MCTUBBS

Before the liquid ban I stocked up on everything for my sister-in-law, who loves to try new products. Now, unless it's something outstanding, I only take glycerin soaps.

mbstone

It's because you left all the "face bars" at the hotel, and now you have 100 zits.

hfly

I only take good/different stuff and can not be bothered to take or even touch generic or normally branded stuff.

opus17

Almost never. I may take 1 bar of soap if I have an upcoming trip to Europe, since the rooms there only have gels.

MegatopLover

LOL@u.

I'm a tightwad too, though that's not the reason I take hotel soaps home. I would just add that being a tightwad is also where we get all that money for plane tickets and stays at fancy hotels stocked with soap worth taking home.

I take soaps mostly as souvenirs, not so much to use. Perhaps that makes me doubly wasteful. Sometimes I use the ones from the hotels I didn't like quite as much. But the good ones, those I keep forever.

The Peninsula in Hong Kong actually anticipates soap-collectors like those of us in this thread. In addition to the standard Moulton Brown stuff in the wrappers and little tan boxes (stocked at other hotels throughout the group), they also stock rooms with two ultra-fancy red lacquer boxes with the Chinese gods that grace the front entrance carved elaborately into the top and "The Peninsula" carved into the sides; inside is a bar of facial soap that undoubtedly no one ever uses. The result: for collectors of hotel soaps or other hotel souvenirs, this memento is among the fanciest.

As for shampoos, after enjoying the scent and feel of L'Occitane Verbena products, which Mr. Megatop and I discovered at FS Singapore, I started buying them at stores. Then the company basically ran out of stock practically worldwide (I was told) and couldn't say when they'd get any in. This lasted for months. So I gave up and started buying the Molton Brown stuff Peninsulas stock. The scent is a nice reminder of my many enjoyable stays at those hotels, one I get to enjoy every morning even when slumming it at the homestead.

I'm willing to bet that several of the leading cosmetics makers see quite a boost to their sales from a tie-up with hotels and airlines. Not from many people in this thread, but . . .

LLUMom

I try to always take at least one "set" of the toiletries. Then turn them in to the volunteer office at the local childrens' hospital - for the parents who are from out of town and sleeping at the child's bedside. On occasion, I've asked the front desk of a hotel for donations - especially if we've been on vacation and are checking luggage anyway.

travellingcari

Yep, 27 y/o female.
I do it mainly for future travel, especially in my carry on. I figure if I'm separated from my luggage or have an overnight in an airport, I'd rather risk dryed out hair than not have wash up necessities.

I've learnt to pare down my toiletries for traveling, I don't want to carry a ton of stuff.

Sweet Willie

all the time.


All these soaps and shampoos go to the local food bank/pantry or women's shelter near our house.


--

party_boy

I donate (i.e. give it to a homeless person) the ones that I don't want to use myself and keep the products that I like for my future travels or as "travel packs" i give to my friends and relatives.

kenwood33

I usually take the make up removers.

horse glasses

I take anything that is not bar soap. Especially conditioner, because sometimes cheap places don't have it and I can't go without! Combo shampoo-conditioners don't work either, and I run into those often. I made mr. horse glasses go out and buy me some at a nearby 7-11 before when running into these, so now I just keep the precious conditioners!

Also, I am with whoever said hotel bar soap makes you feel waxy. I HATE THAT. I like when there are gels and bar soap, because I do use the bar soap for my face.

hfly

Something I have always wonderedabout. Since I first experienced FT almost a decade ago I have always marveled at the sheer number of people on FT that seem to regularly give tons of stuff to their ocal shelters, even those that seem to go out of their way to collect travel related detrious in ordet o go and give to shelters. No while I of course do know people that do ths and have participated a fair bit in charitable acts, do so many people really do this? Seriously, I can;t even find the time in my life to do everything that I'd like to do for myself and my family. Where do you guys get the time?

vijoge

I take it and give it to my granddaughters-ages 8 and 10 now. A little bar of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and maybe lotion-tie it up in some netting with a ribbon-voila! Instant gift and Gramma's the :-:

infinityplusone

Wirelessly posted (My IV to the Net: BlackBerry7250/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Yes. Although we had so much (use it in guest bedroom and bath) that I have stopped bringing them home for now.

Showbizguru

Mrs Showbizguru and I are still using large,fluffy white bathrobes which we
" liberated " from Disneyland Paris more than 10 years ago.
An open linen cupboard,a virtually deserted hotel,quite a lot of margaritas and a half-empty suitcase proved too much of a temptation.
We also went through a spell of " collecting " the bell from the front desk of every hotel we stayed at - childish,I know,but we were young and carefree in those days....