Making Soap from Old Cooking Oil
Friday, 2026/05/01168 words3 minutes149 reads
Lin Ying-ju, a Taiwanese entrepreneur living in Finland, has built a successful business making soap from used cooking oil. Her company, JooSoap Studio, supplies soap to several well-known restaurants, including the Michelin green star restaurant Nolla.
Lin first learned this upcycling technique in Taiwan at the Taichung Maple Eco-School before moving to Finland for graduate studies. When she mentioned this practice in a university class, her classmates showed great interest and asked for a demonstration. This led to the birth of JooSoap Studio in 2011, which became an official company in 2014.
After graduation, Lin faced challenges finding regular employment as an international graduate. However, her soap-making skills opened a different path. She has now conducted over 160 workshops attended by more than 1,000 people over 16 years.
Lin has adapted her approach to fit Finnish culture, where people prefer making only what they need rather than mass production. She recently visited Japan to meet pioneers of this practice and continues to spread environmental awareness through her work.
