Abstract
Background. Nowadays, it is generally recognized that physical appearance is important, women are particularly interested in their aesthetic appearance and the use of various cosmetic products. The long-term usage habits of cosmetic products have influenced not only the condition of the skin and hair but also on human health.
 The aim of the survey was to investigate cosmetics use habits and related side effects among females.
 Methods: A quantitative survey was performed; an original questionnaire based on scientific resources was used, used data collection method - a written survey. Survey sample – 336 Lithuanian women. Data analysis was performed using the social research statistics program SPSS 25.0. Percentage frequencies were calculated for ordinal variables - averages and standard deviations. The Pearson’s Chi-Square test and the non-parametric Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney tests were used to detect statistically significant differences. The significance level selected was p <0.05.
 Results. The survey revealed the prevalence and frequency of the use of cosmetic products by women, as well as the choice criteria for selecting cosmetic products. The side effects related to the use of cosmetics experienced by women are investigated as well as some practices and habits regarding the use of cosmetics.
 Conclusions. The study shows that the choice criteria of cosmetic products differ among separate women age groups. The older women are more concerned about the composition of the products, their naturalness, and the manufacturer, while the price is less important. Most commonly used are personal hygiene products including deodorants and perfumers. The older women use less cosmetic products (p <0.05) than the younger ones. The majority of women have experienced side effects related to the use of cosmetics. The study shows that the occurrence of side effects does not depend on the number of products used. However, they are related to the use habits: women who experience side effects more often (p <0.05) use expired cosmetic products. In addition, women with side effects are less likely to use cosmetic testers.
Highlights
Nowadays, when it is generally recognized that physical appearance is important, cosmetic products are used worldwide (Bernard, 2016; Dornic et al, 2017; Ahaiwe et al, 2015; Onyedikachi, 2016)
The side effects related to the use of cosmetics experienced by women are investigated as well as some practices and habits regarding the use of cosmetics
The study shows that the choice criteria of cosmetic products differ among separate women age groups
Summary
Nowadays, when it is generally recognized that physical appearance is important, cosmetic products are used worldwide (Bernard, 2016; Dornic et al, 2017; Ahaiwe et al, 2015; Onyedikachi, 2016). The use of cosmetics is associated with a variety of social outcomes, ranging from perception of physical attractiveness to evaluation of expected job performance (Bartles, 2019). In many countries, as well as in Lithuania, there is anxiety about the impact of cosmetic products on consumer health in the society (Malinauskienė, 2015; Cho et al, 2017; Kirchhof & Gannes, 2013; Yamaguchi et al, 2017). The women of Lithuania use a lot of cosmetic products (Vainauskiene and Vaitkiene, 2014). It is generally recognized that physical appearance is important, women are interested in their aesthetic appearance and the use of various cosmetic products.
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