Wellness
Premium Toiletries
Shampoo, soap and daily bathroom care worth keeping on the shelf.
The bathroom shelf is where the gap between price and effect is widest in all of personal care. Some of it is worth paying for. Much of it is fragrance and a nice bottle.
Worth the money
Sunscreen. The single highest-value item in the entire category, and the one Indians most often skip. Most visible skin ageing is sun damage rather than time passing.
A moisturiser that suits your skin, applied while still damp after a bath.
A toothbrush replaced every three months, and fluoride toothpaste, which is one of the best-evidenced public health measures there is.
Where you can save
Expensive soaps do the same job as inexpensive ones; what matters more is whether they leave your skin tight and stripped. Antibacterial hand soap is no better than plain soap for everyday use. And most "clinically proven" claims on cosmetics refer to a study the company commissioned on a handful of people.
If your skin objects
Fragrance is the most common irritant in the whole category. When something stings, itches or reddens, the answer is usually a plainer product rather than a more elaborate one.
Worth having
Picked to go with what you have just read. We only list ordinary, widely available things.