YouTuber and Creative Consultant Joanna is an inspiring young woman, who strives to live authentically, confidently and in tune with nature. She would be best described as a multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, for she loves to create films, take photos, write, dance, sing, do hair and DIY natural hair concoctions for a living. We talked with her about sustainability, empowerment and holistic health.
You first started out with your own blog, Joannas Essentials. What is it about?
I share advice on natural hair and skincare, beauty, plant nutrition and holistic health. I talk about the things that move and inspire me. For example personal empowerment, self-development, sustainability. I continuously explore new ways of expressing myself through different art forms, which I like to incorporate into my videos. So ultimately, there are no limits to my content.
When did you start the blog? Was there something you missed that gave you a push to start Joanna Essentials?
I started in 2013 with my FAQ blog and moved on to YouTube in 2014. I wanted to create a platform where you can find the information that I desperately missed as a young girl. First and foremost, I deal with the topic of afro hair care. There were almost no tips in German language. Relaxers, straighteners, wigs, weaves and braids were the most common thing on the internet and apart from afro shops (where these exact things were sold), there was little to no content or information for black Germans or people with curls out there.
Today, seven years later, what has changed in this field?
A great deal has changed. We can now speak of a “natural hair movement” similar to the one in the USA. The wave has definitely spilled over to Germany. There is a whole new awareness for the beauty of our hair, a cultural understanding. There are more products available from abroad and more and more new resources are born out of the community. When I was in the early days of my YouTube channel, I noticed one specific thing that I secretly wanted to change. When I searched for the term “Afrolocken” (afro curls) on YouTube, the search results mostly showed tutorials by white women that showed how to mimic our hair structure and create an afro-inspired look. I wanted to replace this content and become the top of the search results with my videos, which I eventually succeeded at doing. I deliberately used the term “Afrolocken” as a self-designation for my hair, so that we could reclaim it. What has also drastically changed is the demand for hair care products that are natural. Before, you could almost only find chemical-heavy toxic products, especially in the smaller Afroshops. And all in all, black-owned companies that provide products for the needs of black people are still in a pretty small niche, so there’s a lot of space for improvements. My wish is that our community will become more active in this niche. We shouldn’t have to support companies/people, who have not been interested in our needs so far, and now want a share of the market in the guise of “samaritans” or “saviors”. Because by supporting such companies, we would not be breaking the cycle, but, even if it may seem progressive at first glance, it would take us back to the starting point.Similar to the trends in hair care, I also see a greater awareness for holistic health. The greatest inspiration for me: That the awareness for nature, spirituality and science are joined together and conversations online become more real, more human and more nuanced. Mainstream remains mainstream, but superficiality is beginning to go out of trend, as the consumers who don’t buy into it have director means to give feedback and thus force corporations, bloggers and public figures to offer real content and real solutions.
On Instagram, you state that empowerment, sustainability and holistic health are main topics for you. Who do you aim to empower?
Actually any person who can benefit from my contributions, in whichever way. In particular, I would like to encourage women to identify and focus on their own needs, to have a positive relationship with their bodies, and to actively shape their lives according to their authentic wishes. In other words, exactly the opposite of what society teaches us. As a (black) person of color, I hope to be a positive mirror to other people of color through my presence on online and evoke more nuanced ways of thinking and being. If I had to label it, I would describe my approach as inward activism, meaning that I want to eliminate systemic racism through self-empowerment and empowerment of the community. In the end, not only our community will benefit from this, but everyone.
The term sustainability is widely used today and sometimes just used by companies to greenwash themselves. What does sustainability mean to you?
To me sustainability means to produce and consume in a way that sustains us, but it also encompasses the source, as well as those involved in the process. Sustainability is not a trend, but a solution. Green-packaging and the words “natural” and “organic” don’t necessarily make a product sustainable or green. Sustainability sees human beings as part of nature and takes into account their dependency on it. Not just toxic ingredients are unsustainable, but of course, any form of exploitation as well. Therefore, fair and humane treatment of the people who live in the countries from which the world draws its resources is a must. Let’s face it: These are mainly IBPOC. When I think of greenwashing, I see big companies using pseudo-sustainable campaigns to protect their image and make money off consumers who really try to buy “consciously”. This money automatically goes into the preservation of the company, including its practices of exploitation, because these practices are the foundation of their wealth. The superficiality is obvious: Products from “predominantly renewable, organic” materials instead of fair wages, humane working conditions or sustainable restructuring. They often use marketing tactics where they show “happy POC” in flowing dresses in their ads, walking through romantic flower meadows – the perfect distraction.
How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your everyday life?
Reducing, reusing, consciously buying and staying open to and curious about sustainable alternatives are helpful practices for me to live more sustainably.
In what respect are you sustainable in beauty?
I make most of my own cosmetic products and only buy natural cosmetics. Fortunately, there are a lot of biodegradable, non-toxic products out there. I love multifunctional products and I think that, especially when it comes to make-up, less is more for me.
