Formulation and evaluation of herbal hand wash

*Corresponding author: T.Gayathri. Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. Formulation and evaluation of herbal hand wash T. Gayathri *, B. Raja Narender, B. Sindhuja and AfiaNazmeen Department of Pharmaceutics, CVM College of Pharmacy, Velichala, Kothapally, Karimnagar, Telangana, India. 505 451 World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 Publication history: Received on 02 September 2025; revised on 08 October 2025; accepted on 10 October 2025 Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjbphs.2025.24.1.0895 Abstract Hands are the Primary Modes of Transmission of Microbes and Infections. Hand washing is Critical in Food, Health care and Daily Care Preparation. Hand wash is used as Daily life routine as Sanitization. The Main Aim of the Present work is to Formulate and Evaluate Herbal Handwash Using a Combination of Natural Extracts. The Formulation Comprised Extracts of Beetroot peel, lemon juice, AloeVera Gel, Mint, Honey, Turmeric Rose oil etc. Physical and Chemical Parameters such as Color, Odor, pH, Viscosity, Foam Height, Foam Retention were Used to Evaluate Herbal Handwash. The Obtained Results were found Within the desired ranges without the presence of any adverse effects. Thus, the Proposed scheme of Study may be regarded as an Excellent approach Due to their Ingredients and Effectiveness. Keywords: Handwash; Transmission; Sanitization; Adverse Effects; Viscosity; Effectiveness 1. Introduction {1.6.7} Hand washing (or hand washing), also known as hand hygiene, is the act of cleaning one's hands with soap or handwash and water to remove viruses/bacteria/microorganisms, dirt, grease, or other harmful and unwanted substances stuck to the hands. Hand hygiene is now regarded as one of the most important elements of infection control activities. In the wake of the growing burden of health care associated infections (HCAIs), the increasing severity of illness and complexity of treatment, superimposed by multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogen infections, health care practitioners (HCPs) are reversing back to the basics of infection preventions by simple measures like hand hygiene. This is because enough scientific evidence supports the observation that if properly implemented, hand hygiene alone can significantly reduce the risk of cross-transmission of infection in healthcare facilities (HCFs) The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds before and after certain activities. These include the five critical times during the day where washing hands with soap is important to reduce fecal-oral transmission of disease: after using the toilet (for urination, defecation, menstrual hygiene), after cleaning a child's bottom (changing diapers), before feeding a child, before eating and before/after preparing food or handling raw meat, fish, or poultry. Contaminated hands of healthcare providers are a primary source of pathogenic spread. Proper hand hygiene decreases the proliferation of microorganisms, thus reducing infection risk and overall healthcare costs, length of stays, and ultimately, reimbursement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand hygiene is the single most important practice in the reduction of the transmission of infection in the healthcare setting. Despite this evidence, studies have repeatedly World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 172 shown that the importance of hygiene has not been adequately recognized amongst healthcare professionals and compliance remains low. The time duration ranged on average as short as 15 to 30 seconds, including rubbing the backs of hands, wrists, between fingers, and under fingernails Hand washing with Poly herbal hand washesand water is 25% more effective than washing with water alone in removing bacteria. According to studies, only about 40% of health care workers, home owners and officers follow hand washing procedures. Management must reach food production laborers and food service personnel how to wash their hands and fingertip in preparation for work. Any health care taker, or individual involved in direct patient care must be concerned hand hygiene and be able to perform it flawlessly. 1.1. Types of hand washing{ 5.19.20} Growing up, we are all taught to wash our hands regularly. Wash your hands before eating dinner. Wash your hands after using the bathroom. Particularly in the commercial setting, it is important to keep these healthy hand washing habits in mind. There are three separate types of hand washing. They are social hand washing, antiseptic hand washing, and surgical hand washing. Why are each of these types of hand washing important and how are they different from each other? There are several important points that everyone should keep in mind. 1.1.1. Social Hand washing Social handwashing is meant to clean the hands of all physical dirt and debris and to fight bacterial growth and infectious diseases. It also removes transient microorganisms from the surface of the skin. This is an important infection control procedure and is a social norm that is designed to reduce the spread of harmful pathogens