Growing up in a house of five sisters sounds like it would be pretty awesome. Imagine slumber parties every night, someone always to chat with and an endless supply of clothing options to rummage through for dressing up. A girly dream! The Tactacan sisters’ story is exactly that plus more. Their personal stories include taking their sisterly bond to the next level — working with the family business and diversifying into other ventures.
The Tactacan ladies’ great-grandfather started a shoe business in Marikina after a trip to Germany and was touted as a major pioneer in the local shoe industry. The shoe factory remained in the family for over 35 years and brought each Tactacan daughter through their rite of passage. Summers for the Tactacans as young girls were spent at the shoe factory located right next to their house to help out their parents who would eventually hand over the reigns to them. Simple duties like cleaning shoes instilled a sense of hard work and business at an early age and the learning curve continued on. Upon graduation, each daughter worked for the business with designated responsibilities. Though the shoes were manufactured at the Marikina factory, most of the shoe’s components (and there are many more than one would think of) were imported from abroad. Each daughter was assigned a separate component, from soles to shoe nails to laces to source. The Tactacan girls would travel the globe on the hunt for the newest components, and Vicky and Dina spent so much time in Hong Kong, it practically became their second home.
Being so entrenched in the shoe business also permitted for the ladies to exercise their creative skills and they began designing their own creations. This meant they would also cruise the world’s markets for shoe design inspiration. Always on the lookout for hip designs, the girls honed their research and development skills.
There were other tasks to perform since the shoe factory was a serious business. The eldest, Vicky Tactacan-Espiritu, helped out in the factory right after she completed her degree in economics while Dina Tactacan-Castro had a stint at the Department of Labor before heading over to the family business. Third daughter Tetet Tactacan was involved with handling raw materials like leather while Doyee Tactacan-Tumpalan took a course in Italy for shoemaking then came back to handle manufacturing. Youngest daughter Julie Tactacan-Defensor had a stretch of time spent at the factory but went on to marry politician Mike Defensor.
The business thrived especially in the late 1980s to the 1990s until China began to churn out mass-made shoes. At that point, each sister was involved in personal businesses until a brainchild was hatched by one of Doyee’s enterprises. The woman behind First Vita Plus, the all-natural vitamin-packed drink, had grown her business to include other products, one of them being a well-packaged soap which instantly became a hit. The idea behind the Soap Factory stemmed from this very soap, giving the sisters an opportunity to work together again. Though the age range between the eldest and the youngest spans 17 years, the sisters are all super close and incredibly sweet with each other.
With the Soap Factory, the roles the sisters play are a bit different but still based on the work principles they absorbed at an early age. Vicky, Doyee and Julie handle research and development, Dina is hands-on with the store operations and Tetet is in charge of finance. All the while, they get to express their creative side and have fun along the way, meeting several times a week to talk shop, laugh and hang out. In fact, all their children take part in quality control and research and development since they enjoy tinkering with the soaps.
What’s lovely about the Soap Factory is that all the products are made from a vegetable oil base without any artificial ingredients or chemicals added making it safe for sensitive skin. There’s just the right amount of lather and the soaps clean gently. Fragrance-wise, the scent doesn’t linger on the skin as they are all lightly scented without any preservatives or aldehyde to aid in keeping the fragrance last. Proudly Philippine-made, the soaps are produced in a factory in Cavite which helps local industry. A cold process technique is utilized so that all ingredients, herbs and oils do not evaporate during production unlike most commercial soap which is made by a hot process technique.
The Soap Factory’s signature line is the distinct Yummy collection, which boasts dessert-shaped soaps that look and smell exactly the way they look — yummy enough to eat. Kitschy personal soaps that come packaged as delectable donuts, heavenly cupcakes and tarts look just like the real thing. There are even larger pieces of soap shaped as full cakes, which can be sliced up at home or individually sliced pieces that can serve as wonderful gifts or party favors. Reasonably priced, donuts start at P120 while cupcakes go for P125. Though these soaps are all-natural and non-toxic, it’s strictly for bath use and not for munching. At the store itself, you can view how the soaps are made as there’s a mini production line. Kids can even decorate their own soaps as they would decorate their own cupcakes, a great idea for a children’s outing.
The Save Our Skin (SOS) line features soaps armed with active ingredients that have a clear objective in mind. Each type focuses on its own little mission. Believe it or not, coffee is an antioxidant that comes equipped with anti-aging effects naturally making the coffee vanilla scent one of the top sellers in the boutique. Sweet orange is loaded with gluta for whitening, lavender and chamomile are meant for relaxing, tea tree aims to control oil and prevent bacterial buildup while rosemary is anti-stress. The SOS line really sets out to save skin in ways that are always welcome and helpful. Since the bars are quite sizeable, it’s advised to cut the bar into two and use one section for the face and the other for the body getting you even more pluses for your pesos. Aptly titled soaps target problematic and different states of skin, with Salvation soap tackling psoriasis and eczema while Energy Boost stimulates and uplifts. There is even a soap recommended for those who have just undergone chemotherapy, radiation or depression, called Divine Comfort. Zit Away is formulated with cinnamon to prevent acne and has evolved to include a toner, lotion and anti-acne gel.
Completely hypoallergenic and organic, the Tender Loving Care (TLC) line is 100 percent pure and natural. Made expressly for extra sensitive skin, they are handmade with tender, loving care. Formulated with essential oils, the price point of these bars are so within reach, customers have been known to hoard them as if it’s wartime. For under P100, the olive oil soap is proving to be a sure winner among the lot, which includes cucumber, pumpkin, malunggay (mouringa oleviera), guava, shea butter, coco milk and tomato. The lycopene found in tomatoes is known to be an effective antioxidant so an entire line has been formulated around this key ingredient, including a body wash named Body Sudz, Body Polish, Body Butter, a facial cleanser and even a shampoo. Complete lines are currently being formulated for the pumpkin and malunggay lines to arrive in store shortly.
Exacting a mini United Nations, the World’s Best line features soaps inspired by different parts of the globe with specific ingredients pertinent to that region to focus on a target. Taking cue from our shores’ favorite summer delight, the Halo-Halo fiesta soap bar is made of papaya for whitening, pineapple for exfoliating and mangosteen to act as an anti-bacterial agent. From Germany comes Beer Sudz, loaded with antioxidant malts that protect against UV rays while the United Kingdom is represented by Big Ben, made of blue corn, honey, royal jelly and propolis for exfoliation. Known for their extremely fair entertainers, Japan is another country on the shelves with Geisha, formulated with clair blanch for whitening, while the Big Apple is so typically New York City, containing red apple for its antioxidant, anti-aging and moisturizing properties.
Although the Soap Factory focuses primarily on its distinctive soaps, they have branched out into other products that surely complement the line. There’s a bevy of products to select from including cologne spray for men, creamy lip balms and Mouringa shampoo for thinning hair. The delicate lotions are lightly scented and totally non-sticky which is hard to come by in this climate. The best part of walking away with something from the Soap Factory is obviously enjoying the goods but also relishing in the fact that the local economy and environment are being supported through this successful sister act.
The Soap Factory’s flagship store is located on the third level of The Block, SM North Edsa and will be opening soon at the Atrium in SM Megamall.