3.2 million people in Britain have found themselves in hygiene poverty and are forced to refuse basic hygiene products, reports Sky News. According to the charity The Hygiene Bank, 12% of Britons surveyed are embarrassed to go to work because of this.
Thousands of Britons do not want to go to work because they cannot afford basic hygiene products, reports Sky News referring to the research of the charity The Hygiene Bank.
The study, which the organization conducted with YouGov, found that 3.2 million British adults live in hygiene poverty and many are embarrassed to go to work because they can’t even afford soap and deodorant.
Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank, described the problem as far more widespread than the organization had feared, with 12 percent of those surveyed avoiding meetings with colleagues because of this “hidden crisis. Moreover, the crisis continues to grow and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable.
That said, Brock says, the problem is most often simply not thought of by people who can no longer afford to eat regularly and heat their homes. “But the truth is that by the time you don’t turn on the heat or go to the food bank to get basic necessities, you haven’t bought essential hygiene products in weeks,” she said.
According to the study, people who have to live in hygiene poverty are more likely to forgo shaving products, deodorant, laundry detergent and other cleaning products. A quarter of the 2,200 people surveyed admitted to doing without toilet paper or soap, and 30 percent said they had to give up basic hygiene products for their menstrual periods.
“I wash my hair once a week now, and I used to wash it every other day… I don’t buy shower gel products anymore, I use shampoo foam,” noted one British woman surveyed.
Another respondent said that her family had to choose between “buying toothpaste and turning on the heating for a few minutes. Another admitted that she had become a “recluse” because she was embarrassed to go out because of the way she had become.
Half of those who gave up hygiene products said it made them feel anxious or depressed, and just as many admitted to feeling ashamed and embarrassed.
As Sky News notes, rising fuel and food prices have exacerbated an already existing problem. According to the Office for National Statistics, 45 percent of British adults are struggling to make ends meet and pay their energy bills, up from 40 percent in June. The data also show that prices for the cheapest items in supermarkets rose 17 percent.
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