Soak It to Me!

Honey, there is no ritzier antidote to the mean reds of a biting cold winter than a piping hot bath and a sweet cake of soap.

But wait! Before all you Ivory girls and Dial dudes dunk your frosty toes into that tepid tub you call a bath, you should know those greases and detergents masquerading as body-care products in your boudoir are bad, bad, evil. Mainstream (meaning "drugstore") soaps and lotions almost all contain chemicals, animal fats and artificial scents. At best, these additives do nothing for your skin. At worst, they make the largest organ in your body hate you (and retaliate with breakouts, scariness and other mate-repelling surprises).

Enter Danielle Easly Nye, who founded her body-care company, Dani Inc., in 1996 with the idea of producing all-natural bath, body and home products right here in PDX. Nye began the business by focusing on high-quality, vegetable-based ingredients and environmentally sound packaging (devised by Danielle's sister-in-law Whitney Nye and local designers Heather Dunn and Nemo Design).

"I started with handmade soaps made with unique fragrance blends and a natural vegetable-oil base," says Nye. "I kept getting requests for different products and scents, and the product line grew from there."

Like many boutique soap wranglers, she came to the business with DIY spunk and a personal passion for scented suds. "My neighbor had these soap balls, and one of them smelled like cinnamon. I'd go over there to smell it all the time. Years later it was given to me. That started my soap collection," Nye says. "My brother, neighbor and I used to try to concoct our own products by mixing pretty much everything in the bathroom together."

Nye's husband, Sanders, brought his sports-industry product-development experience to the project, and it has become a full-time operation, with reps sweeping the nation and products in boutiques as far afield as New York and Florida. A recent move to Bend has given Dani Inc. a factory outlet in the Old Mill Marketplace, where the Nyes can connect directly with their customers. Locally, you can find Dani's outstanding line of soaps, lotions, bath gels and massage oils at Urbino (521 NW 23rd Ave., 220-0053) and at Essential Lotions and Oils (3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 236-7976; 710 NW 23rd Ave., 248-9748).

Nye's tip for selecting a posh brand of bath care? "Check the ingredients, and learn what is really beneficial to the skin." Natural derivatives such as sheer butter, jojoba, and apricot kernel and avocado oils are superbly emollient--readily absorbed by your thirsty skin. But the benefits of handsome bath goods transcend the scientific. "Look for products that will make your day a little more pleasant," Nye advises. In the dogfight darkness of winter, we could all use a little aesthetic bliss.

And this is where Dani's products really shine: Depression-inhibiting fragrances, like extraordinarily true scents of grapefruit, pear, melon and lemongrass, remind you that spring will come again. Nye works closely with a fragrance supplier to approximate natural scents, and she frequently accommodates customer suggestions when expanding the line. Got a craving for mandarin-chocolate-clove bath gel? Nye graciously fields requests through her website, www.danibath.com.

Other stunningly all-natural bath products to try:

Sake Bath by Fresh f21c ($75 for 13 ounces)
This super- lube elixir infused with rice wine, Daiken and ginger is scented with real peach extract-- mimicking the Japanese custom of geishas scenting baths with fresh fruit.
Available at French Quarter, 536 NW 14th Ave., 223-3879.


Escential Foaming Bath Gel ($6 for 8 ounces)
Useful as a shower gel or bubble bath, this goo is supercharged with aloe vera and sea kelp. You can custom- scent your personal flacon from their smorgasbord of essential and fragrance oils.
Available at Essential Lotions and Oil, 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 236-7976, and other locations.

Upcoming events:

February Shoe Sale
Monique's Shoetique will offer a crazed closeout on shoes throughout the month of February. Prices from $19 to $39.
1122 SW Morrison St., 294-0094.

WWeek 2015