Chiang Jung-yuan has been an ad-man and a cultural worker, and is now a soapmaker. But while his career track has changed, his love for his homeland and concern for his society remain at the core of his identity. (photo by Hsueh Chi-kuang)

A bar of soap scented with mugwort from Changhua's Huatan Township and patchouli from Taipei's Jinshan Township made with water from Yangmingshan's mountain springs does more than wash away dirt-it soothes the soul.

"There are mountains all over Taiwan, and those mountains are covered with herbs," says Chiang Jung-yuan. By distilling the best that this land has to offer in a way that "hydrates" the Earth, its herbs, and its people, Chiang has catapulted his Yuan Soap onto the global stage.

L'Occitane, Crabtree & Evelyn, Lush, The Body Shop... The market for personal-care products is awash in more European and American brands than you can shake a loofah at, yet Yuan Soap has managed to carve out a place for itself in just three years with its handmade herbal soaps. On a par with international brands in terms of the price and quality, the company competes on the basis of the purity and freshness of its "homegrown" products.