I recently launched a new website EcoBeautyEditor.com — a resource of natural, organic beauty and health information, research, interviews, reviews, vegan recipes, expert recommendations and holistic treatments.

For the site’s launch, I interviewed Mimi Kirk, the inspiring 72-year-old woman who just a couple of years ago was named PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50. Mimi is about to launch her new book Live Raw: The Natural Way to Good Health and Timeless Beauty, so to celebrate, I wanted to share an excerpt from my interview with Mimi, in which she shares not only an insight into her life, but some great tips on how to embrace life, no matter your age. To read the complete article and see more photos, please click here.

Mimi is offering a special gift for those who buy an autographed copy directly from her site. Visit youngonrawfood.com/live-raw to find out more information and to order your copy.

You’re 72 and yet you look like you’re in your 40s. What’s your secret?

I would place what I eat at the top of my list, a raw vegan diet. Second I think exercise is important. I know that now more than ever before, so I’ve included strength training to my walking, yoga and qigong routine. I think moderate exercise is enough. I would also include to my list of “secrets” a positive attitude, compassion and passion, and of course having a boyfriend 19 years my junior doesn’t hurt.

Do you know any other 72-year-olds who share your youthful vibrancy?

Yes, I think there are many youthful seniors today. The face of aging is changing and those of us who eat healthy can attest to that, but still, I think there is a common agreement amongst advertisers and drug companies pandering to the senior set, that we have to look our chronological age and take a fist full of drugs to combat aging and diseases.

It’s obvious you’ve not had any plastic surgery. What do you tell people who question you about that?

I’m not much concerned with the lines on my face. I’m more concerned with how I feel. I think plastic surgery is a mistake. I’ve seen some really bad surgery, loss of character on the face and even tragedy associated with plastic surgery. I think people can tell I’ve not had surgery when they meet me in person. I have laugh lines and look natural, well my blonde hair is not natural, but I find it fun at my age.

What gets you up in the morning? What are your greatest passions?

I love life, I’m a happy person and certainly passionate about my family. I have a book coming out in May, and I’m thrilled about it. To pass along what I’ve learned about being healthy over the years certainly keeps me passionate. I accept a few coaching clients each month and I’m passionate about seeing their results.

Vegan life is a compassionate one, for the animals, the planet and our own wellbeing. There was a spiritual awakening when I realized I did not have to take part in killing to eat. I love looking at my plate and seeing live food and not a deceased animal.

Did you always know you’d become a vegan? How did your life path lead to it?

I became a vegetarian over 40 years ago. I had an epiphany while eating a slice of roast beef. I realized I was eating flesh. That was it for me. I soon learned of the inhumane treatment of farm animals and although I would occasionally go off course, I would immediately get back on just thinking about where meat comes from. Vegan life is a compassionate one, for the animals, the planet and our own wellbeing. There was a spiritual awakening when I realized I did not have to take part in killing to eat. I love looking at my plate and seeing live food and not a deceased animal. Sorry to be so graphic, but I really do believe this is the humane way to live.

What is it about being vegan that has changed your life?

All the above and more! My health is fantastic. I look at things differently in many ways. Buying organic produce at farmers markets and from farm stands makes me feel I’m eating clean food, and helping farmer who are making a difference by keeping chemicals out of our food chain. One day I realize that wearing leather felt disturbing to me. People say “well, the animal is dead anyway, so why not use the hide.” Well, that is not always true. Some animals are killed for their hides. It took time to realize the connection but now I couldn’t buy leather or even wear any of my old leather goods. I personally prefer finding faux leather, shoes and bags. I think it amusing when I’m stopped so many times with people asking where I bought my leather boots or bag. Of course they are surprised when I tell them they are not leather, and maybe sometimes I can’t help myself and I give them a little education on why I wear faux leather.  I try not to be preachy, as I believe people are ready when they’re ready to make a change and not a moment before. I know this from my own experience.

You’re an author, can you tell me about your book and why you wrote it?

