Abstract:
The facial skin is exposed to pollutants, microbes and old skin, necessitating the use of a
face wash. Many, different face washes are available in the market, but most of them
contain harmful synthetic chemicals which induce skin allergies as well as premature
ageing of the skin. On the other hand, the Palmyrah fruit pulp has been reported to
possess antioxidant properties and aloe vera gel has been being used for its moisturizing
and soothing properties and both these plants are locally available. Hence this study was
aimed at formulating a face wash containing Palmyrah pulp and Aloe vera gel. Six
different types of face washes (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6) were formulated by changing the
ratio of Palmyrah pulp to Aloe vera while keeping the amount of the other ingredients
constant. Here methylparaben and propylparaben were used as preservatives, sodium
lauryl sulfate as a forming agent, propylene glycol as a humectant, and triethanolamine as
a neutralizer, carbopol 940 as a gelling agent and water as a solvent. The total phenolic
content of the different face washes was determined using UV spectroscopy and Gallic
acid as the standard. The results showed the face washes containing pulp to aloe vera in
5:0 (F1) and 2:3 (F4) ratios contained the highest amount of total phenols. These two
formulations were subjected to the physiochemical analysis. pH, viscosity, foamability,
spreadability, thermal stability, washability, non-volatile matter, total surfactant, and
density of the face washes were found to be within the limits expected for a facial
cleanser. The anti-microbial activity of these two face washes was determined using
Turbidometric method and the results demonstrate that these face washes possess the
substantial anti-microbial activity and that F4 is more efficient than F1. Sensory
evaluation to evaluate the appearance, colour, fragrance, texture, foamability, and
washability of the face washes was conducted using thirty untrained panellists and 5-point
Hedonic scale, and F4 was chosen as the best formulation based on the results. This
study concludes that the formulated face wash (F4) has antioxidant and antimicrobial
properties and is preferred in terms of texture, spreadability, foamability, washability,
texture, colour and appearance.
Keywords: Aloe vera gel, Antioxidant, Anti-microbial activity, Palmyrah fruit pulp, Total
phenolic content
