Did you hear that one of our favorite teachers and ESL specialist is ALL WASHED UP??? Mrs. Amanda Maraz wanted her family to have a more positive impact on the planet, so she tapped into her education and childhood experiences. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, and grew up watching her mother and aunt make homemade soaps. The inspiration for improving the carbon footprint of her family became as clear as a soap bubble. 

A recent Forbes Magazine article reported that humans use up to 1 million plastic bottles per minute. Even more staggering, they state that 91% of those bottles are not recycled. If we continue this behavior at the same pace of growth, by the year 2050, there will be more plastic by weight in the ocean then there are fish. 

Mrs. Maraz began making homemade soaps and shampoos from scratch not only to conserve and minimize waste, but also to guarantee she was using all natural products. Her soaps are made up of 100% pure ingredients including coconut, shea, beeswax, and therapeutic grade essential oils. Most recently, she started making goat milk soap with raw goat milk that she picks up from a local farm. 

This fun hobby allowed Mrs. Maraz to pursue sustainability by finding a way to reduce plastic waste in her own family. Like she teaches her students when learning English, breaking it down into steps and celebrating, even the small achievements will help you stick with a practice. It’s the same with saving our planet! Because of her background in Biology, Mrs. Maraz understands the comprehensive network that connects the health of our body and the health of our environment. Combine this with her witnessing homemade soap being created as a child, and you get a great idea bubbling! 

Mrs. Maraz has converted her family over to these environmentally safe and healthy products. She also introduced the products to the public by selling them at craft and neighborhood fairs. By making her soap (and bars of shampoo!), Mrs. Maraz no longer needs to buy those big plastic bottles of body wash and shampoo. In addition, her family is using clean products without lots of added chemicals, colors and fragrances. If you want to learn more about what goes into the creation of Mrs. Maraz’s soap, visit her website at www.livinghandssoap.com.