My book contains my thoughts and experiences on health and wellbeing. Over 120 raw food recipes will help those who think that going raw means carrots and celery sticks. When people begin a raw food diet, they are in need of delicious gourmet food. I am a foodie at heart, I love to grow food, shop for food, prepare it, serve it, and needless to say, I love to eat it. I’ve traveled around the world and love international foods; I’ve included some of my favorite dishes in my book LIVE RAW. I have so many recipes I’ve experimented with over the last three years; there was not enough room to include them all. My boyfriend Mike’s beautiful photographs grace the book and everything really looks mouth watering. I wrote the book at the requests of so many of my Facebook friends. I always post recipes on my pages, and then people started saying “why don’t you write a book”. I was inspired to share my recipes, so hence a book was a good idea. I feel lucky to get published, as it’s not easy these days. I feel if my book helps one person create a healthier life, I’m happy.

Visit Mimi’s website at YoungonRawFood.com.

When celebrities look to a nutritionist for ultimate health advice that will not only give them a toned, slim physique but also radiant, glowing skin, they look to Kimberly Snyder (pictured below). The yoga instructor and clinical nutritionist spends her time between her homes in New York and LA — when she’s not working on set, whipping up organic green smoothies for the likes of Drew Barrymore and Owen Wilson.

I met Kimberly a couple of years ago and was amazed at how present, vibrant and happy she was — a portrait of perfect health thanks to her raw vegan diet, yoga and spiritual practice. Since then, the sought-after wellness expert has been busy working with her high profile clients to help them achieve great health. She has also been working on her book, The Beauty Detox Solution, which is due to hit the shelves this Wednesday (March 30) — it’s an invaluable resource, packed with the very knowledge she passes onto her celebrity clients.

Kimberly is a joy to know and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to achieving true health and beauty. I asked if she could have a quick chat with me in the lead up to her star-studded book launch…

It has been a few years since we met in LA. What have you been up to since then?
I’ve been pretty busy! For the past few years, my focus has shifted to all things related to my nutritional philosophy and work. I’ve been working and traveling with celebrity actors worldwide, creating customized dietary programs for them, and making specialized meals for quite a few of them on a regular basis. I now have an apartment in LA as well as New York, and well, it’s been an exciting ride!

I know you’ve been working tirelessly on your new book, among your many projects. What’s it all about and why did you decide to write it?
My first book, The Beauty Detox Solution, is launching on March 29th! There’s so much confusing information out there, and being beautiful and reaching your perfect weight isn’t about micromanaging, or complex and confusing calculations that revolve around carbs and calories. My plan is simple, proven, and allows inner beauty to radiate from the inside out. My motivation in writing my plan out was to share the information with women and people everywhere that had helped me and my clients so much.

You’re a nutritionist to the stars now. Can you chat a little bit about how you got started?
Word of my program spread through LA and New York, and I was put in touch with a celebrity to work with. Then it grew to a few and then more and more… the inner circle of Hollywood is extremely tight and small. I didn’t plan to work for the “stars”, but I guess it’s my karma!

Are there any star secrets you’re allowed to reveal?
I respect all my clients’ confidentiality. But I will say that the principals that  I explain in my program are the same ones I explain to everyone,  celebrity or busy mom alike.

What is your definition of beauty?
My philosophy is that beauty and health are synonymous. Healthy skin is beautiful skin. A healthy body is a beautiful body. And no matter how many products we slather on, or diets we follow, true beauty must begin from within.

What pitfalls do you think some people fall into when it comes to trying to maintain and preserve the idealized Western idea of beauty?
There’s so many myths out there and confusing information. The most alarming and common thing I see is that people don’t even realize that the foods they think are healthy are actually aging them at an accelerated rate. I bet if I looked in someone’s fridge, and they had foods like organic yogurt and free range chicken, they would think they were doing pretty good. But when you see their skin, you can see those acidic foods show up on their faces in the form of wrinkles, lines, and dull and sagging skin. It is a vicious cycle. What good is it to be a size 4 or a size 2 if you look 10 years older than you really are?

How can a healthy diet, spiritual practice and positive thoughts help to achieve natural beauty?
Our minds and bodies are intrinsically connected, and therefore loving and peaceful vibrations emanate out of someone’s being in an inexplicable radiance. Mediation is in my opinion, the highest form of union with the infinite, which creates an inner and outer beauty in a way nothing else can.

Who are, in your opinion, some of the most beautiful people and why?
People that have the following characteristics: kindness, cleanliness — externally, in their diet and in their speech and thoughts, compassionate and thoughtful eyes, a genuine smile, a natural, not-overdone style and confidence.

