CL 427: Formulation Science and Engineering

Term Paper

Hand Wash Formulation

Nilansh Sharma 21110140

Under the guidance of

Prof. Prachi Thareja
Introduction

The main way that bacteria and illnesses are spread is through the hands. Hand washing is
essential for food preparation and service, as well as for residences, healthcare facilities, and
daycare centers[12]. This paper is aimed to evaluate the dettol hand wash formulation and relate
it with other hand wash formulations available in the literature.
I have chosen this formulation because of its reputation in the personal hygiene market. By
exploring its formulation, we can gain valuable insights into the role of each ingredient in
ensuring optimal antimicrobial efficacy, user experience, and product stability.

Figure 1: Dettol handwash components

Analysis of Ingredients

1. Chloroxylenol: is a synthetic antimicrobial compound that disrupts the cell membranes

of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.
2. Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS): This high-foam surfactant partially breaks down
water's surface tension by creating micelles at the surface-air contact[13].
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): One of the most common surfactants found in cleaning
and personal care products is this one. An extremely powerful anionic surfactant for
removing greasy stains and residues is sodium lauryl sulfate[1].
 4. Glycerin: which is also listed on ingredients labels as glycerine and glycerol, is a
nontoxic, odorless, and colorless liquid. It is a humectant, which means it works to retain
or preserve moisture either in a product itself or in your skin and hair[2].
5. Parfum: Since it serves no practical role, it is essentially an element that can be omitted
from skin care and cosmetic products. Nevertheless, it is included to satisfy the senses
and enhance the appeal of the products.[3].
6. Glycol Distearate: It gives cleaning products their white, glossy appearance by acting as
an opacifier and pearling agent. Additionally, it can give emulsions, creams, and
shampoos. It is a waxy solid with a white to cream tint[4].
7. Cocamide MEA: In a formulation, it serves as an emulsifier, holding together elements
that are based on water and oil. Consequently, this component enhances the product's
stability and uniformity[5].
8. Glycol Stearate: It stabilizes the formulation and adds a creamy texture to products by
acting as an emulsifier and thickening agent. Glycol stearate's benefits include improving
skincare products' spreadability and absorption, which leaves skin feeling hydrated and
smooth.[6].
9. Propylene glycol: Because it is a humectant, it is a component used in cosmetics to help
skin and hair retain more moisture.[7].
10. Citric acid: Citric acid turns into sodium citrate when it dissolves in water and is
combined with potassium hydroxide (for liquid soap) or sodium hydroxide (for bar soap)
to form a lye solution. This compound helps minimize scum formation and prevents
spoilage and the occurrence of dreaded orange spots (DOS) in the final hand wash
products​[8].
11. Tetrasodium EDTA: is particularly suited for alkaline products, such as most
handcrafted soaps, and is also applicable in creams and lotions. In hand wash
formulations, it enhances the effectiveness of preservatives by working synergistically
with them. Additionally, EDTA counteracts the defoaming effect of hardness ions,
helping to reduce scum and improve lather quality[9].
12. The common preservatives methylisothiazolinone (MIT) and
methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) are present in liquid cosmetics and personal
hygiene products. By themselves, both substances prevent bacteria from growing in
cosmetics[10].

Overview of the Paper - “Formulation, Evaluation, and Antibacterial Efficiency of Herbal

Hand Wash”

In addition to developing and testing a herbal hand wash gel that incorporates these oils, the
study attempts to assess the antibacterial effectiveness of herbal oils like menthol, eucalyptus,
and cinnamon.[12]. The study's goal was to demonstrate the effectiveness of herbal alternatives
in hand hygiene formulations compared to commercial antibacterial standards.

Methods:

1. Antimicrobial Screening of Herbal Oils:

● The antibacterial activity of cinnamon, menthol, and eucalyptus oils was tested
against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella using the agar
diffusion method. Zones of inhibition were measured to determine efficacy.
2. Formulation of Hand Wash Gel:
● The hand wash gel was prepared with cinnamon oil (active ingredient), HPMC
(gelling agent), glycerin (moisturizer), methylparaben (preservative), and
triethanolamine (pH balancer).

Table 1: Formulation of herbal hand wash gel..Reference[12]

3. Testing Antibacterial Efficiency:
● The herbal hand wash was tested on volunteers, and samples were analyzed to
measure bacterial colony reduction.

