Before you dismiss the idea of soap as an innovative gift, remember: everyone needs it. People can live perfectly happy, productive lives without scented candles or potpourri or bath salts. But of all the nice-smelling gifts in the world, soap is the most useful. This one, scented with jasmine, cucumber, mango or cinnamon, is particularly useful, since it's made at the Palam Rural Centre in India, which, according to Ten Thousand Villages, a fair-trade organization, provides a livelihood for 50 families of the Tamil Nadu region. So you're giving cleanliness with a conscience. — Belinda Luscombe
Price: $4.50 at Ten Thousand Villages