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. 2025 Feb 1;17(2):e78335.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.78335. eCollection 2025 Feb.

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

P Abiramy  1 , Balagurumoorthy Maharani  1 , Mohanan Saritha  2 , Prakash Mathiyalagen  3
Affiliations

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

P Abiramy et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: adverse event; allergy; health care providers; knowledge; questionnaire.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institute Ethics Committee, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute issued approval 492/IEC/38th/PP-3/2023. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: The study was supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research, Short-Term Studentship (ICMR-STS). Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Management of ADR following use of cosmetics
ADR: adverse drug reaction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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