Battle of the sexes: Are female products really MORE EXPENSIVE than male products?
Ruth Lum●
The ‘pink tax’ debate is not new, with many concluding that ladies do indeed pay 13% more for personal care products, which is an even bigger issue to know that women earn 79% of what men do.
I sought to find out if we are subject to the said price differences here in Singapore, given that we have a myriad of discounter beauty stores that hold insane sales and slashed prices.
TL;DR: There is NO apparent price disparity for male and female products if you shop at the right stores in Singapore!
| Item | Girls' Price (SGD) | Guys' Price (SGD) | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deodorant - Nivea | $2.50 | $2.50 | SAME PRICE |
| Face Wash - Neutrogena | $6.95 | $6.95 | SAME PRICE |
| Blackhead Pore Pack - Biore | $4.50 | $4.89 | Guys' more expensive |
| Oil Sheet Wipes - Clean & Clear, Gatsby | $3.20 | $2.50 | Girls' more expensive |
| Hair Dye - Revlon | $10.90 | $10.90 | SAME PRICE |
*Prices here are referenced from neighbourhood CK Department Store, now rebranded as myCK, which has 20 stores islandwide.
We’ve found that big-chain drugstores like Watsons and Guardian do not have competitive prices/generous discounts like neighbourhood stores do.
1. Face Wash
What the product claims to do-
Improved formula with PureRice(TM) technology effectively:
- Removes dirt and excess oil that clogs pores
- Helps prevent blemishes
- Acts as a microsponge to continue absorbing excess pol for fresh and breathable skin
Ingredients:
| Ingredients | Neutrogena Men | Neutrogena deep clean energizing foaming cleanser | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glycerin | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Propylene Glycol | ✓ | ✓ | |
| PEG-8 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Myristic Acid | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Stearic Acid | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Potassium Hydroxide | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lauric Acid | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Beeswax | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glyceryl Stearate | ✓ | ✓ | |
| PEG-100 Stearate | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Menthyl Lactate | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fragrance | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Methylisothiazolinone | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Palmitic Acid | ✓ | ||
| Oryza Sativa (Rice) Seed Protein | ✓ | ||
| o-Cymen-5-ol | ✓ | ||
| Tetrasodium EDTA | ✓ | ||
| Methylparaben | ✓ | ||
| Isopulegol | ✓ | ||
| Magnesium Aspartate | ✓ | ||
| Zinc Gluconate | ✓ | ||
| Propylparaben | ✓ | ||
| Copper Gluconate | ✓ | ||
| Phenoxyethanol | ✓ | ||
| Cl77007 | ✓ | ||
| Cl42090 | ✓ | ||
| Cl17200 | ✓ | ||
| Total no. of ingredients | 17 | 25 |
I guess that means ladies would be paying the same amount as guys for 8-ingredients “jia liao” in their facewash!
2. Deodorants
Common drugstore brands like Rexona and Nivea have a flat price for deodorants.
3. Blackhead Pore Packs
4. Oil sheets
Would you pay more for oil sheets (paper), and are you brand-conscious?
5. Hair Dyes
As mentioned above, most big-chain stores like Watsons and Guardian do indeed have products which prove the point of the ‘pink tax’, with products like female facial wash costing 8% more than male facial wash from the same brand and series.
Other discounters/budget beauty product stores:
Daiso
Venus Beauty
Swanston Chinatown
Beauty Language
Hot Tomato
Pink Beauty
Remember to shop smarter!
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