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More 'Pink Tax': MGH study finds women's lotions more expensive

BOSTON — Face lotions marketed to women cost $3 more per ounce than those marketed to men, according to a new study from doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Athena Manatis Lornell and Dustin Marks led the study, which looked at facial lotions they said are commonly recommended and widely used.

The research group looked at wording, packaging shape and packaging colors to determine whether a moisturizer was marketed to men or women. They said those marketed to women -- mostly those not specifically marketed to men -- were $3.09 more per ounce.

“If skin is dehydrated, it can lead to serious problems like eczema and rosacea,” says the study’s lead author Maryanne Senna, MD, MGH Department of Dermatology. “Despite some recent government-led efforts to restrict gender-based pricing differences in the retail market, our study shows that discriminatory pricing persists and remains a real issue when it comes to dermatologic products.”

The paper, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, looked at 110 products from Amazon, Target and Walmart.

This notion falls in line with the concept of the "Pink Tax," which finds products marketed to women tend to be more expensive than those marketed to men.

The authors recommend further study of gender-based differences in the pricing of over-the-counter skin care products.