Good morning. Isabella here. Welcome back to Survival Guide. 

This week, I head to the bakery empowering some of the most disadvantaged women in London to overcome the barriers they face when looking for employment. 

We hear from student Tryphine who is one of millions of people in the UK who cannot afford toiletries in the cost of living crisis. She wants to share her experiences to encourage other people to ask for help.

If you are struggling like Tryphine, there are places you can go to get free hygiene products – find our guide to getting help at the end of today’s newsletter.

If you have a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Tryphine's story: 'I was unravelling and isolating myself'

Tryphine felt isolated when she could not afford to keep herself clean. She worried about how she smelled and looked, but shame meant that she kept it to herself. 

“You go through stages,” the student says. “You feel a tiny bit of shame as you start to realise it more yourself but you’re not ready to speak about it. But I think there was a point where shame went out the window. There was no time. 

“There was no way I could just keep it to myself and let it grow into something else. I hate letting things fester. I started seeing myself unravelling and isolating myself, even when I didn’t need to be isolated.”

A shocking 4.2 million people have experienced hygiene poverty for the first time this year, according to recent research from charity In Kind Direct and YouGov. That’s more people than the entire population of Croatia, unable to clean themselves properly because they cannot afford it in the cost of living crisis.

Read Tryphine’s story here. 

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The bakery changing the lives of disadvantaged women

Montey had just come out of prison when she discovered the bakery which changed her life.

Four years later, she is surrounded by a group of women who have been through similar hardships in their life and they empower each other towards a brighter future. And it all started with cakes.

Luminary Bakery provides training, employment and a community to some of the most disadvantaged women in London. It is a lifeline for women like Montey who are otherwise at risk of being left behind by society.

Read Montey’s story and about how the bakery is changing the lives of vulnerable women. 

Are you doing positive work to tackle poverty in the cost of living crisis? Do you know someone who should be celebrated? Let me know at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com 

Saving those coins 

If you are struggling to afford hygiene products like Tryphine, you are far from alone, but there are places you can get help. Charities, community organisations and food banks will often be able to provide you with free hygiene products alongside their usual services.

Your local council, children’s school, Citizens Advice or a healthcare professional should be able to point in the right direction and give you a referral. 

You could also try out sites like Clicks Research to test out products for free, or you could have a go at filling out surveys with Toluna, which gives out freebies like L’Oreal make-up and Bic razors.

There are more than 200 baby banks across the UK where you can find free nappies, wipes, equipment, clothes and more for your baby or toddler. Find your local baby bank through Little Village’s interactive map. 

Read our full guide to finding free toiletries.