throughout society. This type of hand washing should be performed prior to eating, after using the bathroom, and whenever someone is going to come into physical contact with someone else. Social hand washing is performed using warm water and antibacterial soap. People should scrub their wet hands for thirty seconds in a circular motion as a proper hand washing method to clean thoroughly. People should then dry hands with a paper towel or a clean towel. The individual is then left with clean hands after a purposeful hand wash. 1.1.2. Antiseptic Hand washing Antiseptic hand washing is a more stringent procedure for washing hands when compared to social hand washing. This procedure is used to destroy microorganisms on the surface of the skin. It also reduces resident bacteria or viruses that typically live on the surface. This type of hand washing procedure is usually performed before coming into contact with someone in the medical or healthcare setting. It is also commonly used in the food service industry. In addition to hot water, antiseptic agents are used to clean the surface of the skin. Examples include chlorhexidine and iodine. 1.1.3. Surgical Hand washing Surgical hand washing is the most stringent type of handwashing procedure with significant differences. As the name suggests, this is a cleaning procedure that is used prior to sterile operations, including surgical procedures. This hand washing procedure removes resident microorganisms that live on the surface of the skin in addition to transient microorganisms. Immediately after finishing this hand washing procedure, surgical gloves are usually donned to prevent microorganisms from returning to the surface of the skin. During surgical hand washing, the hands and forearms are scrubbed up to the elbow. Water is operated using sensors instead of physical contact. Antiseptic detergent is used to wash the skin for one full minute before rinsing thoroughly. Only sterile towels are used to clean the skin. This ensures that medical procedures are conducted properly and that the patient and medical devices stay free of any cross contamination or cross infection. 1.2. Steps for washing hands • Step 1: Wet your hands with clean, running water, turn off the tap. • Step 2: Apply soap and lather well for 20 seconds (or longer if the dirt is ingrained). • Step 3: Rub hands together rapidly across all surfaces of your hands and wrists. • Step 4: Use one hand to rub the back of the other hand and clean in between the fingers. Do the same with the other hand. • Step 5: Rub your hands together and clean in between your fingers. • Step 6: Grip the fingers of each hand together with the backs of your fingers against the palms of your other hand. Rub your fingertips together and rub the back of your fingers against your palms. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 173 • Step 7: Rub one thumb using your other hand. Do the same with the other thumb. • Step 8: Rub the tips of your fingers on the palm of your other hand. Do the same with other hand. • Step 9: Rinse your hands with water. • Step 10: Dry your hands completely with a disposable towel. • Step 11: Use the disposable towel to turn off the tap. 1.3. Importance and benefits of hand wash{6,18,20} • Hand washing is a simple act that saves lives from many threatening diseases. • Hand wash prevents germs from entering our body. • It prevents us from diseases like diarrhea and influenza. • It also prevents from communicable diseases and bacterial infections. • It has reduced infant mortality rate by up to 50% in developing countries. • It is very helpful in preventing people from a weakened immune system from getting infected. • It keeps the children stay out of diseases and concentrate on their studies. • It saves a lot of money and resources on being spent over health concerns. • By frequently washing your hands you wash away and eliminate the germs that you have picked up from-other people, or from contaminated surfaces, and avoid transferring the bacteria to other people and to your self. • Washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to maintain health, control, reduce and prevent the spread of infection. 1.4. Benefits of proper hand washing:{2,8.10} Bacteria accumulate on our hands constantly, so it is impossible to keep them completely germ-free. But washing your hands properly, and often, limits the transfer of germs and has many great benefits. • Keeps your workplace healthy: Anyone who has ever had a job knows how easy it is for sickness to spread in the workplace. Once a co-worker gets sick, it’s not long before everyone else is under the weather. Proper hand washing by all employees can drastically cut down on the spread of illness – and even helps with not getting infected in the first place. • Less food-borne illnesses: Nearly all food-borne illnesses arise from improper hand washing. And this doesn’t just happen in unfamiliar restaurant kitchens. At home, you also need to be vigilant about washing your hands before and after meal preparation and serving food. • Lowers survival rate for lingering bacteria: Bacteria have been on this planet for billions of years. They are masters at staying