Published Paper Details:

Body scrub is a semi-solid cosmetic product that is widely employed to cleanse, exfoliate, and revitalize the skin. Exfoliation is crucial for maintaining healthy skin, as it helps remove accumulated dead cells from the stratum corneum, thereby improving texture, tone, and general appearance. In recent years, growing consumer concerns about the adverse effects of synthetic chemicals present in commercial formulations have driven a significant increase in demand for natural and herbal cosmetics. In the present study, natural ingredients including sugar, aloe vera gel, coconut oil, body wash, freeze-dried strawberry powder, rose essential oil, vitamin E, and distilled water were selected for the formulation and evaluation of a herbal body scrub. Each component was chosen based on its functional properties: sugar serves as a natural exfoliant with humectant activity; aloe vera gel provides soothing, calming, and moisturizing benefits; coconut oil acts as an emollient with antibacterial properties; body wash constitutes the mild cleansing base; freeze-dried strawberry powder contributes antioxidant properties and gentle exfoliation; rose essential oil enhances aroma and provides antimicrobial effects; and vitamin E functions as a natural antioxidant preservative. Four batches (B1-B4) were prepared, with Batch 4 representing the optimized standard formulation. The prepared scrub was systematically evaluated for physicochemical parameters including pH, spreadability, texture, homogeneity, washability, viscosity, stability, irritation, particle size, and extrudability. Test results demonstrated that Batch 4 (standard) exhibited optimal characteristics across all evaluation criteria, including a skin-compatible pH of 5.5, smooth uniform texture, excellent spreadability, and full stability under all tested storage conditions. The study thereby confirms that the herbal body scrub is a safe, efficacious, and cost-effective alternative to synthetic cosmetic formulations.