Editor-in-Chief
Hatice Kübra Elçioğlu
Vice Editors
Levent Kabasakal
Esra Tatar
Online ISSN
2630-6344
Publisher
Marmara University
Frequency
Bimonthly (Six issues / year)
Abbreviation
J.Res.Pharm.
Former Name
Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal
Journal of Research in Pharmacy
2023 , Vol 27 , Issue Supp.
ANTIBACTERIAL HERBAL EFFECT APPLIED IN COSMETIC EMULSION PRESERVATION
1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Aldent University, Tirana, Albania
DOI :
10.29228/jrp.378
For a long time, pharmaceutical industries have been particularly interested in the microbiological safety of
cosmetics since microbial decomposition can result in product degradation and pose a health concern to
customers. Modern cosmetics have a rich composition that, when combined with their fluid formulation
and close contact with bacterial flora of the skin, creates an excellent environment for the growth of
microorganisms. Preservation excipients stop and limit the development of germs that could cause
contamination during the production process, storage period, or consumer use. The most common synthetic
preservatives used in cosmetic items are parabens (PHBs), yet new research has revealed that parabens have
estrogen-like effects. Nowadays, natural preservatives such as essential oils have gained a lot of attention
due to their antimicrobial properties. The goal of this study was to formulate a cosmetic emulsion loaded
with various concentrations of natural preservatives; to assess and then compare the sample’s stability and
antibacterial activity. Different cosmetic emulsion samples with an anionic emulsifier were formulated
utilizing various concentrations of natural preservatives. After 24 hours of preparation, all samples were
assessed for organoleptic and physicochemical properties. During the storage period of four weeks, testing
on the samples' behavior in relation to accelerated tests, light tests, and microbiological stability tests were
also conducted. Samples with a higher concentration of natural preservatives were shown to be unstable
during the accelerated stability test due to changes in color and phase separation in the second week of
storage at the temperature of 40°C; their rheological characteristics also revealed a considerable drop in
viscosity, going from 4880±24.3 to 3754±26.2. All of the formulations had pH values that fell within the
physiological range for human skin, which varied from 6.11±0.31 to 6.78±0.31. All samples showed no signs
of microbial development by the end of the fourth week. Cosmetic emulsions entrapped with a lower
concentration of natural preservatives showed good stability and microbiological safety under various
storage conditions. To conclude, the enrollment of essential oils as natural preservatives could be a new
possibility for the safety of paraben-free cosmetics.
Keywords :
Cosmetics, natural preservative, sample preparation, stability evaluation, microbiological safety