The rule is buy the default-gendered variant. If there a special "men's section" or "women's section" for a certain product category it means you'll be ripped off.
Switched from using Old Spice Body Wash (RIP Krakengard) to Dove beauty bars and showers have become infinitely more pleasant. It feels good to apply, it smells like oatmeal and rice milk, and it always gets the stank off my nuts and ass the first time, unlike body wash.
The only women's bath product I really see a difference with is those jarred creams with abrasive material in them (like strawberry seeds or sugar; not micro plastic beads). They're the only thing aside from Lava brand hand soap that actually exfoliates my skin so I don't have weird hard spots of gunk in my pores along the outside of my thighs. My ass is so, so smooth now.
There's no need for any of that. There's plenty of higher-end grooming products marketed to both men and women, or even gender neutral, that can be purchased nowadays. And yes, if the price point is your greatest concern, it's a factor to consider. But shaving brands for men such as Proraso is great quality for the price point. Why more people settle for brands like Gillette when there are better products on the market at or even lower in price is beyond me.
Sometimes I buy womens soap because it doesn't make me choke. If I can't find soap that doesn't smell like I'm swallowing razorblades then i'm going for the womans soap. Luckily I haven't been faced with that situation recently.
When it comes to cosmetics I thought it’s the other way around because men who will buy cosmetics are generally higher earners or something like that, so they’re generally willing to pay more.