Herbal Cosmetics

*Introduction

The products having desirable physiological properties like healing, enhancement of appearance, and conditioning properties due to the herbal ingredients present in them are called herbal cosmetics. 

 * Skin Care Products

Formulation of some herbal skin care products is described below:

1) Herbal Creams : the key ingredients in the formulation of herbal creams are plant derivatives. Following are         the important types of herbal creams :

     i)  Cold Creams: Galen formulated the first herbal cold cream using beeswax, water, olive oil ( as emollient), and rose petal ( as fragrant). For example, Nyle cold cream with red apple extract. 

cold creams are water-in-oil emulsion (w/o), and the base used in their preparation are:

     a) Almond oil and white bees wax, and 

     b) Borax ( as emulsifier) and rose water. 

     Borax is added and dissolved in heated rose water. The lipoid constituents are heated in a water bath at 70° C temperature. The aqueous and the lipid phases are homogeneously mixed with constant stirring at a maintained temperature, and mixing is continued for around 30 minutes. The resultant mixture is allowed to cool slowly up to 45-50°C temperature. Lastly, perfuming agents are added after cooling the mixture so that evaporation does not occur. 

ii) Vanishing Creams: These are oil-in-water emulsion (o/w), and are hardly visible when applied to skin. They impart moisturising as well as emollient effect. For example jojoba vanishing cream.

   The common ingredients of vanishing cream are glycerine, stearic acid, triethanolamine, lanolin, natural jojoba extract, water preservative, and perfume. The waxy materials (stearic acid and lanolin) are melted together. The resultant mixture is  added with water, jojoba extract, triethanolamine. and glycerine. Lastly, preservatives and perfumes are added to the mixture and stirred constantly so that a uniform mass can be obtained.

                                       ***