What’s next for you?
Over the next few weeks I’m focusing on all things book launch-related, including a huge launch party hosted by some of my celebrity clients. At the end of this month I head to New Orleans for a few months to work as the nutritionist on a major film. And there are many other exciting projects in the works!

To get your own copy of The Beauty Detox Solution, click here.

For the complete interview with Kimberly, and some of her beauty-fying recipes, sign up for updates at the soon-to-launch EcoBeautyEditor.com

One of my best friends and favourite intuitive healers is Rebecca Dettman. If you haven’t checked out her Psyched in Stilettos blog and her new self-titled website, RebeccaDettman.com, both are treasure troves of transformative spiritual information. I always look forward to Rebecca’s weekly newsletters, from which the following guest post was first published…

Is that a dead animal on your face?…and lying in your bathroom? Let me be really, really brutally clear about this. L’Oreal tests their products on animals. So does Shiseido. Not to mention Covergirl, Pantene, Clairol, Johnson & Johnson’s, Oil of Olay, Max Factor and Oral-B. Disgusted? Shocked? You should be – especially if you could see what happens to our poor furry friends inside those horrible, godforsaken laboratories.

While the exact number of animals used for cosmetic testing is unknown, it has been estimated that around 38,000 animals are used and killed in the development of cosmetics in the European Union every year. “The problem is that most cosmetic products are imported from countries where animal testing is very widespread,” says Helen Roser, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Association for Humane Research, “and so the chances are that many of the cosmetic products that we use here everyday have been tested on animals.

“If someone sues a cosmetic company because they have had a bad reaction to its product, then the company has a better defence if it is able to claim that the product had been tested on animals and found to be safe. However, different species have different genetic make up and animals do not provide an accurate measure as to whether a product is safe for humans to use.”

Did you know this?

The terms ‘not tested on animals’ and ‘against animal testing’ on cosmetics packaging aren’t regulated – thus manufacturers can legitimately claim that a finished product has not been tested on animals, despite the fact that the ingredients used to make the finished product have been tested on animals.

The good news (thank God):

The ever-progressive European Union (who have also banned other nasties, such as DBT in nail polish – get with it Australia!!) is bringing a new ban on the testing of cosmetic ingredients into place in 2009. In addition, there will also be a ban on the sale of cosmetic products and ingredients tested on animals for all but three tests (reproductive toxicity, repeat dose toxicity and toxicokinetics) from 2009. “The ban will have a huge impact on the amount of products available to use that are cruelty free,” says Roser. “It will also be likely to put more pressure on other countries, like the United States, to ban product testing.”

Plus, check the Choose Cruelty Free website before you buy, as every brand on their Preferred Product List has filled out a comprehensive legally-binding questionnaire re: their the ingredients, formulation, manufacture, packaging and more. “If a company is on our list, you can be as certain as you can be that they have not been involved in animals testing,” says the site’s Cherie Wilson. “If a company is not on the list, it means they test or have declined to answer our questions. We have contacted every company we know of or that has been referred to use by consumers.”

So, you want to know the animal friendly beauty brands? Try these for starters:
A’kin
Al’chemy
Australis
e.l.f.
Guinot
In Essence Aromatherapy
Le Tan
Springfields
Musq
Trilogy

Rabbit photo courtesy laverrue
Main photo courtesy dreamglow pumpkincat210

I’m extremely picky when it comes to what I put on my skin, and even more picky when it comes to suggesting brands to use, whether they’re vegan or not. Just because a product is vegan doesn’t mean it’s good idea to put it on your skin. Enter beauty buff and holistic entrepreneur Sam Sample and her 100% vegan and natural skincare line Be Genki. This is one range I’m happy to give some blog love to.

Sam follows a simple philosophy when it comes to beauty and believes you can ‘be’ it, rather than ‘achieve’ it.

“Beauty comes from within,” she says. “Being happy and healthy on the physical, emotional and spiritual level is what I believe makes a woman truly beautiful.”

With her natural approach and holistic know-how, Sydney-based Sam (pictured left) developed her beauty range, Be Genki. The collection brings together her deep interest in aromatherapy, well-being, meditation, and beauty care into a holistic synthesis to “promote optimum inner health and harmony amidst the fast pace of contemporary life”.

