Ayurveda is a wholistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. Its aim is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health.
There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite unique:
Its recommendations will often be different for each person regarding which foods and which lifestyle they should follow in order to be completely healthy. This is due to it's use of a constitutional model.
Everything in Ayurveda is validated by observation, inquiry, direct examination and knowledge derived from the ancient texts.
It understands that there are energetic forces that influence nature and human beings. These forces are called the Tridoshas.
Because Ayurveda sees a strong connection between the mind and the body, a huge amount of information is available regarding this relationship.
Antiviral - The roots possess strong antiviral properties.
Blood Sugar - May help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Digestion - General The root acts as an appetite stimulant, helps promote digestion and gastrointestinal health, encourages the growth of healthy bacteria, and alleviates flatulence.
Gallbladder - Cleansing and healing to the gallbladder. Typically, the roots or juice from the leaves are used for this.
Heart - May help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL).
Kidneys - The leaves support kidney function and act as a diuretic.
Liver - The roots promote liver detoxification.
Menstruation/PMS - Alleviates the bloating associated with PMS.
I am a stylist. I owned a salon for years. I used to direct the education for Avalon Firm that makes a relaxer. I spent a bunch of years as a hair color educator doing the whole national hair circuit. One of my pet peeves was that I always felt that products in the ethnic market were just kind of inferior. That they just didn’t get the job done. Products shouldn’t be prescribed based on ethnicity. As a colorist, my clients are everybody. Our salon is very diverse so I was looking for a product line that we could prescribe to any client. Not just, “I have to go to this line for this client and another line for another client.” I thought that that was just crazy. So that was one of the things for us that when we started to really roll this out that we can prescribe this to anybody. For us, part of our objective was to have a product line that was performance oriented and naturally based. So that was one thing. But how the products really happened is that I was in the salon and I developed an allergic reaction to products. I couldn’t use anything with the traditional ingredients like dimethicone, petroleum, alcohol, etc. I took an aromatherapy course from Triton which makes an essential oil line and I made one product which was Hair Nourishing Serum. Then I had clients that were like,”Well, can we buy this?” And we were like, “I guess. I don’t know. I guess we have to figure this out.” So that’s really how it unfolded. Hair Serum is a pure essential oil and vitamin product that if you leave the top off it will evaporate. It’s a very different concept to what we perceive as an oil product. So anyway, we started out with one product and then I really needed some other performance products. So I went to three industry chemists to attempt to work on a couple of other products for the line and after I spent some time with these guys they all asked me the exact same question. “Who’s your market? Is your market predominately ethnic? Is your market predominately general market?” And I said, “My market is like everybody.” At that point, in the salon we were probably 10/50/50. So they sent me a batch of samples from the general market products and they sent me a batch of sample from the ethnic market. So they go to a formulation book. They look at the formula and make you a sample from the ethnic section which is the traditional stuff that’s already in the market. You know the stuff, petroleum, dimethicone, etc. And then they go to the general market which is a whole different kind of characteristic. But at any rate, after dealing with the 3 chemists that probably make 80% of the products in the market I went like, “Okay, so why are they sending me this stuff that already exists?” We were really looking for something that’s different. That’s natural-based. That doesn’t have these ingredients and that the complete product line you can use on anybody. And then I met with the 3 of them (chemists). All of them were men and none of them had hair. Which I thought was kind of interesting. And none of them had ever been in a salon. And I mean, that’s who makes products.
So it started to become clear to me. That’s why I took two formulation courses. Took two semesters of formulations. So I do all the formulas. And then we got busy. That’s the story.
When you make products, it’s an expensive business to be in. I used to make all the relaxer for our salon. I made everything at home that we use in the salon. My kids, growing up, thought that everybody had a manufacturing facility in their basement. That was like normal for us.
We started out with a distributor in New Jersey. And of course, the distributor who distributes to professional salons distributes 80 other lines (product). And so why would they really invest any time in our line? It was like all that kind of stuff that went on. And so we really struggled through it. And it’s still a little bit of a dilemma. But at any rate, we approached Whole Foods because I really wanted to create an opportunity for people for women to go into an environment that wasn’t a beauty supply store. Because really, unless you distribute to a professional salon or you distribute to a beauty supply store, there’s no other way to get your product into the hands of consumers. So we’ve been really selective about who we do business with. Companies like Ulta, Pure Beauty, Beauty First, the Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods and now Target (Yes, you read right. Jane Carter will be doing a 50 store Target test so you may want to keep an eye out at your local Target.), have been really great for us because they respect the pricing and the pay us. And it’s not super, super high maintenance.
