Hygiene poverty is the inability to afford essential everyday hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, laundry products and sanitary products. It is a form of financial hardship that can affect health, confidence, education, work and everyday life.
Although hygiene products are often treated as basic household essentials, many people across the UK struggle to afford them. The problem can remain hidden because people may feel embarrassed about asking for help or discussing what they are going without.
What Is Hygiene Poverty?
Hygiene poverty occurs when a person or household cannot afford the basic products needed to maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness.
These products include everyday essentials such as:
Soap and shower products
Shampoo and conditioner
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Deodorant
Laundry detergent and cleaning products
Sanitary products
Hygiene poverty is broader than period poverty. Period poverty is specifically concerned with barriers to accessing menstrual products and support, while hygiene poverty covers a wider range of personal and household hygiene essentials.
Both can affect dignity, confidence and participation in everyday life.
How Widespread Is Hygiene Poverty in the UK?
The Hygiene Bank's latest national research, published in 2024, estimated that 4.2 million adults in the UK were experiencing hygiene poverty, equivalent to 8% of the population. The research found that the number had increased by 1.1 million compared with 2022, with the cost-of-living and inflation crises identified as major factors.
The research also shows that hygiene poverty does not affect only people who are out of work. It affected 17% of unemployed adults, compared with 13% of those working part-time and 7% of those working full-time. People with disabilities or long-term health conditions, lower-income households, younger adults, ethnic minority groups and families with children were among the groups disproportionately affected.
The financial choices people are being forced to make are particularly concerning. The 2024 research found that 69% of adults experiencing hygiene poverty had to choose between paying for essential needs such as food or bills and buying toiletries and cleaning products. Among affected parents, 65% had faced a choice between buying hygiene products for themselves or their children.
How Hygiene Poverty Affects Children
Children can experience the effects of hygiene poverty at school as well as at home.
A Boots-commissioned survey of 500 UK teachers in 2022 found that 69% had personally observed poor hygiene among pupils as a result of hygiene poverty. The same research found that 91% of teachers believed access to essential hygiene products would help children attend school feeling confident and ready to learn.
The issue can affect confidence as well as practical participation. Teachers reported seeing children experiencing challenges associated with personal hygiene, while some also reported having to provide hygiene products themselves.
This shows why access to basic hygiene products can matter in educational settings. A student who is worried about their appearance, hygiene or being judged by classmates may find it harder to feel comfortable and confident at school.
Who Is Affected by Hygiene Poverty?
Hygiene poverty can affect people in different circumstances.
The latest Hygiene Bank research highlights particularly high levels among people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, people in lower-income households, younger adults, ethnic minority groups and families with children. It also shows that working people can experience hygiene poverty, demonstrating that having a job does not necessarily remove financial pressure around essential products.
The effects can also be experienced by people who are already facing other forms of financial or social insecurity.
That is one reason hygiene poverty should be understood as a wider issue of access, dignity and opportunity rather than simply a problem with buying toiletries.
Why Hygiene Poverty Is More Than an Inconvenience
Going without essential hygiene products can affect both physical and emotional wellbeing.
The Hygiene Bank's 2024 research found that 68% of people experiencing hygiene poverty said it had affected their mental health, while 48% said they were too embarrassed to ask for help accessing hygiene products. The research also found that 92% reported that hygiene poverty limited their social interactions with friends and family.
Physical health can also be affected. More than half of those experiencing hygiene poverty had not visited a dentist in the previous 12 months, while a third reported skin rashes, fungal infections or dental problems.
The wider impact can therefore extend into family life, social relationships, education and work. For a deeper look at the mental health impact of hygiene poverty, read our article on the subject.
What Can Be Done About Hygiene Poverty?
Tackling hygiene poverty requires greater awareness alongside practical access to essential products.
Individuals can help by supporting organisations working in communities affected by hygiene poverty.
Businesses can also contribute through partnerships, product support and other forms of social impact.
Community organisations and local support networks have an important role in reaching people who may otherwise struggle to access essential products.
There is also a wider need for continued public discussion about hygiene poverty and the financial pressures that force households to make impossible choices between basic necessities.
The key point is simple: people should not have to choose between food, household bills and essential hygiene.
How Bear Earth Is Tackling Hygiene Poverty
Bear Earth CIC is focused on combating hygiene poverty and promoting menstrual and personal hygiene education for women and girls worldwide.
The organisation provides dignity kits and supports educational initiatives designed to help women and girls manage menstrual hygiene safely, hygienically and with confidence.
In the UK, Bear Earth works through the Zinthiya Trust to distribute period products through food banks and community shops. Internationally, Bear Earth works with organisations aligned with its mission to deliver dignity kits and menstrual health education where they are needed most.
You can learn more about how Bear Earth works and the approach behind its hygiene and menstrual health initiatives.
Bear Earth operates across the UK and internationally, supporting communities where access to menstrual hygiene products is difficult.
What Can You Do to Help?
Hygiene poverty can feel like a huge problem, but support can start with practical action.
Businesses can explore partnership opportunities. Individuals can learn more about the issues and support initiatives that improve access to essential products and education.
Bear Earth's work includes dignity kits, subscriptions and partnerships that help fund educational and community initiatives.
Final Thoughts
Hygiene poverty in the UK is a significant and often hidden issue. Millions of adults are struggling to afford basic hygiene essentials, and the effects can reach far beyond the bathroom cabinet.
The latest research shows clear links with mental health, social participation, physical wellbeing and the ability to manage everyday life. Children can also experience the consequences at school, where confidence and access to essential products can influence their experience of education.
Understanding hygiene poverty is the first step. Supporting practical solutions is the next.
To help Bear Earth continue providing essential hygiene support and education, explore our dignity kits and discover how you can contribute to the work.
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