Maxine Clarke is the author of "Make Your Own Natural Soaps: All Vegetable Herbal Recipes" and owner of Caribbean Paradise - a successful soap-making business. Maxine learned to make soap from her grandmother when living in Jamaica as a child. Her grandmother taught her the enormous benefits of using natural ingredients over synthetic chemicals that can be harmful to your skin. Maxine used this new understanding to earn money, by selling her creations to friends and neighbours in Jamaica during a time where soap was in short supply. She has been making all-natural soap products ever since. In the mid-80s she moved to London, where she worked her way up in business as a Human Resource Manager. Alongside the pressures of city life, she continued to use soap-making as a relaxing hobby. After a life-changing event, she decided to change pace of life and pursue soap-making as professional career. She now runs her own soap-making company Caribbean Paradise, specialising in natural artisan soaps and body care. Her business took off and led to her writing a guide to soap-making, as well as teaching the beautiful art of soap-making, because she is passionate about now sharing this skill with others.