Before we begin, let's get one thing clear: I am generally not a soap fetishist. Those scented, sculpted little nubs? They just conjure the suburban guest bathrooms of my youth. When the occasional gift of earthy soap laden with rough organic matter comes my way, it usually ends up under the sink, never to come out of the plastic wrap. I'm unclear when is a good time to bust out "the nice soap."

So all those caveats aside, I've completely fallen in love with these "Spell it Out" soaps by L.A.-based soap makers Dugshop (their Etsy store name) or Bubble Genius (its newly launched website's name).