Dentists agree that brushing your teeth twice a day is the best way to care for your teeth, but depending on the month, maintaining your dental hygiene routine can get significantly more expensive.
A new study finds that a tube of toothpaste can cost twice as much at certain times of the year as it does at other times of the year, and other popular health products, like Gillette razors, can also be twice as expensive depending on the time of year you buy them.
Consumer group Which? looked at similar products from the top three brands that were on sale for more than 42 weeks of the year between March 2023 and February 2024.
At one end of the toothpaste price range, Colgate’s Max White Ultimate Radiance (75ml) sells for between £11 and £25.20 in Waitrose, while in Asda and Boots the product usually costs £12.
Prices for the standard product, Colgate Max White Expert whitening toothpaste, ranged from £2.50 to £5 per year.
“Retailers are constantly changing the prices of their products based on demand, seasonality, contracts with manufacturers and what their competitors are doing,” says Ele Clark, retail editor at Which?
“Pay attention to the prices of the products you buy regularly and stock up when prices are low. Alternatively, ask yourself if it’s really essential to have your favourite brand and consider switching to a cheaper product that’s just as effective.”
The researchers also found that the price of mouthwash varied from store to store – as an example, Colgate’s Max White Expert Whitening (500ml) was typically sold for £2.50 and £5 in major supermarkets throughout the year, while another mouthwash, Listerine Advanced Defence Gum Crisp Mint (500ml), was sold for between £3 and £6 in Boots.
Which? took snapshot prices for each product at the same time each week over the course of a year, excluding multi-buy offers and loyalty pricing.
Consumers were forced to pay high prices for razors, particularly Gillette products: the Gillette Labs razor with exfoliating bar was sold at Morrisons for a list price of £22.49 but was frequently reduced by half to £11.25.
Allergy medications have emerged as another popular health product with a wide variation in price.
At Waitrose, the price of a pack of 30 Pirates Hay Fever and Allergy Relief Tablets has been reduced from £11.50 to £8 between May and July 2023, before going up to £11.55. At Boots, the same product was £10.55 between March and July 2023, before going up to £11.55.
The Which? study compared 107 health and personal care products sold across Asda, Boots, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco and Waitrose throughout the year and found that Asda was the cheapest supermarket for all health-related products – Aldi and Lidl were not included in the study as they stock fewer brands.
Which? approached all retailers for comment. Boots, Superdrug and Waitrose said they aim to offer customers the best value through their various sales. Other supermarkets declined to comment.
