RAW THOUGHTS

Find out which Raw Sugar Hair Care product is right for your type.  

Healthy self-care includes your hair, but shampoo and conditioner are not one size fits all.  Finding the right hair care for your hair type could make the difference between life with lustrous locks or fighting the frizzies on a daily basis.  That’s why we tailor our haircare line to specific needs.  Check out which collection may be the perfect fit for you below.  

For overworked, dehydrated hair that needs an extra shot of moisture and nourishment.  

The Moisture Smoothie

Amazing for hair that’s dry and overworked and needs a heavy dose of moisture.  The Moisture Smoothie Shampoo + Conditioner is a hair strengthening duo to achieve a tamed mane.  This super hydrating formula with Cold Pressed Coconut + Agave + Sweet Almond Milk delivers thirst quenching nutrients to keep your hair sleek, shiny and vibrant.  

For hair that doesn’t want to be weighed down, craves weightless body and bounce.  

The Bounce Back 

Add more life to your hair with our Bounce Back shampoo–infused with shine enhancing Cold Pressed carrot oil and vitamin-packed nutrients. Certified Organic mango butter & nourishing agave deliver weightless bounce and soft body, with a delicious mango scent.

For hair that is wild and unruly, needs curl-defining nourishment and frizz fighting power.  

The Truly Unruly 

Our Truly Unruly puts life back in your curls without weighing them down.  The deeply cleansing formula is fortified with rich Avocado, cleansing Apple Cider Vinegar, and healing Rosemary Oil so your curls are under control but wild spirit is still fully intact!

For hair and scalp that is heavy with product build-up, needs a healthy detox and deep cleansing of the scalp to achieve stronger, longer hair.  

The Scalp Restore 

Get rid of scalp build-up with a formula made with plant-derived ingredients.  You can achieve the perfect clean for scalp health and hair strength with this balancing, ultra-hydrating and clarifying trio. Activated Charcoal, Tea Tree extracts and Moringa Oil detoxes by lifting out product build-up and impurities, washing them clean away. Hair is nourished, detoxified and vibrant.  

For tired, flat hair that needs a quick pick-me up between washes to revive volume and freshness. 

Dry Shampoo Volume 

This lush, gorgeous smelling Dry Shampoo is your go-to for quick volume between washes.  The super-fresh formula is crafted with Bamboo Powder and organic Marshmallow Root extract to magically absorb oil and impurities so your hair instantly bounces back to life with added volume, revived vibrancy and beautifully fresh scent of watermelon and lychee.  

For tired, dull hair that needs an instant boost of style between washes to add texture and revive freshness. 

Dry Shampoo Texture 

For flat, lifeless hair in need of extra style.  This lush, plant-derived formula made with Bamboo Powder and organic Marshmallow Root extract to magically absorb oil and impurities to add instant texture for maximum style between washes.  It revives stale hair with a beautifully fresh scent with hints of coconut, maqui berries, rose and cedarwood. 

Turns out, tequila is not the only thing an Agave plant is good for. This razor sharp succulent is really an ancient healing modality used by the Aztecs. They would use the liquid center of the plant for everything from healing wounds and flavoring their food and drink to a remedy for skin issues. In fact, they believed Agave was a gift from the gods. We think it’s one of the most powerful, natural ingredients we can add to our arsenal of effective, clean, skin-loving products.    

Agave is your go-to if you’re looking to refresh and rejuvenate your skin. Keep in mind, it’s good for all skin types, but we use it in our Sensitive Skin formula for its ability to restore, hydrate, calm and soothe irritated skin.  

Here are a few more benefits: 

• Agave contains natural surfactants — cleaners that help break down dirt and oils. They’re also one of the best known natural stimulants of hyaluronic acid that helps plump skin and boost collagen. 
• Agave is full of vitamins B1, B2, C, D and K, and provitamin A. 
• The vitamin C helps brighten skin and repair damage done by environmental pollutants and the sun. 
• It is anti-aging and helps keep skin soft and supple, reducing the appearance of fine lines. 
• Agave is incredibly hydrating.  Perfect for dry, irritated skin. 
• Agave soothes skin irritations and is a natural antiseptic.    
• It is known to strengthen, add resiliency and add elasticity to hair.

How your feelings are tied to Watermelon vibes. 

We already know, watermelon has incredible benefits for our skin with it’s rich vitamin C, antioxidant and moisture content. But what about the benefits of how watermelon’s smell?  

Smell is our most primal sense and holds surprising sway over our emotions. The emotion we tie to a scent has a lot to do with our past. In fact, our previous experiences have a strong impact on how we experience a specific scent. It may bring up subconscious feelings of nostalgia, joy, comfort, happiness, or in the case of watermelon — a summer day.  

