Boots has partnered with The Hygiene Bank and The King’s Trust to distribute 15,000 toiletry kits after new research found that a lack of access to hygiene essentials is preventing young people from pursuing job opportunities.
Four in five 18-to-24-year-olds affected by hygiene poverty said they had delayed or missed a career opportunity because they could not access products such as deodorant, toothpaste and period products, according to research commissioned by the health and beauty retailer.
Boots said the findings highlighted the hidden costs associated with appearing “workplace ready” as more than one million young people remain out of employment, education or training in the UK.
The retailer has created 15,000 “First Impression” kits containing deodorant, shampoo, shower gel and dental care products. The washbags will be distributed throughout the year through community partners of The Hygiene Bank and The King’s Trust.
The campaign is intended to challenge the stigma surrounding hygiene poverty and promote fairer first impressions during interviews and other early-career opportunities.
Boots’ research found that 74 per cent of UK adults believed jobseekers were initially judged on their appearance, while around eight in 10 said personal hygiene was among the most important factors when forming a first impression.
More than half of people who had experienced hygiene poverty worried that it could cost them their job or restrict their career progression. This increased to 64 per cent among respondents aged between 18 and 24.
Boots director of corporate affairs Anna Harland said: “We recognise that there is a serious youth employment crisis in the UK, and entering the job market is already challenging.
“This can be made significantly harder for many young people living in hardship, who sadly are being held back from work, confidence and everyday opportunities because they cannot afford basic hygiene essentials.
“Hygiene poverty is often hidden, but its impact reaches far beyond the bathroom.”
More than 4.2 million people across the UK are currently affected by hygiene poverty, according to the campaign partners.
For households on limited incomes, essentials including shampoo, razors and laundry detergent can be among the first items removed from shopping lists. The Hygiene Bank said some people resorted to using washing-up liquid as shampoo, tissue in place of period products or their fingers instead of toothbrushes.
The Hygiene Bank chief executive Ruth Brock said the issue was not only causing “misery, anxiety and depression” but also restricting people’s opportunities and life chances.
“This campaign is highlighting specifically how hygiene poverty is shutting young people out of work opportunities, and therefore limiting their futures,” she said.
“These kits from Boots are a vital and exciting next step to help young people feel ready for the workplace and ready for a brighter tomorrow.”
The campaign is being supported by BBC The Apprentice winner and Kishkin chief executive Karishma Vijay, who said access to hygiene products could determine whether a young person attended an interview with confidence or did not attend at all.
Vijay said her mother had made sacrifices to ensure she and her sister appeared clean and presentable while the family struggled financially.
“Hygiene poverty plays a massive role in why people can’t improve their situation,” she said. “They can’t get into the rooms that could change their lives because they already feel like everyone else has a head start.”
Boots customers will also be able to support The Hygiene Bank through a product-matching initiative running until 25 August.
Unilever, Colgate and Procter & Gamble have pledged to donate at least 500,000 products when shoppers purchase selected brands, including Dove, Sure, Lynx, Colgate, Oral-B, Always and Tampax, in Boots stores or online.
Boots said it had donated almost two million hygiene products to The Hygiene Bank over the past six years. Customers have also contributed more than 160 tonnes of products through around 500 donation points in Boots stores nationwide.
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