So anyway, I started this in a blender in my kitchen. We moved to the basement. We moved to the garage. Then we finally moved to a warehouse.
Um, not really. I think that we’ve been doing this for awhile now. The only reason that we’re still in business is because we make really good products. It’s an expensive business to run. I still do hair color clients three Saturdays a month because that’s really what I love. It’s my passion. And it just keeps me grounded. It’s like the easiest part of my week. So do I wish we did anything different?.. Not really. I have no regrets.
I think that getting into Whole Foods was a big deal for us because it really required us to put all the pieces in place. Like really make sure you have your entire insurance system really clean, all your insurances are correct and all your labeling is certified. It really makes you go, “Okay, we really have to be really on point here.”
I think that much like the music business the beauty business has a huge opportunity. There’s a huge opportunity right now in any business, especially the beauty business. Right now there’s a tremendous opportunity for anyone who has a passion that wants to make products or make a product line to really use the internet. And it is very intricate so you really do have to learn it.
There’s this book that I was reading. It’s called Crush It. It was written by this guy (Gary Vanerchuk) who happens to live in New Jersey and it’s an interesting book. He grew up in this small family-owned liquor store and then went away to college. He came back and had this whole vision for just plugging into his customer base through Youtube so that they could really build this business. He started to do these Youtube reviews of certain wines. He became a kind of phenomenon about reviewing wines. He made it happen.
Years ago, the only venue that you could sell products in was the beauty supply venue. And then there became stores like Ulta and now there are other ones like Pure Beauty and Beauty First. So it gave us another opportunity because you know if you to the beauty supply store no one can really help you. And the average price point in the beauty supply store is $7. So if you make a product that is $7. An oil for dry hair. I promise you its mineral oil which is about $.90 a lb or petroleum which is also pretty inexpensive. So we were really not a fit for a beauty supply environment.
I just hate that there’s a lack of information available for women who either want to go natural or who still relax their hair who are looking for a natural-based product. The beauty supply environment is a lot of hype. There’s not a lot of integrity in the ingredients.
I would say that the obstacles in business are just if there were 8 days in the week I’d be good. But there aren’t. It’s a lot to do.
Absolutely. Absolutely. And you know what, I always say, “I’m not that smart”. Clearly, this was divine intervention and I resisted it, resisted it, resisted it. Except that every time I do my clients hair on Saturday and I use products that really perform, I’m like, “You know what. We’re really onto something here.”
I guess if you’re a chef and you don’t eat your own food then you don’t really get it. But if you’re a chef and you really appreciate it and you eat your own food, you go like, “Wow, this is really good.” I guess because I’m the end user, it’s very clear to me.
Like for instance, I was doing this training. I was talking about spritz sprays. Most ethnic salons use some kind of a hair spray or a spritz spray or a curling spray. Why would they put alcohol in a product that you put on your hair? Cause all a spritz spray is is a polymer with alcohol. So we make a product called Natural Hold Locking Spray and Natural Hold Spray Gel which does the exact same thing but its water-based. So it doesn’t dry your hair out. And you can still get a crunchy hold and you can still get springy curls without having to use alcohol. I kinda got to the point where I was like, “Okay, I see who’s making products. They clearly have never had a relaxer and then had somebody spray spritz on them when your skin is irritated.
We do this product called Scalp Renew. It’s a pre-shampoo scalp treatment. If you’re gonna grow healthy hair. I don’t care if its natural hair, relaxed hair or straight hair, you have to exfoliate and detoxify your scalp. And the number 1 reason that I’ve seen hair loss among black women is an inflammation that sort of chokes off the pore & the follicle so the hair just can’t push through. And that’s like one of the number one reasons. One of the other reasons is the hormone testosterone.
Yep. We’re getting ready to introduce this product called Curl Defining Cream for natural hair because I get a hundred questions about wash-n-wear hair and it shrinking. It’s really a great product. We use avocado oil in it. It’s a cream and you put it in your hair wet. We’ve gotten great results. So within the next month, we’ll get that on the market.
