Creative Capital: The Singaporean who elevates soap to bathroom art
My wife has a preponderance for handcrafted dwelling products, soap included. She loves gorgeously packaged soaps and would place them in our guest bathroom but never in the chief bathroom. They were meant to be used past friends and visitors – I was non worthy of using them.
Recently, I saw an Instagram mail that defenseless my heart. It was of some gorgeous stones with a translucency and a kaleidoscope of colours that, while cute, I couldn't imagine occurring naturally. Reading the caption and clicking onto the account, Saltwater Atelier, I chop-chop discovered that what I thought were fantastical gems were really locally made, handcrafted soaps.
Saltwater Atelier was started two years agone past 28-year-old female parent of three Miya Chong. Since discovering handmade lather and starting her business organisation, she has been on a #rethinksoap mission. The kind of soap we choose, she told me, plays a meaning part in sustainability.
I just hope that my wife, if and when she becomes a patron, allows me to apply the soaps – and doesn't tell me they're only for her and our guests.
TELL U.s.a. ABOUT WHAT Yous DID BEFORE SALTWATER ATELIER.
Growing upward in a unmarried-parent household with a younger blood brother and my mum as the sole breadwinner, we had to live frugally and were constantly on the move. I went to 4 dissimilar primary schools. Grades were not our priority; getting by was.
I accept always been curious and artistically inclined but considering I could not afford to go to an fine art schoolhouse to pursue my passion, I decided to have a break from studying after finishing secondary schoolhouse. I needed to exercise something that not only fabricated money but besides interested me.
My passions at the time were beauty, art and travel. So, I took up jobs as a beauty consultant, smash artist and a travel consultant. Later, I obtained a diploma in tourism, and a degree in marketing and business management.
I at present work for a United states of america prowl visitor as a business organisation evolution executive handling the Southeast Asia markets. Saltwater Atelier is a side concern.
HOW DID You Outset Become INTO SOAP MAKING AND WHAT Fabricated YOU Call back IT COULD BE More THAN But A HOBBY?
I stumbled upon the craft when I was on a business trip in Malaysia. Handcrafted products are popular at that place. I walked past a shop that sold handcrafted soaps and was immediately intrigued by the complication of the craft. I did my inquiry and started experimenting when I got back to Singapore.
I set up an Instagram business relationship to document and share my work with people. Only two months later on, I started to receive emails inquiring about wholesale opportunities, events and workshops. My products were non ready then then I had to turn them down. But that was when I realised that I could actually get-go selling my craft.
WAS STARTING SALTWATER ATELIER Like shooting fish in a barrel OR Hard?
Considering Saltwater Atelier started out equally a hobby before turning into a business, the transition was pretty gradual. What hasn't been easy is convincing consumers about the benefits of bar soaps, and that not all bar soaps are bad. I recall information technology will be an ongoing challenge to educate customers about the differences between soaps that are bachelor in the market.
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SPEAKING OF SOAP DIFFERENCES, WHY SHOULD CONSUMERS CHOOSE HANDMADE BAR SOAP OVER OTHERS?
Commercial bar soaps have a bad reputation for leaving your peel dehydrated and rubbery due to the high pH levels and synthetic surfactants used. And it's not merely bar soaps; liquid soaps are besides mass produced with chemicals.
On the other hand, handcrafted bar soaps are thoughtfully fabricated in small batches. They emphasise the benefits of oils, clays and botanicals, and are aged for a skillful 42 days, or even upwardly to a year, before beingness sold.
Bar soap is also better for the planet. The carbon footprint of bar soap is 25-per-cent less than that of liquid soap. On a typical wash, we use nearly seven times more liquid soap (ii.3g) than bar lather (0.35g). Bar lather also requires less free energy when it comes to packaging and disposal.
All in all, bar soaps are a labour of beloved for health, wellbeing and eco-sustainable living. They are a course of fine art with a purpose.
TELL Us MORE Well-nigh THE Process OF MAKING SOAP. HOW DO YOU Practise IT?
