Millions of families facing food insecurity also face hygiene insecurity, yet hygiene products aren’t covered by SNAP.
Food need and hygiene insecurity are closely intertwined. This means basics like soap, deodorant, and toothpaste are often out of reach and when someone is unable to afford food, hygiene becomes even more inaccessible.
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Living in hygiene poverty means struggling to access essential self-care items like soap, toothpaste, and feminine products—necessities that many view as basic rights rather than financial privileges.
Defining Hygiene Insecurity
Preserving human dignity should never be a luxury based on affordability. To address this, Project Circles of Support initiated a local drive focused on providing fundamental care items. Collaborating with the St. Louis County Library, we installed collection points at 20 branches, which saw an incredible influx of donations in just weeks.
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Hygiene poverty is not being able to afford many of the everyday hygiene and personal grooming products most of us take for granted, like shampoo, laundry detergent, tampons, diapers or toothpaste.
According to a recent study, 63% of parents living with limited income and therefore limited access to hygiene essentials will prioritize only washing their children’s clothes, skipping their own, to help them attend school with confidence. On the other side, an increasing number of teachers have reported children being bullied or missing school due to hygiene related reasons
The Impact of Hygiene Security
Hygiene poverty is not being able to afford many of the everyday hygiene and personal grooming products most of us take for granted, like shampoo, laundry detergent, tampons, diapers or toothpaste.
Nearly 25% of families, parents and individuals often face impossible choices every day: Can I afford utilities, groceries, or essential hygiene supplies this week?
Known as the “heat, eat, or health” dilemma, this struggle leads to having to make impossible decisions about what necessity you will go without. It leads to children missing school and people missing out on employment opportunities. They experience rising mental health challenges, especially anxiety and depression, which is linked to shame, stigma, and isolation.
When hygiene supplies are unaffordable, opportunities disappear too.
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Missed work and school
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Social exclusion and bullying
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Poor physical health and other hygiene-related illnesses, including skin infections and dental decay
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Anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem
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Barriers to employment and housing
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Hygiene Insecurity is About Access
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No one should have to face judgment or loss of opportunity because they can’t afford soap or deodorant. And yet, many do. Hygiene insecurity disproportionately impacts people experiencing poverty, homelessness, or displacement, and it often goes unseen and unspoken