Health essentials such as toothpaste and razor blades can double in price in a matter of weeks creating a shopping lottery.
Wild variations in prices are the result of a ‘promotion cycle’ where the prices of goods can fluctuate by more than 100 per cent.
The huge swings were found by experts at Which? who looked at products from top-selling brands across 15 personal care areas.
They surveyed the prices at Asda, Boots, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco and Waitrose and, when available, Aldi and Lidl.
They found that Colgate’s Max White Ultimate Radiance (75ml) toothpaste ranged from £11 to £25.20 in price in Waitrose.
There were big variations for Colgate’s Max White Expert Whitening (500ml) mouthwash which varied between £2.50 and £5 at all the major retailers.
And Listerine Advanced Defence Gum Crisp Mint (500ml) sold at various prices from £3 to £6 at Boots.
For deodorants, Sure Maximum Protection Clean Scent Anti-Perspirant (150ml) cost between £3.35 to £5 at Asda and £3.50 to £5.25 at Waitrose.
Sure Men’s Anti Perspirant Aerosol Active Dry (200ml) was cheapest at Aldi (£1.95) and priciest at Waitrose (£3).
Lynx Africa deodorant’s (150ml) price fluctuated everywhere it was stocked – between £2.66 and £4.75 at Superdrug and £3 and £4 at Tesco.
There were also big swings on razor blades. For example, Gillette Labs Razor with Exfoliating Bar cost £22.49 at Morrisons at full price – but was frequently sold for nearly half price at £11.25.
The Venus Comfortglide With Olay sold for between £6.48 and £14.99 across the year at Superdrug.
Looking at allergy tablets, the price of 30 Piriteze Hayfever Tablets at Waitrose were reduced in price from £11.50 to £8 between May and July 2023 and then cost £11.55.
Which? advised consumers to stock up on hayfever products when cheap or buy generic brands as most tablets have a shelf life of at least a year.
At Asda, Nivea Protect and Moisture Sun Lotion SPF 30 (200ml) cost £6 between April and August 2023 and nearly doubled to £13 in September.
The consumer champion said Asda was cheapest for health products overall. Based on comparing 107 items, it ranked as best value on 28 per cent of products.
Next was Morrisons (26 per cent), Superdrug (16 per cent), Ocado (10 per cent), Boots and Sainsburys (7 per cent) and Tesco (5 per cent). Waitrose was cheapest just 2 per cent of the time.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said: “Retailers constantly change products’ prices based on demand, seasonality, agreements with manufacturers and what their competitors are doing.
“Which?’s advice in this fast-changing market is to 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 essential to have your preferred brand and consider switching to a cheaper product that can do just as good a job.”
Which? approached all of the retailers for comment. Boots, Superdrug and Waitrose said that they aimed to offer the best value to customers through a range of deals. The others did not comment.
