Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning skincare agents among the inhabitants in Anuradhapura District, North Central Province, Sri Lanka

Background: Skincare formulations have turned out to be one of the most frequently used products in the day-to-day life of people in this modern society. The present study sought the knowledge, attitudes, and practices on the usage of skincare products among the inhabitants in Anuradhapura district, North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Method: A pre-validated questionnaire was used in this community-based descriptive cross-sectional study to collect information from randomly selected 404 participants. The data were analyzed by SPSS statistical package (version 20). Chi-squared test was used to determine the statistical association between the socio-demographic data and the usage of skincare products. Results: Among the study population, 221 (54.7%) were identified as regular skincare product users. A statistically significant association was observed between some of the demographic data; ie. gender (p=<0.001), age groups (p=<0.001), marital status (p=0.013), and level of education (p=<0.001) with the usage of skincare products. Interestingly, 79.64% of the respondents who used skincare products preferred herbal formulations. The consumer awareness of the products they use was quite satisfactory as 95.09%, 69.23, and 77.37% of the regular users were cautious about manufacturing/expiry date, ingredients/composition, and possible side effects respectively. Moreover, 88.59% of the skincare product users had the habit of reading the safety precautions/warnings on the label. The quality of the products was the primary criterion for the purchasing of a particular product. Conclusion: This study revealed that consumers in Anuradhapura district were quite rational and were aware during the selection of skincare products. Also, it pointed out the consumer preferences for herbal-based skincare formulations over synthetic counterparts.