The Pink Tax Costs People—Usually Women—Up to 48% More for Personal Care Products - Consumer Reports (2024)

What Is the Pink Tax?

These price differences in seemingly identical products are part of what is called the pink tax. This isn’t an actual tax that is tacked on at the end of your receipt like sales tax. Instead, the products marketed toward women are frequently priced higher than those that target men. To be fair, sometimes the products are a little bit different: pink instead of gray packaging, powder-fresh scent instead of cedarwood, and images of happy, smiling women and flower petals versus angry-looking sea creatures or names like “Pit Boss” on the label.

But these differences don’t usually warrant the different prices. Another part of this pink tax problem is an actual tax, though. For example, in some states, menstrual products are not tax-exempt, even though they should be considering they are health products necessary for the maintenance of women’s health.

Are Pink-Taxed Products Worth the Higher Price Tag?

To find out whether it’s worth it to spend the extra bucks on women’s products, I spent a week using six products marketed toward men and women. Every morning I used a men’s body wash in the shower and applied a men’s deodorant to one underarm and a women’s deodorant to the other. I used a women’s body wash in the evening and repeated the mismatched deo routine before bed. To shave, I used a men’s razor on one leg and a women’s razor on the other.

Deodorant: Both deodorants did what they were supposed to do—kept me smelling good and sweat-free. I didn’t notice more sweating from one underarm than the other, and when I asked those around me if they noticed anything different about me without giving away the fact I was wearing two different deodorants, they all said no. I did notice a difference in their scent though. Secret’s deodorant is light, powdery, and floral. The first words that come to mind when I smell Old Spice deodorant are medicinal and spicy. On the first day, I didn’t mind it, but by the third day, I caught myself making a sour face in the mirror when I uncapped my Old Spice deodorant. I was sick of it,because I was not accustomed to wearing this scent (but others may disagree!). Luckily about an hour after application, my nose got so used to the scent that I didn’t notice it anymore. If I could find an unscented version of this Old Spice deodorant for the same price (22.4% less expensive per ounce versus the Secret deodorant I tried), I’d probably never buy another woman’s deodorant again.

Body wash: The only noticeable difference after a week of showering with the gendered body washes was the scent. Again, the men’s version smelled spicy but pleasant. The light floral notes in the women’s body wash reminded me of my usual product from Method. Performance-wise there was absolutely nothing to note. I even skipped body lotion after my showers for the week to see if I would notice a difference in how moisturized my skin felt after each shower. No difference at all. Because these two products were virtually the same price considering the size of the bottles, I consider this a win, both for consumers and for the brand.

Razors: These two razor cartridges could not look more different, though they are made by the same parent company, Proctor and Gamble. The women’s razor cartridge has about a half-inch worth of moisture bars at the top and bottom. The men’s version has just a thin blue bar at the top. Given how sensitive my skin is, I was not brave enough to try it without shaving cream. After shaving, I inspected my legs and couldn’t spot any differences. They both felt smooth and I managed to nick my knees with both of the razors (which I always do with every single razor I’ve ever tried). There was also no difference in the speed my hair grew back.

The Gillette Fusion 5 also came with a plastic cap to cover the cartridge in between uses, something I wish the Gillette Venus razor included too. After sitting in my shower for a day, the moisture bars on the women’s razor were goopy, and sticking to the shelf I kept both razors on. It begged the question, were these conditioning bars really worth the higher price tag? I don’t think so. Yes, they did allow the razor to glide across my skin more smoothly, but if they just dissolve and make a mess in my shower before I can use them a second time, I’m wasting money on something I’m not getting the full benefits out of.

Apparently,at Least One Brand ThinksMen and Women Wear Deodorant for Different Reasons

Are There Any Laws Regulating the Pink Tax?

Why It Matters

The gender pay gap still exists today. Women, especially women of color, are paid less than their white, male counterparts in the same roles but have to spend more than men to buy what are frequently very similar products. According to data from the American Association of University Women, women in general are paid about 84 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man earns. The lowest-paid women, Latina/Hispanic women, are paid just 57 cents for every dollar. No matter which way you look at it, this isn’t fair.

We could argue that we’re just assuming some of these products are “for men” or “for women” since many don’t explicitly say so on the packaging. But, if you take a close look at the wording and images on the labels, it becomes clear that this isn’t the case. The razors I tried don’t explicitly say they are for just one gender, but the images of the people on the box are two women on the Gillette Venus razor and a man shaving his face on the Gillette Fusion 5. Should they be priced differently because they’re marketed for one gender over the other? What if those products work exactly the same way? Why are the claims on the labels so different? I personally don’t need a pink body wash to feel clean, nor do I care if my body lotion doesn’t have images of flower petals on the label.

We also have to consider where that leaves those who identify as gender-neutral, gender fluid, or non-binary, or who simply prefer not to have to choose between a so-called ultra-feminine or ultra-masculine deodorant. While there is a shift to be more inclusive in other industries like fashion, the shelves at our drugstores are looking the same way they have for decades—pink on one side and blue on the other.