Each element of Be Genki, she says, has been carefully and thoughtfully selected for its excellence in design, quality, healing benefits, and ability to capture the senses.

“Be Genki is the only bath and body care brand to offer a complete 360 degree approach to holistic well-being, identifying four key areas that contribute to an individual’s well-being and providing products that help create balance with a lifestyle approach,” Sam says.

The product line includes bath and shower oils, body oils, body creams, hand creams, face mists, oil blends, herbal teas and candles.

Sam studied make-up artistry and image training, nutrition, physical education, access energy transformation, aromatherapy, and skin care, and is also an avid proponent of Vipassana meditation. She says the peace and tranquility she found in meditation greatly influenced her products and their simplicity of use in daily life.

I caught up with Sam to get an overview of the ranges — Vitality, Tranquility, Serenity and Sensuality — each attracting a huge following in Australia and abroad.

SHANNON: What’s the Be Genki story?

SAM SAMPLE: For the past 10 years I have been studying various disciplines of health and wellbeing – make-up artistry and image training, nutrition, fitness, meditation, access energy transformation, skin care, and aromatherapy.

Whilst I was finishing up my Diploma of Nutrition and experimenting with aromatherapy one of my girlfriends was suffering from anxiety and depression and was taking anti-depressants. It upset me that a young woman in her mid-20s could be prescribed pharmaceutical drugs without her lifestyle being taken in to consideration first. No-one sat down with her to address what she was doing on a daily basis.

So I made her a blend of essential oils (the Serenity blend) and we chatted about taking time out at the end of each day to have a bath with the essential oil blend, shutting the bathroom door, turning the mobile phone off and creating a spa like experience in the comfort of her own home. We also spoke about nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices.

Two months passed and she came to me one day to tell me how much better she was feeling within herself and that she was thinking of going off her medication. Whether it was the act of running a bath and watching the water flow, having that half-hour by herself to relax and inhale the oil blend, or exercising, or eliminating processed foods from her diet it didn’t matter to me. What mattered was that she was feeling more confident and happy. I believe it was a combination of all the new wellbeing rituals that she had started to implement in to her daily life. You can only imagine how happy this made me feel. Whatever it was that gave her the confidence to take control of her anxiety and depression and ultimately her life, was enough to inspire me to think of other areas of our lives that we need help with improving in today’s fast paced world.

Whether it’s reaching for that third cup of coffee during the day to get a burst of energy, tossing and turning in bed at night or relying on sleeping tablets to get to sleep, suffering from anxiety and depression, freaking out at the “little things” or losing your temper at those that you love most because you haven’t dealt with the issue appropriately, or simply “beating yourself up” and criticising yourself over something that really isn’t that big a deal in the scheme of things; that is not what life is all about! So, I developed Be Genki – to help inspire and bring about holistic happiness by focusing on four key areas of wellbeing:

-    Vitality to help improve our energy levels.
-    Tranquility to help prepare for a peaceful night’s sleep.
-    Serenity to help us cope with everyday stress (the blend that I gave to my girlfriend).
-    Sensuality to help nurture the loving relationships that we have with our partner, and more importantly our Self.

In my opinion, these are the four key areas that bring about holistic happiness.

The Japanese word “genki” means to be happy, healthy, and in harmony with oneself. It suggests wellbeing is achieved by balancing physical, emotional and spiritual elements equally to create an integrated and tranquil Self.

SD: What are the core ingredients?

SS: There are four Be Genki ranges – Vitality, Tranquility, Serenity and Sensuality – each contain a blend of 100% pure essential oils to specifically target four key areas that contribute to your well-being.

Vitality: Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Rosemary, renowned for their uplifting properties.
Tranquility: Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Sweet Orange and Sandalwood, renowned for their sleep-inducing properties.
Serenity: Neroli, Rose Otto, Rosewood, Palmarosa and Bergamot, renowned for their calming properties.
Sensuality: Rose Otto, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Lavender, Bergamot and Melissa, renowned for their nurturing properties.

These four oil blends are the core ingredients that are included in each product in varying proportions. Essential oils stimulate receptors in the nose which relay messages to the limbic system, the part of the brain that regulates those emotions.

SD: Why is natural beauty so important to you?

