PSA: Eugene Locals Develop Effective Herbal Remedy for Poison Oak/Ivy

Online, May 2, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Contact:
Leni Bader, Media Relations
540-250-9174
Jimmy Keskimaki and Dana Bader, Owners and Creators
1-877-999-1360 [email protected]
Visit: http://www.antiitchy.com

**Photographs Available Upon Request

Eugene, Oregon locals James Keskimaki and Dana Bader are sending out their herbal poison oak/ ivy spray, Anti-Itchy, for Spring.

"I have been giving away/selling my poison oak spray casually to friends and at festivals and barter fairs for about 10 years," says James (known as Jimy to friends and family). "People seemed to love this stuff [Anti-Itchy]. I've had people I don't even recognize approach me and ask for more - people who bought a bottle from me years earlier and didn't know how to get more." James is a graduate of the California School of Herbal Studies. He also attended the California College of Ayurveda where he met Dana, his partner in life and in business. Together, Dana and Jimy dove into the business world and started Ojas Naturals.

"That's our company name, our products are known as Anti-Itchy," says Dana, "We started out with Jimy's poison oak spray and things took off from there. I think because we called it Anti-Itchy, people used it for all kinds of things, not just poison oak/ivy." Dana and Jimy started getting testimonials from people with an array of itchy conditions like eczema, psoriasis, bug bites, rashes, hives, athlete's foot-- even people using it on their itchy dogs. The testimonials arrived as phone calls, letters and emails from people who had purchased Anti-Itchy at a store and used the product.

Friends' and customers' feedback contributed to Ojas Naturals' evolution. When Dana and Jimy started out, they began as a completely local business. "Eugene has a lot of small markets and health food stores that are supportive of local businesses so we were able to get our products in numerous Eugene stores right away. But when we ventured out of town, things were a little different. I didn't know much about business and I had a lot of things to learn. It was a customer who had purchased some Anti-Itchy at a local Eugene store that motivated them to expand. Dana tells about a call from Mike. "Our very first testimonial was pretty amazing, a local who had used the product was so pleased, he raved until the voice mail timed out. He called back again and continued praising Anti-Itchy. At the end of the message he said, 'Thank you for saving my life.' " It was Mike and others who followed that helped Dana and Jimy to create the full Anti-Itchy line, currently carried in more than 250 stores nationwide and expanding daily. "We are getting multiple reorders from both small and large stores all across the country. It's an exciting time." says Dana.

Dana and Jimy developed new formulas based on the original, with modifications for the various conditions customers had been treating with Anti-Itchy for Oak/Ivy. They now have Anti-Itchy EczemAway & Psoria Bye-Bye, Anti-Itchy Foot Spray and Anti-Itchy for Dogs. Dana and Jimy make everything in small batches by hand, including their own extracts. One of their key ingredients in the Poison Oak/Ivy formula is Mugwort which is extracted into Apple Cider Vinegar. "Our EczemAway and Psoria Bye Bye don't have any mugwort extracted into the Apple Cider Vinegar, that is specific for Poison Oak/Ivy. Technically, you could spray Anti-Itchy on your skin where you just brushed up against some poison oak/ivy and may be able to prevent a really bad rash." Hikers can find a pocket size Anti-Itchy poison oak/ivy now.

All of the herbs used in their products are organic or ethically wildharvested. Their signature blends contain herbal extracts along with solid dead sea salts and menthol crystals dissolved into unique oils. "My favorite oil is rosehip seed oil. It is very high in antioxidants like Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Your skin drinks it up. Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil is probably second on my list of favorites. It is a beautiful dark orange color and has what is known as Omega 7 fatty acids which are specific for healing the skin and mucous membranes."

Dana and Jimy assure that every formulation is effective by giving products to "product testers" who use the formula and provide feedback. "Sometimes we get great feedback and sometimes we are able to pinpoint what we need to change to improve the product before we actually put it on the market." Ingrid Hanson was a product tester for the dog formula. She used it on her English sheep dog, Baxter, who had been chewing on his flea-ridden leg for about two weeks. It was red and inflamed, "I used Anti-Itchy and it worked literally overnight!"

Alito Alessi, another product tester, is a hiker, dancer and long-distance runner who has had reoccurring athlete's foot for years. "I've used other treatments that took the athlete's foot away for short periods of time. I used her [Dana's] stuff and it goes away for longer periods of time. At some point it still comes back, but then I use a little, and it stays away for a long time."

Dana and Jimy find themselves working all the time now. "We were just a family business and got a lot of help and support from friends, but we are growing fast. We have just hired a couple of people. It's amazing how much there is to do." As a small company they offer a carefully catered product coupled with attentive customer service. For their wholesale accounts they provide all marketing materials (designed by Dana!) and have an "inventory check" program so the stores don't have to watch the product stock on the shelves. "Its things like this that set us apart from other companies - that and we have some pretty cool stuff."

You can read more about Jimy and Dana and their product line at http://www.antiitchy.com.

Ojas Naturals are consciously created organic herbal skin care products you can trust.

*The information provided herein is not intended to supplement or replace professional medical care provided by your physician. Results vary. Information contained on this web site is not intended nor implied to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Contact your doctor immediately if you think you have a medical emergency or medical condition which may require professional diagnosis or treatment.