There are a few types of lather-making techniques, such as cold process, hot process and melt-and-cascade. Depending on the blueprint that y'all are going for, unlike techniques will create different furnishings. For instance, hot process and melt-and-cascade volition give you a burnished, crystal effect as compared to the flossy, rustic feel of cold process.
After deciding on the technique, I conceptualise the design and select the ingredients. Dissimilar techniques with different ingredients have different drying times. This could range from four to 48 hours. For case, common cold processed soap has to be dried for 48 hours, and left on the rack for 42 days to cure earlier it tin can exist sold.
SOME OF YOUR SOAPS Accept ACTUAL CRYSTALS IN THEM. WHY?
I have e'er been fascinated by the pristine-ness of crystals and colour transitions in fluid art. My designs are very much based on these two concepts, with no two bars looking the same.
My new collection, The Reiki Bars, take actual crystals embedded in them to encourage a more holistic bath experience. The crystals have unique vibrational backdrop that assistance users to gather a fresh, new perspective on everyday life. And after finishing the bar, you become to keep a slice of pretty crystal.
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YOUR SOAPS ARE GORGEOUS. HOW IMPORTANT ARE DESIGN AND AESTHETICS IN HELPING You lot STAND OUT?
Thank you lot very much. Nosotros are all visual creatures and I feel that the first approach to reviving a dying art form is to garner attention through blueprint. After that, it becomes easier to convey the message beyond.
Lather making is a combination of both art and science, then aside from the aesthetics, the choice of ingredients is also an important factor. Consumers are now shopping consciously and ethically, therefore, it is crucial that the ingredients in my products are natural and sustainably sourced while withal looking like a coveted piece of dwelling decor.
Handcrafted bar soaps are a labour of love for wellness, wellbeing and eco-sustainable living. They are a form of art with a purpose.
You lot As well MAKE DRY OILS. ARE THEY A NATURAL PROGRESSION FROM SOAP?
Yes, they are. Moisturising is non only for winter or common cold environments but as well crucial in our tropical weather when your pare loses a lot of moisture. I've formulated a lightweight, quick-absorbing dry oil that is suitable for the face, body, hair, nails and fifty-fifty beards. It leaves a silky and hydrated terminate, and you tin employ information technology throughout the day, regardless of the climate.
I make it with v nourishing oils – sweet almond, apricot kernel, sunflower, coconut, natural Vitamin Due east – and naught synthetic chemicals. It is suitable for all skin types, even children and significant women.
WHICH GIVES YOU BETTER SUCCESS: RETAILING Prepare-MADE PRODUCTS OR COMMISSIONS?
Since starting Saltwater Atelier in 2017, I've had my 2nd child in 2018 and my third i the following year. Then, I've just just been able to launch my second retail drove this September. To engagement, I would say the majority of my work has been from commissions.
My short-term goal is to expand my product line and to attain out to more people. But my long-term goal is to hopefully import an assortment of soap-crafting materials, and then that I can teach and share this magical alchemy with people who are interested.
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HOW Practise Yous JUGGLE MOTHERHOOD, A Full-Time JOB AND A SIDE Concern?
Being a mother is piece of cake but to be a expert female parent is tough. I used to spend a lot of my time worrying and fretting over little things, but my children accept since taught me to deadening down and worry less. I gradually learned the importance of planning ahead and scheduling but likewise being flexible when issues arise. Almost importantly, you lot need to be genuinely present in the moment.
WHO AND WHAT INSPIRE YOU?
This is a tough 1. Being always on the move – since young and at present, a mean solar day job that lets me travel a lot – has given me the opportunity to come across people from all walks of life. I think that is where I get my inspiration from for both art and business organization.
What I have learnt throughout my journey is that the about of import source of inspiration is self-love. Cocky-honey creates inspiration from within, and that has allowed me to connect everything I practise to my values.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/miya-chong-saltwater-atelier-handcrafted-soap-creative-capital-234251
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