Cassava (Manihot Esculenta) Root Flour
Native to: Indigenous to South America, especially Brazil and the Amazon Basin
Ritual Role: The Smoother — softens, mattifies, and honors the wisdom of ancestral earth
Skin Benefits
Cassava flour is a gentle, plant-based exfoliant rich in starches that absorb excess oil and smooth skin texture. It softens rough patches, reduces shine, and helps create a velvety feel on the skin. Its natural mattifying and soothing qualities make it ideal for sensitive, acne-prone, or reactive skin types.
Nervous System Support
Earthy and light — gently grounds the senses while bringing softness to routines that often feel harsh. Invites pause and presence.
Ancestral Use & Cultural Roots
Cassava, also known as yuca, has been a sacred food and medicine for Indigenous peoples throughout the Caribbean, Central, and South America. Among Taíno communities, cassava was used not just for nourishment, but in ritual preparation, body painting, and ceremonial crafts. It symbolizes resilience and ancestral care — passed from hand to hand, generation to generation.
Sources & Receipts
- Academic: Topical potential of cassava starch in cosmetic formulations – PubMed
- Herbalist Text: The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs by Leslie Taylor — discusses cassava’s external uses and skin-soothing potential
- Oral Tradition: Taíno peoples used cassava paste to coat and soften skin during hot seasons and ritual sweat baths
- Ethnobotanical Record: Documented use in Amazonian and Afro-Caribbean herbalism for skin calming and purification (Source: Latin American Plant Guide, Missouri Botanical Garden)