And in fashion?
I love to buy second hand, rework old clothes, repair them or use them for different purposes. I grew up exploring flea markets and second hand shops. What was once a necessity is now a conscious decision for me and thanks to my parents, I enjoy it. Of course, I also buy new clothes, but I stay away from fast fashion companies. Many of my female friends have created sustainable black owned brands and one of my friends even compiled a list of brands that I would like to fall back on in the future. Fair, sustainable clothing is often still a major financial investment.
And food?
I have been eating “plant-focused” for about 4 years. For pleasure, for my well-being, my health and the environment. I’m not 100% strict and certainly make exceptions, but my focus is always on wholesome plantbased food.
What do you mean by holistic health? And how do you live according to this philosophy?
Holistic health is a concept that describes the harmony of body, mind and heart. However, it is not about reaching a perfect state of being, but rather an approach and a process to deal with illness/imbalance. This approach also takes a person’s personal background into account and understands it as a part of its health. It encompasses all factors that have an influence on health and, above all, recognizes emotional and mental well-being as a key element of health. Instead of numbing the symptoms, the root of a disease is treated. You can drink all the green smoothies in the world, but if you don’t take care of your feelings and deal with a possibly deeper trauma, an imbalance will remain and the symptoms will only shift. And vice versa. You can pray and meditate all day long, but if you neglect your body, e.g. filling it with unhealthy food, not sleeping or moving, you will also remain imbalanced. Because the one cannot be separated from the other. This is how I look at personal problems and illness. I look deeper and zoom out to get a more comprehensive view of the circumstances of my life. Since I’ve started doing this I can see that no cold, headache or bad feeling is accidental. I actively try to shape my life, so that the circumstances promote my emotional, mental and physical health.
How did you come into contact with yoga and how do you integrate it into your life?
I think I took my first yoga class when I was 13. As a dancer, the movements felt natural to me right away, because I knew many of them from the cool-down after dance training. Meditating and having a tool to connect with my thoughts and feelings in a positive way was a tremendous help. I don’t want to live without this feeling anymore. I didn’t go to classes as much over the years, but I started using YouTube tutorials at home to practice and do it every chance I get. I have noticed that yoga has influenced the way I move and I feel my body in a very different and intense way now. Whenever my body feels tense or constricted, I know how to move and will do yoga throughout the day to stretch out the kinks. I practice yoga when I feel good, when I am sad or depressed, restless or excited… whatever it may be – yoga is my go-to practice to find balance.
Interview with Joannas Essentials
Interview with Joannas Essentials
YouTuber and Creative Consultant Joanna is an inspiring young woman, who strives to live authentically, confidently and in tune with nature. She would be best described as a multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, for she loves to create films, take photos, write, dance, sing, do hair and DIY natural hair concoctions for a living. We talked with her about sustainability, empowerment and holistic health.
You first started out with your own blog, Joannas Essentials. What is it about?
I share advice on natural hair and skincare, beauty, plant nutrition and holistic health. I talk about the things that move and inspire me. For example personal empowerment, self-development, sustainability. I continuously explore new ways of expressing myself through different art forms, which I like to incorporate into my videos. So ultimately, there are no limits to my content.
I started in 2013 with my FAQ blog and moved on to YouTube in 2014. I wanted to create a platform where you can find the information that I desperately missed as a young girl. First and foremost, I deal with the topic of afro hair care. There were almost no tips in German language. Relaxers, straighteners, wigs, weaves and braids were the most common thing on the internet and apart from afro shops (where these exact things were sold), there was little to no content or information for black Germans or people with curls out there.
A great deal has changed. We can now speak of a “natural hair movement” similar to the one in the USA. The wave has definitely spilled over to Germany. There is a whole new awareness for the beauty of our hair, a cultural understanding. There are more products available from abroad and more and more new resources are born out of the community. When I was in the early days of my YouTube channel, I noticed one specific thing that I secretly wanted to change. When I searched for the term “Afrolocken” (afro curls) on YouTube, the search results mostly showed tutorials by white women that showed how to mimic our hair structure and create an afro-inspired look. I wanted to replace this content and become the top of the search results with my videos, which I eventually succeeded at doing. I deliberately used the term “Afrolocken” as a self-designation for my hair, so that we could reclaim it. What has also drastically changed is the demand for hair care products that are natural. Before, you could almost only find chemical-heavy toxic products, especially in the smaller Afroshops. And all in all, black-owned companies that provide products for the needs of black people are still in a pretty small niche, so there’s a lot of space for improvements. My wish is that our community will become more active in this niche. We shouldn’t have to support companies/people, who have not been interested in our needs so far, and now want a share of the market in the guise of “samaritans” or “saviors”. Because by supporting such companies, we would not be breaking the cycle, but, even if it may seem progressive at first glance, it would take us back to the starting point.Similar to the trends in hair care, I also see a greater awareness for holistic health. The greatest inspiration for me: That the awareness for nature, spirituality and science are joined together and conversations online become more real, more human and more nuanced. Mainstream remains mainstream, but superficiality is beginning to go out of trend, as the consumers who don’t buy into it have director means to give feedback and thus force corporations, bloggers and public figures to offer real content and real solutions.
