Abstract:
Background: A skincare agent is a product that is rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, or
applied to the human body for cleansing, beautification, or enhancing appearance. They come
as moisturizers, sunscreens, anti-aging creams, fairness creams etc and are composed of either
synthetic chemicals or natural ingredients of herbal origin. Sri Lanka has a tropical climate
with varying temperature and the country receives ample sunlight throughout the year. Most of
the Sri Lankans are frequently exposed to sunlight. This is especially important in
Anuradhapura district where many agricultural communities live. Therefore, the usage of
skincare agents is important not only to maintain the beauty but also in terms of health
perspectives.
Objective: To evaluate the popularity of different types of skincare products among the people
in Anuradhapura district
Methods: Four hundred and four participants who live in Anuradhapura district were selected
for the study. The participants were selected from all 23 divisional secretariats in the district
based on the population of different divisional secretariats. The convenient sampling technique
was employed and the data were collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire.
Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.
Results: The study population comprised of 187 (47.3%) males and 217 (53.7%) females.
Considering the total of 404 participants, 221 (54.7%) were identified as users of skincare
products. Among the different categories of skincare products, moisturizer creams were the
most popular type (62.90%) while 33.03% used sunscreens. There was a considerable usage of
moisturizer creams among the age group of 18 -25 years (20.36%) and 26-35 years (19.46%).
Among the users of skincare products, 79.64% preferred herbal skincare formulations while
4.07% used synthetic products and 16.29% of the respondents mentioned that they use both
types of products. The leaves of Aloe vera was the most widely used plant material for home made herbal formulations and it was used as a fairness-enhancer and a moisturizer.
Conclusions: Skincare agents are widely used by the inhabitants in Anuradhapura district and
there was a considerable usage of moisturizer creams. Interestingly, most of the users prefer
herbal formulations over synthetic products.
