Dermatological Evaluation and Efficacy of Rice Water and Essential Oil-Based Skincare Products Among Household Users

Abstract

The study explored the dermatological evaluation and efficacy of rice water and essential oil-based skincare products among household users in Omoku, which is the headquarters of the Ogba/Ndoni/Egbema Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study was guided by three research questions and one null hypothesis. The specific objectives were dermatological test and effectiveness of skin cream, face cleanser and semi solid soap on treatment of skin diseases like eczema, ringworm and rashes; acceptability level of the produced skincare products of skin cream, face cleanser, and semi solid soap from rice water, coconut oil and other essential oils; and sustainability level of the produced skin products. The study adopted quasi- quasi-experimental research design. The population comprised 11,625 household members in Omoku. The sample size is 390 household members, 78 recruited participants and 10 volunteers for the dermatological test. Mean score was used for the research questions, and the null hypothesis was tested by a t-test at a 0.05 level of significance. Results indicated that the respondents agreed to all the research question items with a cluster mean of 3.63 for an acceptable level and 4.02 for a sustainable level; and the null hypothesis was accepted because the critical value of 1.645 at p>0.05 was greater than the t-calculated of -0.234. The study made some recommendations, which include that household members should be trained through workshops to produce household cosmetics to bring in other streams of income, students in secondary and tertiary institutions should be financially and skill-wise empowered to embark on cosmetic production without undue stress, among others.