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Original poster

The price of personal hygiene

147 replies

BrainInAJar · 09/12/2023 10:52

Hi all,

I know this is not exactly breaking news but OMFG the cost of living!

I have a decent job and a modest lifestyle in terms of financial outgoings so relatively comfortable. And I'm pretty low-maintenance in terms of personal care (I don't spend a lot on hairdressing, nails, tweakments etc).

HOWEVER, I'm finding the cost of just BASIC hygiene noticeably growing ridiculous.

I buy cans of 250ml spray deoderant in my weekly shop. With clubcard discount that is £2.50. It lasts 2 weeks for me when applied once daily. In summer etc that would only last a week! I'm pretty sure the cans used to be bigger, last longer and be far cheaper!

My other basics: shampoo, conditioner, bars of soap, basic moisturiser, cotton wool, toothpaste. None of them fancy but the cost really does add up.

Coupled with the cost of having an actual shower, it's bloody ridiculous. It's like something out of the 19th century for a person to be thinking that they need to think about the cost of keeping their body clean!

Thanks for listening to my rant!

OP posts:
TheBeatles · 09/12/2023 12:11

TheYearOfSmallThings · 09/12/2023 12:09

You know I looked at them before and if I had lots of space I would give them a try, but 9 ordinary rolls is the most I can really accommodate so I'm stuck with the supermarkets really.

Show quote history

I get it. It’s a struggle for us to store the big box as it is, and I’m constantly rearranging the rolls as we get through them!

TeacherPlease · 09/12/2023 12:11

NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 10:55

I was buying sanitary pads for myself and DD yesterday and I got very angry that women have to pay for this essential care product FFS.

What other essential care products does anyone get for free?

You should be more outraged you have to pay for food and water, which you actually need to survive. If we expect to pay for that, then of course we should pay for sanitary products.

MsPloddingBottom · 09/12/2023 12:11

You know not everyone has 2 quid for tampons don’t you?

We're just taking the most extreme scenario and applying it to 50% of the Uk? That £2 lasts you three cycles - so 66p a month. Most people can indeed afford that.

Interested in this thread?

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General style & beauty
TheBeatles · 09/12/2023 12:14

MsPloddingBottom · 09/12/2023 12:11

You know not everyone has 2 quid for tampons don’t you?

We're just taking the most extreme scenario and applying it to 50% of the Uk? That £2 lasts you three cycles - so 66p a month. Most people can indeed afford that.

50% of the UK? I’ve no idea what you’re referring to.

I don’t know that a box of tampons necessarily lasts for 3 months. You seem to want to shut this thread down though and stop people discussing the cost of living, so I’ll oblige 👍🏻

Sandunesandseashells · 09/12/2023 12:15

If you buy soap bars ahead of needing them, unwrap and leave them in your clothes drawers. They scent the drawers, keep moths out and will last x3 longer when used as they won’t go mushy when wet.

I use pump spray olive oil (sold for low calorie frying) to remove my eye make up. Dissolves the most waterproof mascara in seconds and a £1.50 bottle lasts all year.

TeaSoakedDisasterMagnet · 09/12/2023 12:15

FancyFanny · 09/12/2023 11:55

Santitary pads/tampons only cost about £2 for a months supply.

If you have a short, lighter period, yes sure. If you have 10 day, very heavy flooding periods, I can assure you that one or two packs of period protection at £2 would see me through about 3 days.

TheGhostOfTheOpera · 09/12/2023 12:17

NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 10:55

I was buying sanitary pads for myself and DD yesterday and I got very angry that women have to pay for this essential care product FFS.

Yep. Hence the issue if period poverty…

Fwiw I switched to the mooncup years and years ago. Cost was a big reason for the move and I really don’t regret that move.
Not suitable for your dd I imagine. But period pants might be.

(still a privileged position to be able to pay fir them upfront though….)

CaptainMyCaptain · 09/12/2023 12:18

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 09/12/2023 10:59

I use a roll on. It lasts about 2 or 3 months.

At least 2 or 3 months and costs about £1. Also most of them say they last 48 hours and aren't needed every day which would halve the cost although you do have to remember which day to apply it.

TheGhostOfTheOpera · 09/12/2023 12:18

MsPloddingBottom · 09/12/2023 12:11

You know not everyone has 2 quid for tampons don’t you?

We're just taking the most extreme scenario and applying it to 50% of the Uk? That £2 lasts you three cycles - so 66p a month. Most people can indeed afford that.

Lol at the idea that a lack of tampon would last you 3 cycles.
Never been the case for me and I wouldn’t have classed my periods as flooding either.

