Cosmetic Use and Its Adverse Events among Female Employees of Jimma University, Southwest Ethiopia

The Pattern of Use of Cosmetics and Awareness of Cosmetovigilance Among Medical Students in Puducherry: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

With the increasing use of cosmetics, potential adverse effects such as allergic reactions and skin irritation warrant investigation. This study aims to assess cosmetic usage patterns, associated adverse effects, and awareness of cosmetovigilance among medical students. Despite the widespread use of cosmetics in India, region-specific data on adverse effects and cosmetovigilance awareness in Puducherry are limited. Given medical students' future roles in patient education, assessing their awareness is crucial. The study was conducted among medical students, who are expected to have a foundational understanding of the adverse effects of cosmetics due to their training in pharmacology and dermatology. However, their actual awareness of cosmetovigilance remains unclear, warranting this investigation.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among all MBBS students studying in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Puducherry. The questionnaire was reviewed by dermatologists and pharmacologists for face and content validity, and internal consistency was tested using Cronbach's alpha, which was found to be reliable (0.73). The pretested, content-validated questionnaire, which included demographic details of the participants, the nature and type of cosmetics used, adverse reactions (if any) experienced by them, and awareness of cosmetovigilance, was shared along with the informed consent form and participant information sheet via Google Forms. Responses were obtained from the participants.

RESULTS

Of the 600 eligible students, 246 participated, resulting in a response rate of 41%. The most commonly used cosmetics among participants were skin cleansing products, hair and scalp cleansing products, and tooth care products, respectively. Among the respondents, 71.4% (n=178) were aware that cosmetic products may cause adverse events, and 49.59% (n=122) had experienced adverse events following the use of cosmetics. Only 27.6% (n=68) of students were aware of the term cosmetovigilance. The majority became aware of the term through social media (17.5%, n=43). Among all participants, 42.2% (n=105) expressed willingness to report adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with the use of cosmetics in the future by filling out an ADR reporting form.

CONCLUSION

Given the low awareness of cosmetovigilance among medical students, integrating it into the medical curriculum is essential to enhance future healthcare professionals' role in patient safety. Future studies should focus on assessing reporting barriers, awareness gaps among dermatologists, and differences in knowledge between medical students and the general public.

Cosmetics Utilization Pattern, Perceived Adverse Effects and Identified Factors Among Final Year Under Graduate Female Students, University of Gondar, Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of cosmetics utilization and perceived adverse effects among female final-year undergraduate students at the University of Gondar, northwest Ethiopia.

METHODS

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was carried out from October 2023 to May 2024. We used stratified, simple random sampling techniques to select study participants. Data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire administered to trained graduate pharmacist students. EPI Info 7.1 was used for data entry, and SPSS version 26 was used for the data analysis. Descriptive statistics have been done for percentages and frequencies. We used bivariate and multiple logistic regressions to identify factors. Those variables with p < 0.05 were declared to be associated factors for the prevalence of cosmetics utilization and perceived adverse effects.

RESULTS

A total of 403 study participants were included, with a response rate of (96%). In the current study, 81% of the students were using cosmetics, and 55.6% were exposed to cosmetics-related adverse reactions, primarily skin rash (41%) and itching (38.3%). The most frequently used cosmetic products were toothpaste, lipstick, deodorant, and perfume, which accounted for 83.7%, 56.8%, and 24.7%, respectively. Lower age (20-25 years) AOR = 5.62, urban residence AOR = 1.97, health-related department AOR = 2.46, economic income 501-1000 Ethiopian birr AOR = 4.05, not love engaged AOR = 3.65, and 3 and 4 years of study AOR = 2.96, with a 95% CI, were significantly associated with cosmetic usage for the students. Shampoos and conditioners AOR = 3.42; hair dye use AOR = 3.40; read information from the container AOR = 2.11; add water or other agents to cosmetics AOR = 2.26; and test Cosmetic adverse reactions AOR = 4.10, with a 95% CI, were significantly associated with cosmetics-related adverse effects.

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion of the users suffered from cosmetic-related adverse reactions. The health care system should be restructured to consider rational cosmetic utilization practices and prevent adverse health effects.

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.

Predisposing factors of using cosmetics in Iranian female students: application of prototype willingness model

Background and aim

The use of cosmetics among Iranian teenagers and youths has increased more than ever before. This study investigated the predisposing factors of cosmetic use in female students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences by using the prototype willingness model (PWM).

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 384 students, selected based on multistage sampling. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire that included demographic variables and PWM questions. Then multiple regression analysis was used in SPSS (version 20).

