Do you like receiving toiletries as Christmas presents?

[katykuns]

I am not a fan, but I don't really do the pampering thing...

Anything to avoid?

I am buying for SIL, who has a month old newborn

I'm easy to please - any present has been fine with me - bathroom stuff is great - If I don't particularly like the smell on me or if it irritates my skin it gets used to clean the bathroom with - my bathroom always smells GREAT - or to remove makeup or keep handbags supple if it is lotion...

I think it's ok to buy one bottle or set of a good quality and ideally non-allergenic brand, something that is useable but too expensive to be everyday.

Currently I have 13 different shower gels, all good quality, reckon I won't have to buy any for about 2 years!

The ones I like least are the cheapo gift sets as they set my skin off badly. Plus the sticker showing Boots 3 for 2....

Brands I can use are: Neals Yard Remedies, L'occitane, Ren, Dr Houschka, and a few organiccy, natural brands you might get in John Lewis or health food shops. I think these are less risky in case of allergies.

If she is a new mum what about Neals Yard mum and baby stuff? They do lovely stretch mark cream!

ByTheWay - I love the idea of using unwanted sets to clean the bathroom with!

My SIL always gets me these generic sets from the 3 for 2 at Boots. It makes me feel sad whenever I open them. I tried for years to foster a friendship with her, to no avail. To receive Bayliss and Harding gift sets now just makes me sad. I started getting those in particular from my SIL and my MIL after I bought a bottle of B&H handwash for the downstairs loo. That was it - future presents sorted. I don't even like the stuff - I just thought it would look a bit more posh than the supermarket own brand stuff...

I'm not a fan of gift sets with little bottles of several different things - there's always something I will never use. I especially don't like the overpriced sets that come in a hideous make up bag or a plant pot or something - Id rather they spent less on a big bottle of a bog-standard brand.

No. Just NO. unless you know her favorite perfume and get something in that line. I hate it getting random smelly shit. it offends me. DH knows to refer to 'the list'. This year featuring Louve, Shalimar and Teint de Neige.

No, sorry, would rather receive almost anything other than toiletries. Any I do get often get donated to tombolas (along with rather a lot of rather people's unwanted 'smellies'

I'd hate it

Tigereye- I would have been so pissed if someone gave me stretch mark cream after the birth of either of my children as I didn't get any stretch marks. I also think it is really personal to ask.

I hate smellies ( and the word) my inlaws always get me a huge expensive basket of lush products for xms that I can't stand the smell of. I don't know why they started this, but it has been going on about four years now. dd1 (6) loves them, so she gets them all. Hopefully I won't get any this year as we have just moved into a place that doesn't have a bath, only a shower. they know this, so we'll see.

Not if they are from Lush, no.

Anyway, you wouldn't give a Lush product to anyone with a newborn, would you? It would taint the milk supply, for sure.

I love it as i love stuff that smells nice.

A friend bought me some clarins hand cream for my birthday
A lovely presents as since having kids haven't been able to justify buying it for myself

No. Almost all give me eczema. Always give them to school raffles.

I organised our school raffle this summer, and the amount of gift sets of toiletries that were donated was unreal.

We ended up having a 'Pamper Tombola' as we literally couldn't have given it all away.

I have just ticketed the tombola for our school fair.
There were lots and lots of boxed toiletries, sets, soaps. Body Shop, Sanctuary, Ted Baker.
Plus a spectacularly hideous mug and coaster some poor sod will win next week

I'm not a huge fan. Most scented stuff makes me sneeze and I have exzema (which you'd think I'd be able to spell wouldn't you? Having had it for the last 45 years and all!) so have to be careful what I use.

However, I did bath when DS was little - I had a cs and was advised to have a bath rather than a shower as I was having issues with my scar. I used to put DS in his bouncy chair and sing to him while I showered - he inevitably went to sleep. Could I do that with DD? No I bloody could not!

My favourite present when I had DD was a bag that velocroed onto the handle of her pram. It had a matching water bottle holder. I'm strange.

Imo the sets from boots, body shop etc have a big sign on them: 'Unwanted, Recycled Present'. Everybody seems to recycle the last year's ones.

TBH i do panic buy 3for2 at boots when i cant think what else to get folk it is easy

I hate it. I never have baths, unless in labour, and am particular about what I put on my skin. I love Origins face skin care , but have an untouched 2 yo Origins presentation box of bath products. Seems such a waste...

FUCK NO

TigerseyeCream Is it wise to buy a new mum stretch mark cream, she might take it the wrong way? Depends on how close the relationship is, I suppose.

I hate, hate, hate receiving smellies. I only use particular brands; Weleda, Lavera, Trilogy and John Masters Organics, so I hate all that Boots 3 for 2 crap. Every year without fail, my well-meaning relatives get me bath salts or bombs when I only have a shower, no bath tub :(

I would love it if people actually asked me what I'd like and I'd tell them specifically. If I want something I just go out and buy it, so I approach Christmas without many wants and certainly no needs. I'd be happy to cease all gift exchanging tbh.

Yes, I'm a miserable, ungrateful cow

I am snobby and ungrateful of thoughtless, cheap shit presents. Would rather have nought.

Unless it's Elle McPherson, no thanks it will go straight to the school fair.

Oh it's not just stretch mark cream, fear not. It goes on cracked nipples from breast feeding too, so no need to worry about causing offence :)

I'm not a fan of them myself. I have just moved house and chucked out a bin bag's worth of stuff I'd received over the years (some was given away). Some was cheap, some was Bodyshop, some Clinique, some Clarins, some Lancome - out it all went

I'm not a massive fan but have got some nice stuff from my sill. I think it has to be a big bottle of something and to travel bottle size. They'd tend to hang around the house for a few years and don't even make it into my weekend bag.