Jisha Myalil Lucca^1,2 , Royes Joseph^2,3, Dhfer Alshayban²

¹Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, UAE; ²Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam-31441, Saudi Arabia; ³School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, UK.

For correspondence:-  Jisha Lucca   Email: dr.jmlucca@gmu.ac.ae

Received: 4 April 2025        Accepted: 19 March 2026        Published: 30 March 2026

Citation: Lucca JM, Joseph R, Alshayban D. The impact of cosmetics on self-esteem, consumer satisfaction, and economic expenditures: A study of Saudi Arabian consumers. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(3):395-403 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v25i3.12

© 2026 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To explore consumers’ satisfaction and perceived improvement of self-esteem and economic aspects of cosmetics in Saudi Arabia. Methods: An online survey using a cross-sectional design was carried out in Saudi Arabia from March to June 2022. All residents, regardless of gender or age, were invited via social media and email to participate in the survey and report on their use of cosmetics, level of satisfaction, and perceived effects on self-esteem and economic aspects. Results: A total of 147 participants, predominantly female (57.1 %) and highly educated, completed the survey. About 10 % of household budgets were allocated to cosmetics, with 34 % spending ~50 SR per month on personal care products. Satisfaction with cosmetic expenses was reported by 48.8 % of females and 39.7 % of males. Personal care (43.5 %) and fragrance products (37.7 %) were considered essential, enhancing self-esteem and confidence. Skin and hair care products were positively perceived, while opinions on makeup, skincare, and nail care varied. Conclusion: This study provides baseline data on consumer behaviour, satisfaction, and the economic impact of cosmetics in Saudi Arabia, offering insights for industry stakeholders and future studies.

Keywords: Cosmetics, Personal care, Self-esteem, Consumer satisfaction, Economic expenditures, Saudi Arabia

Impact Factor
Thompson Reuters (ISI): 0.6 (2023)
H-5 index (Google Scholar): 49 (2023)