Men and women’s skincare: Who pays more?

As men’s skincare and hygiene products become more diverse and readily available, personal finance experts have revealed the price difference in comparison to women’s products.

Penny-pinching gurus from personal finance website TheMoneyPig.com have researched and compared the prices of eight common skincare and hygiene products that are marketed to men and women.

Historically these have always been female facing sectors, especially skincare, but with brands such as Nivea and Liz Earle selling men’s ranges and specialist men’s makeup companies such as Warpaint launching, the sector is more diverse than ever before.

It is, however, commonly believed that women have to pay more for their cosmetics than men do, with steeper prices often linked to intricate packaging and expensive brands.

When looking at like-for-like products marketed to men and women TheMoneyPig.com discovered that the majority of products were the same price, such as eye cream which generally comes in at around £18 for 15ml.

More specialised products such as face masks which cater for different types of skin and target different problems are generally more expensive for men.

A charcoal tissue mask can set men back £3.99, with the women’s equivalent costing just £2.99.

Face wash is also an expensive product for men to buy, costing £4.35 for 100ml with women having to pay just £3.15 for 150ml – 50% more product.

However, shaving gel costs an extra 55p per 200ml for women than it does for the male equivalent, though it’s likely that it’s essentially the same formula.

When it comes to hygiene, men’s anti-perspirant deodorant costs £1 more than women’s, perhaps due to the strength of their pheromones.

Well-known skincare brand Liz Earle keeps their products at the same price point regardless of the gender of the customer.

Their award-winning Cleanse and Polish is £15.50 for 100ml regardless of whether the male or female option is chosen.

A spokesperson for TheMoneyPig.com said: “Our research shows that it’s a common misconception that female skincare products cost a lot more than men’s, but this may be due to the amount that they use.

“Women are more likely to stick to religious routines of cleansing, toning and using eye cream whereas men are more likely just to use face wash and moisturisers.

“Everyone has a different skincare and hygiene routine to fit to their day-to-day life and their job and hobbies.

“If you’re extremely active you’re likely to wash more, meaning you’ll get through more body wash and will have to fork out more.

“There are plenty of options on the market for every price bracket whether you’re male or female, so trialling different products at different price points and seeing what works best for your skin is always the best option.”