What if the money you invested stayed within 50 miles of where you currently live and was committed to local merchants and growers who put at least 50 percent of their profits back into the community? "What if, instead of making a double-digit return on a fast-money transaction that exploited Third World villagers and pumped up corporate profits artificially, you could get a steady 2 percent to 3 percent return on money that dramatically improved the quality of life in your own neighborhood? This is where the concept of "slow money" comes in. Coined by Woody Tasch, a former venture capitalist "slow money" — gives to his philosophy that combines a passion for social enterprise with the benefits of locally grown food.
Tasch is spearheading a national campaign to persuade at least 1 million Americans to donate between $25 and $1,000 each to help create a grassroots, nonprofit seed fund to support and grow local food businesses and family farms. He wants to build and test the concept of something he calls "nurture capital" — a healthier and more sustainable alternative to venture capital for funding new businesses. It's time, he says, to shorten the distance between investors and their investments. It's also time, he says, to create new economic models that deliver a return but that also put community, soil fertility and the environment at the bottom line.
But it’s not just about providing and supplying healthier food he is traveling the country warning that money moves way too quickly. Billions and trillions of dollars zip around the globe, he says, as if disembodied from the people who invest it. "Investors don't know anymore where their money goes and more and more, they want to see an impact for what they give in their own lives and own communities," Tasch recently told a capacity crowd at New York University.
Woody Tasch is chairman emeritus of Investors' Circle, the nonprofit network of angel investors, venture capitalists, foundations and family offices that since 1992 has facilitated the flow of $130 million to 200 early-stage social enterprises dedicated to sustainability. Before that, he was the treasurer of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation.
Tasch's slow money movement, which was officially kicked off in September during a conference in Santa Fe, N.M., is an extension of that work. "Right now, it's hard to believe that the Whole Foods Market down the street is still able to exist, given the damage we're doing to our soils, and it's hard to believe something bad is going to happen," Tasch told NYU students. "But [our food production system] isn't sustainable. It's time to slow down and start looking up close at what we are doing not just with industrial agriculture but what we're doing to ourselves on the planet in the name of sustaining our standard of living."
With slow money, Tasch is taking a page from the slow food movement, the 20-year-old movement that calls on consumers to treat the act of eating less as a hurried distraction and more like a family ritual that celebrates community and takes time out to reflect upon the labor involved in growing the food that we eat. "Money should move the same way," says Tasch. "This isn't just about finance but the relationship of finance to culture." If investment decisions start to take into account what's best for local communities, he says — when small businesses borrow or get investment directly from their customers — communities become stronger and societies become more humane. "There is accountability in places where now there is none," Tasch says.
But the real dividend of slow money? Diversity — social, economic, and biological. In an era of industrial agriculture, when millions of acres are planted with the same variety of corn and when millions of pigs are bred for their yield, small local farms are "the ultimate hedge fund," he says.
- 1. A woman noted for courage and daring action.
- 2. A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field. (from freedictionary.com)
According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
- 1 a: a mythological or legendary woman having the qualities of a hero b: a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities
According to YourDictionary.com:
- a girl or woman of outstanding courage, nobility, etc., or of heroic achievements
Hair texture is the thickness or diameter of the individual hair strand. Your hair texture plays one of the most important roles in how you should care for your curls, not only through daily maintenance, but also when considering any chemical services such as haircolor or texturizing. Even how your hair is cut needs to be adapted to the texture of your hair.
There are three different textures: fine, medium and coarse. Not everyone has the same uniform texture over their entire head, however; for example, you can be fine at the nape and coarse at the hairline (especially if those pesky grays are starting to pop up). The hair textures are:
Fine Hair
Fine hair can appear very limp or flyaway and does not hold a style well. It frequently seems dry, when in fact it is quite often over-moisturized. It is very easy to over-process and is quickly damaged by chemical services if great care is not taken. Products with a lot of humectants and emollients should be avoided in favor of those with protein.
Medium Hair
Medium hair is what is considered “normal” hair, meaning it has a mid-range texture. It does not require any special considerations for chemical services and usually processes normally. Undamaged hair with a medium texture can generally support products with a wide range of ingredients.
Coarse Hair
Coarse hair is much thicker and stronger than fine or medium hair, but typically does not bend and cannot hold a style well. It is also often dry and brittle, due to an overabundance of protein. Coarse hair is much harder to process and is often very resistant to chemical services. Products with a lot of protein should be avoided in favor of those with humectants and emollients.