Watermelon is no doubt summer’s most quintessential fruit. It represents long, lazy days in the sunshine, carefree feelings, picnics and poolside parties. So when we come across the scent of watermelon in self care products like our body washes, lotions and lip balms, we subconsciously think happy thoughts. Our brains are wired to go back to 

lighthearted, thirst-quenching, cheerful, mood boosting feelings we had when we experienced watermelon. So next time you want to be uplifted, happy and fresh — reach for our Watermelon + Fresh Mint collection with all its moisture loving, skin softening, and spirit-lifting vibes.  You’ll be happy you did.

Delicious food swaps for your celebration.   

Celebrating the 4th of July is as American as apple pie and hot dogs.  Add to that macaroni salad, potato salad full of mayo, pie-eating-contests and burgers on the grill and we go downhill on the food-that’s-good-for-you scale pretty quickly.  Tradition aside, we thought we’d offer a few healthy menu swaps you can make so that your celebration aligns with your summer wellness goals.  

Here’s to a happy, healthy 4th of July.  

Menu Swap Ideas:  

• Instead of regular hot dogs, offer Turkey dogs and vegan options. 
• Replace beef burgers with healthy veg options or use grass-fed beef and put out fresh lettuce to wrap them in instead of buns. 
• Make BBQ chicken in a slow cooker and make your own BBQ sauce.  It’s easier than you think! 
• Deviled eggs can be replaced with hard boiled eggs, cut in half and added to a crudite platter full of veggies and healthy dips like hummus or avocado dip.   
• Instead of potato salad, try organic roasted potatoes with or without a chimichurri sauce or baked sweet potato “fries”. 
• Rather than dousing your fruit salad with dressing, put fresh red, white and blue fruit such as watermelon cubes, grapes, strawberries and blueberries on skewers. Grilling fruit like peaches, nectarines and plums is an amazing side dish as well and really brings out summer fruit flavors.    
• Replace baked beans which are loaded with brown sugar and preservatives with a healthy side bean salad. One with black beans, avocado, corn, tomatoes, red onion and a lime vinaigrette is a favorite.  
• Coleslaw is loaded with mayo and sometimes buttermilk. Keep the cabbage, add some shredded carrots and use a vinegar based recipe instead.  Better yet, serve a chopped fresh green salad with a homemade dressing of lemon, olive oil, a pinch of dry mustard and salt and pepper. 
• Instead of pies full of butter and sugar, make a patriotic berry trifle with real cream so you can limit the sugar content or make a berry fruit crumble that is just like a pie, but with a healthier crispy topping made from almond flour, oats, a little maple syrup for sweetener and some chopped nuts. 

Let love reign…or rein it in?  

With five planets in retrograde and two full moons, July is a busy astrological month, full of girl power, finding our balance and honoring the Yin and Yang. We start the month in the midst of a Mercury retrograde, so we sadly don’t get to start off free from astrological baggage and it continues to be a time of expansion and contraction — especially where love is concerned.

Alpha-female Cancer is ruling the skies and this is no shrinking violet situation, as the Cancer-positioned planets will but heads with Pluto in masculine Capricorn on July 6 and 16. It will be imperative that we have the right balance of structure and sensuality, yin and yang, sensitivity and sensibility. A few ego battles or power struggles could certainly ensue along the way. Here’s hoping the Cancer new moon on July 15 will get us all put a little more love in our hearts. The Sun will move into fiery Leo on July 22, lightening up the mood swings. But, on July 25, TWO planets turn retrograde (backward): sensual Venus and rebellious Uranus. All manner of interpersonal relations can go wonky while Venus backslides until September 6—first in Virgo, then in Leo from July 31 onward. To add some kind of silver lining, it’s a favorable time to work on relationship issues, resolve conflicts or even to reunite with an ex if that’s a positive. Retrograde high season officially kicks into gear the last week of July with FIVE planets—Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto—all retrograde. It’s a great time to take a big, step backward and reflect on your life from a distance or even press pause. If you’ve been forcing an agenda, this is a good time to loosen your grip and let the universe lend an assist. The month ends with an Aquarius full moon on July 31. This one is also turbo-charged, so double the manifestations should be headed your way. Since Aquarius rules the unexpected, it’s anyone’s guess how things will come together. Embrace the spirit of adventure—and camaraderie. 

To find out about your personal July Horscope, click here at Instyle.  

Aloe Vera has always been a super-botanical in the skin healing world. We slather it on our sunburns and use it to relieve irritated skin so it makes sense that Aloe Vera has made its way into our skin products as a way to deliver a wide range of goodies, including a heavy dose of moisture plus vitamins  and minerals that are both anti-aging and restorative.  

