Clothing and Textiles · Lesson 4

Good grooming, body, hair and skin care, cosmetics and health, clothes for occasions, accessories and posture

WAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

WAEC: Good grooming (factors that promote good grooming; selection of appropriate clothes and accessories; proper use of cosmetics; cosmetics and health). Extends he8.11.

NECO: Good grooming (factors that promote good grooming; selection of appropriate clothes and accessories; proper use of cosmetics; cosmetics and health). Extends he8.11.

What you will learn

Define good grooming and explain its importance.
State factors that promote good grooming.
Describe care of body, hair, skin, nails and feet.
Classify cosmetics with Nigerian examples.
State rules for the proper use of cosmetics.
Explain how cosmetics can affect health.
Select clothes and accessories for occasions.
Describe good posture and a grooming routine.

Key points

Good grooming: clean, neat, healthy, suitably dressed.
Importance: health, confidence, first impressions, career success.
Factors: hygiene, health habits, posture, clothing, cosmetics, routine.
Bathe, deodorise, brush teeth, care for hair, skin, nails, feet.
Cosmetics classified as cleansers, toners, moisturisers, protectives, make-up, hair, fragrance.
Traditional cosmetics: shea butter, black soap, laali, camwood.
Use cosmetics with NAFDAC number, patch test, moderation, no sharing.
Bleaching creams with mercury or steroids are dangerous.
Clothes and accessories: suit occasion, proportion, moderation.
Good posture improves health and how clothes hang.

Start here: Meaning and importance of good grooming

Grooming is the care a person gives to the body and appearance: cleanliness, neatness and appropriate dressing. Good grooming means being clean, neat, healthy-looking and suitably dressed for the occasion, so that one looks and feels confident. It is not the same as being expensive or fashionable; a well-pressed, clean school uniform and neatly kept hair show good grooming.

Importance of good grooming

Health and hygiene: regular bathing and clean clothing prevent body odour, skin infections such as ringworm and scabies, dental decay and lice.
Self-confidence and self-esteem: a well-groomed person feels at ease in class, at interviews and in public.
Good first impressions: interviewers, customers and employers judge people partly by appearance.
Social acceptance: friends and colleagues are more comfortable with someone who is clean and fresh.
Success at work: in service jobs such as fashion, banking, hospitality and sales, grooming is part of professionalism.
Respect for others and for the occasion: dressing suitably for worship, a funeral or a wedding shows respect.
Example to others: parents and teachers who are well groomed teach children by example.

Factors that promote good grooming

Personal hygiene: bathing, oral hygiene, hair and nail care.
Good health habits: balanced diet, adequate water, exercise, enough sleep (about eight to ten hours for teenagers), avoiding drugs, alcohol and smoking. Healthy skin, hair and eyes depend on good nutrition and rest.
Good posture: standing tall, sitting upright and walking gracefully make any garment look better.
Appropriate clothing: clean, mended, pressed, well-fitting and suited to the occasion and figure.
Proper use of cosmetics and accessories.
Good manners and pleasant speech: grooming includes how one behaves.
A routine: daily, weekly and monthly grooming tasks that become habits.
Knowledge and the right tools: comb, toothbrush, nail cutter, clothes brush, iron, mirror.
Money management: budgeting for toiletries instead of impulse buying of expensive products.

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Practice questions

1. Deodorants mainly

reduce body odour
stop sweating completely
whiten skin
cure acne

Show answer

A: reduce body odour
Antiperspirants reduce sweat.

2. Antiperspirants reduce sweating because they contain

mercury
hydroquinone
talc only
aluminium salts

Show answer

D: aluminium salts
Aluminium salts block ducts temporarily.

3. NAFDAC’s 2019 regulations limit hydroquinone in cosmetics to

5%
no limit
2% alone
10%

Show answer

C: 2% alone
1% when combined with other agents.

4. Mercury in skin-lightening creams can damage the

teeth only
kidneys
hair only
nails only

Show answer

B: kidneys
Mercury is nephrotoxic.

5. A patch test for hair dye is done about

48 hours before use
1 minute before use
after dyeing
once a year

Show answer

A: 48 hours before use
As makers advise.

Key words

Grooming: Care of body and appearance.
Deportment: How one carries oneself.
Posture: Position of the body.
Poise: Calm, graceful manner.
Cosmetic: Product applied to beautify, clean or protect.
Deodorant: Product that controls body odour.
Antiperspirant: Product that reduces sweating.
Emollient: Softening moisturiser.
Astringent: Product that removes oil, tightens skin.
Patch test: Testing a product on a small skin area.
Hydroquinone: Skin-lightening chemical.
SPF: Sun protection factor (UVB).

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