Cosmetics and Cancer: Adverse Event Reports Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration

Ocular Adverse Effects of Over-the-Counter Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Reported to the Food and Drug Administration

PURPOSE

Personal care and cosmetic products can cause periocular and ocular adverse effects (AEs), for example, ocular surface disease, trauma, and hypersensitivity. The publicly available Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS) database includes AE reports by consumers, healthcare practitioners, and manufacturers. The purpose of this study was to characterize ophthalmic AE associated with cosmetics and personal care products reported by the FDA CAERS database.

METHODS

AE related to the eye or ocular adnexa from cosmetics submitted by consumers, healthcare practitioners, and manufacturers from January 2004 to June 2022 were identified after filtering using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities coding system. Demographic information, case outcome, and categories of product and AE were included. Chi-square analysis, with statistical significance at a = 0.05, was performed to ascertain variation in ocular, periocular, and general outcomes by product category.

RESULTS

Reports of ophthalmic AEs related to cosmetics per year increased from 2006 to 2018, reaching a maximum of 161 reports in 2018, then decreased from 2018 to 2021. In total, 959 and 1382 unique periocular and ocular AEs were reported. There were 1711 total incidences of reported periocular AEs and 2485 ocular AEs. The most reported periocular AEs were inflammation (770/1711) and hypersensitivity (331/1711). The most reported ocular effects were discomfort (946/2485) and inflammation (709/2485). Ocular, periocular, and general outcomes significantly varied by product category.

CONCLUSIONS

Consumers, healthcare practitioners, and manufacturers should be made aware of potential ophthalmic AE and outcomes associated with cosmetics and personal care products.

Use of Cosmetics and Adverse Cosmetic Events Among Female Nurses: Need for a Cosmetovigilance System

Objectives

Cosmetics are known to cause adverse events in users, and there is limited information on this topic both globally and in Türkiye. This study was conducted to assess the use of cosmetics, patterns, and characteristics of adverse cosmetic events (ACEs) among female nurses.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2022 among registered female nurses with at least 1 year of work experience in a tertiary care hospital in Adana, Türkiye. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection, which included 13 questions with three main sections. The first part comprised demographic variables and cosmetic uses, the second part addressed ACE, and the final section consisted of consultation types and reporting methods for adverse events adopted after experiencing ACE.

Results

Of the total 158 participants, 144 were included in this study, resulting in a response rate of 91.1%. All female nurses reported using cosmetics, and 26.4% (n= 38) reported experiencing one or more cosmetic ACEs. Itching, burning, and eczema were the most frequently observed ACEs. A higher proportion of ACEs were associated with face care products (18.4%) and deodorants (13.1%). More than half (57.9%) of the nurses did not consult with healthcare professionals after experiencing ACE. Moreover, most participants (47.4%) did not report ACE to healthcare authorities.

Conclusion

A considerable proportion of the participants reported ACEs. The underreporting of ACE was also highlighted in this study. The results also emphasize the need for a robust cosmetovigilance system.

Risk perception and use of personal care products by race and ethnicity among a diverse population

Personal care products can contain phthalates, parabens and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. However, information on perception of risks from personal care product use and how use varies by race and ethnicity is limited. We evaluated differences in personal care product use and risk perception in a diverse sample of participants recruited from a US college campus and online. A self-administered questionnaire captured information on sociodemographic factors, personal care product use trends and perception of risk associated with them. Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine differences in personal care product use and risk perception by race and ethnicity. Ordered logistic regressions were performed to measure associations between personal care product use frequency across racial/ethnic categories. Participant (n = 770) mean age was 22.8 years [standard deviation ± 6.0]. Daily use of make-up (eye = 29.3%; other = 38.0%; all = 33.7%) and skincare products (55%) was most frequently reported among Middle Eastern and North African participants. Non-Hispanic Black participants reported the highest daily use of hairstyling products (52%) and lotion (78%). Daily make-up use was more frequently reported among females (41%) than males (24.6%). Levels of agreement were similar across racial and ethnic groups, that personal care product manufacturers should be required to list all ingredients (≥87%). There were significant associations between the frequency of use of some personal care products and racial/ethnic categories when the use frequencies of participants from other racial/ethnic categories were compared to the use frequency of non-Hispanic White participants. There were significant differences in daily use frequency, levels of trust, perception of safety and health risks associated with personal care products by race and ethnicity, underscoring that there may be different sources of exposure to chemicals in personal care products by race and ethnicity.