Results

There was a significant difference in the frequency of daily cosmetic use based on the education levels (F = 3.845, p-value = 0.034). The average daily use of cosmetics was higher in students whose use of cosmetics was high in their family (p = 0.024) and friends (p-value = 0.023). Prototypes were the strongest predictor of using cosmetics (OR = 1.317, p-value <0.001), followed by attitude (OR = 1.241, p-value <0.001).

Conclusion

Prototypes (social imagination) and attitudes were the main predictors of using cosmetics among female students. To be effective in targeting cosmetic use, interventions must target both social and individual paths.

Analysis and Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions of Cosmetics at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background and objectives Cosmetovigilance is a term used for the activities related to the collection, evaluation, and monitoring of spontaneous reports of undesirable events observed during or after normal or reasonably foreseeable use of a cosmetic product. It is now considered a part of the public health system to determine the toxicity of cosmetic products. India has a pharmacovigilance system that monitors adverse drug reactions. Adverse effects due to the use of cosmetic products are undernumbered and a rigorous vigilant system is necessary to check the unmet needs of our country. Hence keeping the above in view, the study was conducted. Material and methods Patients of any gender, aged above 18 years, reporting adverse reactions to cosmetics at the study site were included in the study. The adverse reactions to cosmetics were noted. The causality of the observed adverse cosmetic reactions (ACRs) was done by the European Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (COLIPA) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) methods. Results A total of 120 patients were included in the study. The cosmetic products used by the patients were mainly face care products (n=144) followed by make-up care products (n=126). A total of 121 types of ACRs were reported. The majority of the ACRs were caused by products involved in facial care (62; 51.2%) followed by personal care products (20; 16.5%). In the causality assessment of the ACRs using the COLIPA method, 49.4% of patients were categorized as likely, and using the PLM method, 59% of the events were categorized as probable. Conclusion Most of the ACRs were caused by face care products and acne was reported as the most frequently occurring ACR. Awareness programs regarding the reporting of ACRs should be encouraged among cosmetic users and stakeholders.

Deodorant use and related adverse effects: A cross-sectional survey among Palestinian students

Background

Deodorants are widely used to mask unpleasant body odors. They are reported to cause some adverse effects depending on the form and ingredients. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of deodorant use and related adverse effects among Palestinian students.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out at An-Najah National University from Aug 2018 to Mar 2020. A questionnaire was constructed using a Google survey form. All analyses were done using SPSS 21.0, Fisher test was used for comparative analysis and the P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results

A total of 554 students participated in the study. About 93% of the participants were using deodorants and adverse effects were reported by 25% of the participants. The reported adverse effects were itching (26%), coloration (25%), sneezing (21%), and eye redness (8%). Only 4.1% of the participants visited a physician for counselling regarding various adverse effects.

Conclusion

Deodorants were widely used by Palestinian students with reported adverse effects, but these side effects rarely prompted the participants to seek medical advice.

Knowledge, perceptions, and consumption behaviour of cosmetics among undergraduates of Sri Lanka: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Background

Despite the increasing usage of personal care products among young adolescents in Sri Lanka, limited studies have been conducted to understand the behaviour of cosmetic users and associated health complications. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the cosmetic consumption related behaviour of the undergraduate community in Sri Lanka and to identify the driving factors behind the incidences of cosmetic related adverse health effects.

Method

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted by recruiting 421 undergraduates from five state universities in Sri Lanka through stratified random sampling, as the study population. Information on socio-demographic factors and cosmetic consumption behaviour of the participants were acquired through a self-administrated structured questionnaire, along with Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) relevant for cosmetic usage. The Binary Logistic Regression model was used to determine the significant socio-demographic driving factors on cosmetic usage among the undergraduate community in Sri Lanka at a confidence level of 95%.

Results

Around 96.4% of the study population used one or more cosmetic products (77%) out of which, 75.3% experienced cosmetic related adverse health effects. Skin dryness (24%), acne (21%), allergies (20.5%) and rashes (19.8%), were identified as the most dominant adverse health effects, related to cosmetic usage. Perfumes (65.6%), face cream (63.2%) and body lotion/hand cream (60.6%), were the mostly used cosmetic products. Even though half of the study population exhibited higher levels of good practices during purchase (54.9%) and application (52%) of cosmetics, around 47.5% were characterized with a low level of knowledge on cosmetics. Gender, academic year, knowledge on cosmetics, monthly expenditure on cosmetics, source of recommendation for cosmetics, practices related to purchase and consumption of cosmetics and preference to receive medical care in case of cosmetic related emergency were recognized as significant risk factors (p < 0.05) associated with the incidence of cosmetic related adverse health effects among undergraduate students.

