Standardization and Formulation of Herbal Anti-Acne Cream

Introduction: acne Vulgaris The most common dermatological problem in adolescence and adults is acne Vulgaris, which is defined as an inflammatory disorder affecting the pilosebaceous units by means of excess sebum formation, microbial multiplication and keratinization, follicular hyper keratinization in other words. There were many conventional therapeutic agents in the market, these agents may have many side effects like irritation, dehydration, Microbial resistance and then the herbal medicine is considered alternative medicine by using extracts of different medicinal herbs having antimicrobial and anti- inflammatory property. Methodology: The aim of present work is to characterize, formulate and standardize the herbal anti acne cream by using medicianal plant extract. Standardized extracts of Azadirachta indica (Neem), Curcuma longa (Turmeric), Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera) and Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) have been used in oil-in- water cream base. Physicochemical characteristics of formulated cream were performed by various tests such as appearance, pH, spreadability, viscosity, wash ability, homogeneity and stability of formulation under various storage conditions. Microbiological testing showed a good inhibitory effect against the predominant pathogens of acne namely, Cuti bacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus. The optimized formulation exhibited good values of pH ranging from 5.8 to 6.2, fair consistency, remarkable spreadability, adequate stability (no phase separation and color change occurred throughout the storage period). The formulation due to the presence of active phytoconstituents (flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, etc) is expected to be effective in the treatment of mild to moderate acne. Thus, the standardized herbal anti-acne cream can be used safely and stably for the treatment of mild to moderate acne as a herbal alternative against chemically derived topical preparations that have undesirable side effects.