04/08/2011 (Nigeria Tribune) - Giving the continuous proliferation of cosmetic products in the Nigerian market, an industrial chemist, Professor Rotimi Oderinde has cautioned people to be mindful of what they apply to their skin, all in a bid to look young and beautiful.

Professor Oderinde gave this charge in an inaugural lecture he gave that was entitled “Chemistry for Industry, Wealth and Life” at the University of Ibadan.

The don, who remarked that as long as the society puts great emphasis on looking young and beautiful, cosmetic chemistry would continue to churn out different skin products, advised that people should only choose skincare and cosmetics that work with their skin and not against it.

He stated that in choosing skincare and cosmetics, individuals should “remember to keep it simple rather than flamboyant.”

Professor Oderinde, a former Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, reiterating the relevance of chemistry to industrial growth and national development, stated that ethanol which had become an alternative to petroleum can easily be sourced from cheap substances, including weeds in the community.

The scientists stated that with conventional edible oils such as palm oil becoming scare and more expensive, there was the need for the Federal government to establish alternative oil-bearing seeds as substitutes.

According to him, the search for alternative oil sources, especially for developing countries, is of utmost importance and as “refining the underutilised lesser known seed oils to remove extraneous materials that make them toxic” was important.

Professor Oderinde also urged that Nigeria’s abundant mineral resources be tapped for its development and to meet the raw material needs of the nation’s industries.

In addition, he stated that this was of immense importance, especially because the industrial and entrepreneurship skills cultivated in Nigeria’s graduates were grossly under-utilised and wasting away.