Personal hygiene survey – here’s how (not) well groomed Europe is

At Galaxus, more and more beauty and health products are becoming available for purchase. Many of them are body care products. But how good is personal hygiene in Europe? How often do people use toothbrushes, cotton buds, shampoo and the like?

To find out, Galaxus surveyed over 2,500 people in Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland about their personal hygiene habits.

Italy is scrubbing that mouth clean

Let’s start with oral hygiene. A third of all Italians claim they brush their teeth three times a day, with 4% of respondents doing so even more often.

Compared with the other countries, Italy is almost scrubbing that mouth raw. In the DACH region, the vast majority of respondents brush their teeth twice a day. In Austria and Germany, 3% of respondents are more lax about oral hygiene, stating they only use a toothbrush every other day or less often.

France prefers the manual approach, shunning extra tools

The majority of people still brush their teeth with a manual toothbrush. In France, it’s 63% of respondents. Manual toothbrushes are still the preferred choice in European bathrooms overall. Only in Germany and Austria are powered models used more frequently.

The French forgo additional aids, with 34% relying on only a toothbrush for oral hygiene. Switzerland, on the other hand, is home to the most flossing fans, while Germans opt for tongue scrapers and interdental brushes. Italians, meanwhile, seem to rely on mouthwash after pizza or pasta.

Congested ears in the DACH region

Let’s switch from teeth to ears. Europeans in general rely most on cotton buds to clean their ears. In addition, Italians not only like to rinse their mouths, but also their ears. Using a damp cloth, on the other hand, is most popular in the DACH region.

Italy, the European tooth-brushing champion, also takes the ear-cleaning trophy: 41% of Italian respondents say they clean their ears daily. The DACH region is home to earwax enthusiasts, with one in ten people reporting they clean their ears less than once a month.

France: home to frequent showerers and the shampoo-saving 3 per cent

There are also differences from country to country when it comes to showering and washing hair: while Italians rinse their mouth and ears most often, they save on water when showering. Italy and Germany are the shower skimpers of Europe. In France, people shower most frequently, with 7% of respondents doing so several times a day and 64% once a day.

When it comes to shower products, every nation has its own preference: the French like scrubs while Italians swear by conditioner. The Germans and Swiss lather up their heads most often – nearly a third does so every day. The majority of survey participants wash their hair with shampoo 2 to 3 times a week. In almost all countries, 3% of people stated they use shampoo less often than every two weeks.

Wet Italians, wet Austrians and dry Swiss

When it comes to doing one’s business, there are no major differences. Toilet paper is the go-to in each country. However, Austrians also have a soft spot for wet wipes. And in Italy, people like to clean their butts with water, too. Swiss bums, on the other hand, steer clear of water, with only 10% of those surveyed reporting they use it.

What’s your personal hygiene routine? How often do you brush your teeth and clean your ears? And how often do you shower? Do you think we make too big a deal of personal hygiene, or do you find yourself suffering from your fellow man’s lack of hygiene? Leave your thoughts in the comments!