Background: Using cosmetics can be correlated to multiple adverse reactions ranged from acute or severe local reactions to systemic reactions and severe complications. The current study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practices of women in Saudi Arabia toward the adverse effects of cosmetics.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,000 female subjects among Saudi Arabian population. Data were collected through a researcher-designed questionnaire for evaluating participant's knowledge and practice. Data were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v16, using descriptive analysis. Results with a p-value < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant.
Results: A total of 1,000 Saudi women participated in the present study. Their educational level varied from illiterate to university level. About half of the participants were housewives (54%), 36% were employed, and 10% had self-employment. The majority of the participant had good knowledge about the most important harmful effects of hair dyes (91%) and the advantages of using sunscreens in cosmetics (85.5%), the most harmful effects of mascaras for eyelashes (76%) and the most prevalent side effect of chemical dyes (64%). The majority of participant's women paid attention to these factors in selecting their cosmetics. Additionally, 78.9% did not pay attention to the side effects of their cosmetics. Moreover, 70.1% of the women did not do the sensitivity test before hair dying.
Conclusion: Saudi women had an inadequate level of knowledge about the adverse effects of cosmetics. The practice of Saudi women was also unfavorable. Therefore, there is a need to educate Saudi women about the possible risks of cosmetics through formal channels.
Key words: Knowledge, practice, cosmetics, women, Saudi Arabia
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