Consumer Perception of Personal Care Products and Cosmetics on Health and Environmental Effects

Personal care products and cosmetics have become an essential part of present society. Since the composition of these products directly correlates with public health and the environment, understanding consumer behaviors and attitudes is a significant aspect in controlling their negative impacts. The present study surveyed 300 consumers in Sri Lanka to attain insights into the selection, usage, disposal, and participants' attitudes and knowledge of these products. The majority of the respondents were female (58%) and 71% were between the ages of 18 and 65. Most of them (48%) selected products by their evaluations and 34% were highly concerned about the ingredients. Removal of applied products was mainly done by washing (97%) and in many households, generated wastewater ended up in wastewater gullies (69%). The remaining plastic packages were discarded into municipal garbage trucks (42%) or burned (31%). Alarmingly, 29% of the participants have experienced some kind of adverse reaction by using these products during their lifetime. Therefore, proper monitoring, waste management, and regulation of these products could be beneficial to control many related health and environmental consequences.