The women's toiletries that cost up to 75% more than men's - despite being virtually identical

A friend advised me: 'Never buy women's razors, men's are much cheaper - and who wants to pay a premium for a pastel colour?'
A quick check in Boots showed she was absolutely right. A pack of ten Wilkinson Sword Extra 2 Beauty Disposable Razors costs £4.39, while over in the men's toiletries aisle, the male equivalent, Wilkinson Sword Extra 2 Disposable Razors, were just £3.65 for a pack of the same size.
Both versions boast two blades, an aloe vera strip and a handle with extra grip, so you have to conclude that you're paying a 74p - or 20 per cent - premium just because the women's razors are pink.

Price disparity: From deodorant to shaving foam, women seem to be paying over the odds almost every time

I realised this wasn't an isolated case - from deodorant and shaving foam to face scrubs, moisturisers, eye cream and even eau de toilette, we women seem to be paying over the odds almost every time.
So what - apart from the fact that men's products tend to come in steel grey packaging and smell of pine, while women's are pastel and floral fragranced - accounts for the difference?
'Generally speaking, the needs of men's skin are much the same as those of women's,' says Harley Street cosmetic dermatologist, Dr Sam Bunting. 'But men's skin is thicker and oilier, which means you can be more aggressive when using active ingredients.'
Colin Sanders, a cosmetic scientist who was behind the Simple range of products, agrees. 'There are differences, but they aren't that great. The biggest difference is that there is more hair in men's skin so pores aren't as open as in women's. Practically, you might be tempted to risk a higher level of fragrance in a men's aftershave than you would in a female product,' he explains.
You might imagine that financially speaking, this would favour females.
But no. From Ralph Lauren's Big Pony Eau De Toilette (£26.50 per 50ml for the men's, £35 for 50ml for the women's) to Issey Miyake's L'Eau D'Issey Eau De Toilette (£44.80 per 100ml for the pour homme version, £71 for 100ml for you, madame), in every instance the women's version costs more than the men's.
Shockingly, even when the scent is identical, women are expected to pay more for it. Fragrance house, Annick Goutal, sells unisex fragrances that are packaged in rounded glass bottles for women, and in rectangular glass bottles for men.
The product is the same, and you get the same amount, but opt for the female version, and you'll pay £100 instead of £95.80 - an extra £4.20. How do they explain it?
They say: 'The design of the female bottle is more sophisticated and more expensive to produce.'
So, should we women all be shopping for toiletries in the men's aisle? To find out, we decided to compare pairs of products from the same brand. Here's what we discovered … 

Deodorant

Sure Men Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Cream Active, £5 for 45ml, Asda.
Sure Women Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant Cream Confidence, £5.50 for 45m.
Mark-up: 50p or 10 per cent.

Negligible difference: Save your money and buy the stuff meant for boys

I've long suspected that there was no technical difference between men's and women's deodorant and a scan of the ingredients suggests I'm right - 21 of the 24 ingredients are the same. Yes, one smells slightly more 'manly' but once I've spritzed on my usual perfume, it's undetectable, and just as effective as the women's one.
Georgina Edwards, Sure marketing manager, says: 'Male and female underarms essentially sweat in the same way. We formulate products to suit male and female preferences for fragrance and how the product feels. Pricing is at the discretion of the retailer.'
Verdict: Save your money and buy the stuff meant for boys.

Moisturiser

Lancome Men Genific HD, £56 for 50ml, John Lewis.
Lancome Advanced Génifique, £80 for 50ml.
Mark-up: £24 or 43 per cent.

Identical: If you don't care about the sensation or fragrance, there is no reason to spend the extra £24

In 2009, Lancome launched its Genifique serum, which it claims uses the 'science of genes' to make skin look younger.
In 2010, the male version followed, with a slightly different name, and a slightly different smell, but the same main ingredient - a yeast called bifida ferment lysate.
Peggy Amiot-Peyrot, of Lancome, says: 'As well as physiological differences, men have different expectations of their skincare. They generally prefer lighter, fresher formulas that are quickly absorbed and, unlike women who use their fingertips, apply products with the palm.
'Both formulas contain the same active ingredients so could be used by either gender. The difference in price is down to other components which enrich each formula, making it specific to male or female beauty routines, expectations and concerns.'
Verdict: If you only care about the results, rather than the sensation and fragrance, there's no reason to spend the extra.

