Over the years, more and more hotels have stopped providing small, sample sized toiletries to their guests in favor of bulk sized containers. Several places around the world have gone as far as to ban them. They say it’s good for the environment, and that’s admittedly true. But let’s face it – we’ve all learned from the likes of BJ’s, Costco and Sam’s Club that buying in bulk is cheaper. And if a business can figure out a way to cut costs and especially if “it’s good for the environment” (hello, not replacing towels on a daily basis), they will.
Anyway, some hotels still have sample sizes. And whereas Joe collects and uses just about every bar of soap he can get from a hotel, I’m not one to use the hotel’s toiletries a whole lot. I have no huge reason to not use them, other than the fact that I really like the soap and shampoo/conditioner that I bring with me. But I’ll always check them out, because sometimes I’ll find one that I really like for occasional home use – the lemon & sage Bliss collection that they have (had?) at the W, for example, smells really nice.
Anyway, when we stayed at the Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago several years ago, and in checking out their toiletries, I swear, I think you could’ve used some of them as part of a Thanksgiving meal. No, really! Take a look…They’re from the Atelier Bloem collection (a very fancy shmancy brand, BTW)
The printing may be a bit small, so let me reiterate the ingredients for each. I’ve written how each ingredient could be used for Thanksgiving in blue.
BAR SOAP
- Eucalyptus
- Lemon (excellent as one of the ingredients you put on a turkey)
- White flower
- Sandalwood
- Orchid (vanilla beans come from orchids. Hello….vanilla ice cream on that apple pie!)
- Mandarin & citrus (that one’s weird. Mandarin & citrus. Isn’t mandarin a form of citrus? But then again, so is lemon and it has its own line 3 lines up) (again, citrus = turkey glaze!)
BODY LOTION
- White fig (depending on your recipe – Brussel sprouts with figs, figs & prosciutto, you get the picture)
- Olive (olives in the salad, olive oil for anything you’re cooking. And did you know that olives and celery were “must haves” at Thanksgiving for a century?)
- Heliotrope (I had to look that one up. It’s a flower. I seriously think I’ve planted that one in our front yard at some point. Got it at Home Depot.)
- Tuberose (Also a flower. An edible flower.)
- Lemon (I bet you thought I was gonna mention the turkey glaze again, right? Nope. There are also Thanksgiving side dish recipes that use lemon. Lemon dressing for salad, Parmesan lemon and garlic roasted cauliflower, etc.)
- Kadota fig (Oh look, more figs! Can you say figgy pudding? Oh wait…that’s Christmas. Never mind.)
BODY WASH
- Eucalyptus
- Lemon (you get the point)
- White flower
- sandalwood
- Orchid
- Mandarin & citrus
Hmmm…the ingredients in this sound exactly like the ingredients in the bar soap 😉
CONDITIONER
- Basil (basil cranberry sauce, basil Moscow mule, the list can go on and on)
- Green apple (dressing, dessert, apples are the quintessential Thanksgiving fruit! OK, maybe they’re second to cranberries, but still…)
- Neroli (Neroli? WTH is neroli? Ah, OK…it’s essential oil from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. It’s also edible)
- Sandalwood
- Cardamom (a great spice that’s often used for, you guessed it, Thanksgiving! It’s most often used in side dishes and desserts)
- Geranium (it’s another edible flower, depending on the species, its flavors range from rose to lemon to nutmeg. It can be added to sorbets, ice creams and desserts)
SHAMPOO
- Ylang ylang (that one sounds like a music group. I had to look it up. It’s an essential oil made from the flowers of the herb Cananga odorata genuina.
People apply ylang ylang oil to the skin to promote relaxation, kill bacteria, lower high blood pressure, and increase sexual desire. In foods and beverages, ylang ylang oil is used as a flavoring.) (thank you, WebMD) - Amber (not the fossilized tree resin, I’m sure. Nope, it’s another essential oil)
- Chamomile (want some tea after that big Thanksgiving dinner?)
- Orange blossom (One of the best smells in Florida, orange blossoms are also a favorite of bees. And honey goes into cooked carrots, sweet potatoes and desserts)
- Geranium (see Conditioner)
- Oolong tea (I’m not a huge fan of chamomile tea mentioned above, but I could drink oolong all day. Or on Thanksgiving).
Now, some of the stuff I didn’t suggest you eat, like the eucalyptus and heliotrope? Some are poisonous to humans, with side effects varying from gastro-intestinal distress to death, and that’s not good eats, least of all for Thanksgiving dinner. But if we could cull out the other ingredients? I think they could definitely be a good addition to the Thanksgiving Day table. 😆
As always, Your Mileage May Vary. 😛
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
