º and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and whisk until blended. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
Add the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice, baking soda, vanilla and salt, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes). Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Season’s change and so does our hair and skin. Even if you live in So Cal, the change is subtle, but the drier air, indoor heating and other factors take a major toll on your glow. If you live in colder areas, the effects are even greater. Now is the time to pivot and tweak your clean routine to hold on to soft, smooth skin, vibrancy and avoid the winter hat-head, frizz bomb.
Here are a few tips to help you keep your personal-care cool in the colder months ahead.
Hydrate Inside and Out.
Your skin produces less oil in colder months so that means its time to step up the hydration inside and out. You should definitely drink more water, add lemon and sip on hot teas throughout the day. Remember, what you do on the inside, shows up on the outside. It’s also time to think about moisturizing your skin on a deeper level. It’s a good time to go from your everyday lightweight Lotion to our lush, creamy Body Butters — even if you just put it on before bed. They melt into skin with gorgeous, uplifting scents and are the perfect antidote to dry, flaky, itchy skin.
Think about going Sensitive.
If your skin is irritated from weather and other environmental factors, you may want to try one of our Sensitive Skin formulas. They keep you calm so you can carry on when your skin starts feeling flaky and itchy. Our Green Tea + Cucumber + Aloe Vera and our Almond Milk + Agave + Oatmeal Body Washes and Lotions are both clinically tested safe for sensitive skin.
Add Exfoliation.
Summer’s tired skin cells are hanging on. Its time kiss them goodbye and add our Sugar Scrub to your shower routine at least 2-3 x per week to gently exfoliate and reveal brighter, smoother skin. They’re full of skin-loving Cold Pressed fruit oils too, so they not only brightens, but soften and leave a protective veil of moisture — which we like to call our Sugar Scrub glow.
Hair Rx.
Our new PRO Remedy collection is a professional grade treatment line made for hair that needs extra love. Now is the time to add all five products to your arsenal so you can avoid winter frizz, dullness and breakage that comes in cooler months. Try our Reconstruct Shampoo and Conditioner, Leave-In Primer Mist, Leave-In Unbreakable Balm and even our Protective Dry Shampoo that helps, not harms your hair when you can’t fit in a wash. All are formulated specifically to protect your color investment and reconstruct and repair hair from over-styling, breakage and environmental stress.
Extra Love for Your Lips.
Remember, your lips absorb 65% of what you put on them, so keep your lip products clean. Our 95% Organic Natural Lip Balms are made with organic extracts and Cold Pressed essential oils to soften, smooth and lock in moisture. Keep them on hand all day and apply with reckless abandon. Each delicious flavor comes packaged with a pot of sugar scrub too, so you can prime lips and get rid of flakiness first.
