This delicate part of the production process requires a great degree of skill on the part of the employees in charge of neutralizing the ingredients and making the soap base. Even a small error in this process means that the soap will not be of superior quality.
The type of molding process used depends on the shape of the final product.
We use a number of different cutting methods, depending on the soap.
Freshly cut soap is extremely soft and is easily damaged, requiring extra care in handling. Employees must maintain an extreme level of concentration during this process, keeping their eyes on the soap at all times during cutting.
(Approx. 7-14 days after cutting)
Each of our drying rooms can hold approximately 300,000 bars of soap. The drying room is not simply a room where the soap is left to dry. The air temperature, humidity and airflow are adjusted in accordance with the condition of each individual bar of soap.
If the drying process is not done accurately, the soap quality is instantly lost. In order to achieve the highest quality soap, we dry our soaps slowly and carefully, paying the closest attention to the condition of the soap.
After the soap has dried into shape, it is submerged in lukewarm water to soften the surface. This process is undertaken with many employees working on both sides of the processing line.
The surface of each piece of soap is carefully polished with a towel. The towel is moistened slightly for use in this process. If the towel is too wet or too dry, too much soap is wiped off the surface. The transparency and feel of the final product are also affected if care is not taken during this process.
The cut and dried soap is placed in a press to condense and reshape it. This important process, required only for transparent soap, affects the speed at which the soap gets smaller during use.
The drying process is similar to the drying in Step 5, with even greater care given to the air temperature, humidity and airflow. It is essential to maintain this level of attention during the entire 40 – 50 day drying process.
The soap is once again placed in lukewarm water to soften the surface, which is then polished to a flawless condition. This process is conducted entirely by hand, as machine polishing may end up damaging the surface of the soap.
At the end of the shaping process, soaps are worked into a uniform size and shape. Words and logos are also stamped at this time.
Soap is polished carefully so that the words and designs are not erased. As a result of this process, the soap achieves a remarkable degree of clarity. This delicate job, which not only requires polishing in a way that prevents words and designs from being erased but also to produce shine, is conducted by a small handful of experienced staff members.
During this drying process, the soap is “aged.” This process, conducted at the end of the manufacturing process, results in top-quality soap with a higher degree of transparency.
With our end customers in mind, we conduct a strict inspection to ensure uniform quality, removing bars of soap that are flawed or not of uniform size. Several employees inspect each piece of soap, taking it in hand for a more precise inspection. Only employees who have years of experience and broad product knowledge are able to conduct this inspection.
Each piece of soap, which has been produced in a time- and labor-intensive process over several weeks, is carefully wrapped by hand. Even if the end result looks the same as with automated packaging, we package by hand as a reflection of the high-quality product inside.
The soap, which has been produced over many days through the skill and experience of dozens of employees, is placed in attractive boxes and cases, finally ready to leave the factory.
