Summertime means working in the garden, with hands in close contact with the earth. Here are two new products that may help make cleaning up afterward easier and even a bit more pleasant.

Ideal for gardeners with sensitive skin, Pearlex Home & Garden Powdered Hand Soap contains not only a cleansing pumice that removes most dirt, soil and grime, but also a moisturizer. Formulated by Country Lane Enterprises of Chicago, the granule-like soap comes in a 10-ounce plastic bottle with a plastic shaker top. Available for $6 at Jayson Garden, 1915 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-248-8180, and for $4.99 at Sid's Greenhouse and Garden Center, 10926 Southwest Highway, Palos Hills, 708-974-4500.

Get buffed: The DazzleDerm buffing soap bag makes every shower an opportunity to pamper your skin. This inexpensive invention transforms an ordinary bar soap into a lathery skin exfoliator that removes dry, flaky skin. Just insert your favorite bar of soap into the bag (the texture of which resembles a lingerie laundry bag), close the drawstrings and place your hand through the mesh handle. Lather up while gently buffing away dead skin cells.

Unlike other exfoliation products, the soap bag is not made of natural sponges or loofahs that tend to stay wet and collect bacteria. The bag dries quickly when hung up by its drawstring closure. The product also can be a boon to anyone who has trouble grasping a slippery soap bar.

The bag comes in two styles. The "Dual Buff Bag" features a fine textured mesh on one side and a coarser mesh on the other. For the serious exfoliator, the "Extra Buff Bag" features a coarser mesh on both sides. Both bags retail for around $5. They can be found at Potash Bros. Supermart, 875 N. State St. and 1525 N. Clark St., and Bravco Beauty Center, 43 E. Oak St. For other stores, visit www.dazzlederm.com or call 312-673-8162.