SS: If you truly value the long-term health and appearance of your skin and would like to treat your body holistically then natural and organic ingredients are a better option from my point-of-view. Our skin is our largest organ, protecting us from the outside world and reflecting our inner life. It puzzles me why one would choose products that contain synthetic chemicals which may be carcinogenic, contribute to allergies and which strip the skin of its natural oils when there are so many great natural alternatives that nourish and complement the function of the skin. For example, petroleum based products, such as mineral oils, sit on the surface of the skin, preventing the skin from breathing and have the potential to block pores. In contrast, natural plant oils allow the skin to breathe working with the body’s natural physiology to improve the condition of your skin and are also a lot friendlier for the environment.

Natural ingredients are sourced from plant, flower and mineral sources and therefore are biodegradable. Complex chemical structures (found in non-natural products) are created in a laboratory and are non-biodegradable. They accumulate in soil, water and air, and may become toxic, which in turn affects the physiology of living organisms in contaminated ecosystems. There is countless research out there in reference to the damage that man-made chemicals have had on our environment.

SD: Do you think more people are starting to understand there are harmful chemicals in many beauty products?

SS: Yes, certainly. There is growing number of consumers that do their research. With the internet and worldwide focus on health and well-being there is no shortage of information regarding the potential effects of using beauty products containing harmful chemicals.

SD: What products are in the Be Genki range and what are your absolute favourites?

SS: Be Genki is the only bath and body care brand to offer a complete 360 degree approach to holistic well-being, identifying four key areas that contribute to an individual’s well-being and providing products that help create balance with a lifestyle approach. Our products include bath and shower oils, body oils, body creams, hand creams, face mists, oil blends, herbal teas and candles.

My absolute favourites … that’s a tough one! I go through phases of being OBSESSED with a couple of products at a time, and I think that all comes down to my body gravitating towards the range that I require at that given point in time. I use the Be Genki essential oil blends every day in my oil burner, particularly the Vitality blend when I first arrive at the office. I apply Be Genki body oil every morning as I love the subtle scent that it leaves on my skin and always have a fresh pot of Be Genki herbal tea by my side. I particularly love the Tranquility blend before slipping in to bed.

SD: What do you believe is the biggest beauty myth?

SS: The unrealistic images portrayed in the media. We live in a world where we are faced with so many images, everywhere we look, of women and girls who are our supposed “beauty icons.” The reality is that these women have spent hours of preparation with hair and make-up artists and then the images have been digitally enhanced so that the final image that we see in magazines and on billboards looks very different to what the actual woman/girl looks like every day. Then add to that the pressure to retain that youthful teenage complexion by running and getting our faces cut open with scalpels and injected with poisonous concoctions. All in the name of beauty?

SD: How do you define beauty?

SS: I believe that beauty comes from within. Being happy and healthy on the physical, emotional and spiritual level is what I believe makes a woman truly beautiful.

SD: Who are some Be Genki fans?

SS: Be Genki has fans of all ages, from girls in their teenage years to women over 60 years of age. Women tend to gravitate towards the more floral scents of Sensuality, Serenity and Tranquility, whereas men go for the Vitality range which has a fresh and uplifting scent. (NOTE: There are also a growing number of celeb fans who swear by the Be Genki range).

SD: And lastly, I love your business cards…

SS: They’re made from the off-cuts of board—waste material that was to be thrown in the trash—from other jobs that the printer does. A great idea of James’, our designer for Be Genki.

To find out more about Be Genki and to order products, head to: www.begenki.com

Celebrate your true nature. Watercolour courtesy noomiedoodlesfashion

In Green Tea Living: A Japan-inspired guide to eco-friendly habits, health, and happiness, author Toshimi A. Kayaki shares timeless wisdom from her native Japanese culture through useful tips and anecdotes. Not only are they oh-so handy, but most are also vegan.

Toshimi recently shared a few of her earth-loving beauty, health and household basics with me, straight from the pages of her new book…

Create smoother, younger-looking skin with a green tea face pack. Grind up used green tea leaves into a powder, then mix with water and flour until it forms a paste. Wash your face, and then apply the pack for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water and follow up with your favourite lotion.

Drink green tea to lose weight. Drinking five cups of green tea a day can burn up to 80 extra calories!