Aloe doesn’t just soothe our skin — it goes deeper as a nutrient dense skincare ingredient that can treat, exfoliate, restore, reveal and provide impressive nutrition to your skin.  

Here are the top benefits of Aloe Vera.  Shop for it in our Sensitive Skin Formula lotion and Body Wash and Hand Wash now.  

• Aloe Vera is nutrient rich with both vitamins (A, B, C, D and E)  as well as minerals like zinc, magnesium and potassium.  
• It has an extremely high water content and is very hydrating for dry skin without making it greasy.   
• It is rich in vitamin C, E and beta carotene which are all nourishing and anti-aging.  
• It has polysaccharides that not only give skin a hydrating boost, but anti-inflammatory benefits. 
• Aloe Vera provides a natural barrier to protect skin.  
• It contains phytosterols which help soothe itchiness and irritation.  
• Calms irritations and puffiness with anti-inflammatory properties. 
• Can help increase skin elasticity.  
• Aloe is a collagen-booster which can help skin look younger and reduce the appearance of scarring. 
• It’s 100% natural and good for sensitive skin. 

According to the stars, the drama isn’t over quite yet. Apparently,  June is going to be a bit of a roller coaster. (Hasn’t the entire year been a one big wild ride?)  While the weather is warming up and life is re-opening, this month is slated to be astrologically stressful with six planets spinning in retrograde motion by the end of the month. The strongest of these will be Venus, the planet that rules our romantic relationships and yet another infamous Mercury retrograde that happens from June 18-July 12. That means back up your laptops, watch for flaring tempers and know that conflicts are much harder to solve during this time. There are two eclipses to watch for; Friday, June 5, and Sunday, June 21. The first affects romantic relationships and the second brings some misinformation and political conflict. Plan to stay at home those days and engage in self care, being extra careful to avoid conflict or drama. The end of June is a good time to reconnect with family and revisit some spiritual practices or creative endeavors.  Some signs hold powerful advances and transformations while others will be in career change mode.  All in all, it looks like we’re taking two steps forward, one step back in June.  

To view your full horoscope from the Astro Twins, click on your sign below.

Aries
Taurus 
Gemini 
Cancer
Leo
Virgo  
Libra
Scorpio 
Sagittarius
Capricorn 
Aquarius 
Pisces  

Working from home has become the new normal during quarantine. We’ve started zooming and binge-watching Netflix with equal gusto. But one of our biggest challenges has been drawing the line between work and home when it’s all happening under one roof. How do you turn off at the end of the day? How do you find balance when everyone needs you, the computer is your lifeline to the outside world and your living room is now your office?  

Here are 5 basic tips to help you find balance and peace as you continue to work from home. 

1. Draw the line and know where “work” ends and “home” begins. That means employing physical strategies such as very specific work hours and a designated office space that is away from the home-center such as the kitchen and living room. Don’t lay on the couch with your laptop or take it to bed because you didn’t finish your emails. Set up a desk in a quiet room, preferably somewhere you can close the door when work is “over” and you can re enter home life.
   
   It also means setting internal boundaries too. Psychologically, working from home can be confusing. You may experience feelings of guilt from working while the kids are in the other room and conversely, have anxiety about an upcoming meeting while you’re with the kids. Have clear expectations and open communication with everyone in the family, make a calendar with play, work and personal time so everyone knows what to expect.  

2. Keep active.  Since you can’t get to the gym or yoga studio, sign up for free classes at home. Set up an exercise zone and make the time to move.  You won’t feel balanced if all you’re doing is working and cooking and homeschooling. To maximize your mental health, take small movement breaks throughout your work day as well.  Five minutes an hour to walk or take a stretch/yoga break or even practice breath-work will do wonders for your sanity.

3. Create a shutdown ritual. A few minutes before your “work hours” are completed, make a plan for the next day, make sure you’re not leaving any emails hanging that may nag at you and understand what your calendar is for the next day. You’ll give yourself peace of mind to close the door to reenter home life.

4. Plan and prioritize social interactions. Right now, this means family zoom time or happy hour or a nature walk with close friends. The isolation factor is real and can quickly throw you into a depression unless you have some social interactions to look forward to. Remember, we are social animals.  Even if you think you’re okay on your own, the connection can help keep you grounded when things get rough.

5. Give yourself grace. Working from home is hard and working at home during a pandemic is even harder. Our focus isn’t the same, because our brains are subconsciously pulling focus to our survival needs so we may feel like we’re in a constant state of brain fog. If you get any work done, you’re doing well. 🙂