Hair texture is key to establishing the best routine for your hair.
Porosity is, simply put, the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. Porosity is a critically important factor in determining one's curly hair care. Since moisture is what defines and shapes our curls, the inability to keep moisture within the hair shaft will defeat the most valiant efforts to maximize curl potential.
If you don't know your hair's porosity, you won't be able to make the best product and maintenance routine choices to maximize the amount of moisture your curls retain. The existing "curl classification systems" never, ever mention porosity in their classification process. Since lack of moisture is one of the biggest causes of frizz, I personally find that odd in the extreme. Just one more reason I don't find those systems very helpful or informative.
Your degree of porosity is directly related to the condition of your cuticle layer. Healthy hair with a compact cuticle layer is naturally resistant to penetration. Porous hair has a raised cuticle layer that easily absorbs water, but is quick to lose moisture as well. The texture of your hair is not an indication of its porosity. Different degrees of porosity can be found in all hair textures. For example, although coarse hair normally has a low porosity and is resistant to chemical services, coarse hair can also have high porosity as the result of damage or previous chemical services.
“Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.”
-Oprah
Steam conditioning invigorates the scalp. Conditioner and/or herbal oil is massaged into the scalp before the head is placed under a steamer. The water vapors open the outer layer of the hair shaft with moisture, allowing the conditioner to penetrate deeply into the cuticle layer. Steam conditioning promotes hair growth, which is why the steamer is an essential treatment. …botanical and herbal treatments are applied to the scalp and massaged in….Afterward, the client is placed under the steamer for about 15 to 20 minutes. This is especially good for locs, natural hair, and color-treated hair.
Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating GingerNote this: When buying ginger, fresh is best! Be sure to avoid ginger with dry, wrinkled skin, mold or soft spots. African and Indian ginger are the most potent. Grating or using a garlic press will give you the maximum benefit. Also, ginger can give you many benefits but more is not always better. An ounce a day should give you all the benefits you will need.
Ginger has been found to be helpful in blocking the harmful effects of prostaglandin, a substance that can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and even cause migraines.
Ginger has been associated with alleviation of the feeling of nausea, even in the case of pregnant women.
The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger make it effective in alleviation of the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Ginger helps to promote warmth in the upper respiratory tract and thus, is quite effective in treating the cold and flu.
Those suffering from cramps, caused by stomach gas have found ginger to be quite effective.
Ginger makes the platelets less sticky and is thus, pretty helpful in case of circulatory disorders.
The cineole content in ginger has been found to be a mood enhancer and can help in relieving stress. (Hmmm…no wonder.)
Ginger is a natural and effective mouth freshener and also aids digestion.
Ginger reduces inflammation and also helps lower cholesterol.
Ginger is good for those suffering from gas and bloating.
Naturally firms and tones skin with moisture retention properties
Ginger is believed to have anti-caner properties.
Ginger has been associated with easing of menstrual cramps and mitigation of headaches and migraines.
Ginger is quite effective in treating diarrhea.
Jane Carter Solution Twist & Lock
This lock cream will help to re-moisturize your locks while adding shine to your hair.
Ingredients: Purified Water, Shea Butter, Kokum Butter, Illippe Butter, Mango Butter, Vtamins A, D, & E, Sweet Orange, Lemongrass, Grapefruit, Palmarosa, Cedarwood, Geranium, Bergamot, Rosemary Essential Oils, Jojoba, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid.
Directions: Apply a small amount to your existing locks or re-growth when re-twisting. Use Condition & Sculpt for additional hold. Finish with Natural Hold Locking Spray.
Jane Carter Hair Nourishing Cream
Natural Butters, Pure Essential Oils, Botanicals, and Vitamins make Hair Nourishing Cream the ultimate hairdress. Its ultra light consistency will not weigh hair down. Use it as a hairdress. It’s great for blow drying natural hair. It will leave hair shiny, soft and bouncy.
Ingredients: Purified Water, Shea Butter, Kokum Butter, Illippe Butter, Mango Butter, Vtamins A, D, & E Orange, Grapefruit, Palmarosa, Cedarwood, Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Bergamot, Rosemary Essential Oils, Jojoba, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid.
Directions: Apply a small amount (size of a dime) to damp or dry hair. Style as desired.
“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
~Hugh Downs
