Attitudes toward organic cosmetics: A cross-sectional population-based survey from the Middle East

Introduction: The exponential increase in the market for cosmetics has been accompanied by an increasing demand for organic cosmetics. However, this demand and awareness of organic cosmetics and awareness of its relation to environmental sustainability is likely to vary according to the geographical region. The available literature related to the subject is sparse in our region.

Objective: To study the attitudes, awareness, and practices related to organic cosmetics in our population.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among a population of Saudi adult females (18-50 years). An electronic questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. Statistics included percentages and chi-square test was used to compare between groups, with a P value < 0.05 taken as significant.

Results: Out of a total of 413 respondents, 278 (67.3%) agreed/strongly agreed that ingredients in cosmetics need to be environment friendly, but only 193 (46.7%) regularly checked ingredient details before use. 338 subjects (81.8%) agreed/agreed strongly that cosmetics with organic ingredients were better for the environment and 233 (56.4%) agreed/strongly agreed that they would prefer using cosmetics with organic ingredients; however, only 199 (48.1%) were willing to pay extra for these cosmetics. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups according to the level of education. Regarding the willingness to pay more for organic cosmetics, the consensus was higher in younger respondents.

Conclusion: There was a high level of awareness in our study about organic cosmetics and their environmental implications. Although organic cosmetics were preferred by the majority, cost appeared to be a factor impeding actual use. Younger respondents were more likely to prefer organic cosmetics.