Conclusion

Given the high prevalence of cosmetic related adverse health effects, the health authorities of Sri Lanka should pay more attention towards the wellbeing and responsible cosmetic usage among undergraduates. Designing of effective tools and regulations to monitor the cosmetic market and improving the knowledge on cosmetics are recommended to ensure safe cosmetic usage within the country in general and of adolescent users in particular.

Global Trends in Cosmetics Use-Related Adverse Effects: A Bibliometric Analysis of Literature Published during 1957–2021

Cosmetic and beauty products, though not essential for physical health, go a long way in providing mental well-being and confidence, and hence are used substantially. Increasing utilization of varying cosmetic products leads to a multitude of adverse effects. There is more awareness about cosmeceutics, cosmetic products and their adverse effects, and studies on the same are currently trending. Bibliometrics has become a prominent and growing field of research in recent years. The aim of this research was to assess bibliometric features and conduct systematic trend analysis on the literature available on cosmetics’ adverse effects. We analyzed all the published documents that included the keywords “cosmetics” and “adverse effects” between 1957 and 2021. We performed a detailed scientometric and bibliometric assessment in this field. A total of 4127 articles were retrieved from the databases provided by Scopus, which most were original articles. The United States ranked first and dominated the literature with 1292 (31.44%) documents followed by South Korea 7.47%. Harvard medical school was the most productive institution (1.16%). The study of the adverse effects of cosmetics should be supported and taken up by the researchers/authors from developing and underdeveloped countries.

An observational study on adverse reactions of cosmetics: The need of practice the Cosmetovigilance system

Introduction

Cosmetovigilance is public health surveillance on cosmetic products with a public health objective. Since the radical development in beautifying products in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority takes the responsibility of regulating cosmetic products and issuing guidelines to ensure its safety. Despite this, there exists a lacuna of Re published reports on cosmetics-related adverse reactions in the Saudi population. We aimed to assess self-reported adverse reactions in the general public of the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted for three months. The questionnaire for data collection was adopted and modified from previous studies for the cosmetic utilization behaviors and adverse reactions.

Results

Among the 425 participants, 50.6% reported that they had at least one adverse reaction in the past two years. Redness of the skin (19%), pimples (15%), and itching (13%) were the commonly reported adverse reactions. The majority of the adverse reactions were reported with hair care (29%) and skincare products (25%). The majority [n = 181 (84.2%)] of the participants with managed the ARs by the cessation of the product use. The univariate analysis found that gender, age, allergic to medications and food, family history of allergy, mixing cosmetics, and frequent switching of cosmetic brands were associated with adverse events. However, the adjusted analysis found that allergic to medication (adjusted OR: 3.9), family history of allergy (adjusted OR: 1.91), and mixing cosmetics (adjusted OR: 1.70) were significantly associated with cosmetics-related adverse reactions.

Conclusion

Cosmetovigilance is a model of safety monitoring of cosmetics. It can be considered as a one of the element in public health activities. Pharmacists should be more vigil on this issue in the near future. To strengthen the findings further, a national wide prevalence study can be conducted prospectively and analyses causality and report to the pharmacovigilanvce system of the country.

Usage Patterns of Cosmetic and Personal Care Products among Female Population in Saudi Arabia: Important Factors for Exposure and Risk Assessment

Reliable data regarding the usage patterns of personal care products (PCPs) are needed to determine the health risks posed by the ingredients of these products such as parabens, phthalates, and bisphenol A. There are no published data regarding the consumption patterns of PCPs in the Middle East in general and in Saudi Arabia in particular. To fill this gap, this study aimed to assess important factors such as the percentage of users and the frequency of use and co-use of twenty-three cosmetic and PCPs among the female population in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, this study aimed to assess the common cosmetic-related adverse events among the participants. The studied products included general hygiene, hair care, skin care, makeup, fragrances, and other products. The data were collected from 709 female participants of different age groups through a digital questionnaire. It was found that eighteen of the investigated products are consumed by at least 50% of the respondents. The frequency of use of PCPs varied over a wide range. Cosmetic-related adverse events were experienced by 16.1% of the participants. Use frequencies of many hygiene and makeup products were correlated with each other. This study provides, for the first time, baseline data on the usage patterns of a large number of widely consumed PCPs among female population pertaining to several sociodemographic strata. Such information is crucial for exposure and risk assessment and also needed for updating the current knowledge on usage of PCPs in Saudi Arabia.