Awareness and Use of Cosmeceuticals among Female Students of Tertiary Institutions in Northeastern Nigeria

Introduction: The word cosmeceutical was first conceived in 1961 by Raymond Reed. The term was further popularized by Dr. Albert Kligman in 1984 and by 1996 the cosmeceuticals products made their first appearance in the world market. The word “cosmeceutical” continues to evolve since then to date. However, most people are either ignorant of it or confused it with cosmetics generally. It lacks a proper definition and its difference from individual cosmetics and pharmaceutical agents seem to be incomplete. There are regulatory issues around the products in most countries of the world because of poor awareness among most groups. Objectives: To demonstrate the awareness of the term cosmeceutical as well as the use of the products among students of tertiary institutions in the Northeastern part of Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Results: None among the respondents ever heard of the term cosmeceuticals talk less about knowing its meaning while the majority of them obtained and used cosmeceutical products. By studying the ingredients of the personal products the respondents were applying on their bodies, it was found that 48 (68.6%) of the 70 respondents actually were using cosmeceuticals products. The word cosmeceutical was not mentioned in the regulatory policies by the main regulatory body, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) across the region or any place in Nigeria. Conclusion: Knowledge of cosmeceuticals is very poor in the northeastern region of Nigeria among users and staff of regulatory agencies while regulation of cosmeceuticals is not explicitly addressed. Government was highly recommended to take the necessary steps to enlighten the people including users and stakeholders in the regulatory sector.