Face scrub

Champneys Energising Face Scrub for Men, £6 for 150ml (£4 per 100ml), Boots.
Champneys Spa Skin Gentle Face Polish, £7 for 100ml (£7 per 100ml).
Mark-up: £3 per 100ml or 75 per cent.
They're both exfoliators but the men's scrub is a gel and felt quite aggressive, whereas the women's polish is a creamier formulation that contains essential oils and other moisturisers.
Jo Parker, spa director at Champneys, says: 'A lady's facial scrub will be very gentle, while a male facial scrub will be stronger, more gritty and helpful to lift ingrowing hairs in the beard area.'
Verdict: It's down to personal preference.

Razor blades

Gillette Fusion ProGlide Manual Blades, £11.50 for four (£2.88 per blade), Asda.
Gillette Venus Embrace Blades, £9.69 for three (£3.23 per blade).
Mark-up: 35p per blade or 12 per cent.

Cough up: Men's facial hair is different to women's leg hair. This accounts for the difference in blade - and price

Both heads here have five blades, an enhanced grip, rubber guard and a lubricating strip. One's black and blue, the other's turquoise and green. Is that it?  
Kristina Vanoosthuyze, of manufacturer Procter & Gamble, says: 'Men's facial hair is coarser, denser, more irregularly shaped and faster-growing than women's leg hair. Plus, women can't always see the bits they're shaving, and also almost always have to shave around curves, unlike men. We take these things into account. All of which account for the difference in blade - and price.'
Verdict: Annoyingly it's true, so it's probably worth paying that extra 35p.

Shave gel

Gillette Series Sensitive Gel, £2 for 200ml, Ocado.
Gillette Satin Care Pure & Delicate, £3.39 for 200ml.
Mark-up: £1.39 or 70 per cent.

Opt for male: Unless you have hypersensitive skin, you may as well pick the cheaper men's shave gel

When I first started shaving my legs as a teenager, I nicked my Dad's shaving foam. To this day I use a men's product.
The first nine ingredients of these two gels are identical and on the skin they foam in the same way, the only difference seems to be that the men's one is blue.
Kristina Vanoosthuyze, of P&G, says: 'A male shave gel and a female shave gel are designed to do the same things. So while the ingredients may be similar, each product will be developed specifically to cater to male or female preferences regarding scent and feel.'
Verdict: The women's gel is uncoloured and unscented, so if you have hypersensitive skin, you might prefer it. Otherwise, pick a cheaper men's one.

Fragrance

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Eau de Toilette, £44.99 for 50ml, The Perfume Shop.
Gucci Guilty Eau de Toilette, £52.50 for 50ml.
Mark-up: £7.51 or 17 per cent.
If the women's version was a stronger eau de parfum, you could understand the difference in price. But why should a man's fragrance cost any less to make?
Master perfumer Roja Dove reckons it's about the fact that female fragrance generally has a bigger advertising budget. 'If a perfumery house is paying to use a famous face and is conducting huge marketing campaigns, the money to pay for it will have to come from somewhere.'
P&G Prestige, which holds the licence to produce Gucci fragrances, was unable to comment at the time of going to press.
Verdict: Find a male fragrance you like, or better still, ignore the big-brand smellies, and buy from a small company which spends its money on quality ingredients, rather than ads.

Eye cream

No7 Men Protect & Perfect Eye Cream, £13.25 for 15ml, Boots.
No7 Protect & Perfect Eye Cream, £15 for 15ml.
Mark-up: £1.75 or 13 per cent.
The original Protect & Perfect cream was an overnight hit. Now there's an eye cream for women, and a men's range that also includes an eye cream.
Dr Mike Bell, Boots skincare scientific adviser, says: 'There is no difference in the formulations; they are the same and have been extensively consumer trialled - and shown to be effective - by both women and men.'
Verdict: Boots said that the difference in price was a data error that had been resolved. But at the time of writing the products were still showing at different prices on boots.com.