They look delicious, but don't wash your mouth out with Birch Soaps

The only thing that's hard about having Birch Soaps around the house is that you might be tempted to eat them.

A creamy bar of strawberry-scented soap covered with ribbons of chocolate-infused "icing," or a sweet and tangy pineapple lotion bar "tart" looks and smells good enough to eat. But resist temptation and head for the nearest bath or shower.

Birch Soaps are the creation of Katie McCallister, a young twentysomething who's busy mixing up batches of yummy soaps, lotion bars, lip balms and solid perfumes in her Greenwood home. Somehow, McCallister has figured out how to blend her chosen ingredients and scents so that not only does everything look and smell wonderful before you use it, your skin feels divine as a result.

She packs all her products with skin-loving ingredients like shea butter, soy protein, goat's milk, glycerin and sunflower oil. While all of these ingredients are good for your skin year-round, with summer blazing in all its glory, a bar of Orange Creamsicle soap -- with a pinch of orange and soft cream in a moisturizing lather -- sounds perfect after a long, hard day.

McCallister has a light hand and a sure touch when it comes to her fragrances, and that's an admirable balance. For example, her Perfectly Plumeria soap makes you feel like you're in Hawaii sniffing this tropical beauty, but without a heavy dose of overpowering perfume. Her scents are just strong enough to get you enticed and light enough to keep you coming back for more.

Lotion Bars like Summer Watermelon, Iced Pineapple or Hey Sweet Pea would be good to have on hand après shower. The easy-to-hold, cupcake shaped bars can be used instead of lotion -- just wet your hands and rub with the bar, says McCallister, who suggests other uses such as cutting off a sliver for the bath or as a cuticle rub.

Tired tootsies will gravitate to the Espresso Pedicure Bar, with a layer of coffee grounds to scrub away the rough spots; grooves in the bar along with its rectangle shape make it easy to hold. Use it for the morning shower -- you'll get the delicious aroma of fresh espresso without the caffeine jolt.

Lips won't miss out either. Birch Soaps soothing lip balms are light, creamy and nice top coat for lipstick or just solo. Ingredients like macadamia, coconut and jojoba oils and beeswax will keep dryness at bay with tasty, but not cloying combinations such as French Vanilla, Asian Pear, Soothing Mint, Chai Tea and Cherry Berry.

McCallister says she was motivated to create Birch Soaps for busy women who do so much for everyone else and a desire to add some "handcrafted beauty" to the world. "Handmade is so important, when everything is so run of the mill; I'm proud to make things that are made with love."

"I wanted to create luscious, bright, mood-raising, fragrant bars that will absolutely make small moments to themselves special. Your morning shower can really become routine. For most of us, it's our only time to really forget about our schedules and pamper ourselves. I'm always adding new products and listening to the women around me and their needs."

But it's not all about the ladies -- Birch Soaps has several that will fly with either gender. Just check out the "Hey Boy" offerings: Peppermint Wake Up, Cedar and Saffron or Black Tea Soap have universal appeal. Birch Soaps are available online at www.mybirch.etsy.com.

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