With Red Leaf products, you'll spend so much time in the bath, you might just take root

Who doesn't like a long soak in a hot tub? Especially on a cold, rainy night, there's nothing better than lingering in sweetly scented water, with candles lit and the door closed to the rest of the world. It's important to take a few moments away from a hectic life to recharge.

A love of the bath is what inspired Seattleite Chris Poilé to quit his day job working at the corporate headquarters of a major cellular company, to pursue his love of handmade bath and body-care products.

After two years of tinkering, trial and error, Poilé launched his Red Leaf line this past summer. I stumbled upon Red Leaf while trolling etsy.com for Seattle sellers, and was immediately impressed by the packaging. I'll admit that I'm attracted to great design, and even if a product smells good and works great, it may not come home with me if it won't look cool in my bathroom.

Red Leaf labels are thoroughly modern and use vibrant colors like light blue, chartreuse and purple to compliment the bold red logo. The products themselves are innovative twists on bath and body standbys. Instead of a shaving cream, Red Leaf has a Soap and Shave Cube ($11) that comes with a chrome stand rather than a soap dish, and lathers up nicely for a shower or shave.

The Soft Bubble Bath Dough ($10) is an innovative twist on bubble bath and perfect for kids who like to "help out" during bath time. Since it actually has a dough-like consistency, it's impossible to spill. Kids can scoop out a small handful and hold it under the water as the bubbles form in the tub. Specially formulated for sensitive skin, the Bubble Bath Dough leaves skin feeling moisturized, but not oily.

A must-have for travel, the solid Shampoo Bar ($11) comes in a 100-percent recycled and recyclable, FAA-compliant tin case. Lather, rinse and repeat with this convenient non-liquid shampoo, which leaves the hair squeaky clean and conditioned.

Many Red Leaf products are vegan, and all are handmade in Seattle using locally sourced packaging to support Seattle's small businesses. Poilé creates many of the scents himself, and uses a blend of pure essential oils and fragrances to insure a longer lasting aroma. He offers fragrances that appeal to both men and women, including Black Tea, Beach, English Coast, Basil Lime and Fresh Clover.

To purchase Red Leaf products visit www.shopredleaf.com. Samples and customizable gift sets are available.

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