Microbial Biosurfactant as an Alternate to Chemical Surfactants for Application in Cosmetics Industries in Personal and Skin Care Products: A Critical Review

Cosmetics and personal care items are used worldwide and administered straight to the skin. The hazardous nature of the chemical surfactant utilized in the production of cosmetics has caused alarm on a global scale. Therefore, bacterial biosurfactants (BS) are becoming increasingly popular in industrial product production as a biocompatible, low-toxic alternative surfactant. Chemical surfactants can induce allergic responses and skin irritations; thus, they should be replaced with less harmful substances for skin health. The cosmetic industry seeks novel biological alternatives to replace chemical compounds and improve product qualities. Most of these chemicals have a biological origin and can be obtained from plant, bacterial, fungal, and algal sources. Various biological molecules have intriguing capabilities, such as biosurfactants, vitamins, antioxidants, pigments, enzymes, and peptides. These are safe, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly than chemical options. Plant-based biosurfactants, such as saponins, offer numerous advantages over synthetic surfactants, i.e., biodegradable, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly nature. Saponins are a promising source of natural biosurfactants for various industrial and academic applications. However, microbial glycolipids and lipopeptides have been used in biotechnology and cosmetics due to their multifunctional character, including detergency, emulsifying, foaming, and skin moisturizing capabilities. In addition, some of them have the potential to be used as antibacterial agents. In this review, we like to enlighten the application of microbial biosurfactants for replacing chemical surfactants in existing cosmetic and personal skincare pharmaceutical formulations due to their antibacterial, skin surface moisturizing, and low toxicity characteristics.

Risk of Carcinogenicity Associated with Synthetic Hair Dyeing Formulations: A Biochemical View on Action Mechanisms, Genetic Variation and Prevention

Article tries to visualize the potential for carcinogenic trigger in humans with a preference for oxidative synthetic of hair dyeing formulations, especially which belong to the category of permanent colours. According to the International Agency for Cancer, hair dyes for personal use are not strictly classified as carcinogen to humans. However, some controversy exists that requires clarification. Some epidemiological studies support the association between the risk of cancer development and personal use of hair dyes (pooled relative risk RR = 1.50. 95% CI: 1.30-1.98). The world-wide sale of hair dyeing cosmetics have exceeded 15 billion dollars by the year 2012 and has maintained an annual growth rate of 8-10%. This raises concerns and need to be addressed. The review article briefly discusses about the different hair dye components based on their chemical nature, permanence, interaction of dye components with different parts of the hair shaft, action mechanisms, health risk assessment, associated challenges and possible alternatives. There appears variability towards the pathological changes incurred in the human system upon the use of synthetic hair formulations. This probably appears due to the presence of interindividual genetic variation of enzymes handling these xenobiotics. The redox mechanism of major hair dye components appears to be involved in the carcinogenic trigger. Most of the hair dye constituents pose serious health issues. However, we do have few better alternatives to prevent the toxicity associated with hair dye constituents without compromising the need of today's fashion statement and expectations of the youth.

Cosmetics: What Do Bruneian Female Adults Believe?

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to measure the level of attitudes and the current practices of the female community in Brunei Darussalam regarding the usage of cosmetics.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted using a non-probabilistic snowball sampling approach via the social media channels WhatsApp and Instagram. The inclusion criteria were female Bruneian citizens or permanent residents, aged between 18 and 65 years old, who can understand English or Malay, and use cosmetic products at least once a day.

RESULTS

A total of 445 participants responded to the online survey. Most of the participants agreed that the use of cosmetic products improves one's physical appearance to the public (391, 87.8%) and also improves self-confidence (405, 91.1%). There were significant differences in monthly cosmetic product expenses and participants' attitudes about safe cosmetic use (p = 0.001). No significant changes in the individuals' attitudes based on their age or educational level were observed. Overall, the participants had a good level of cosmetic safety practice. Almost half of the participants use social media to obtain information regarding what cosmetics to use or purchase.

CONCLUSION

There is a medium to high level of attitude and a high level of practice regarding the safe use of cosmetics among Bruneian female adults. Social media was the main source of information for the respondents, followed by friend circle and family members.

Personal-Care Cosmetic Practices in Pakistan: Current Perspectives and Management

To look superior and acceptable in society, people from all over the world use various types of cosmetic products to enhance or alter their facial appearance and body texture. In recent times, an exponential surge in cosmetic use has been observed in Pakistan, and hence spending money on personal-care products is high. However, there are many reported facts about high loads of lead, mercury, copper, and others hazardous and cancerous elements in local Pakistani cosmetic brands. Consumers of these brands are at high risk of many clinical issues, including cancer. As such, it is a necessity to make people aware of the devastating harmful effects related to cosmetic use. The aim of this study was to provide information for stakeholders and raise awareness in the general public about the use of these local unauthorized personal-care cosmetic products, along with government strategies to stop this cosmetic blight on human health.

Environmental Exposures during Puberty: Window of Breast Cancer Risk and Epigenetic Damage

During puberty, a woman’s breasts are vulnerable to environmental damage (“window of vulnerability”). Early exposure to environmental carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and unhealthy foods (refined sugar, processed fats, food additives) are hypothesized to promote molecular damage that increases breast cancer risk. However, prospective human studies are difficult to perform and effective interventions to prevent these early exposures are lacking. It is difficult to prevent environmental exposures during puberty. Specifically, young women are repeatedly exposed to media messaging that promotes unhealthy foods. Young women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods experience additional challenges including a lack of access to healthy food and exposure to contaminated air, water, and soil. The purpose of this review is to gather information on potential exposures during puberty. In future directions, this information will be used to help elementary/middle-school girls to identify and quantitate environmental exposures and develop cost-effective strategies to reduce exposures.