Sustainable Formulation and Physicochemical Characterization of a Multifunctional Hair Cream Using Natural Ingredients

Abstract

The increasing demand for eco-friendly and health-conscious cosmetic products has driven interest in the development of naturally derived hair-care formulations. This study focused on the green synthesis and characterization of a multifunctional organic hair cream using extracts from onion, garlic, aloe vera, turmeric, neem leaves, hibiscus flower, lemon grass, and curry leaves which are obtained using maceration method. Three 100g cream samples were obtained using varying percentage of herb organic extracts (5%, 10%, 15%). The formulated creams were subjected to physicochemical, biological, phytochemical analysis and performance evaluations including pH, viscosity, spreadability, moisture content, antimicrobial assays etc. Results indicated that only sample C (15%) was physically stable, with desirable texture, among the three samples with all the samples having pH values within the scalp’s acceptable range. The viscosity and spreadability suggested ease of application and good consistency, while the biological tests revealed mild antimicrobial and antifungal activities in sample A and B with higher antimicrobial and antifungal activities in sample C, contributing to scalp protection. Comparative hair strength improvement tests showed that the cream containing higher concentrations of the crude extract enhanced hair strength and sheen more effectively than synthetic creams. This study concludes that the use of organic ingredients such as those employed in this work should be encouraged in hair-care product development, as it provides safe, effective, and environmentally sustainable alternatives to synthetic formulations. This green approach represents a promising direction for future cosmetic innovations.