Why women understand personal hygiene better than men: poll

October 11, 2022

Women claim to have a better understanding of how to care for their hygiene than men (57% vs. 42%), according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 men and 1,000 women looked at the differences in how the genders care for their hygiene and found that while 73% of all respondents said hygiene care is easy, one in 10 women said the opposite.

On average, women also put one more hour a week into caring for their hygiene such as showering, shaving, etc. (10 vs. 9).

Conducted by OnePoll for INTIMINA, results showed that most respondents agree that proper personal hygiene care should be taught as early as possible (87%), but 38% said people who don’t know how to take care of their hygiene shouldn’t be shamed or embarrassed because of it.

In fact, 40% said they’re comfortable when talking about their personal hygiene with close friends or family members.

Across the board, people prioritize washing their hands (90%) and body (90%) the most, followed by brushing their teeth (87%) or applying deodorant (84%).

While women are more likely to prioritize washing their “intimate areas” (85%) and their skincare routine (84%), men are more likely to stay on top of cutting their nails (69%) and shaving their face (74%).

Surprisingly, men are more likely to wash their hair more than twice a week (76% vs. 65%).

“Hygiene routines can vary from person to person, regardless of sex. There are numerous reasons for this, starting from cultures, education, habits, and possibilities,” said Danela Zagar, global brand manager at INTIMINA. “Either way, maintaining personal hygiene is the key to feeling carefree and healthy. It can sometimes be difficult for women — especially when speaking about feminine hygiene, which issues are rarely discussed.”

“For example, it can be challenging to maintain high standards during menstruation, particularly when traveling or being at work and school. But all women should know the best ways to care for their bodies to feel fresh and confident, even in their most private moments.”

Hygiene matters when being intimate, too, with 73% sharing that they use the bathroom immediately afterward and 66% change into clean clothes.

Time and place may affect how respondents are able to care for their hygiene – generally, survey-takers described their bodily hygiene as more challenging to care for as they get older, especially men.

And 40% agree that it is harder to care for their personal hygiene when they’re away from home, like when they’re at work or on vacation.

When people are away from home, they’re most likely to bring their personal care items with them (81%) and wash or sanitize their hands often (72%).

Half of women who have menstruated also said it’s more challenging to care for their personal hygiene when menstruating.

Since respondents spend so much time on their hygiene, most said they would be interested in using more sustainable hygiene products (62%), especially women (66%).

Just over a fifth of women know their menstrual products can be harmful to the environment (23%), and a similar percentage expressed interest in utilizing sustainable options.

“There should also be room for sustainability when speaking about proper personal hygiene and routine,” Zagar said. “There is a widespread myth that sustainable products are not doing the “right magic,” but this is due to a lack of knowledge, education, and advertising. Sustainability absolutely doesn`t mean being less hygienic, just the opposite – conventional products are often wasteful and toxic and not good for our bodies. Our products are trying to bring awareness to women worldwide to abandon products that expose their vaginas to harmful chemicals.”

WHAT PERSONAL HYGIENE HABITS DO YOU PERFORM REGULARLY?