The Buff's the Stuff
Pioneer Press, Chicago IL   January 11, 2001

Kroha's Simple Idea puts Dazzle into Showering.

By Tom Johnston, staff writer

Barrington-bred businesswoman has got it in the bag.  Sally Kroha, 42, recently launched the DazzleDerm Buffing Soap Bag in the Chicagoland area to put a showering shine on its big shoulders.  And from head to toe, her unique invention will generate a rich lather while gently exfoliating your skin.

While working tirelessly as a busy marketing executive for Quaker Oats, Kroha found little time to address her dermatological needs.  So in 1995 she literally sewed a handy mesh bag in which a regular bar of soap could produce daily cleansing, rather than bother with liquid soap and a body puff that left her skin waiting for the weekend.

All that's changed.  Now I'm in and out, and I'm dazzling when I leave,"  Kroha said.  And now the 1976 Barrington High School graduate is president of DazzleDerm, Inc. in Chicago.  

Kroha explained that by exfoliating, a person literally takes off the top layer of dead skin.  The benefits include softer and smoother skin that is more receptive to moisturizers.  Other pluses include the reduction of wrinkly skin appearance and improved skin circulation.

For those whose skin suffers in the winter, exfoliation will also help remove dry, flaky skin, she said.  Using the DazzleDerm soap bag is simple.  A person can take his or her favorite bar of soap and insert it into the bag.  After closing the drawstring the person places their hand through the mesh handle and lathers up while gently buffing away dead skin cells.  "It's such a simple idea, but very unique" Kroha said.  

Unlike other exfoliation products, Kroha's invention is not made of natural sponges which tend to stay wet and collect bacteria.  On the other hand, the DazzleDerm bag avoids the harvest and dries very quickly.

After use, the bag can be hung up to dry by its drawstring closure.  Kroha advised replacing the bag every three to six months because the material gets softer and the buffing effect diminishes.

People can say good-bye to soggy soap bars and dirty dishes.  Moreover, the product has been found to help arthritic people and others having trouble grasping a slippery soap bar.  Buyers will never again drop a bar of soap, and small soap chips can be used until they disintegrate.  Kids simply find it fun, Kroha said.

"My husband is a huge fan of it.  He thought the body buffs were a little too feminine, so he never considered using them.  Now, he's a real addict."

Sally Kroha       

"People just feel cleaner and they get out of the shower with an extra jump-start to their day," Kroha said.  "It's one of those things that people find something about it that they like.  Everyone will use it for different reasons."  Even macho men.  "My husband is a huge fan of it.  He thought the body buffs were a little too feminine, so he never considered using them.  Now, he's a real addict."

The DazzleDerm soap bag is available in two styles.  The "Dual Buff Bag" features a fine textured mesh on one side and a coarser mesh on the other.  For true exfoliant aficionados, the "extra buff bag" features a coarser mesh on both sides.

Now available at Osco stores, Skin & Tonic at Navy Pier and several other Chicago stores as well as at www.DazzleDerm.com, the DazzleDerm buffing soap bag promises to turn a mundane shower into a luxuriously refreshing experience.

"There's just so many benefits in this little bag," Kroha said.  Adding new products, the company will begin a push for more distribution in the Midwest at the beginning of the new year.

For more information, call Kroha at 312-673-8162.