interview With @washohouse
1.Can you tell us more about the beginnings of Washo House?
“Washo House started the way the best things usually do, out of necessity and love. I’m Manhattan-born, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents, and I started making soap as a creative outlet for myself. But it became something much more meaningful when my kids started struggling with sensitive skin and eczema. I couldn’t trust what I saw on store shelves with all the ingredients I couldn’t even pronounce, so I made it myself.
I went back to basics with olive oil, coconut oil, simple clean ingredients my family had always trusted. It worked, my kids’ skin improved , and I couldn’t keep it to myself. Washo House wasn’t born from a business plan. It was born from a mother’s instinct.”
2. What are some of the best lessons you have learned from running your own handmade soap business?
“The biggest lesson has been patience. When you’re making something by hand, in small batches, with real ingredients, you can’t rush it. Good things take time, and I’ve had to apply that same philosophy to the business itself.
Building something real doesn’t happen overnight, and I’ve learned to trust the process. Every bar I make is still something I’d put on my own children, and holding onto that standard matters more to me than moving fast.”
3. Where does your best scent inspiration come from?
“Honestly? My roots. I’m first-generation born here in NY, and Puerto Rico lives in everything I create; the vibrant colors, the Spanish names, the warmth.
When I’m developing a scent, I’m drawn to things that feel natural and grounding, ingredients that have been trusted for generations. I want every bar to feel like it came from somewhere real, not a lab. The island is always in the back of my mind.”
4. What scents are you currently loving?
“I’m obsessed with two right now. Santo is earthy and woodsy, it’s gender-neutral and has this grounding quality I keep coming back to. And Flor is the one I reach for in the shower on days I want to feel like I’m treating myself.
It’s a very subtle floral, not overwhelming at all, just enough to make the whole experience feel elevated. Both feel very true to what Washo House is about.”
5. Do you have a special memory attached to any scent?
“For me it’s less about a single memory and more about a feeling. The vibrant colors and Spanish names I use like FLOR, SANTO, LIMÓN, etc., they take me back to Puerto Rico every time.
The island was always present through my parents, their food, their language, the way they cared for our family. Washo House is my way of carrying that with me and sharing it with every person who picks up one of my bars.” @washohouse