People are buying less shampoo and deodorant, and fewer razors, as they stay indoors during the coronavirus pandemic

• People's personal hygiene routines are being impacted as the world spends more time indoors, according to a recent report.
• Consumer goods conglomerate Unilever has found that sales in hair care, skincare, and shaving products all declined during the coronavirus pandemic.
• Home-cleaning product sales rose and shoppers are buying more items online.
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Unilever, the consumer goods conglomerate that owns brands like Suave, Dove, Axe, and Dollar Shave Club, saw a drop in hygiene product sales during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the Financial Times.

The drop in demand for hair care, skincare, and shaving products suggests that consumers are investing less in personal grooming regimens as people stay home during the pandemic.

Unilever reported a dip in hair care and skincare sales because of lockdowns in China and India, according to the Financial Times, and the company expects deodorant sales to follow suit despite a rise in the months leading up to March.

Unilever CFO Graeme David Pitkethly told analysts during an earnings call that there has been a "decreased consumer usage in some of the more discretionary areas such as hair washing and styling, a reduction in skincare occasions and in deodorants," according to a transcript of the call accessed by Sentieo.

Even though Unilever saw a drop in personal grooming goods, items like hand sanitizer and cleaning products saw a jolt of sales. According to the Financial Times, Unilever reported double-digit growth for products such as Cif cleaners and Domestos bleach in the first quarter.

"People are, of course, buying more hygiene products for hands and for household surfaces, and this is one of the changes we expect to see continue beyond the immediate crisis," Alan W. Jope, CEO and executive director of Unilever, said during the call, "In some markets, particularly in the U.S.A., but to a much lesser extent in the U.K. and parts of Europe, we've seen some household stocking of food and hygiene products."

As buying patterns shift throughout the pandemic, Unilever expects to see their online brands like Dollar Shave Club expand as shoppers gravitate toward digital shopping, according to the Financial Times.

Other companies, such as Procter and Gamble, saw similar trends as shaving, beauty, and grooming products slumped 1% in sales compared to the previous year.