Young soap craftsman: Chinese elements make a difference
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 19, 2017
Hu Jing, who majored in psychology, always thought she would be a psychologist, until she came across the craft of handmade soap, and she was attracted immediately. Currently, Hu runs a shop on Taobao, and during the day, she works on polishing these handmade products in her home.
"Initially I was not making soap to earn a living, but out of interest," Hu said, "I first get to know Cold Process in 2006, when I saw handmade soap sold on Taobao. I felt curious and purchased some, and it was fairly good. Afterward, I began to make it myself and replaced all my washing supplies with my own soaps."
Once she had made more than enough for her own home, she decided to send some as gifts to her friends. More people became interested in her handmade soaps, so she decided to start selling her product.
Hu said that most customers are recommended by friends, and most of them have personalized requests. For example, some customers like private orders, they send soaps to their girlfriends during festivals, and a lot of mothers want to make breast-milk soap for their babies, so they purchase some as well.
The inspiration for Hu's soap came from the ancient Chinese poem "A moonlit night on the spring river" by Zhang Ruoxu.
"I think the soap is a mirror of me, which reflects my highs and lows. Sometimes I would wonder whether I am anxious and have no respect or right the attitude to do this, and regarded it as a game rather than work. However, during the course of this process, I found that having a positive mentality helps me create better soaps."
Hu said she could make her living from psychology full time, but now she believes that life is full of changes. Each handmade soap is a representation of herself, and making good products by cherishing and respecting it is in the charm of this creating them.
Pin Zhen is the name of Hu's soups, which means their quality is getting better and better. She invited her friends to design the logo for the soap, and her small shop on Taobao has become popular and some have even replicated her idea.
Hu said the Cold Process was originated from the West, her colleagues spent more time studying the different recipes and manufacturing processes. She has a concept for the next one or two years.
"I want to add some of the more effective ingredients from Chinese Traditional Medicine, and I believe that adopting traditional medicine and production methods will create more bountiful results than the Western process. I hope more Chinese elements will be incorporated into my future products. Including more of these elements will help create more unique products. "
