To not understand the Bayliss and Harding hate

[Dickbumdick]

I've never used their products, just seeing an awful lot of hate for them on various threads. Does it bring you out in hives or something? Genuinely just wondering what the deal is?

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Another vote for Original Source stocked up when on offer.

My lovely friend bought me a large bottle of bath soak from Neal's Yard. It left me with basically a chemical burn. My friends and family never buy me bath stuff, l am too picky.

[Imisscheese]

Personally I like B&H. My Dd14 bought me a huge gift set for Christmas and I am delighted with it (mainly because of the thought and buying it herself). She is delighted with herself and luckily doesn't read Mumsnet! It smells nice and as far as I'm concerned is a perfectly pleasant product.

[Keeptrudging]

I get B&H every year from someone in my family. I appreciate it but at the same time feel mildly disappointed as it's (IMO) a lazy choice - the stuff is bloody everywhere, it takes 2 seconds to pick up a gift pack and I don't really use it as my skin doesn't tolerate much apart from dove/imperial leather. I've still got stuff from 3 years ago. When I'm choosing presents I spend time and effort on it, I don't just grab the first gift set I see. Toiletries are something I tend to avoid as gifts as everyone has different taste.

[GhostsComeWith]

I have never had b&h so have no idea what it is like. I use Aldi Irish moss hand wash at the kitchen sink and only L'Occitaine products in the bathroom upstairs, always the men's products in the shower, vetyver shower gel and soap and rose soap in a dish by the bathroom sink. I used to buy to buy other cheaper products but realized it was a fasle economy as the L'Occitaine last longer and smell nicer. I buy them for occasions - dh got a pack of 3 soaps from dd for Christmas, that will last months in our house. We have hardly any products as only buy the ones we will use. At any one time we will have in the shower 1 L'Occitaine men's body and hair gel which dh uses to wash his very short hair, 1 soap and my shampoo and conditioner. Dd had a moo goo shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I use aqueous cream as a body moisturizer and apart from 1 deodorant and toothpaste etc that it IT in our bathroom. My mother has multiples of everything, all cheap but she likes them.

[fakenamefornow]

Very expensive bath products are more likely to give you thrush due to the higher concentration of ingredients. Molton Brown is one of the worst offenders. If the smell lingers, then whatever is causing that smell is on your skin, which is not ideal on your sensitive bits.

That would explain a lot actually. When I was young, gulable and easily fooled by marketing and packaging like many posters on this thread I would buy expensive shower gel, it always dried out my skin or brought me out in a rash. I was fine with the cheap stuff though. Also the smell didn't linger with the cheap stuff, after all, who wants to smell like a bar of soap all day and if you can still smell it at the end of the day it must have been really overpowering for others.

[Hatethis22]

Lots of supermarket own brand stuff is really nice and cheaper than B&H. I love loads of cheap shower gels. Now I've developed stupid allergies I have to use stupid, hippy, dull smelling stuff.

[TheSconeOfStone]

But if something is so cheap s to be unusable then it's not much of a saving is it. There is plenty of cheap stuff that is more pleasant that Baylis and Harding. I've used Aldi and Lidl own brand quite happily. B&H is the only stuff so vile it had to be thrown out.

[Queenbean]

Dodo but what people are saying is that there is much better quality stuff for the cheap price

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

I get loccitane and Molten brown as gifts. I buy B&H for myself (shower gel and hand wash). I don't mind it, it's quite nice for the money and I'm big enough to make my own decisions rather than bowing to peer pressure

[dodobookends]

With all due respect to all those who draw aside their skirts at the very mention of the 'cheap and nasty' B & H...

SOME PEOPLE CAN ONLY AFFORD THE CHEAP STUFF.

[HooseRice]

I do like the ginger Original Source and the classic fragrance Imperial Leather. Both under £1 when on offer.

[Ohfuckohfuckofuck]

See, now I think white company is expensive and I love Seychelles, never owed it, just go in to sniff it

[Tweeterytweet]

They are cheap and ok. £2 for 500mls. Waitrose own handwash is £1 for 250mls.
They are a take off of Molton Brown.
They are no worse than many supermarket own brands.
I buy them and decant into my own containers in the downstairs loo and utility room.
They are fine.
I buy MB shower products as I prefer the smell.

[TheSconeOfStone]

My aunt (known for her bargains) bought me a set years ago. I'd never seen or heard of the brand before so no preconceptions. The box looked posh but my aunt doesn't spend much so I was a bit suspicious. The smell was revolting and the shower gel had a weird consistency. We were skint at the time but I still binned it. I like Original Source at £1 a go when on offer so not a snob. It's cheap rubbish pretending to be something much better quality.

[Hatethis22]

I'm fairly meh about Molton Brown. I'm fairly meh about Bayliss & Harding. The price difference is huge.

[sinber]

Very expensive bath products are more likely to give you thrush due to the higher concentration of ingredients. Molton Brown is one of the worst offenders. If the smell lingers, then whatever is causing that smell is on your skin, which is not ideal on your sensitive bits.

[Hatethis22]

If you want cheap and good try the Mandara Spa range at Sainsbury's.

[Duck90]

I would like to think the more you pay on a product means the scent will last longer - is this correct?

I received b/h this year for the first time, and very happy to have it. I don't want people spending lots of cash on hand wash for my Christmas.

[HooseRice]

I buy B&H (often) and I buy MB (occasionally). Like both of them.

[Queenbean]

Ackvavit why do you continue to buy them such a nice gift? Why don't you swap to a white company / next cheapo version instead?

[Ackvavit]

To add, I have now had white company reed thing for 4 years on the trot in return for me buying the person concerned a diptique or Joe Malone candle. The white company red people have massive disposable income compared to me and clearly use the obvious 20% Autumn discount. Every year I smile. I detest the fake smell of "Seychelles" white company however I guess that is all that they think I deserve?

[BlueMoonRising]

The stinky candle isn't suddenly going to smell nice just because it's cheap

Eh? If someone doesn't like a scent, they don't like it. The price of the product is immaterial!

[Ohfuckohfuckofuck]

Haha! ^^I suspect not. Have you smelled/used it? It is about right for the money. People who buy it as soap are genealogy trying to look posh imo

[Sgtmajormummy]

I posted on the other thread saying I'd bought a Baylis and Harding Moonlight Lavender set for myself (from Santa, like everybody else in the family) out of curiosity to see if the MN hatred was justified.

Well, for £5 I got a weak-smelling bar of soap which nobody will object to in the shower, a 100ml bottle of body moisturiser which has gone on smoothly and smells pretty authentically of lavender (supposedly good for sleep) and another of shower gel which I shall probably pass on to DD for swimming where a gloopy texture is an advantage! I also want to keep the bottles for my carry-on suitcase.

So for the show of opening something pretty on Christmas Day and the unassuming products, at £5 I'm giving it a thumbs-up! I'm sure that's what many other people have thought, too.

[G1veMeStrength]

At the minute I've got

Still being used up from last Christmas:
Lush
B&H
Rituals
Sanctuary
Soap and Glory

Received this Christmas:
LOccitane
Molten Brown

I love them all, but the brand that seems to last longest and work best is L'Occitane. I'd never class smellies for me as a lazy gift as people know I like getting smellies.