Formulation and antimicrobial activities of the selected cosmetic products from <i>Hura crepitans</i> seeds oil

Abstract

The cosmetics sector of the economy is significantly increasing very quickly. The lifestyle of today, which is based on technological advancements and awareness of the effects of various factors on human health and fitness, is adapted to consumer demands. This, therefore, has attracted the attention of the cosmetics manufacturer to include natural ingredients that are environmentally friendly and which also have positive health effects. The durability and safety of cosmetics are ensured by using substances with antimicrobial activity as ingredients. The aim of this work is to formulate selected cosmetics products and their antimicrobial activity. The oil extracted from Hura crepitans seeds (as published in our previous work) was used for the formulation of three cosmetic products namely skin cream, hair, cream, and bar soap for domestic use. The antimicrobial activities of the formulated cosmetic products were determined using the agar well diffusion method. Furthermore, the physical properties such as colour, fragrance, and pH of the formulated products were determined using a pH meter and by physical means. The antimicrobial results of the three formulated products show that these products exhibited significant antimicrobial activities with hair cream having the most consistent concentration-dependent inhibition (22 to 9 mm) when compared with the standard drug Ofloxacin used. This result has further suggested their safe domestic usage. In conclusion, the findings of this research study validate the potential of H. crepitans seeds oil as an active ingredient in the cosmetic industry. Thus, recommended that there is a need for acute dermal toxicity studies to be carried out on the formulated products to further assess their safety.