SOAPING NEWSSOAPING NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLDNOVEMBER 12, 2021

FEATUREDTHIS WEEK:INTERVIEW WITH HISAKO, CHAIRMAN OF
THE JAPAN DESIGN SOAP ASSOCIATION

Japan Design Soap AssociationInstagram
YouTubeTikTokHISAKO
By Eva Gomez
Hisako is a soap maker from Japan, who is the founder and the chairman of JDSA (Japan Design Soap
Association). She is active in Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. She makes amazing designS with transparent and CPsoap. We are very happy to welcome Hisako as our guest today.

SOAPING NEWS / PICTURES COPYRIGHT HISAKO, JDSA

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Hisako, when did you start making soap?

often teaching online since the Covid-19 pandemic. So I have

My first soap making was almost 10 years ago whenso many opportunities to meet new students all over the Japan.

I gave birth to my first son. During my pregnancy, I

I’m always thinking about my students, especially for beginners

read a lot of books about what is the best productand kids how should I teach them with so much fun. I’d like tofor babies. Natural products, aromatherapy andbaby’s food.....There are so many things what I wasinterested in. Among these, the most interesting
thing was the aromatherapy and I realized that thearomatherapy can be used for soap making. I
never knew about soap making until that time.
Actually, my first son had sensitive skin and hadsome troubles on his skin. So I decided to try to
make my first soap for my son. My first batch was
liquid soap using potassium hydroxide.

encourage more people to have a pleasant life through mysoaps.

You are the founder of the Japan Design Soap Association(JDSA). What is the JDSA?
I’ve started JDSA as a founder in 2017. Until then, I’ve worked
as an individual instructor and I encouraged my students to geta certificate of soap making through my lessons. Thecertificate that I set up in 2015 was really popular and I
decided to make my own association to expand my works.
The reason for setting up JDSA is very simple. This association

Since then I’ve been into soap making and I’ve

is intended for women who want to work after being moms. Inbeen learning and making Cold Process soap andJapan, there are so many women who are struggling to keep

M&P soap.

working or lose their jobs after having children. It is difficult tofind the nursery, it is not easy to get a nanny (we don’t have

Do you sell your own soaps in Japan or are youa soap instructor?

nanny culture!) … etc. Honestly, I was also the woman who
quitted her job after having a first baby. By that time, I wasActually, soaps that are made by individuals areworking in a company as an office employee. That's why I

restricted by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.

wanted to support women and provide them with opportunities

For example, we have to register the place where
we make soaps, and have to be inspected whether
the place is appropriate or not. The law is very
complicated and not easy for my business. But
sometimes I can sell my soaps only through OEM.
Therefore, I focus on teaching and sharing myknowledge about soap making. Face-to-faceto get involved.

You are a certified JDSA instructor. What is the advantageof having a JDSA certification in Japan? Can your courses
be taken by people outside from Japan?
I’ll explain about the advantage. There are so many kinds ofcertifications that including Gemstone soap, Popsicle
soap...etc. Once you get our certification, you can teach theclasses, online classes and workshops...I’ve been

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same course at your classroom. And you can also givealso available, so if you are interested, please visit ourcourses to those who wish to become instructors. Of

website! Today, the international order is getting

course, anyone living abroad is welcome to take ourmore, it’s our first experience to send our materials tocourses, if you can prepare an interpreter. We also haveoversea. We’re glad to see you through our online

some instructors who are English speakers. So please feelshop.

free to ask us, if you want to take our courses.

In your social media, we can see that the most part ofsoaps you made are transparent. You make fantastic
aminoacid soaps. What is an aminoacid soap? How isit made?

You are also a regular member of the Soap
Challenge Club of Amy Warden. Which is thetechnique that you learnt there that you like themost? Why?
My favorite techniques are about the transparent soap

Amino acid soap has two characteristics. The first, the pH(Sep/2021),the soap dough and the soap frosting.The

level is mild acidity. As you know our skin pH level is also

Soap Challenge Club always gives me great

mild acidity (pH4.5-6.0). Therefore, the soap is very gentle

opportunities that interact with so many Soapmakers

on the skin.

all over the world. In addition, not only learning about

The second, this soap is the most transparent soap among

new techniques or designs, but also I can always

others. It‘s very transparent like crystal.

challenge myself. I believe the most important thing is

Actually, It took almost a year to achieve this recipe. It

keep challenging.

was not easy to make this recipe.

easy...I’ve ordered some ingredients from overseas andYou have also tried CP soap. What is better for theskin CP soap or transparent soap?

I’ve done the soap making again and again, so it took long

Honestly, both soaps are good for the skin. But I thinktime to make it this soap base. But as a result, I was ableamino acid soap is better on skin than CP soap. Ofto achieve the complete recipe of amino acid soap.

course, CP soap is known as a good skin care soap

Now, the soap base is on sale through our online shop.

anywhere in the world that made by natural

We’re also sharing the recipe HOW TO MAKE AMINO ACID

ingredients. This is good for the skin and good

SOAP as a complete guide lesson. The English version iscleanser for skin.

The transparency, the ingredients and how to make it

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However, amino acid soap is similar to the pH of thesoap making technique in my YouTube channel. I’mhuman skin. And the fundamental amino acids are natural

always thinking about how should I create new

moisturizing factors for skin. This is why the texture oftechnique that everyone can use it and make it easy.

amino acid soap is rich in hydration and mild.

Apart from making soap, what do you do in yourfree time?

I love your TikTok and YouTube videos, how did youcome up to the idea of making your own channel?

In my free time, I like reading some books or listen to

Thank you for watching my social media!

music for relax. Art books, Cookbooks, Business books

I’m always trying to look for trends, not just the soap

such as marketing or website... I think reading a bookmarket. I think it's very important for me to keep my eyes

inspired me a great deal.

open and be interested in others for what they want or

And I have 3 kids (all boys!), so I spend time withlike. And then, I try to put them into my soap world.

drawing, coloring or art crafting with my kids. Actually,

I come up with my idea from the trends, foods and shops

I often come up with new ideas when I spend time(such as a dollar store). Because these are familiar towith my kids. Because the kids have a great.

everyone. But I don’t forget to put my originality into them

imagination that sometimes we (adults) can’t get inour brains. So I want to say thank you for my 3 boys

What is your favorite soap making technique andwhy?

giving me amazing inspiration!
I’d like people to be happy through my soap making,This is a good question! It’s not easy to choose only one

so I try not to forget the moments when I feeltechnique. Since I’ve started to make gemstone soaps, I

happiness in my free time. Feeling happiness is thelove to try to create transparency in gemstone soaps.

most beautiful time in our life, and I’d like to keep thisBecause once the soap gets a really good transparency, I

beautiful moment and I’d love to create the moments

feel like I can make real gemstones. To create

in my soap making.

transparency, I’m using so many techniques such asmaking marble or assembling parts. I’m sharing almost mySOAPING NEWS / PICTURES COPYRIGHT HISAKO, JDSA

Thanks so much Hisako!

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SOAPING NEWS / PICTURES COPYRIGHT HISAKO, JDSANOVEMBER 12, 2021

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