The bubble’s burst: why Britain stopped washing

Changing habits are making us pull the plug on soap. By Gwyneth Rees

For perhaps far too long, we Britons have castigated the French for being – among other things – a nation that does not wash.

But in a rather embarrassing volte-face, it seems we may now be joining them.

Market research companies have recorded a serious downturn in sales of personal hygiene products in the year to June 2024, compared with 2019.

According to UK-based Kantar, soap sales experienced the biggest drop-off – at 15 per cent – while liquid soap is down 13 per cent, shampoo sales down 10 per cent, and toothpaste down 4 per cent.

Experts claim the reasons range from the cost of living crisis to changing social habits since the pandemic. In short, it seems we just don’t care.

Barbara Santini, a psychologist at Oxford University, says: “The pandemic has profoundly influenced our daily behaviour, particularly in personal hygiene and public presentation.

“There’s the psychological impact of it, the work from home paradigm, change in social norms, plus economic considerations. It really is multi-faceted.”

There is little doubt that working away from the world, tucked up in our bedrooms, is linked to a reduced need for, well, cleanliness. At the end of the pandemic, for instance, there was a 15 per cent surge in deodorants, according to the maker of Dove, Rexona and Impulse, as we ventured back out into the world.

But many still do work from home, which has continued to affect sales. In March, for instance, a study by personal finance experts Finder found that 44 per cent of us – 23 million – still roll out of bed straight on to our laptop some of the time, with 16 per cent working from home exclusively.

Santini adds: “Traditional office environments necessitate a certain level of grooming and professional attire. However, with the home becoming the new workplace, the pressure to maintain these standards has lessened.

“Comfortable clothing, such as pyjamas, has become the norm, leading to a more relaxed attitude towards dressing and grooming. This shift indicates a re-evaluation of what is deemed necessary for productivity and professionalism.”

This has spilled out into the wider world, with us seemingly happier to be less attractive and sweet-smelling even in company.

Kantar’s research shows that we now wash our hair 1.8 times weekly, compared with 2.2 times in the 12 months to March 2019. Somewhat unnervingly, we also brush our teeth 10.7 times weekly – compared with 11 times in 2019.

A quick flick through TikTok shows women who say they have ditched make-up, shaving their legs and blow-drying their hair since the pandemic. Sales of beauty products went down during Covid, and many of these relaxed beauty and hygiene norms have stuck.

Santini says: “The pandemic has also fostered a sense of shared experience and empathy. Seeing someone in pyjamas at the supermarket, once considered unusual, is now a symbol of our collective journey through unprecedented times.”

There are, however, other reasons for the downturn in sales: we simply can’t afford it. The rise of inflation and the cost of living crisis have driven many to shun cleaning products out of financial necessity, it is claimed.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics in October found that 44 per cent of us were spending less on food shopping and essentials, and 66 per cent were cutting back on nonessentials, with market researchers Reapp attributing the falling sales to rising prices.

James Lamplugh, the company’s commercial director, said at the time: “Our analysis indicates that the nation’s shoppers are still having to make tough decisions between household essentials.”

This holds true even where there are special offers – we’re ditching non-essential items completely, and personal healthcare now comes under that heading. In fact, straitened finances also mean people are more likely to shun showers completely. A recent poll showed 27 per cent of adults were concerned about the cost of washing their hair, with 11 per cent switching to dry shampoo.

The lack of disposable income has not just hit Britain. Figures from the market research company Circana show that almost every large packaged goods company in Europe and America has seen a decline in sales in the personal care and beauty market.

In the US, retailers sold 20 per cent fewer razor blades last year compared with 2019.

There is also a post-pandemic shift towards not wanting as much stuff anymore. “Buy Nothing” Facebook groups have sprung up, with Steve Cahillane, the head of snack maker Kellanova, saying this can shape trends.

“When people learn how to save money, if it’s not uncomfortable to them, they tend to be habits that stick,” he says.

Whether people will return to washing is anyone’s guess. But there is one anomaly in the research. According to Kantar, one item does continue to sell well; in 2019, 273,476,000 deodorants were sold – which has risen slightly to 274,212,000 to date this year.

So, in this new nation of the great unwashed, we will at least remain fragrant.