living healthy- inside and out
Erin Landry, M.S.
Q: What drew you to the art of making beautiful soaps?
A: Truth be told, I never thought I would be making soaps that were appealing to the eye. I wanted each soap to serve a purpose. The artist rose out of me to my surprise. When creating, my scientific background took the forefront and my goal was to help those dealing with skin issues.
Q: What is your artist statement and why do you enjoy creating soaps with healing properties?
A: My artist statement is simply this: “There’s a science behind it.” I say this because though my soaps may appear to be decorative, they actually do contain ingredients with healing properties. I have products for eczema and psoriasis, and products to help strengthen the vasculature that breaks down in rosacea. I have facial bars for oily skin, dry skin, and even combination skin. My latest formulations are for a skin care line for those suffering from Malassezia yeast. My line makes it hard for the yeast to survive and it’s therefore unable to grow in unbalanced proportions.
Q: Do you feel that you are using a spiritual gift?
A: I know this ability is an anointing from above. Prior to making these soaps, I had worked in education for a little over five years. One day, I just knew it was time to make a change. God is the creator, healer, comforter, and holds all things together. My desire is to help heal those who have skin issues. I know this gift came from the Lord because my heart’s desire was to always educate, but now I am also healing the populace. To me, healing comes from divine intervention and I feel God’s guidance while educating myself and by using my hands and tongue in a positive manner.
Q: Tell us about your faith journey. How has the Holy Spirit touched your life?
A: My husband led me to Jesus. I remember kneeling together beside our bed and saying The Sinner’s Prayer. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on my side of the bed. I had fainted as far as I could tell and awoke the next morning. Over the next year, I began to pray and get into The Word. I started following Kellie E. Lane on Facebook. She does Bible study and prayer on a daily basis. I also have a very good girlfriend who has been a prayer warrior for me since the beginning of our friendship in 2012.
With all of this encouragement, I began pressing in, praying, and fasting. But there was suddenly a road block. Nothing was moving. Everything had come to a standstill, a wilderness in a sense. I was invited to a three-day women’s conference at a local church as a vendor. At this point in my life, I was searching for someone to baptize me. I belonged to a church, but there seemed to be so much ceremony involved around their baptisms. They were only done on certain Sundays. Well, as I was sitting in the conference, I heard a church member say in passing, “Our pool stays full.” And a light bulb went off in my head. I pulled the member aside and asked what I had to do to be baptized right then and there. And her answer was simple: “Let’s go call the pastor.”
So, I was baptized on Saturday, February 16, 2018 and with that act of obedience, doors began to open, both in the natural world and the supernatural. The morning of Sunday, February 17, I awoke under a supernatural attack on my physical being. I’d had a sore throat the day before, but this morning I was stricken with fever, no voice, and body aches. Within the next two weeks my temperature remained between 101 and 103 degrees. No doctor was able to pinpoint the cause of my ailments. I was tested for strep, pneumonia and influenza. All tests returned with negative results. It was not until I called on help from my sisters-in-Christ and my own voice returned that I was able to pray and convalesce. This experience made the concept of faith very concrete, almost tangible … it strengthened my relationship with the Lord.
Q: What is your favorite hymn or scripture?
A: It may not be considered a hymn, but my favorite Christian song is Reckless Love. My favorite scripture is found in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20 when King Jehoshaphat was surrounded in battle and the Lord says to him, “Do not be afraid or dismayed by this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” These words bring me great comfort. For any God who will “leave the ninety-nine” to chase after the one, is truly a God to be worshipped and praised. Any God that will take on the enemies of his loyal servants is one who is truly not just good, but great.
Q: What is the name of your business and how can one order your products?
A: My business is Thomas Therapeutics, LLC. No, my last name is not Thomas nor was it my maiden name. I named the company for my maternal grandparents who have passed. My maternal grandmother had a huge hand in raising me and my siblings. Being the first black full-time teacher at Baker High School, she was able to instill in me that we are “made from sterner stock.” I have been sharing my soaps at events like Live After 5 and will continue to research places I should be set up in the fall. My favorite quarterly market is Sugar Plum Market held in the Mall of Louisiana. I also enjoy the markets held in Denham Springs, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Q: What else would you like to share with our readers?
A: I enjoyed educating my classes at the college level but wondered if it were possible to get to students before they had the preconceived notions of being “good in math,” “a bad reader,” or “bad at science.” Ever the scientist, I decided to test my hypothesis and became certified in middle and high school education. I figured if I enjoyed seeing the light bulbs go off in college kids, I would love to see it in 6th to 8th graders! And I was correct. Students would inevitably come to me and say they were bad at math or science, and I would answer, “You’re twelve. You’re not old enough to be ‘bad’ at anything.” Though I am now creating soaps with medicinal properties, I miss the classroom in many ways, but feel this new direction has given me an opportunity to educate.
This journey really took off in 2014-2015 when a friend said to me, “Let’s make soap for Mother’s Day.” My reply was simply, “Who makes soap?” Well, later I discovered … I make soap.
For more information, visit Https://www.sootheurskin.com or on Facebook, go to Thomas Therapeutics/Erin’s Eromatics. On Instagram, see @thomastherapeutics_llc.
Erin Landry, right, with Makeva Armat, Miss Black Louisiana 2018
Landry’s Soaps are artistic and made with natural ingredients
Landry’s booth can be found at many events around southeast Louisiana
Sharon Furrate Bailey grew up in Alexandria, La., and moved to Baton Rouge to attend LSU. She earned a B.A. in English Literature in 1990. She attends Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. Sharon has been in the field of marketing, sales and public relations since 1996. She is a gifted artist and has been a columnist since 2005. She can be reached at sharon@brclm.com.
