Flying for work was something we never knew could happen to us one day.
Receiving an invitation to conduct a soap workshop at Four Seasons Resort Langkawi came as a much-needed surprise. Although we weren't burnt out or anything like that, we were feeling slightly less motivated lately. Maybe a work vacation wouldn't be such a bad idea?
Despite the logistical hiccups leading up to the workshop (transporting ingredients, tools, and equipment via flight works a little differently), everything eventually turned out well on the day of our arrival.
The reception made us feel tremendously welcomed, and we didn't need to carry our bags (think porters) or even walk to our rooms (think buggy).
This body soap workshop session was carried out in one of Four Season's indoor venues near a restaurant overlooking the beach and the ocean, come to think of it, none of their restaurants were not overlooking the beach or the ocean.
Sustainability hits differently in Four Seasons Resort Langkawi. It was impossible to find a single-use plastic bottle in the resort, trash bins came with no plastic bags, napkins were used to replace tissue papers, shower gels came in ceramic bottles, and nothing much there allowed for disposal after every use.
Saying that we were constantly in awe of their efforts is an understatement, and that was one of the reasons why we wanted to come here and see things for ourselves in the first place. Ultimately, we were the ones to return home learning more things than when we first arrived.
Like any other workshop, the soap workshop started off with a funny encounter Anna had at the resort reception thanks to the five-star service. We then delved into the theoretical part of the workshop, this time with slides to better illustrate what we were saying.
After the demo, the participants returned to their tables and started measuring the ingredients and making their lye solution. One participant already had a very unique idea on how he would incorporate surplus broccoli juice into his soap, and on the spot, the kitchen prepared the broccoli juice for us and we taught him how and when to add the broccoli juice to the soap.
Another participant tried a swirled chocolate top to imitate marble cake, and the end result was a very tasty-looking, moist-marble-cake-topped soap.
Both participants were taught to incorporate the surplus flour, which was sifted out during the process of making heirloom rice, donated by LANGIT Collective, to further incorporate the concept of sustainability in soap making.
The participants had fun crafting the soaps and planning out their designs, a process which they enjoyed very much.
Soap cutting took place the next day, where the participants gathered after the breakfast buffet. The cutting was done with a soap cutter we brought to Langkawi, and Four Seasons Resort Langkawi's stamp was used to emboss the surface of the soap to add branding.
We further linked the session with the introduction of sustainable packaging and how they could package the soaps.
The experience of conducting a soap workshop at Four Seasons Resort Langkawi was a pleasant one, and we went home recharged and ready to tackle whatever throws at us next! If you prefer to watch the video instead, check out this Instagram video here.