Review of Health Hazards and Toxicological Effects of Constituents of Cosmetics

Abstract

Cosmetic products are designed for use on human body for beautifying and promoting attractiveness and appearance; for these reasons, cosmetics are in high demand especially among women of all ages in every country. Despite many vulnerabilities associated with cosmetic usage, the cosmetic and 'makeup' continues to enjoy wide acceptability irrespective of age and sex. This is made possible by massive advertising employed by producers and marketers of cosmetics. Advertising is the link between manufactured products and would-be consumers; it plays a crucial role in determining the product that is mostly patronised and vice versa. Therefore, ethical advertising that promotes utilitarian benefits of cosmetics should be encouraged over and above emotional advertisement that lowers self-esteem of consumers and offers such products as solution to their low self-esteem. Despite the ban in many countries of poisonous substances in cosmetic products, inexhaustive list of substances, such as lead, chromium, nickel, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, hydroquinone, steroids, nitrosamine, etc. are still present in many cosmetic products. In most cases, above regulatory values, cancers, renal disorders, thinning and easy brushing of the skin, dermatophyte infection with lesions, macular hyper pigmentation, pityriasis vesicular, diabetes mellitus, micropapular eruption, hypertension, etc. are possible toxicological and health hazards that may be associated with continuous cosmetic application.