Chapter 4 — Learning and Self-Experimentation
学びの土台
小島先生から、西洋に古くから伝わるハーブの植物療法を学んだ私は、その知識を活かして コノテガシワ に狙いを定め、抽出実験を開始しました。その理由はただ一つ。「髪の毛に効くハーブは何か？」という問いに対して先生が迷いなく指差した植物だったからです。この時の私は、まだ、ただの興味本位の実験に過ぎませんでした。
抽出の挑戦
最初の実験は、三ヶ月間かけた抽出でした。時間をかけることで、髪に届く有効成分を余すことなく引き出そうとしたのです。次に試したのは 二ヶ月の抽出。さらに 一ヶ月の抽出。それぞれに違いがありました。三ヶ月は「力強い深み」、二ヶ月は「バランス」、一ヶ月は「鮮やかな鮮度」。
黄金比率の発見
どれか一つでは満足できない。それぞれの長所を活かし、三ヶ月・二ヶ月・一ヶ月──抽出液の濃度に変化を加え、最適解が導き出せるという発想にたどり着きました。こうして生まれたのが、髪にとって最も優れた「黄金比率」でした。
半年以上の人体実験
完成した黄金比率のエキスを、私は自らの頭皮に用い、半年以上にわたり人体実験を続けました。最初は小さな変化。髪の根元が軽くなる、頭皮がすっきりする。しかし、使い続けるうちにその変化は確信へと変わっていきました。化学薬品を使わず、天然植物だけでこれほどの力を持つものは滅多に存在しません。
ビジネス脳の覚醒
その瞬間、長らく眠っていた私のビジネス脳の六角形のグラフがすべて揃い、点と線が一気に繋がっていく感覚を覚えました。
• 原料の独自性
• 自らの体験による信頼性
• 天然由来の安心感
• 科学では再現できない神秘性
• 物語として語れる背景
• 市場が求める高級自然派の流通
──これらが一つの絵として浮かび上がったのです。
⸻
The Foundation of Learning
From Mr. Kojima, I studied the ancient Western art of herbal phytotherapy. Armed with that knowledge, I turned my focus toward Konotegashiwa, beginning a series of extraction experiments. The reason was simple: when I had asked, “Which herb is good for the hair?”, it was the plant he had pointed to without hesitation. At that time, my work was still driven only by curiosity — nothing more than a personal experiment.
⸻
The Challenge of Extraction
The first trial lasted three months. By allowing time to work slowly, I hoped to draw out every active component beneficial to the hair. Next came a two-month extraction. Then a one-month version. Each produced a distinct character: three months gave depth and strength, two months brought balance, one month yielded vivid freshness.
⸻
Discovery of the Golden Ratio
None of them alone was fully satisfying. By combining their strengths — adjusting the concentration of extracts from three, two, and one months — I arrived at the idea of blending them in harmony to reach the optimal formula. Thus was born the golden ratio — the most effective composition for healthy, vital hair.
⸻
More Than Six Months of Self-Testing
Using this golden-ratio extract, I applied it to my own scalp and continued the experiment for more than half a year. At first, only subtle changes appeared — lightness at the roots, a refreshing clarity of the scalp. But as weeks passed, those small changes grew into conviction. Without a trace of synthetic chemicals, I had discovered a natural formulation with exceptional power — a rarity in the world of plant-based care.
⸻
The Awakening of the Business Mind
At that moment, I felt something re-ignite within me — as though the long-dormant hexagonal graph of my business mind had suddenly lit up, each point connecting at once.
• Originality of ingredients
• Credibility born from personal experience
• Safety and peace of mind through natural origin
• A sense of mystery beyond scientific replication
• A narrative rich enough to be told as a story
• Alignment with the market’s demand for premium natural products
All of these elements converged into a single, vivid picture. It was no longer just an experiment — it was the beginning of a brand destined to unite philosophy, science, and nature.