Use a Man’s Shaving Cream to Save Money?

Peggy Rowland — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:53:01 +0000

The idea of gender-specific shaving cream or shampoo was probably cooked up by advertising agencies in the 1940s. I’m taking a wild guess, but that sounds about right to me. The lovely feminine packaging sells us on products. And can you blame men for choosing a more masculine-looking package of soap?

All this may matter. Consumer Reports found that women are often charged more than men pay for similar products like shaving cream, pain relievers, body wash, antiperspirants, eye revitalizers or razors. They discovered that products directed at women by packaging or name often cost up to 50% more than similar products for men.

Consumer Reports concluded that you should try ignoring gender labels on personal care products and go with the cheaper version. I think that may work for things like shaving cream and maybe even razors and body wash. However, I’d probably not use a lot of the manly smelling antiperspirants out there. After all, that smell stays with you, unlike the scent of body wash. Plus, do you want to smell like your boyfriend?

Let’s back up a minute though. Why are women being charged more? I believe it’s because women are willing to pay more, and companies know that. You can protest silently by buying products that aren’t aimed at a men or women. For example, Aveeno shaving cream is about as gender neutral as you can get. It’s what I use. For razors, I use Preserve, which are also gender neutral.

Read more about the brands studied by Consumer Reports in their article: Men win the battle of the sexes, appearing in the January issue.