Maria Benita making lip balm in her home in the village of San Miguel Escobar

Maria Benita Cosmetics™
Maria Benita Salazar recently participated in a cultural exchange with students from the United States.  Each person on the tour introduced themselves by saying their name and something they liked to do. Amidst all the sports and recreactional activities, Maria's hobby stood out: she liked to work. And work she does. Most days, Maria Benita wakes before sunrise to tend to the family household, then studies all afternoon.

As Green As It Gets™ noticed Maria Benita's work ethic and identifed her as a future success story. We recently partnered with the industrious young lady to support her in her new business venture: cosmetics made from all natural by-products of As Green As It Gets programs.

Our programs yield fantastic secondary products. Cultivation of coffee yields castor oil extracted from coffee-shade plants.  Production of biodiesel yields vegetable glycerin.  Working on fault lines and volcanoes means finding natural deposits of talc and pumice.  Pollinating bees make beeswax.  When making cocoa powder, we are left with cocoa butter. These are the magical ingredients in many skin and haircare products.

Maria Benita has been hard at work making lip balm from these natural products. Soon she'll be expanding into other skin and haircare products. She's also planting luffah sponges to expand her product line.