Growing up, Ayanna Williams never hesitated to try new things.

Fresh Markets
Aug 23, 2017 · 2 min read

She’s always been one to tap into the creative side of her brain, drawing, cooking new recipes, and repurposing vintage items.

Today, Williams still loves the do-it-yourself challenge. She is the founder of Aya’s Natural Treasures, LLC, where she creates artisan vegan bath and body products in small batches. Her products include handmade soaps, body butters, body scrubs and oils.

This is Williams’ fourth season at the Asbury Fresh markets. Her business all started in 2011 during the holiday season when she was on the hunt for gifts for family and friends. After a bad customer experience with the company she originally planned on purchasing bath and body products from, Williams decided to put her wallet away, and put her mind to work.

“That (experience) pushed me to try and make the products on my own,” Williams said. “I also had been wanting to be more health conscious and that landed me into doing some research, and experimenting with raw materials.”

Her friends and family ended up loving her homemade creations — “I kind of surprised myself. That’s how it started in a nutshell.”

All of her products are made inside her workspace at home.

“There is a lot of time and effort that goes into creating each product. A lot of people are becoming more conscious of not only what they’re putting into their bodies, but what they’re putting on their bodies,” Williams said. “(My customers) love the simplicity of my products, the raw materials. There’s nothing too complicated in there.”

Her two most popular scents include her exotic aroma complete with mango, papaya, pomegranate, and pineapple; and her strawberry lemonade aroma. She also has products made with lavender essential oils for those with sensitive skin.

“The aromas — that’s what initially attracts them to the table (at Asbury Fresh). Then once they start to sample the products, they just love how their skin feels.”

Visit ayasnaturaltreasures.com to learn more about her bath and body products.

)

Fresh Markets

Written by

Farmers and Makers Market bringing fresh, local produce and curated, handmade goods to NJ communities. Asbury Fresh|Belmar Fresh

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade