Kho shares benefits of using handmade soap
MIRI: When Kho Yian Yian’s eldest child was a toddler, he developed a skin condition called eczema that was quite severe, seriously affecting his daily routine.
Not only did she have to be careful in choosing skin products for daily use, clothing fabric, shoes and skin protection for outdoors had to be taken into account, as one careless incident like a bug bite could cause itchiness and bleeding that often left a mark on his clothes.
Out of desperation and endless non- effective medication, Kho looked online in search of a remedy for her child’s eczema problem, and she found handmade soap.
“I was puzzled how handmade soap could be used to reduce eczema but I knew if I didn’t try I might not be able to find the solution,” Kho told The Borneo Post in an interview.
Kho said her husband and child had similar skin conditions due to genetic inheritance, and they responded well to the ointment, prompting her to produce her own soap.
In the beginning, Kho followed the recipe she found on the Internet, and two months later she produced her first batch of soap, which was put to use.
Miraculously, her child responded well to the soap, leading Kho to realise that handmade soap, if made the right way and with the right ingredients, could be hugely beneficial to the body and skin besides being very therapeutic.
Since then, her passion for handmade soap grew and she decided to enrol herself in a soapmaking class for proper lessons.
However, there wasn’t any proper class in Miri but she managed to seek help from a teacher from Peninsular Malaysia after much trouble.
But she did not learn much due to time limitations, and she was merely guided through video conference.
Kho then sought help from a well- experienced soap-making teacher from Taiwan whom she met by chance.
“I was thankful to be able to meet this teacher, not only because of her willingness to share her knowledge but she also attended to my endless inquiries.” Different types of soaps
According to Kho, the methodology for handmade soap is often thought to be easy and people tend to ignore its vast benefits.
“The truth is, there are many, many different types of soap with a variety of ingredients. It depends on the maker andwhat ingredients are used for.
“For body soap, I chose to invest more on organic ingredients such as olive oil, coconut oil, essential oils namely chamomi le oil, lavender, lemon , orange, petit grain, and peppermint whilst other vital ingredients like glycerine and sodium hydroxide or lye are part of the handmade soap recipe.
“Glycerine is an essential part of soap making. It is a precious emollient that softens and maintains water balance by attracting moi s t u r e to skin. The best part of it is that the longer the soap is left to dry (after formed), after the moisture from the soap has dried up, the glycerine content will become concentrated. From my experience, glycerine tends to create smooth and moisturised skin as it draws water from the environment.
“For other ingredients like colouring and essential oil extracts, I would use those containing natural minerals specially ordered from Taiwan. Of course, the price would be slightly higher but with a large volume it can be used for many batches,” said Kho.
She said soaps are basically divided into two types – household soap and body/shower soap.
“For household soaps, I basically use recycled cooking oil, along with coconut oil and orange oil.
“The used cooking oil is normally palm oil. This type of oil basically has no effect when made into soap. Thus, orange oil and sodium hydroxide ( lye) have to be added to the cooking oil. Lye reacts with the oil through a chemical process called saponification and the en d r e sul t is soap that
I was puzzled how handmade soap could be used to reduce eczema but I knew if I didn’t try I might not be able to find the solution. Kho Yian Yian
provides a good cleaning effect.”
Showing off the household soaps she has made, Kho said though they look ordinary, they could help wash off yellow spots on clothes and shoe dirt.
Kho no longer uses regular detergent to wash laundry as she produces her own washing powder from her household soap by grounding it into fine powder which must be filtered several times to make sure that it can dissolve in water without leaving any residue on clothes. Sharing is caring
Kho managed to establish a partnership with two soap enthusiasts Lisa Wong and Daphne Chan. The trio went on to open classes offering lessons to interested individuals wishing to learn about handmade soaps.
“We only charge a minimum fee for our lessons, just enough to cover learning materials. These materials will be brought back by students for their own usage. Our main intention is to share our knowledge on handmade soap and how you can make a difference in your daily routine and more importantly, health,” Kho said, adding that her lessons are conducted at her home.
Kho said her students are of two types – those who personally or with family members have skin conditions and those wanting to learn about soap making. Kho uses the cold process in making soap, explaining the method helps preserve the ingredients’ vitamins and nutrients. “At times, I would use natural ingredients like breast milk, Calendula infused in sweet almond oil, and alkanate roots or gromwell roots infused in extra virgin olive oil. These essential oils contain the antioxidants that are very useful to your skin. If I use hot process, there is high possibility that it could damage the nutrients.” Correct way to use soap
“I often share with my students that the foundation for making soap is quality. No matter what materials you want to use, make sure that you are willing to use the end product.”
Kho also advised on the correct way to use soap, such as by using a good soap dish and not soaking it in water for too long.
Kho suggests that the product be kept in a dry place with low humidity for it to function better on the skin.
“It is important to make sure that you choose the correct ingredients and flavours that suit your skin and health.
“I was told by many of my students that handmade soap has not only improved their skin, it also relieved them of itchiness, dryness and skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne.”