'Sunny Day'-Dry Hair & Scalp Oil

Lately, as the comforting warmth of summer begins to leave and Mother Nature gives way to breezier days and cooler nights, I’ve really been dealing with the annoying results of dry, itchy scalp. I'm aware that I still have scalp damage from my days as a ‘relaxed’ girl, and I also know that it’s going to take more time and patience for that damage to clear up; however, it’s important to nourish one’s scalp/hair to help it on its way to recovery.  

With that said, I’ve started making this all natural hair oil which can be used to ‘grease’ the scalp, as a hot oil treatment or both! It’s an herbal combination of fresh, dried: chamomile flowers, Rosemary Leaves and Nettle Leaves all submerged in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).

Some Information:

-Chamomile: Reduces inflammation, promotes relaxation, soothes rashes & other skin ailments (including eczema). *CAUTION* Chamomile is a part of the Ragweed family and therefore may affect those with allergies.

-Rosemary: Antioxidant, antiseptic and aids in circulatory problems (and good circulation is key to stimulating hair growth). It’s also thought to be a good memory booster, so that’s an added plus. *CAUTION* Rosemary should not be used by those with high blood pressure or those who are currently pregnant.

-Nettle: Boosts immune system, promotes hair re-growth and reduces dandruff.

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil: High in antioxidants, conditions hair and is very effective at moisturizing.

Directions:

In a clean, dry, glass jar pour in ½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add about 3 tablespoons of each herb to the EVOO. Put the jar lid on and close tightly. Swish the mixture around a bit. Set glass jar outside in a sunny location (or you can set it in a window seal—where ever it will receive contact with the most sunlight). Leave it there to be naturally heated by the sun for about 3-6 hours (I like to keep mine exposed to sunlight for about 2 days).  Strain into another glass container and discard of the herbs. Enjoy moisturized hair & a soothed scalp!

Tip: Don’t have the patience to wait around for the sun to heat your mixture? If not, then combine ingredients into a stainless steel pot, heat on low for a few minutes (just until liquid is warm) , remove from heat,  cover pot and allow the ingredients to steep for an hour or so. Place strained, oil into glass jar & use as normal.

Let me know how you like it!

Free Hand Scrub & Massage!

AJA Naturals participated in this years 23rd annual African American Arts & Heritage Festival at the PNC Bank Arts Center. The event was full of events, workshops for the youth, performances and vendors. We had a vendor table at the event and we were very happy with the reception we had, customers loved our products, our natural mission and enjoyed the perks and raffle prizes we had in store for them!

We wanted our customers to enjoy some natural goodness and pampering so we offered a free sugar scrub and massage! As if that wasn't enough every customer that purchased a product was automatically entered into a Raffle to win a basket full of AJA Naturals goodies.

Dr.Oz's FRUIT FACTS

Every summer I look forward to all of the lovely fruits the warm weather brings; I eat everything from old fashioned pears to the more exotic papayas! I've always been a big fruit eater, I can thank my nanny for that. But it wasn't until a few days ago that I found out how important some of these fruits are, not as a part of a healthy diet but also to prevent diseases and promote a beautiful external appearance!

This information was sent to me as an e-mail (Thanks Carla!) and I've shared it with as many people as I could!

I found it enlightening...I hope that you take something positive away from it as well.

Enjoy!

~Aja

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Interesting info from Dr. Oz regarding fruit

We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit.

What's the correct way to eat fruit?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL! FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.
Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so.

In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat!

There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.
When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT the concentrated juice from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins.

Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body. Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!

AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.

Be Afraid...Be Very Afraid!! The Truth about Nail Salons

The Nail salon, it's a place where most women go to treat their hands and feet to a little pampering; and rightfully so, you work hard all week long so you deserve that hour or two to focus on yourself and to look and feel your best! You walk through the salon doors, receive a warm greeting from your favorite nail technician and told to pick out your color; however, while cheerfully doing so you may not be aware of the nasty little secrets that are hidden within the shop.

When choosing the perfect nail salon to frequent you will want to keep in mind that although you may be going for a quick manicure these places are dealing with your hands and feet (which often are some of the most bacteria crammed parts of one’s body) and therefore you NEED them to practice good hygiene.
Some people just assume that because a nail salon’s door is open for service that the shop, as well as the employees are licensed, the truth is that there are many salons nation-wide that do not receive proper inspections. For some salons, even if they are submitted to inspections they may still not truly be certified as there has been a recent trend of nail salons popping up with real shop licenses, but the employees possess fraudulent nail technician certifications. It’s horrible to think that you could walk into an otherwise legitimate looking salon and be serviced by a friend or family member of the owner who has no certification what-so-ever (case in point is the Ohio nail salon scandal). Other than the idea of an unlicensed individual working on two of the most valuable parts of your anatomy, you must also consider the germs that can harbor and multiply if places like this are not kept up to sanitation standards. It is rather easy to get a nail infection, as these bacteria enjoy swimming around in warm, moist areas (i.e.: that dish of warm soapy water that you soak your nails in OR the comforting foot sauna that you dip your tootsies into). They transfer quite easily onto your hands/feet because these places are also normally warm and a bit moist, so your nails/toenails are a very suitable new home for the foul bacteria. Do we know how well those dishes or saunas are being cleaned prior to us using them? Some of the common infections known to reside in these places are: Staphylococcus/paronychia,  fungi , and skin viruses, such as warts.

Now that we all understand that an open salon does not necessarily equate to a reputable one, we can move on to how to protect ourselves from any icky situations:

1. Upon walking into the business check the wall for the shop’s state issued license. You will also want to check for any certificates earned by the shop’s employees; if you are still doubtful ,then you can check out this license look-up website:

2. Let your nose tell you the truth. Does the odor of acetone along with dust from nails being filed smack you in the face as soon as you enter the door? If so, this may mean that the shop does not have an air filtration system. Air quality is an important factor in nail salons as nail particles are constantly being blow around and chemicals are being used on a regular basis. Many higher scale salons have air filtrations systems.

3. Does the technician wear fitted latex gloves while working on the clients? If so, its important to make sure that these gloves are changed after each individual session. If not, then it is paramount that their hands be thoroughly washed after each client.

4. Lastly, but certainly not least, how is the equipment kept? Does each person have their own personal file, nail/cuticle trimmer and foot brushes? If not, are the ones that are being used for everyone being placed in an autoclave? What type of cleansing agent is being used to sterilize the foot baths? These are all things to take note of as lack of tending to these issues may result in you being a not-so-happy customer.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the places you frequent are safe.

So, now that you’re better equipped with the knowledge needed to spot a good salon vs. a bad one are you ready for your next appointment? Whether you're answer is Yes or No, here are some tips/alternatives that may help you to decide what is best for you.

1. Get a plastic zip lock bag and fill it with your own mani-pedi tools and toss it into your purse before going to the salon. Or better yet, just leave it in your car so that you never forget it. This will eliminate the worry over whether the shop is keeping their tools clean or not. *Be sure to clean your tools regularly*.

2. Do-It-Yourself (DIY). A nail kit can be purchased for a very small fee and will come equipped with most of the items needed to do beautiful manicures & pedicures at home. For a few more dollars you can even get that nail salon soft skin buy purchasing a personal foot spa. Click here for the ultimate manicure treatment!

3. If you don’t mind doing your own mani-pedi, but are concerned about the polish looking like your two year old did it, then going to the salon just for a quick polish change is not a bad thing at all. If you’re interested in ‘Three-Free’ polishes, then you have several choices. Have fun pampering yourself-You deserve it!! ;-)

Do you have inexpensive or DIY ways to treat yourself to a 'home spa'? If so, please share!