Queen of Soaps

Soap may be a commodity, but Deanna Kelly has figured out a way to make it a luxury item.

Who pays $8 for a bar of soap? A lot of people, it turns out. Kelly says she's aiming for more than $1 million in sales this year from the three Naples Soap Co. stores she owns and the website NaplesSoap.com, up 30% from last year.

Kelly's pitch is that cheap soaps you buy at the supermarket are loaded with dangerous chemicals. By contrast, hers are made with natural ingredients that she says alleviate symptoms of a rash of skin problems from psoriasis to eczema, sunburns and dryness. Plus, she says they last longer than ordinary soaps.