pink tax in the US

Stop Paying The Pink Tax

Did you know, tampons and pads are charged sales tax because they are considered “luxury” items. Periods are certainly not a luxury and I’m sure every woman on the planet would agree.

Recently, some companies have been stepping up against unfair pricing and making moves towards high-quality ultra-low cost prices. Harry’s is one of them.

Harry’s is a gender-neutral product first company that sells shaving products and other awesome skin care products that are of the cheapest you can find without compromising on quality. Yes, finally an affordable shave club that works for women.

Boxed is another company fighting the good fight. They are Rethinking Pink and standing up to the pink tax. Boxed is enforcing price equality for women, on a per ounce or per unit basis for products that typically cost more for women than men such as razors, deodorants and many products. And my favorite, no taxation for tampons.

Why are we paying more?

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs released a study comparing the prices of over 800 products. The goal of the study was to estimate the price differences male and female shoppers face when buying the same types of items.

The results: Products for women or girls cost 7% more than comparable products for men and boys.

• 7% more for toys and accessories
• 4% more for children’s clothing
• 8% more for adult clothing
• 13% more for personal care products
• 8% more for senior/home health care products

Self Care Products

These are the kinds of things you buy in a drug store, razors, shaving cream, deodorant, face cleanser. A news program compared those items from various stores in Atlanta. The women’s products cost $4 more than the comparable men’s products.

Here’s what you can do ladies, just buy the men’s stuff! Unless you buy the fancy razors with multiple blades and “moisture strips,” the only difference between generic old stick razors for men and women is that our’s are pink and their’s are blue. Surprisingly, color has little effect on the hair removal process.

And buy a big old can of Barbasol. The stuff has been around since 1919 for a reason. In fact, I think the can that is permanently rusted to the edge of my tub is of that vintage. Lasts forever, works great and whatever you’re shaving won’t smell like the inside of a raspberry pop tart. Women’s shaving creams have the nastiest, synthetic smells.

You’re not out of the drug store yet. If you have internal rather than external plumbing, you are going spend about $3,000 over the course of your life on pads or tampons too. Jessica Valenti wrote a piece in the Guardian last year wondering why these products weren’t free or at least not taxed. The backlash was swift and vitriolic. You would have thought she had the nerve to say that Viagra shouldn’t be covered by insurance, the bitch.