PMQ Corner #14

Keep It Simple

Bathe to Basic – Home Store

Written by Kit Chan
Translated by Venus Purnama
Photos by Kit Chan

It all started with an unbearable itch. For those who suffer from skin allergies, we can all learn something from what Edmund did. Rather than scratching, mourning, and seeing his doctor, he simply said goodbye to all his chemical skincare products.

“Those liquid soap were way too smooth, you could never rinse them thoroughly.” Meanwhile one of his friends just learnt soapmaking, so he thought: maybe I can do it too.

His allergy become much better as a result, and his second career took off from that, founding his own skincare brand with some friends five years ago, selling handmade soap, shampoo, and face cleansing products, made with all natural ingredients like ginger, chamomile and black sesame. All products are free from allergy-inducing chemicals and filled with fun - try the Chinese New Year pomelo soap to wash away your bad luck !

Last year they opened their very first shop, selling not only skincare products, but also local honey, air purifying plants, and natural candles, taking care of all your needs.

Nevertheless, Edmund does not regard himself as an environmentalist, “I am just doing this for myself, looking for products I would use, while offering them as an alternative to others.”

However he does know a lot about soap, especially the devil within.

However he does know a lot about soap, especially the devil within: when vegetable oil is mixed with alkaline water and saponified as soap, it releases good natural glycerin - hydrating, cleansing, and moisturizing our skin.

“But since glycerin is so precious, factories would extract it from the soap and sell it apart to make more money,” he explained.

Even an everyday toothbrush is worth thinking twice.

With more than 4.7 billion plastic toothbrushes dumped to the ocean and landfill sites every year, overwhelming the earth, would it make a change if they were made by decomposable bamboo instead?

Edmund hopes that his shop would be a wake up call to others: every consumption and decision made affects yourself and affects the world. Natural products that look new to us, were simply daily products from the good old days before science and technology took over.

Sometimes, we go forward by staying one step behind, keeping things simple - the earth belongs to everyone, and we reap what we sow, together.

地址:Bathe to Basic – Home Store, S403, 4/F, Staunton, PMQ

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