SynthesisBMC public health2026
Why are people cosmetic skin whitening? A systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Innovation and Biodiversity: Patent Trends in Therapeutic and Cosmetic Use of Scientifically Relevant Pantanal Plants.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCosmetic skin whitening is a growing practice in a number of countries and long-term use has been shown to have potentially serious health risks. No reviews have documented the behavioral factors that help explain practices related to cosmetic skin whitening.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review exploring the main behavioral (psychological and cognitive, social and cultural, and environmental) factors behind the practice of cosmetic skin whitening, as well as the groups and characteristics are associated with the practice as well as what interventions have been designed to address this practice. Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, APA PsychINFO, ASSIA, and Web of Science's Preprint Citation Index) were searched using adaptations of key search terms (e.g. "skin whitening", "behavior", "risk"). Studies were not restricted by date or country.
resultsFrom 816 candidate studies, 43 studies were included in the final sample. Twelve main factors were identified: beauty; self-esteem; to attract a partner or get married; dissatisfaction with skin tone; low awareness of risks of skin whitening; to look whiter or fairer; for social status; social norms or social influence; for a job or to secure employment; colorism; the influence of advertising; and fashion. Prevalence of use ranged from 2-74%. Use was more common amongst women and younger adults but varied by country or region in terms of whether it was more commonly used by people with high or low formal education. Only one study documented an intervention designed to raise awareness of the harms of cosmetic skin whitening.
conclusionsCosmetic skin whitening is a complex practice influenced by multiple behavioral factors. Findings should be used to inform theory-based interventions designed to reduce the prevalence of cosmetic skin whitening practices.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.