Published Paper Details:

The last few years have witnessed a rapid increase in the popularity of herbal and natural cures, thus leading to growing interest in plant-based models for dermatological applications. This present investigation deals with the formulation and evaluation of a herbal topical gel containing extracts of the well-known plants Calendula officinalis and Aloe vera gel with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties. Thus, the prime objective was directed at developing stable and effective herbal gels for topical application to promote skin healing and enhance dermal health. The Aqueous extraction method was used to prepare the Calendula officinalis plant extract where else Aloe vera gel was freshly prepared using mature leaves. Using Carbopol 940 as the gelling agent and combining it with glycerin as a humectant, different formulations of gel types were done. The formulations prepared were then subjected to a physicochemical parameter evaluation regarding pH, spreadability, viscosity, homogeneity, extrudability, and skin irritation. Of all formulations tested, the optimized gel has shown interesting pH, close to skin pH, good spreadability, and high extrudability without visible signs of phase separation or microbial growth. In addition, in vitro antimicrobial activity was carried out using the well diffusion method against common skin pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with zones of inhibition observed to be promising. No irritation or adverse reactions were reported.