Use wet green tea leaves to clean your house. Green tea is not only an eco-friendly cleaning option, but will leave your rooms sparkling and smelling fresh! Squeeze most of the water out of wet tea leaves, and then place on dirty floors or dusty surfaces. Brush the leaves back and forth in small strokes, allowing the tea leaves to pick up dust and dirt. Sweep everything into a dustpan when finished.

Use vinegar for even the most heavy-duty cleaning! Vinegar will shine up sinks and counters, as well as kill bacteria. Scrub the slime out of your bathtub, disinfect cutting boards; even combine 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar to wash your floors. Simple, cheap and most importantly, not harmful to the environment.

Mix your own vinegar conditioner for soft, shiny hair. In an empty plastic bottle combine 16 oz water, 4 tbsps white or rice vinegar, and 3 or 4 pieces of fresh rosemary or sage. Just as effective as expensive conditioner, but far more economical.

Make your sweaters look like new. Rub a sweater with the rough edge of a dry sponge to easily get rid of pilling fabric.

Repair dry or damaged skin with a soothing green tea bath. Steep one green tea bag in boiling water for 15 minutes, then pour the tea water into your bathwater. The vitamins and catechins in green tea will kill bacteria on your skin and smooth away imperfections, not to mention contribute to a relaxing bath!

Mix homemade sake lotion. This simple lotion and moisturiser only requires two ingredients and some time in the fridge. Mix 7 oz cold sake and 1-½ pints water, then allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few days. Dab onto skin with a cotton ball. (Make sure to test this out on your hands before applying it elsewhere!)

Drink vinegar and water for better health. Just sipping a little vinegar every day can improve your digestion and skin complexion. Combine 1 part rice or apple cider vinegar with 7 parts water.

Main image (St John’s Wart) courtesy lepiaf.geo

A handy little book I recently added to my shelf is Michael DeJong’s Clean Body: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing Yourself. Small in size, yet big on natural tips, it’s a great book to have on hand at home at all times, especially if you want to move away from products made with dis-ease-causing chemicals.

Why it’s great: Rather than harping on about how our toxic household cleaning and beauty products are slowly killing us, Michael DeJong offers solutions that are right there in your kitchen. Using just five pure, natural ingredients—baking soda, lemon, olive oil, salt and white vinegar—he shows you how to wash, scrub and rinse with complete peace of mind, all while saving dollars and the environment. Not a bad deal, eh?

Who’s reading it: Those who are discovering their allergies are directly caused by harsh chemicals that lurk in most mainstream cleaning and beauty products. It’s also a favourite of parents who want to give their littlies the most pure start to life, and of those who understand that what goes onto the skin gets absorbed into the body.

What you’ll learn: How to mix baking soda in varying amounts to use as a shampoo, facial scrub and foot scrub; why olive oil is a superb make-up remover and moisturiser; how lemon will get you salon-perfect streaks and why salt is great for scrubbing away dead skin on elbows and knees.

Want to know more? Head to www.zencleansing.com but not before disposing thoughtfully of all those hazardous products in your cupboards.

Also check out Michael Dejong’s Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing (pictured below) to get you on the path to de-toxifying your entire home.

Main photo courtesy: AMagill

Five fun ways to be very, very vegan (and romantic) on Valentines Day…

1) Make your favourite person (or yourself) a delish vegan breakfast in bed. Pancakes and Valentines Day just seem to go together. Check out these delectables from one of my fave foodie blogs, VeganYumYum (I like to replace ingredients such as soy milk with freshly made nut milk, sugar with raw agave nectar, and salt with Celtic sea salt etc). Even if you’re your own valentine, it’s still great to whip up a gourmet breakfast and head back to bed to eat it! Also, check out Vegan Yum Yum’s new recipe book: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-free Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day for more romantic brekky and dinner recipes.

SLOW RISE PANCAKES

Makes 8 thick 5″ pancakes

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast (one packet)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 Tbs Oil
1 Ener-g Egg, prepared (1.5 tsp mixed with 2 Tbs water)
1/3 Cup Soymilk, for thinning the next morning, if desired

Whisk all the dry ingredients together until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the 1/3 cup of soymilk) and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Use batter anytime the next day.

Once you’re ready to make pancakes, remove the batter from the fridge and stir in up to 1/3 cup of soymilk to thin it if needed/desired. Let the batter sit out on the counter for 20-30 minutes. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with spray oil and wipe out the pan.

