Soap Opera

With cold and flu season swirling around you, scrubbing your hands takes on a special urgency. Here are a few ways to suds up in style.
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1 Origins’ Natural Luxuries soaps have no artificial ingredients, and come in three scents: anise/clary sage, orange/cardamom and spearmint/lemon. (From $9 for a large soap to $20 for a set.) A sampler would make a thoughtful gift for party hosts. Origins, Ala Moana Center, 947-2414, or origins.com.

2 These handmade body washes ($15 each) are natural, made in Hawai’i and not tested on animals. Lanikai Bath and Body, 767 Kailua Road., 262-3260 or lanikaibathandbody.com.

3 If Purell took a tropical vacation, it would come home feeling like this. These waterless handwashes ($4 each) kill off germs with a non-sticky formulation, and come in six Island-inspired scents. Island Keepsakes, 1050 Nu’uanu Ave., 550-0996.

4 Hand-made soaps lend a charming, comfy vibe to your bathroom. Shown are chamomile and lavender (top, $8), sea mist confetti ($6), sea mist with an imprint ($8) and Key Lime/poppyseed ($5). Island Soap & Candle Works, Ward Warehouse, 591-0533, or honolulusoap.com.

5 Unfold one of the colorful boxes of Wa Ka Cha sets ($9 to $22) to find pretty soaps and bath tablets nestled within. The scentsÑcornflower/oolong tea, or camellia/green tea, for exampleÑare delicate and feminine. Red Pineapple, Ward Centre, 593-2733, or redpineapple.net.