In the past, donating toiletries and beauty products to charities has been hard to navigate. With confusing lists of what is and isn’t allowed and few and far between drop off points, organisations struggled to connect the supply to the demand. But thankfully this has all changed.

A bottle of deodorant or some shower gel may not seem like luxuries, but for those who have nothing — especially in this current crisis — these items can be life-changing. Hygiene should be accessible to everyone but sadly there are still many people living in the UK without access to basic necessities like tampons and soap. And as coronavirus has led to more product shortages, increased food bank dependence and even greater hygiene poverty, now is most definitely the time to act.

Thanks to a handful of inspiring initiatives, helping has never been easier. There are now drop-off points all over the UK and you can even shop online and get donations delivered straight to the centres.

From tackling period poverty to supporting victims of domestic violence these are the organisations to know.

The Hygiene Bank

The Hygiene Bank are tackling hygiene poverty one donation at a time. They’re on a mission to help those living in poverty to gain access to vital everyday necessities. Giving the gift of deodorants and shampoos will help to boost the self-esteem and confidence of those who have been struggling.

How to donate:

Find a donation point at thehygienebank.com but bear in mind that some drop off points are currently unable to take donations due to Covid-19.

You can shop The Hygiene Bank’s wishlist on amazon.co.uk.

You can donate on justgiving.com.

Bloody Good Period

Since “periods do not stop in pandemics”, trailblazing charity Bloody Good Period are also seeking support. This initiative provides asylum seekers, refugees and the disadvantaged with free sanitary products. Started by Gabby Edlin, the charity now donates to 25 asylum centres in London and Leeds.

They work with ambassadors like Cariad Lloyd to fight to provide all people with dignity when they menstruate because having a period is not a choice and sanitary products are sure as hell not a luxury.

How to donate:

Please note pads are in much higher demand than tampons.

You can donate to help people who can’t afford or access menstrual protection on bloodygoodperiod.com.

You can also purchase products to donate via their Amazon wishlist.

The brainchild of journalist Sali Hughes and PR director Jo Jones distributes toiletries to five clothing and food banks across the UK via The Trussell Trust. They’ve partnered up with Easho, a wholesale website that sells household and beauty items, so people can shop online for multipack toiletries, sending them direct to Beauty Banks at the click of a finger.

Research by Beauty Banks found that hygiene poverty has gotten worse because of coronavirus. Results found that 44% of teachers have witness children being bullied because of hygiene shaming, while 39% has witnessed children’s mental health suffer due to hygiene shaming. This has led 38% of teachers offering pupils hygiene items such as deodorant and toothpaste.

In response to this, Beauty Banks has set up a Go Fund Me page to help teachers to give children the hygiene essentials they need.

How to donate:

Support Beauty Banks’ latest campaign created in response to coronavirus by donating funds on its Go Fund Me page. Or, buy your products on easho.co.uk.

Toiletries Amnesty

With 75 donation drop off points in the UK and further locations in Africa and Trinidad, Toiletries Amnesty helps connect products with those in need. Refugees, food banks, mental health services and many other organisations benefit from your donations.

How to donate:

Find your nearest drop off point in their directory. If there isn’t a drop-off point in your area, you can donate to any other suggested organisations by post.

Freedom4Girls

Helping people in the UK and developing countries, Freedom4Girls donates vital sanitary products like tampons and pads as well as reusable pads that can last up to three years. They take the majority of drop-off donations in their Leeds base but you can find more locations on the organisation’s website.

How to donate:

You can donate money via their Go Fund Me page.

You can find your nearest station station to drop off supplies on freedom4girls.co.uk.

Give and Makeup

Beauty expert Caroline Hirons founded Give and Makeup in 2010 to collect donations of new and lightly used toiletries, clothing and toys to donate to Women’s Aid and Refuge shelters. They provide women and children affected by domestic violence in the UK with the necessities they need to help them through times of crisis.

After a photograph of the posting address went viral, the charity received an unmanageable influx of products. The scheme no longer operates at a national level. However, it is still operating in Wales via escentual.com.

How to donate:

The London address is closed until further notice and the Welsh address is currently unable to take donations. On the Escentual website, the charity wrote, “Due to all of your recent generous donations Give and Make Up are currently inundated with your wonderful donations and are struggling to get them all processed, as such at this time we are currently not able to accept any further donations.”

It also appealed for anybody who might be able to make use of the donations they currently have. It added, “We currently have lots of donations sitting here, ready to be used for a good cause if you are able to make use of them and put them to a good cause please contact us by phoning 02920 008844 or by emailing info@escentual.com.”

The Red Box Project

Realising just how disruptive period poverty can be to many girls’ education, three friends set out to provide their local schools with necessary sanitary products for free.

The Red Box supplies unopened period products available in schools across the UK. If your local school isn’t involved with the project yet, speak to the team there to get the ball rolling.

They accept all sanitary products, though they prefer pads and unopened packs of pants. 

How to donate:

Currently, Red Box Project isn’t accepting new donations, but check back here for future info.

Images: Getty Images