Last updated on July 23rd, 2026 at 11:14 am
Hygiene poverty means living without the essentials many of us take for granted: the deodorant that helps you feel confident at work, the toothpaste that starts your day, the period products that allow you to participate fully in life.
For the sixth year running, Boots and The Hygiene Bank are joining forces to take action. Through the You Buy, We Donate campaign, Boots customers can help provide a lifeline for people experiencing hygiene poverty, simply by choosing everyday products they already know and trust.
How does it work?
Until 25th August, when customers buy participating products in store or at boots.com from Tampax, always, Oral-B, Colgate, Sanex, Dove, Sure, TRESemmé, Radox, Lynx, Simple and Vaseline, Boots’ supplier partners Unilever, P&G and Colgate will donate one product to The Hygiene Bank.
This is a simple, yet incredibly powerful way to ensure more people across the UK have access to the basics they need to feel clean, confident and cared for.
Why does it matter?
Anna is 19 and getting ready for her first job interview at her local coffee shop.
She’s done everything right. She’s searched for vacancies, updated her CV, practised interview questions and built up the confidence to apply. Her mum and grandmother are proud, hopeful that this could be the opportunity that changes everything.
But there’s something Anna is worried about that most people would never think twice about.
Anna is one of the 4.2 million adults in the UK living in hygiene poverty.
To walk into her interview feeling clean and confident, she needs the everyday essentials many of us take for granted: shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, clean clothes and, during her period, menstrual products.
For Anna, these aren’t everyday items. They’re difficult choices.
When money is stretched to cover rent, food and energy bills, hygiene essentials can become unaffordable. And when you can’t access them, you don’t just lose out on feeling clean, you lose confidence. You begin to question whether to show up at all.
For Anna, the cost of these essential items could be the difference between attending her interview or staying at home.
No one should miss an opportunity to build their future because they can’t afford toothpaste, deodorant or laundry detergent.
Sadly, Anna’s story isn’t unique and this is why our partnership with Boots is so important. Hygiene poverty blocks life chances, limits opportunities and could happen to anyone at any stage of their life. We challenge the injustice of hygiene poverty and, together with Boots we are making meaningful change.
Reflecting on The Hygiene Bank’s partnership with Boots, Ruth Brock, The Hygiene Bank’s CEO shared:
“For six years, Boots and its supplier partners have shown what long-term, purposeful partnership can achieve. We’re incredibly grateful to Boots, Unilever, P&G and Colgate for continuing to stand with us in the fight against hygiene poverty, and for recognising that access to everyday essentials is fundamental to health, wellbeing and dignity – and ultimately to their life chances.
Every product donated through this campaign will help someone facing impossible choices between buying toiletries and paying for other essentials. These aren’t luxuries, they’re the basics that enable people to go to work, attend school, care for their families and participate in everyday life with confidence.
I’d also like to thank every Boots colleague for helping us raise awareness and every Boots customer who chooses to take part. A simple purchase can make a meaningful difference to someone else’s life. Together, we’re proving that collective action really does have the power to restore dignity, build confidence and ensure that no one is left without the essentials they need.”
How can I get involved?
Look out for participating products in Boots stores and at boots.com. Every time you buy one, a product is donated to The Hygiene Bank, providing dignity, hope and confidence to people like Anna.
To learn more about the campaign, visit: https://www.boots.com/help-tackle-hygiene-poverty
