Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Dec 2021)

Prevalence of Over-the-Counter Cosmeceutical Usage and the Impact of a Health Education Intervention in Female Saudi University Students

  • AlRadini F,
  • El-Sheikh A,
  • Bin Jamaan N,
  • Hushan H,
  • Binhuwaimel W,
  • Alhedaithy F,
  • Alanzi S

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 1867 – 1877

Abstract

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Faten AlRadini,1 Azza El-Sheikh,2 Noura Bin Jamaan,1 Hessah Hushan,1 Wajd Binhuwaimel,1 Fatemah Alhedaithy,1 Soad Alanzi1 1Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Basic Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Faten AlRadiniDepartment of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaEmail [email protected]‎: The reckless use of over-‎the-‎counter (OTC) cosmeceuticals among females is alarming due to possible health hazards, ranging from allergy to fatal anaphylaxis and toxicity.Methods‎: In the current study, we investigated the prevalence of cosmeceutical use among female students at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) and tested the effect of a pilot health education program in improving their knowledge. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed with 515 participants.Results‎: A significantly higher percent (81%) of participants used OTC cosmeceuticals than did not use them. The selection of OTC ‎‎cosmeceuticals was not affected by socioeconomic ‎status, chronic illness, cosmeceutical cost, or possible cosmeceutical side effects. Students from non-health colleges demonstrated poorer knowledge scores for the hazards of cosmeceuticals, which directed our attention to the importance of health education in this field. Therefore, a pilot interventional health education program was conducted with 54 participants to compare their ‎‎knowledge before and after the‎ intervention. At the end of the program, a higher‎ percentage of participants had improved their knowledge and realized the need to ‎consult a physician before using ‎OTC ‎‎cosmeceuticals.Conclusion: The health education program had a significant impact on knowledge ‎concerning the use of cosmeceuticals, and it is recommended that such programs be included in ‎undergraduate extracurricular activity, especially for female students.‎.Keywords: over-the-counter, cosmeceuticals, side effects, health education

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