Using a 1/3 cup measure, begin making pancakes. I added apple slices to the batter before it set:

You can add anything you fancy: blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, strawberries, etc.

Once the top is bubbly and the edges are set, check to make sure the bottom is brown. Flip:

Cook on the other side for another few minutes until browned. Stack pancakes in a low oven to keep warm, serve with earth balance margarine and maple syrup.

2) A card (of course!). Recycling anything from cardboard to fabric can make for a gorgeous love token. See this how-to guide from About.com. For those who love a little graphic design in their Valentines Day, check out this sweet duo from Jeannie and Jewell.

3) Run a soothing, candle-lit bath. First step? Get your hands on some detoxifying bath salts. Who knows what toxic ingredients are in the store-bought kind? Here’s a homemade recipe that will put you right into the Valentine’s mood.

LAVENDER, ROSEMARY & EUCALYPTUS BATH SALTS

560 grams of bicarbonate of soda
15 grams of dried lavender
7 ml of rosemary oil
7 ml of eucalyptus oil

Mix ingredients together well and store in an airtight jar. When you’re ready to use, put two handfuls of the salts in the middle of a muslin square, draw up the sides and tie with string or ribbon. Swirl around in bath water until dissolved. The muslin bag is great to rub over your body when you’re finished soaking.

4) What’s more romantic than donning some stunning vegan lingerie? Enter Stella McCartney. Nothing much else to say really, except click here.

5) Make non-toxic, cruelty-free soy candles to adorn the dinner table and bath tub. Here’s a handy guide from Caringconsumer.com

HOMEMADE SOY CANDLE

What You Will Need

• 1 pound of soy-wax flakes (found on the Internet or in local hobby shops)
• 1 mason jar or another type of decorative jar made with thick, heat-resistant glass
• 1 cotton wick (use a wick that’s attached to a metal disc)
• Scissors
• Superglue

Procedure

1. Wash and dry your glass jar completely.
2. Put a couple of drops of superglue on the bottom of the wick (metal tab), then place the metal tab at the bottom of the jar.
3. Hold the wick in place for about a minute or until the glue dries.
4. Slowly heat soy wax in a pan over medium heat until it is completely melted.
5. Remove the soy wax from the burner.
6. Gently and slowly pour the soy-wax mixture into the jar.
7. Position the wick in the center.
8. Once the wax turns solid, trim the wick to ½ inch.
9. Light your candle and enjoy!

If DIY isn’t your thing. Click here for vegan friendly candle retailers.

Vegan pancakes courtesy of teenytinyturkey
Bath salts courtesy Melissa Ray Davis
Candles courtesy sallyleecandles

I started getting a few gray hairs in my late 20s. While it bothered me a little at first, these days, I’m a little less fussed. A little character never hurt anyone right?

Raw food pioneer Ann Wigmore says she rid her silvers by regularly drinking wheat grass juice. While I’m yet to do my own experiment with Ann’s findings, I have worked out a natural quick fix that turns my grays to a natural shade of light brown—particularly useful when I’m in between (organic) colour touch ups.

Organic black tea, in bags, is a great way to add some (brown) colour back to grays, even if it’s just for the day or until you next wash your hair.

So, here’s how you do it: once you’ve washed and towel dried your hair, simply pour a very small amount of warm water into a small bowl, dip in your organic (black) bag of tea and dab, dab, dab. Dry as usual. The less water you use, the stronger and more effective the tea will be.

While I’m not promising it will take away every gray hair on your head, it can definitely be a Godsend when you need a quick beauty pick me up or have a last minute job interview to go to.

That’s it! If you know of other vegan friendly, gray hair quick fixes from nature, feel free to share in the comments.

Photo courtesy: House Of Sims

There are so many good reasons to read the label on any cosmetic product you intend to buy. I used to think, albeit naively, that if a product was for sale then it must have been put through rigorous testing and deemed safe for human use. But alas, that wishful thought was just that—wishful.

Amongst the thousands of cosmetics brands on the market today, a good number contain chemicals toxic to our health. Just like food in the supermarket, if you can’t pronounce a word on a label, chances are it was brewed in a lab not in nature. Many of these ingredients are used as fillers; cheap additions that give the illusion of more product, without hurting the manufacturer’s bottom line.

