Abstract
Shampoos constitute a significant part of the cosmetic industry due to its importance in hair care. Dandruff is a prevalent scalp disorder affecting people globally of any gender and ethnicity. The aim of the study was to develop and test an herbal anti-dandruff shampoo based on Eucalyptus and Neem extract to treat dandruff, and to evaluate its antibacterial efficacy. Eight different shampoos formulations (F1-F8) with varying compositions of natural active ingredients were prepared. The formulations were tested in terms of their antibacterial activity at concentrations of 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100 % against Staphylococcus epidermidis and physicochemical properties as well as organoleptic properties such as pH, viscosity and foam volume were accessed. The data was statistically analyzed. The findings revealed that Eucalyptus and Neem extract had a high antibacterial efficacy without any observed adverse effects. Among all formulations, F7 has the highest anti-dandruff efficacy with a maximum zone of inhibition of 2.17 cm at 70 % concentration. The results indicate that the herbal shampoo preparations based on Eucalyptus and Neem can be effective and safe alternatives to the traditional synthetic anti-dandruff products such as selenium disulfide, zinc pyrithione and salicylic acids.