alive. So don’t expect them to simply die off if you don’t wash your hands. They can thrive on your hands for days, seeking refuge in your fingernails and cuticles. • Helps combat the rise in antibiotic resistance: Proper hand washing can prevent stomach-related and respiratory illnesses by over 30 percent. Antibiotics are often unnecessarily prescribed to combat these infections, which in many cases are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Widespread overuse of antibiotics leads to bacterial resistance, making illnesses more difficult to cure around the globe. • Keeps kids healthier: Teaching children how to properly wash their hands can cut way down on the spread of sickness in daycare centers, schools and at home. Tiny hands come into contact with hundreds of different surfaces and objects on a daily basis. Keeping those hands clean and germ-free helps kids, teachers, parents and everyone stay well! • Prevents infections through eyes, nose and mouth: Whether we realize it or not, we touch our eyes, nose and mouth up to four times an hour. This adds up to dozens of opportunities for bacteria to happily enter our bodies and cause infection. Thorough hand washing reduces the odds that these nasty microbes will make it anywhere near your face. 1.5. Advantages • It removes and kills many pathogens from our hands, thus protecting us from many infectious diseases, such as diarrhea and other intestinal conditions, eye infections and infectious respiratory conditions. • It inhibits transmission of many contagious diseases from one person to another. • It helps in decreasing the chances of antibiotic resistance as dependency on antibiotic decreases. • Creating safer work environment for medical staff and the patient. • Reduction of bacteria content on your hands. • Keeping your work place free from bacteria. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 174 1.6. Disadvantages • We get prone to skin allergies and rashes due to frequent washing by soaps. • Excessive cleanliness makes our immune system weak. • It removes the beneficial microbes present in our body as a result of which we fall sick more often. • Our skin loses its moisture and gets dry due to frequent washing. 1.7. Aim& objectives The aim of the present work is to formulate and evaluate herbal hand wash by using beetroot, mint, turmeric, honey, aloe-vera, lemon juice. To make formulation has less side effects and better cleaning of hands. The purpose of the present work is to formulate and evaluate herbal hand wash using natural ingredients to promote the personal hygiene. The formulated hand wash was evaluated for different parameters like PH, color, foaming efficiency, viscosity, and stability. • To create a hand wash that minimizes potential side effects while providing thorough cleaning of hands. • To kill Germs and microorganisms that can harm our body. • The herbal hand washes have significant antibacterial action. • Reduce the rates of healthcare associated infections. 2. Materials Table 1 Formulation table Ingredients F 1 F 2 F 3 Uses Beetroot 0.8g - 2g Antioxidants Lemon 2ml 0.8ml 4ml Antiseptic Aloevera 3ml 1.4ml 7ml Healing agent Sodium lauryl sulfate 1g 1.5g 7.5gm Foaming agent Lavender oil 2-3 drops - - Fragrance Methyl paraben 0.2g 0.4g 0.4g Preservatives Glycerin 2ml 2ml 2ml Moisturizing agent Water QS QS QS Base material Mint - 1.6ml 8ml Anti-oxidant Turmeric - 0.6g 3g Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory Rose oil - 2-3 drops 2-3 drops Fragrance 2.1. Method Fresh beetroots are collected from local market and are washed, peeled, shade-dried, and ground into fine powder, which is then extracted using distilled water and filtered to obtain the beetroot extract. Fresh aloe vera gel is extracted and filtered to remove any lumps and fresh lemon juice is prepared by squeezing and filtering the juice. In a clean beaker, the herbal ingredients including beetroot extract, lemon juice, aloe Vera gel and a small quantity of turmeric powder are mixed with distilled water and stirred thoroughly .to this mixture sodium lauryl sulphate is added slowly with constant stirring to impart foaming properties. Glycerin is then added as moisturizing agent .to this 2-3 drops of lavender oil and rose oil are added to provide fragrance. Methyl Paraben was incorporated as preservative; the entire formulation is placed on magnetic stirrer and stirred continuously for 1 hour to ensure uniform mixing and proper viscosity. After homogenization, the final herbal hand wash was stored in suitable container at room temperature for further use. