'Is Hygiene Poverty A Regular Thing?' — Woman Surprised That Struggling Friend Can't Afford Soap & Deodorant
Just like some people can't afford food or clothes, some people also struggle to purchase hygiene essentials.
Vladeep | Shutterstock Many people never really give a second thought to purchasing personal hygiene products. Picking up a package of toilet paper or a bottle of shampoo is so commonplace to them that it has basically become something they do on autopilot. But the reality of the situation is that there are a lot of people who struggle to afford these essentials. They don’t just pick a bar of soap up off a store shelf without thinking. Instead, every cent that goes into that purchase has to be thought through.
People who face these circumstances are experiencing what’s known as hygiene poverty. Sarah Roberts, the executive director of the Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute, defined hygiene poverty as “the inability to afford basic hygiene products like soap, toothpaste, or sanitary items.” People who haven’t experienced hygiene poverty likely don’t even think about it, but, as one Reddit commenter wisely pointed out, “Some people are weighing shampoo or body wash against paying [their] electric bill or eating food.”
One woman who was not familiar with hygiene poverty was pretty surprised when a friend asked her for a care package.
In Reddit’s r/poor forum, she explained that a friend asked her for a “hygiene bag.” She said, “I consider myself a poor person. I’m a caregiver, so I’m not making a ton of money. I’m also single, live alone, and I’m responsible for paying everything myself. Thankfully I do have everything I need currently.”
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Despite her own experience with poverty, she was pretty surprised that her friend needed this. “I understand that we all can run short sometimes,” she continued. “I do have enough of a surplus of hygiene items to make her a goody bag, so I’ll drop it off before I head to work today. I’m wondering, though, is hygiene poverty a regular thing? Meaning not having the basics, like shower gel, lotion, deodorant, soap, etc., especially for women?”
Unfortunately, hygiene poverty is a very real thing.
According to the BBC, the charity Hygiene Bank teamed up with YouGov to survey nearly 2,200 people. Their results showed that 6% of all adults in the U.K. experienced hygiene poverty. The number was higher for lower-income households (13%) and disabled people (21%).
Ruth Brock, the chief executive of Hygiene Bank, called it a “hidden crisis.” She added, “I think it just doesn’t occur to people in the same way that fuel and food poverty do. But the truth is, by the time you’re not switching on your heating or you’re going to a food bank for food essentials, you’ve stopped buying essential hygiene products weeks before.”
Charities are working to mitigate hygiene poverty, but it remains an 'embarrassing' issue.
Organizations like Hygiene Bank and Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute are doing what they can to make it easier for people experiencing hygiene poverty to access the products they need. Good360 also works with multiple nonprofits that work to put hygiene products in the hands of those who need them.
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Good360 noted, “One of the reasons why hygiene poverty remains a silent epidemic is because it can be an embarrassing topic to address, and many people are simply not aware of how insidious of an issue it can be.” It makes sense when you think about it. If you’re living in poverty because of unemployment, getting a job interview could mean everything is about to change for you. But, if you don’t have the hygiene products needed to shower beforehand, you may feel too embarrassed to go to the interview, or risk attending and being judged.
Hygiene poverty is an issue that a lot of people really just aren’t that familiar with, but it’s something we should all know about. Just like some people struggle to buy groceries, some also have a hard time buying the hygiene products they need. Instead of creating a culture of shame around this issue, we should all pitch in to help out those who need it.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
