Development of an anti-acne cream containing a combination of extracts of aloe barbadensis gel and eucalyptus globulus oil.

Abstract

Introduction; Acne vulgaris is a pilosebaceous unit skin disease that affects the face, back, and trunk, which have the most oil glands with the most prevalent signs being seborrhea, comedones, and inflammatory lesions. The standard treatments for acne vulgaris are topical and systemic retinoids as well as antimicrobial agents whose excessive use has led to an increased resistance from acne vulgaris causing bacteria which has necessitated interventions such as increased study of antimicrobial activity of herbal preparations like Aloe barbadensis and Eucalyptus globulus. Objectives; To validate the antibacterial activity of extracts of Aloe barbadensis leaf gel and Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil and develop a topical cream of a combination of the extracts effective against Propionibacterium acnes Methods; The study was an experimental in vivo and in vitro and involved determination of the antibacterial activity of individual and then combined extracts of Eucalyptus globulus and Aloe barbadensis on Propionibacterium acnes. Animal models were used to assess the acute dermal toxicity of the herbal formulation cream of extracts of Eucalyptus globulus and Aloe barbadensis.