Here at Poosh, we’re not afraid to ask the difficult questions, like, “Can you be friends with an ex?” and “Does anyone actually like 69ing?”
Next, we’re boldly tackling another controversial topic: Do you share your toothbrush with your partner? What about deodorant? Skincare? Clothes?
To find the answer, we consulted the Poosh team. As you may imagine, this question received passionate responses when it was brought up in our Slack. Keep reading for our unfiltered thoughts. And, ofc, don’t forget to share your thoughts with us on social media.
“My boyfriend is the one who is more picky when it comes to sharing. He gets genuinely upset when I use his deodorant (his smells better). I still do not understand why but have learned to respect his wishes, albeit begrudgingly.
“We’re pretty similar when it comes to skincare, and he has definitely reaped the benefits of the many free products I’ve received. But if we end up using the same moisturizer, we’ll just alternate who buys the next one. As far as a toothbrush, absolutely not. Clothes are fair game.
“There have also been times when I’ve used his cologne, and it has led to some drama—mainly when I wear it to bed. He considers it a waste, but I personally believe it is well-deserved self-care.” —Erika, managing editor
“I’m more on the lenient side. Clothes, products, towels. My SO is 220 pounds of brawny man. Selfishly, when it comes to my skincare items, he can stick to the Cetaphil. Otherwise, everything else is fair game if and only if needed. Yeah, Mr. Toothbrush, I’m even talking about you. (Desperate times call for desperate measures.) What can I say? We’ve shared far more intimate items.” —Alexa, editorial assistant
“Not going to lie. I definitely share skincare products and clothes like sweats, hoodies, hats, and graphic tees with my SO all the time, but toothbrushes and deodorant are 50/50. In the past, when I was absolutely desperate, I used his deodorant and toothbrush on one of our unexpected sleepovers (whoopsie). He would absolutely go feral if he found out about the toothbrush, which I find odd since we have swapped spit quite often in the last five and a half years of being together. The toothbrush doesn’t bother me as much as some other oral hygiene items. We definitely have our own tongue scrapers. Now that I would never share, however irrational the logic is.”
—Madeleine, brand manager
“My husband is always ‘accidentally’ stealing my toothbrush. Like, I truly think he considers them interchangeable, that there’s no ‘my toothbrush’ and ‘his toothbrush’ because they are both ‘ours.’ I do not like or understand this. We are working on it. (He also feels this way about towels … shudder.)
“When it comes to my assortment of hair, body, and skincare products, it’s usually a case-by-case basis. For instance, we share body wash because he likes a quality body wash.
“But I know he doesn’t understand or appreciate my hair products and my more nuanced skincare products (read: anything more complicated than cleanser), so I am more reluctant about sharing. Thankfully, though, these aren’t of much interest after he used my blonde shampoo and accidentally dyed the skin behind his ears purple for a few days. I’ll also totally use his deodorant if I’m in a pinch.
“We do share clothes, though, and by that I mean I frequently steal his sweats and other basics, like tees. And, ofc, I borrow his button-downs all the time.” —Allie, wellness editor
Editor’s note: Although this article uses male pronouns, the advice applies to all sexual orientations and gender identities.
You ask, we answer. Send your relationship questions to [email protected], and one of our experts may just answer them in an upcoming column.
