Picture going into a store with your best guy friend. You each pick up the exact same things, except yours are pink and his are blue. You take another look into his basket, and you see that he actually got a little more stuff than you did. No biggie… Until you go to pay.

Despite having the exact same stuff in your basket, just in different colors, and your boy bud having more than you do, you get charged way more than he did. WTF?

Truth is, this happens every day. It’s called gendered pricing, and it basically revolves around the idea that women will pay more for beauty and health products. And it works–we typically spend $1,000 or more every year on products that are marketed directly to women (think pink, flowery packaging versus guys’ silver and blue style stuff) than dudes do. And get this–the product ingredients tend to be exactly the same. Our friends at Blisstree actually compared a leading women’s deodorant with the men’s equivalent, and the ingredient lists were nearly identical. (Seriously, check out the lists. Unreal!)

Considering they have almost the exact same ingredients in them–and that the men’s deodorant was bigger–why on Earth would the women’s deodorant cost a buck more?! Shady, right?

The case is pretty similar for items like shampoo, conditioner, and razors, too. The makers and marketers of health products play to women’s insecurities (you’re hairy, you’re smelly, your hair isn’t shiny enough, you skin isn’t smooth enough) as a means to get us to pay more for the same stuff that guys get for a lot cheaper than we do. Not cool at all. A lot of women and girls are insecure as it is, so to market items towards us by playing into how awkward and inadequate we can feel is a pretty low blow.

Another trick they use? Next time you go shopping, you’ll notice that men’s and women’s products are often displayed separately. This is in part to avoid comparison shopping–by putting men’s shampoo, body wash, and razors in their own section, you’re probably less likely to pick them up and check the price next to your more expensive women’s versions of the same stuff. Sneaky!

There are ways to get around gender marketing, though. One way is to buy men’s stuff! The razors guys use to keep their faces baby smooth? They work just as well on your gams. The deodorant they use to stop stinking after gym class works just as well on you, and it usually smells pretty awesome and fresh. (If you don’t like  the scent, you can always buy guys’ unscented deodorant and accompany it with a spritz of your own fave feminine perfume!) Gender neutral products are also cheaper–ones that aren’t directed towards men or women. (Think of items in white, green, yellow, or blue packaging.) If enough of us do this, we may be able to convince advertisers and manufacturers to rethink their strategy!

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t splurge on stuff you really love. But in cases like these, when you’re both saving money and preserving your self-respect and self-esteem? That’s a pretty sweet deal.

Have you ever used men’s products instead of women’s? Do you think gender marketing should be allowed? Tell us in the comments!

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