Just because a lipstick, face cream or the like is expensive also doesn’t mean it’s any safer than the alternative $2 bottle in your local drug store or chemist. In fact, that cheap bottle may be a hundred times safer than the cream that comes in the fancy packaging.

With cosmetic safety regulations lacking in many countries, it’s up to ourselves to be our own judge and jury when it comes to what we’re willing to buy and then put on our skin—our body’s largest organ. Anything you slap on the outside ends up on the inside. If you’ve read this blog before today you’ll be familiar with the phrase: “if you can’t eat it, don’t wear it”.

If you’re starting to wonder exactly what chemicals are lurking in your bathroom cabinet, be sure to check out The Cosmetics Database.

In the book Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care, cosmetic chemist and herbalist Aubrey Hampton is quoted as saying: “Buyers in department, drug, discount and supermarkets don’t know anything about the chemicals that go into cosmetics, and assume their customers don’t know much either.”

These chemicals have only been proven safe with animal testing. If you put them in your product you rely on or accept those tests. Also, many of these chemicals pollute our environment because they aren’t biodegradable. This affects all species. You won’t know this if you don’t read the label.

Besides the cocktail of chemicals that make up many beauty products on the market today, there’s also the very real issue of animal testing. Just because a manufacturer didn’t test on an innocent being, doesn’t mean the manufacturer they bought their chemical ingredients from wasn’t tested on an unsuspecting monkey or rat. What it boils down to? Labels also lie.

Some insight and advice from Aubrey Hampton:

“‘We don’t test on animals’ can be a misleading (slogan) because many of the chemicals used by the sloganizers are tested on animals by the chemical manufacturers who supply the cosmetics companies.”

“It doesn’t matter whether or not they say they don’t test on animals. It doesn’t matter whether they say they don’t use animal extracts. It does matter if they use chemicals that pollute our environment, chemicals which are used as safe and effective based on animal testing. This is what you find out by reading the product label.”

“A label may say: This Cosmetic is not Tested on Animals, but may still have ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate, methyl papaben, propyl parabem, benzalkonium chloride etc. These chemicals have only been proven safe with animal testing. If you put them in your product you rely on or accept those tests. Also, many of these chemicals pollute our environment because they aren’t biodegradable. This affects all species. You won’t know this if you don’t read the label.”

So there you have it. If we continue to be lured by the glamorous advertising and marketing campaigns that tell us to put a toxic concoction of animal-tested ingredients on our skin, it’s my belief that the skyrocketing cancer rates will continue to grow without exception.

The best action I ever took was to clean out my bathroom cabinet, cleanse and moisturise using food (baking soda, extra virgin coconut—or olive—oil), and wear little-to-no make-up.

We also have an opportunity to teach our children what we perhaps didn’t know. Give them the information so they can make an informed decision as to what they will and won’t put on their own skin—perhaps protecting them from the dis-eases that result from continual use of these harmful products.

Photo courtesy: Tiago Rïbeiro

I was never aware of any particular recipes my grandmother held in her beauty arsenal. I recall a dusting of powder and a smattering of lippy on the odd occassion. She certainly didn’t have a bathroom cabinet full of fancy jars filled with empty promises. She lived simply and her beauty routine was no exception. If she worried about stuff like that, she never showed it.

She had few wrinkles, her skin was soft-as-soft. She never wore sunscreen or used a commercial cleanser. Her skin glowed, as she did.

I’ve often wondered what my gorgeous gran would have recommended if I’d inquired. While she’s no longer here to tell me, I’ve put together some more recipes (see earlier post here) that I’m sure she’d endorse, no animal testing or ingredients in sight.

Stretch marks — whip out the olive oil for an all-over body moisture infusion.

Pimples — mix a one half of a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt into some warm water. Soak cotton bud and dab. Repeat if necessary.

Hand & foot exfoliator — Celtic sea salt and olive oil, combined. Rub your hands together, or better yet, have someone massage them for you.

Eliminating Dandruff — rub white vinegar through your hair for about five minutes, then shampoo as usual.

Hair cleanser — baking soda and water works like a charm to rid the hair of chemical build up.

Tooth paste — toss your toxic paste in favour of the very effective, much cheaper and healthier baking soda. Who cares about taste, right?

Breath freshener — suck on a fresh, organic mint leaf. Super easy to grow in a pot!