Wait, before you buy your next lipstick, hair spray, deodorant, perfumes, makeup, body lotion, lightening creams, toning soaps, foundation, blusher or powder. You need to read this. Contrary to popular opinion, do you know that many of these products contain carcinogens and toxic substances which are harmful and dangerous to one's health. Here are some truths about one of the leading industries in Africa, beauty and personal care, currently generating billions of Naira in revenue.



1. Beauty and body care products are a primary source of human exposure to unhealthy radiation and harmful chemicals.

2. Many beauty products sold n the shelf are expired or almost expiring, and there is really no way to know as many importers change or remove the expiry dates .

3. Most personal care products sold are unregulated , Nafdac (Nigerian food and drug administration control) is trying to sanitize the health and beauty industry by asking importers and local manufacturers have their products tested before being sold to the public, but many companies still bypass this process . unfortunately, unsafe products are difficult to recall once in the market.

4. Higher priced beauty products does not mean higher quality, ironically the not-so- discerning public choose to buy cosmetics,makeup products that are expensive, way out of budget with the erroneous belief that they do have more benefits than others. But this is not always the case, it is a mater of which brands are are more effective in marketing and influencing public opinions. A beauty lover should be knowledgeable about what products are suitable for her and not choose a product based on adverts in media, catalogs or hear says. Professional makeup artists, cosmetologists are in the best position to educate their clients about which products to use , and not necessarily because they want to sell more.

5. The ingredients contain in some cosmetics and beauty essentials are harmful substances, a consumer must always check the label of any product he/she is buying , to ensure it does not cause any allergic reactions, uneven skin tones, or in extreme cases swelling and breakouts on skin. Even in some products that are acclaimed as natural beauty products, one will find that they are not so natural after all, it is a marketing gimmick to brain wash and coerce customers to buy the products.

6. The sad truth is that many beauty products found in stores, markets and online today contain toxins which are not revealed on the label, so consumer wont even know when they check for it. These toxins are potentially harmful, can cause dizziness, affect pregnancy and have tong term side effects.

7. Multinational brands engage famous models, actresses, actors, artistes, makeup artists and celebrities to endorse their brands. Do not take their word for it, just because they say so does not necessarily mean the brands are safe. Do your own findings and revelations, ask previous users of products or seek expert opinion.


I have always been an advocate of natural, organic products and if you are one of those who are highly sensitive to chemical ingredients used in making these beauty products, you can also learn to make your own beauty/personal care care products or buy from a reliable source. Then, you are sure of what is in a product and you would have protected yourself from falling a victim to unscrupulous companies who are all out to make money without a care for consumers's health and safety.


Finally, I will try to educate you on choosing safer and healthier products on my blog in my own way ,more importantly is that as consumers, we need to be educated and protect ourselves . Also environmental protection or beauty groups can be formed to create awareness and help beauty enthusiasts purchase safer products.

Preach!