Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed attitudes and behaviors concerning cosmetic care and procedures among patients presenting to the dermatology outpatient clinic? A multicenter study with 1437 participants

The influence of social media on public attitudes and behaviors towards cosmetic dermatologic procedures and skin care practices: A study in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Social media has fostered a landscape where trends, ideals, and beauty standards have significantly proliferated. Images of flawless skin, sculpted features, and curated aesthetics inundate user feeds, potentially shaping their self-perceptions and aspirations. The rise of influencers, dermatologist social media engagement, and beauty campaigns sharing skincare routines and product recommendations wield substantial influence over individual appearance-related decisions.

AIMS

The main aim of this study is to determine the pattern of behavior in using social media to seek dermatological procedures and skin care routine.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide, online cross-sectional study targeting the general Saudi population. Our survey aimed to understand participant social media behaviors and gather insights into skincare products, cosmetic procedures, and makeup habits.

RESULTS

Gender-related differences emerged in seeking skincare advice. Females preferred dermatologists on social media (p < 0.001) and beauty influencers (p < 0.001), whereas men leaned towards pharmacists (p < 0.001). Women displayed stronger engagement with dermatologist social media reputation regarding non-cosmetic concerns (p < 0.001), education (p < 0.001), and social media impact on cosmetic decisions (p = 0.001). They frequently sought dermatologists on social media before appointments (p = 0.001), whereas men emphasized dermatologists' fame (p = 0.024). Common cosmetic barriers included high costs (62.5%), complications (40.3%), and trust issues (40.2%). Women underwent various cosmetic procedures (p < 0.05), influenced by social media in their decisions and skincare routines.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study reveals significant gender-based disparities in seeking skincare advice. Women rely on social media, clinics, friends, and beauty influencers, whereas men prefer pharmacists. Additionally, women depend on dermatologists' social media reputation and conduct thorough pre-appointment research. Their heightened social media engagement links to skincare practices and influences cosmetic procedure considerations based on age and usage frequency.

The significant value of sustainable cosmetics fragrance in the spotlight after COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought major changes to the world's population. This has led to increased wearing of masks to prevent infectious diseases, which can contribute to exacerbation of stress and the emergence of mental illness due to a physical health crisis.

OBJECTIVES

Therefore, this study comprehensively investigated the reasons why cosmetics customers pay attention to sustainable fragrances after COVID-19.

METHODS

This review article is a literature review, and a narrative review approach was used in this study. A total of 598 references were selected from 2004 to 2022 using representative journal search sites such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and RISS. Among them, a total of 39 articles were successfully completed in this study using the PRISMA flowchart in the final stage.

RESULTS

In this study, by identifying the changes and needs of K-beauty and global cosmetics industry consumers who aspire for sustainable safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in bad breath caused by the increase in mask wearing was recognized, and the need for fragrance due to mental health was recognized. Demand is expected to increase.

CONCLUSION

This study tried to change the perception of cosmetic fragrances into safe edible fragrances. Therefore, it is expected to be used as an important marketing material for the global cosmetics market.

Ethnopharmacology for Skin Diseases and Cosmetics during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lithuania

The documentation of ethnopharmaceutical knowledge has always been important for the preservation of countries’ cultural, social, and economic identity. The COVID-19 pandemic with the collapse of healthcare, which has left the individual health to self-care, has also forced us to look back at ethnopharmacology from a practical point of view. This is the first study in Lithuania, dedicated entirely to ethnopharmaceuticals used for skin diseases and cosmetics, and the first study to analyse ethnopharmacology as a Lithuanian phenomenon during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The main purpose of this study was to collect and evaluate ethnopharmaceutical knowledge regarding skin diseases and cosmetics in Šiauliai District, Lithuania during the COVID-19 pandemic from July 2020 to October 2021. This study surveyed 50 respondents; the survey was conducted using the deep interview method. The respondents mentioned 67 species of medicinal plants from 37 different families used for skin diseases (64.18%), cosmetics (13.44%) and cosmeceuticals (22.38%). Of the 67 plant species, 43 (64%) were not included in the European Medicines Agency monographs and only 14 species (21%) of all included species were used with European Medicines Agency approved medical indications for skin diseases. In terms of public health, the safety of “self-treatment” and recovery rituals for skin diseases are no less important than ethnopharmacological knowledge and its application, this being especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic.