Abstract
ABSTRACTObjective: To evaluate the hygiene practices and frequency of use of personal hygiene products, cosmetics, and sunscreen among children and adolescents.Methods: Cross-sectional study with interviews about skincare conducted with caregivers through closed-ended questions. We included patients up to 14 years of age waiting for consultation in pediatric outpatient clinics of a tertiary hospital. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis and applied the Kruskal-Wallis test and Fisher’s exact test to compare the practices according to maternal schooling.Results: We conducted 276 interviews. The median age of the participants was age four, and 150 (54.3%) were males. A total of 143 (51.8%) participants bathed once a day and 128 (46.3%) bathed two or more times a day, lasting up to ten minutes in 132 (47.8%) cases. Adult soap was used by 103 (37.3%) children and bar soap by 220 (79.7%). Fifty-three (19.2%) participants used sunscreen daily. Perfume was used by 182 (65.9%) children, hair gel by 98 (35.5%), nail polish by 62 (22.4%), and some type of make-up by 71 (25.7%) - eyeshadow by 30 (10.8%), lipstick by 52 (18.8%), face powder and mascara by 13 (4.7%). Make-up use started at a median age of 4 years. Henna tattoo was done in eight children.Conclusions: The children studied used unsuitable products for their skin, such as those intended for adults, used sunscreen inadequately, and started wearing make-up early, evidencing the need for medical orientation.
Highlights
Skin is the barrier between the body and the external environment
Preserving the characteristics of the skin barrier is essential,[2] and, hygiene products, cosmetics, and photoprotectors intended for children should be formulated
A total of 276 caregivers of children waiting for consultation were interviewed
Summary
Skin is the barrier between the body and the external environment. The epidermis is the outermost layer of skin, and the stratum corneum (SC) plays the role of barrier. This barrier is both physical, preventing the invasion of pathogens, and chemical, due to its acidic pH, in addition to acting in the maintenance of skin hydration.[1] Preserving the characteristics of the skin barrier is essential,[2] and, hygiene products, cosmetics, and photoprotectors intended for children should be formulated .[1]. The permeability and the pH of the SC are interdependent, and their changes can facilitate the development of skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis.[1,4]
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