MsPloddingBottom · 09/12/2023 12:19

@TheBeatles 👍

Why is a minute number of people not being able to afford £2 every three months relevant to my initial comment? Do we all need to provide a disclaimer every single time we talk about anything?

This thread is not even about the COL. it's about the price of goods and value for money.

Thank you.

MsPloddingBottom · 09/12/2023 12:20

Lol at the idea that a lack of tampon would last you 3 cycles.

?

Jellycats4life · 09/12/2023 12:21

How on earth are you getting through a can of spray deodorant in 1-2 weeks?

Mine always last months. Sprays and roll ons.

CaptainMyCaptain · 09/12/2023 12:21

Bagpuss2022 · 09/12/2023 11:55

Those of you who use bar soap do you have one for every Member of the family? I don’t fancy washing myself with soap that my husband and son have washed their arsed and balls with

You don't have to rub the soap on your arse. Get a lather with your hands and use them.

RachelSTG · 09/12/2023 12:22

FancyFanny · 09/12/2023 11:51

Everyone seems to expect to live for free these days.

I don't understand this statement. Who is claiming to live for free?

Blanketpolicy · 09/12/2023 12:23

My dh and ds use Deodourant sprays, they cost a fortune and need replenished frequently compared to my roll on that lasts a few weeks.

RachelSTG · 09/12/2023 12:23

@FancyFanny or expecting to live for free rather. No one expects to live for free.

GreatGateauxsby · 09/12/2023 12:23

BrainInAJar · 09/12/2023 11:01

Good points, thanks.

I've tried various deoderants but perhaps due to my peri-menopause find only certain ones work for me.

Try mitcham roll on.

i have probably converted hundreds of people and at this point mitcham should prob be giving me a lifetime supply for free.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 09/12/2023 12:30

It's the deoderant which broke the camel's back today though and set me off ranting! Trying different brands can be a bit of a waste of money though if they don't work for me.

But you can get roll-on ones from the same brands as the aerosol ones. They are just as good, and cheaper.

Those of you who use bar soap do you have one for every Member of the family? I don’t fancy washing myself with soap that my husband and son have washed their arsed and balls with

Of course not - soap is self-cleaning Grin. Anyway, I soap my hands and then wash my body with them. Or I use a shower puff and rub the soap on that. Once you briefly run the soap under the water, the outer layer rinses off anyway.

MidnightMeltdown · 09/12/2023 12:33

TheBeatles · 09/12/2023 12:09

If you read the OP’s posts she says that possibly due to perimenopause, many deodorants don’t do the trick for her at present.

You know not everyone has 2 quid for tampons don’t you? I mean, I do, but I’m aware that some people don’t have enough to eat. Just because we don’t know any of them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

So companies should manufacture stuff and give it out for free? Who do you think should pay for all this?

Sick to death of entitled people who seem to think that everyone owes them a living. 99.9999% of the population can easily afford £2. You are quoting a very extreme example as if it applies to large swathes of the population.

Original poster
BrainInAJar · 09/12/2023 12:34

Thanks everyone.

I think maybe I'm a bit funny about deoderant, especially now with this peri-menopause so yes maybe I'm applying too much spray as I'm a bit paranoid of sweating/smelling.

I've never liked the cream or roll-on ones.

A couple of you have mentioned buying in bulk from Amazon so maybe that's the way forward.

I'd scrimp on a lot though before I'd scrimp on deoderant!

OP posts:
gotomomo · 09/12/2023 12:34

Shop at Lidl, use roll on, own brand shampoo etc - it's fine

Mummy2Sienna · 09/12/2023 12:35

Yes to the sure cream deodorant. It’s more expensive but only needs to go on once every 48 hours.

I only shower every two days - I know that’s the depths of depravity for many on here but I’m pretty sure I don’t smell and as I work from home I don’t think it’s necessary.

I also got some leave-in conditioner that I spray on after getting out of the shower - saves a bit of shower time.

gamerchick · 09/12/2023 12:38

I hear this sort of complaint from people who do all of their shop in one place. You pay for convenience.

If I want my car fixed quickly I go to somewhere like Halfords or Jennings and pay for the privilege. But there are independent garages that are a fraction if I'm willing to wait.

gamerchick · 09/12/2023 12:41

MsPloddingBottom · 09/12/2023 12:20

Lol at the idea that a lack of tampon would last you 3 cycles.

?

I kinda want to know what kind of periods you have where one box of tampons last 3 months.

RedRobyn2021 · 09/12/2023 12:42

We stopped using spray deodorants because I'd read they can give you cancer

We both use stick ones now which last longer

I think the answer is shopping around a bit more