Read more about one of our corporate sponsors Manos Soap - an organic skin care company based in Arvada, Colorado! We're grateful for their support and love their products. Check them out!
How did Manos Soap get started?
Manos Soap Co. is a fourth-generation business currently owned and operated in part by the original founder's (C. Kay Manos) daughter, Constance Manos, and grandson, F. Robb Caster. Kay started making soap in 1940 in Santorini, Greece with her mother, Anastasia. In 1943, they moved to Brooklyn where they continued their business as housewarming events in the neighborhood and showcased their soap making at mini-festivals.
In 1970, Kay decided to open her own luncheonette called Kay's Luncheonette in Norwalk, CT, and asked her brother George to join (him being a pastry chef). She started making soaps in her store and presented it for sale on the luncheonette counters. Kay original package had no sleeve or packaging and sold "naked" bars in a white dish.
Before Kay passed away in 2002, her daughter, Constance and grandson, Robb whom she was very close to, expressed interest in helping to continue the Manos Soap Co. legacy and brought the company to Arvada in 2019.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work?
There is joy in sharing such an authentic product with the world, and so much fun is had while having fun doing it. Also, it is nice to have a platform to help the local community as much as we can.
What product are you most proud of?
We love the soaps, naturally, since it’s how Manos Soap Co. started and is probably the most fun to make. However, the endless possibilities essential oils and powders bring is a way to be fun and creative throughout all of Manos Soap products. We are also eliminating fragrance oils entirely in our products so it’s as clean as the products can be for everyone.
Manos Family Legacy
As a family from Kay, Anastasia, James, Constance and Robb were all very close and always excelled together to give the best products to the world, from their hearts to your hands. From Kay's mother, Anastasia loved traveling and would get oils from other countries and bring them back to Kay, to make different soaps. And today, Constance and Robb both carry the torch to bring Manos Soap Co. to Arvada, CO while always helping our beloved community.