Gemstones and crystals made by Kazumi Kinoshita can be cut into any shape she likes and tinted with her favorite colors. This is because they are made of soap. They glitter just like authentic crystals or gemstones but can also be used to wash hands.
"Gemstone soap is cool as you can make them into your favorite design and color," said the soap designer who offers workshops at her retail studio, Aromatica Labo, in Tsubame, Niigata Prefecture. "Even beginners can shape them easily by referring to real gems and ores."
Kinoshita said she puts them in a cloth bag or gift box as a present for her friends or a wedding gift.
MP or glycerin soap base is the material that is used for the soaps, and it can be purchased at cosmetics stores and specialty aromatherapy stores.
To make the soaps, Kinoshita first warms the soap base in a heat-resistant container in a microwave, and then she pours it into a paper cup. After that, she adds a dye to the base to color it, then cools it down before removing it from the cup and cutting the bar with a knife to make a desirable shape.
Cutting the bar into many facets can cause it to glitter and look like a gemstone -- with the most popular line being the soaps that look like birthstones, such as emeralds or sapphires.
The art becomes more expressive when multiple colors are used to represent marble patterns, gradients, layers and so on.
"If you design one that looks like ores with impurities, it would have the appearance of a natural mineral and be attractive," Kinoshita said.
One of the features of Kinoshita's work is transparent soap. When wrapped in plastic wrap at the finishing stage, the soap projects a transparent feel.
Trial and error
Kinoshita has been making gemstone and crystal soaps through trial and error for about 10 years.
She introduced her work on her blog and on Instagram, which started receiving a lot of positive feedback from three or four years ago, mainly from young women.
In 2015, she won the top prize in a handmade soap contest sponsored by the Handmade Soap Association. She now holds classes not only throughout Japan but also overseas and has written a textbook on handmade gemstone soap.
To showcase the soap art, she recommends using a stand-up mineral display case. Bars with complex shapes can be placed in dome-shaped display cases, as they can easily deteriorate with dust or become damp if not sealed well.
It is fun to actually use them as soap, too.
"They shine and become more transparent when touched with water. It's fun to see them changing shape, becoming rounder and smaller as you use them," she said.
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