A REVIEW OF MULTIPURPOSE HERBAL CREAM

The increasing interest in naturally derived cosmetic products has encouraged the development of herbal formulations for skin care and cosmetic applications.[1] Herbal creams are semisolid topical preparations containing plant-derived materials that may provide moisturizing, antioxidant, antimicrobial, soothing and skin-conditioning effects.[1,2] The biological activities of herbal creams are associated with the diverse phytoconstituents present in medicinal plants, including polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, enzymes and vitamins.[2,3] Multipurpose herbal creams may combine several functional ingredients in a single formulation to provide complementary skin-care benefits such as moisturization, protection, conditioning and support for healthy skin.[1,4] However, the natural origin of an ingredient does not automatically establish its safety, and appropriate quality control, stability and safety evaluation are necessary for herbal cosmetic formulations.[1,9] This review discusses cosmetics, skin care, common skin problems, herbal creams, commonly used ingredients, methods of preparation and evaluation parameters relevant to multipurpose herbal cream formulations.[1,4]