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Dentists agree that brushing your teeth twice a day is the best way to take care of your teeth. But depending on what month it is, dental hygiene can be a dramatically more expensive habit to maintain.
New research has shown that the price of a tube of toothpaste at some times of the year can be double the price at other times. Other popular health products such as Gillette razors can also double in price depending on when they are purchased.
The user group Which? looked at similar products from the three best-selling brands that were available for at least 42 weeks of the year between March 2023 and February 2024.
With toothpaste, at one end of the price scale, Colgate’s Max White Ultimate Radiance (75ml) costs from £11 to £25.20 at Waitrose. Asda and Boots normally priced the product at £12.
A standard product, Colgate’s Max White Expert whitening toothpaste, costs between £2.50 and £5 for a year.
Elle Clarke, retail editor at Which?, said: “Retailers are constantly changing product prices based on demand, seasonality, agreements with manufacturers and what their competitors are doing.
“Keep an eye on the prices of products you buy regularly and stock up when the price is low – or ask yourself if it’s really important to have your preferred brand and consider switching to a cheaper product that can do just as good a job. “
The researchers also found variation in the price of mouthwash between stores. An example of this is Colgate’s Max White Expert Whitening (500ml), which is regularly on sale at £2.50 and £5 in all major supermarkets throughout the year. Meanwhile, another mouthwash, Listerine Advanced Defense Gum Crisp Mint (500ml) costs between £3 and £6 in Boots.
Who? take a snapshot of prices for each product at the same time every week of the year, except for multi-buy offers and loyalty prices.
Consumers often had to pay more for razors, especially some Gillette products. The Gillette Labs Exfoliating Strip Razor was £22.49 at Morrisons when it was full price, but was often reduced to half that amount: £11.25.
Anti-allergy tablets have emerged as another popular health product with significant price variations.
A pack of 30 Piriteze hay fever and allergy tablets at Waitrose was reduced from £11.50 to £8 between May and July 2023 and cost £11.55 then. At Boots, the same product was £10.55 from March to July 2023, after which it rose to £11.55.
Which? The investigation showed Asda was the cheapest supermarket overall for health products, based on a comparison of 107 similar health and personal care products available at Asda, Boots, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco and Waitrose in the whole year. Aldi and Lidl stock fewer brands so are not included.
Who? All retailers have been approached for comment. Boots, Superdrug and Waitrose said they aim to offer the best value to customers through a range of deals. The other supermarkets did not comment.
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