Comparative antifungal potential of six formulated herbal shampoos against Candida albicans causing Seborrheic dermatitis

Abstract

Cosmetics have been used by humans since centuries for variety of purposes, including enhancing appearance, protection and cleansing. Herbal ingredients have been used in cosmetics for their natural and beneficial properties. When combined, herbal ingredients and cosmetics can provide a number of benefits, including improved skin health, protection from the sun and a more youthful appearance. Shampoo is a key part of hair cosmetics which is used to clean scalp and hair. There are many scalp infections such as Seborrheic Dermatitis, Scalp Psoriasis and Candidiasis which are caused by the fungus Candida albicans and are treated by using antifungal shampoos. But it was observed that marketed antifungal shampoos cause various side effects such as alopecia, eye irritation, dry hair, abnormal hair texture, dry scalp and headache etc. The current study focuses on comparison of antifungal potential of six herbal shampoos developed using isolated phytoconstituents such as Rutin, Eugenol, Camphor and Menthol; as well as their combination. The results showed that antifungal potential of all the six developed herbal shampoos against Candida albicans causing Seborrheic dermatitis is comparable to the marketed synthetic antifungal shampoo. Hence, it is concluded that the six developed shampoos can be successfully used to treat Seborrheic dermatitis caused by Candida albicans.