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 175 3. Results and discussions 3.1. Evaluation parameters • Organoleptic Evaluation parameters like color, odor, texture was carried out Color and texture were evaluated by visual and touch sensation respectively. The Odor was inspected by sensing the formulation • Appearance and Homogeneity: Appearance and Homogeneity was evaluated by visual inspection. • Grittiness: 1ml of hand wash was taken on finger tips and rubbed between two fingertips, then the formulation was evaluated. • Skin Irritation Test was evaluated by applying Herbal Hand wash on skin and left for 30 min, after 30 minutes of washing does not observe any itching, rashes, or redness on skin by sensory and visual inspection. • Spread ability: 0.5gm of Sample of Herbal Hand wash was pressed between two slides and left for about 5 minutes where no more spreading was expected. Diameter of speeded circle was measured in cm and was taken as comparative values for spread ability. • Foam Height: 0.5gm of sample of Herbal handwash was taken and dispersed in 25 ml distilled water. Then, transferred it into 500 ml stoppered measuring cylinder; volume was made up to 50 ml with water. 25 strokes were given & stand till aqueous volume measured up to 50 ml & measured the foam height; above the aqueous volume. • Foam Retention: 50 ml of the Herbal hand wash was taken into a 200ml graduated cylinder & shaken 10 times. The volume of foam at 1-minute intervals for 4 minutes was recorded. • 8.pH: 1ml Of Sample of Herbal Hand Wash Was Taken and Dissolved It Into 50 ml Distilled Water. The pH of Solution was taken In Previously Standardized Digital pH Meter • Cleaning Action A beaker containing 200 ml of water and 1g of Hand Wash sample was filled with 5g of wool, which was then placed in grease and agitated for 4 minutes. The sample was taken out of the solution, dried, and weighed. The formula was used to determine how much grease was taken out. Percentage of Detergency power = 100 * (1 - Wool Weight of formulated product / Wool Weight of marketed product) • Dirt dispersion test 10 ml of distilled water was added into a test tube before 1 ml of Hand Wash was added. After adding a drop of Indian ink, the test tube was stopped and then shaken. Estimation of the ink content of the foam was done. • Skin Irritation Test To check the skin’s irritability, the herbal handwash was applied over the skin and was allowed to remain for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes had passed, the skin was checked for itching, rashes, or redness using both sensory and visual methods. • Anti-microbial activity The Antimicrobial activities were carried out according to the Conventional disc diffusion test, using cultures of E. coli, Bacillus subtilis. The bacterial strains were cultured on nutrient medium. For preparation of plate inoculation 0.5ml of cultured media was inoculated to the 50ml agar media and mixed by simple inversion. the agar was poured in to 120mm petri dish and allowed to cool at room temperature. The microbial growth inhibition zone was measured after incubation at 30-35℃ for 24 hours. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 176 3.2. Results of prepared formulations Figure 1 Formulation trial 1 Figure 2 Formulation trial 2 Figure 3 Formulation trial 3 3.3. Results of evaluation parameters Table 2 Results of Evaluation parameters S.NO Evaluation parameters Observations 1 Color Maroon 2 Oduor Pleasant odor 3 pH 5.2 4 Foam height 3.5ml 5 Skin irritation test No irritation 6 Grittiness Non gritty 7 Appearance and Homogeneity Translucent 8 Texture Smooth World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 177 Figure 4 Zone of Inhibition of Lactobacillus Figure 5 Zone of Inhibition of E.coli The results indicate that the formulated herbal hand wash demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity which was concentration-dependent. At lower volumes (20µL and 40 µL), minimal inhibition zones were recorded, while increasing the concentration to 100µL resulted in the maximum inhibitory effect for both test organisms. The zone of inhibition against E.coli at 100 µL was 20 mm, similarly against lactobacillus at 19mm. Table 3 Zone of inhibition of herbal hand wash at different concentrations Test organism Sample type 20µL 40µL 60µL 80µL 100µL E.coli Herbal formulation 8 11 14 17 20 Lacto bacillus Herbal formulation 7 10 13 16 19 Figure 6 Final formulated hand wash World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2025, 24(01), 171-179 178 4. Conclusion A lot of soaps and hand washes are in the market cosmetics are widely used. Now a days people prefer organic product earlier a few herbs and roots were used in Ayurveda herbs and roots are main contain. The experiment that was conducted and the findings where it gives anti-bacterial, , anti-septic and would clean all the aspects The formulation and evaluation of the herbal hand wash incorporating beetroot, aloe Vera, lemon, mint, honey and turmeric proved successful. The hand wash exhibited desirable physical characteristics, including a pleasant appearance, fragrance, and suitable pH and viscosity. Furthermore, it demonstrated significant antimicrobial efficacy against test microorganisms. User perception evaluations indicated high levels of satisfaction in terms of cleansing efficacy, fragrance, and overall experience. Thus, it can be concluded that the herbal hand wash formulation is an effective and well-accepted alternative to conventional hand washes, offering natural antimicrobial properties while providing a refreshing and pleasant sensory experience. Compliance with ethical standards Disclosure of conflict of interest No conflict of interest to be disclosed. 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