What Toilet Paper That Rich People Use Is Like

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"Flushing your money down the toilet" is a colorful way to express that something is a financial waste. The rich and famous are known for this type of excess, which makes one wonder — what type of toilet paper do they use in their homes? Finding the answer to this question wasn't particularly easy, but I was able to come to some conclusions without breaking into Justin Bieber's bathroom.

While one might assume that softness and durability would reign supreme, colored toilet paper seems to be a bathroom staple of the financial elite. Need evidence? Kris Jenner has stocked black toilet paper in her foyer bathroom, according to the New York Times. A biography entitled "The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell" alleges that he prefers black toilet paper, too, according to 9 News. And rumors have swirled around sites like E! News and Daily Mail about Beyoncé's requests for red toilet paper while on tour. And while mentions of specific brands are less common in these articles, one brand name continuously popped up in shadier celebrity blogs: Renova. The ultra-luxe European tissue brand comes in rich colors like red, turquoise, black, orange, and even neon hues, but the black and red options seem to be favored by celebrities. 

If you asked me if colorful and expensive toilet paper is really worth the splurge, I would probably answer with a hard no. But why does Renova's high-end toilet tissue appear at the right hand of so many celebrity thrones? Hoping to find out, I picked up a couple packages of Renova toilet paper in both red and black to find out what toilet paper that rich people use is really like.

With a few clicks on Amazon, I ordered the Renova 3-Ply Red Toilet Paper and the limited edition Renova Gift Box 4-Ply Toilet Paper, which has black on one side of the sheets and red on the other. At first glance, after unboxing my two Renova products, my husband and I burst out in laughter at the super-saturated colors and the over-the-top gift box packaging. The plain red was three-ply and came in a bundle of six for $17.99, and the gift box contained three four-ply rolls for a staggering $34.99. The gift box's abundance of extra packaging included ribbon, tissue paper, and a cardboard box with a flip top boasting a magnetic closure. Both types of tissue were lightly scented, but the fragrance was pretty much imperceptible unless my nose was actually pressed to the rolls. Although the red Renova toilet paper sports an Ecolabel and is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, the black rolls did not, and they are both made from 100% virgin wood pulp, which is not something I would consider a selling point.

As a basis for comparison, my husband or I typically purchase 12-packs of Open Nature Bathroom Tissue from our local Safeway for under $9. It's two-ply and made from recycled paper, but it's not particularly soft or absorbent. Frankly, we probably use double the amount in this paper than we would if we bought a thicker brand. However, many popular brands of toilet paper like Charmin rely on virgin wood pulp, and that doesn't sit well with us. (I hate to admit that we notice considerably more softness and strength whenever we visit a bathroom stocked with Charmin.) Still, I'll continue to save both money and forests, thank you very much.

Given that the nicest toilet paper I've ever tried is a Charmin product ringing up at a bit over $.50 per 100 sheets, I assumed that a luxe paper like Renova would be at least as soft and absorbent as the common, yet high-quality Charmin paper. In short, the Renova was strong but noticeably less soft than Charmin. At $2.14 per 100 sheets for the solid red variety and $24.99 per 100 sheets of the gift box variety, the lack of softness was jarring. Performance-wise, however, Renova toilet paper is an undoubtedly strong product. At times when three or four sheets of our recycled brand would typically be necessary, I found that just one or two of the three-to-four-ply Renova sheets sufficed. 

Notably, both Renova rolls are advertised as "septic-safe", which is a must for us. However, the paper was a bit stubborn to flush away, and seeing lingering red or black sheets in the bowl was alarming to say the least. Although this added another level of unpleasantness to its difficulty to flush, I could see that the product broke down when it was submerged in water. This boded well for our septic tank, at any rate.

Apparently, my husband and I aren't the only people to question Renova toilet paper's value; both products I tried have racked up a number of critical reviews on Amazon. Most unhappy users cite its lack of softness and outlandish price, but one customer shared that the Renova paper clogged their septic system despite its septic-safe labeling.

So, what do rich people see in this product? For a thrifty homeowner who considers every minute detail in design, even I can find some value in Renova's high price. The tints of Renova toilet paper are truly stunning. Its strength and thickness are also noteworthy, but realistically, these virtues are easily found in much more affordable products. As for the colors I chose, they actually ended up being a negative rather than just a triviality. No one wants to see red or black when they glance in the toilet, and several Amazon reviewers shared my concern.

I can conclude that Renova toilet paper is little more than an eye-catching novelty; this paper offered me nothing I felt like I needed. For the cost of these two packages of toilet paper, I could cover a modest trip to the grocery store or maybe even a dinner with drinks with my husband. Even if we were to win the Powerball lottery, I couldn't begin to number the things I'd rather spend that money on than Beyoncé-worthy bathroom tissue. Unless appearance is your main priority for toilet paper, I suggest saving a buck by opting for soft Charmin or saving a tree by making the switch to bamboo toilet paper instead.