Actually any person who can benefit from my contributions, in whichever way. In particular, I would like to encourage women to identify and focus on their own needs, to have a positive relationship with their bodies, and to actively shape their lives according to their authentic wishes. In other words, exactly the opposite of what society teaches us. As a (black) person of color, I hope to be a positive mirror to other people of color through my presence on online and evoke more nuanced ways of thinking and being. If I had to label it, I would describe my approach as inward activism, meaning that I want to eliminate systemic racism through self-empowerment and empowerment of the community. In the end, not only our community will benefit from this, but everyone.
The term sustainability is widely used today and sometimes just used by companies to greenwash themselves. What does sustainability mean to you?
To me sustainability means to produce and consume in a way that sustains us, but it also encompasses the source, as well as those involved in the process. Sustainability is not a trend, but a solution. Green-packaging and the words “natural” and “organic” don’t necessarily make a product sustainable or green. Sustainability sees human beings as part of nature and takes into account their dependency on it. Not just toxic ingredients are unsustainable, but of course, any form of exploitation as well. Therefore, fair and humane treatment of the people who live in the countries from which the world draws its resources is a must. Let’s face it: These are mainly IBPOC. When I think of greenwashing, I see big companies using pseudo-sustainable campaigns to protect their image and make money off consumers who really try to buy “consciously”. This money automatically goes into the preservation of the company, including its practices of exploitation, because these practices are the foundation of their wealth. The superficiality is obvious: Products from “predominantly renewable, organic” materials instead of fair wages, humane working conditions or sustainable restructuring. They often use marketing tactics where they show “happy POC” in flowing dresses in their ads, walking through romantic flower meadows – the perfect distraction.
Reducing, reusing, consciously buying and staying open to and curious about sustainable alternatives are helpful practices for me to live more sustainably.
In what respect are you sustainable in beauty?
I make most of my own cosmetic products and only buy natural cosmetics. Fortunately, there are a lot of biodegradable, non-toxic products out there. I love multifunctional products and I think that, especially when it comes to make-up, less is more for me.
And in fashion?
I love to buy second hand, rework old clothes, repair them or use them for different purposes. I grew up exploring flea markets and second hand shops. What was once a necessity is now a conscious decision for me and thanks to my parents, I enjoy it. Of course, I also buy new clothes, but I stay away from fast fashion companies. Many of my female friends have created sustainable black owned brands and one of my friends even compiled a list of brands that I would like to fall back on in the future. Fair, sustainable clothing is often still a major financial investment.
I have been eating “plant-focused” for about 4 years. For pleasure, for my well-being, my health and the environment. I’m not 100% strict and certainly make exceptions, but my focus is always on wholesome plantbased food.
What do you mean by holistic health? And how do you live according to this philosophy?
Holistic health is a concept that describes the harmony of body, mind and heart. However, it is not about reaching a perfect state of being, but rather an approach and a process to deal with illness/imbalance. This approach also takes a person’s personal background into account and understands it as a part of its health. It encompasses all factors that have an influence on health and, above all, recognizes emotional and mental well-being as a key element of health. Instead of numbing the symptoms, the root of a disease is treated. You can drink all the green smoothies in the world, but if you don’t take care of your feelings and deal with a possibly deeper trauma, an imbalance will remain and the symptoms will only shift. And vice versa. You can pray and meditate all day long, but if you neglect your body, e.g. filling it with unhealthy food, not sleeping or moving, you will also remain imbalanced. Because the one cannot be separated from the other. This is how I look at personal problems and illness. I look deeper and zoom out to get a more comprehensive view of the circumstances of my life. Since I’ve started doing this I can see that no cold, headache or bad feeling is accidental. I actively try to shape my life, so that the circumstances promote my emotional, mental and physical health.
I think I took my first yoga class when I was 13. As a dancer, the movements felt natural to me right away, because I knew many of them from the cool-down after dance training. Meditating and having a tool to connect with my thoughts and feelings in a positive way was a tremendous help. I don’t want to live without this feeling anymore. I didn’t go to classes as much over the years, but I started using YouTube tutorials at home to practice and do it every chance I get. I have noticed that yoga has influenced the way I move and I feel my body in a very different and intense way now. Whenever my body feels tense or constricted, I know how to move and will do yoga throughout the day to stretch out the kinks. I practice yoga when I feel good, when I am sad or depressed, restless or excited… whatever it may be – yoga is my go-to practice to find balance.
Instagram @joannakyu | YouTube: Joannas Essentials