Results:

● Among the studied oils, cinnamon oil exhibited the strongest antibacterial action,
exhibiting notable inhibition zones for Salmonella (3.0 cm), S. aureus (4.0 cm), and E.
coli (3.5 cm).
 Figure 1: Antibacterial sensitivity of different herbal oils.. reference[12]
● Comparable in effectiveness to commercial treatments, the herbal hand wash gel
demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity.

● Stability tests confirmed the product retained its properties and efficacy under various
conditions.

Connection of results to Dettol Hand Wash Formulation

1. Antimicrobial Agents: While Dettol relies on Chloroxylenol, a synthetic compound, the

herbal hand wash utilizes cinnamon oil, a natural antimicrobial. Both provide
broad-spectrum activity, but Dettol offers a standardized, globally recognized active
ingredient. Incorporating natural oils like cinnamon into Dettol’s formulation could create
a hybrid product, offering both synthetic reliability and natural appeal.
2. Efficacy Comparison: Both formulations demonstrated strong antibacterial effects against
E. coli and S. aureus.
3. Supporting Ingredients: Both products use glycerin as a humectant, ensuring the product
does not dry out the skin despite its antimicrobial action. Dettol employs synthetic
stabilizers and surfactants like Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) for foaming and dirt
removal, while the herbal gel uses Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) as a natural
thickening agent.
4. Stability and Shelf Life: The pH and viscosity of herbal hand wash measured over a span
of 7 days is 7.5 and 58 poise respectively. For the dettol hand wash pH is in the range of
9-10 and viscosity is around 25 poise. Their appearance is intact during this time
span[11].
5. Both type of hand washes whether it is herbal or dettol they are made up of the following
ingredients:
● Solvent
● Humectant
● Emulsifier
● Surfactants
 ● Preservative
● Opacifier

The table below shows respective categories of ingredients used in dettol hand wash and herbal
hand wash:

Category Dettol hand wash Herbal hand wash

Solvent Water Water

Humectant Glycerin Glycerin

Emulsifier Cocamide MEA and Glycol Hydroxypropyl

stearate Methylcellulose (HPMC)

Surfactant SLS and ALS Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

Preservative Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) Methyl Paraben

and
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
(CMIT)

Opacifier Glycol Distearate Colorant

Conclusion

When connected to Dettol hand wash formulation, it can be concluded that hand wash
formulation consists of 6 main components i.e. solvent, humectant, emulsifier, surfactant,
preservative and opacifier. The nature of ingredients used in both the formulations is the only
change like cinnamon oil in herbal hand wash is natural while Chloroxylenol in dettol is
synthetic.
References

[1] “Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) | The American Cleaning Institute (ACI),”
Cleaninginstitute.org, 2017.
https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/industry-priorities/policy/other-issues/sodium-lauryl-sulfate-sls

[2] “What Is Glycerin and Why Is It in Your Soap?,” www.tomsofmaine.com.

https://www.tomsofmaine.com/good-matters/natural-products/what-glycerin-and-why-it-your-so
ap

[3] “Parfum (Fragrance): Cosmetic Ingredient INCI,” cosmetics.specialchem.com.

https://cosmetics.specialchem.com/inci-ingredients/parfum

[4] “GLYCOL DISTEARATE - Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI),” cosmetics.specialchem.com.

https://cosmetics.specialchem.com/inci-ingredients/glycol-distearate

[5] “Cocamide MEA (Surfactant): Cosmetic Ingredient INCI,” cosmetics.specialchem.com.

https://cosmetics.specialchem.com/inci-ingredients/cocamide-mea

[6] “Glycol Stearate (EGMS): Cosmetic Ingredient INCI,” Specialchem.com, 2024.

https://cosmetics.specialchem.com/inci-ingredients/glycol-stearate

[7] “The problem with Propylene Glycol in skin care,” Green People.
https://www.greenpeople.co.uk/blogs/the-beauty-hub/the-problem-with-propylene-glycol-in-skin
-care

[8] in Soap, “Elly’s Everyday,” Elly’s Everyday, Dec. 02, 2022.

https://www.ellyseveryday.com/ellys-everyday-blog/how-to-use-citric-acid-in-soap-making

[9] “Tetrasodium EDTA,” Windy Point Soap Making Supplies, 2016.

https://www.windypointsoap.com/products/tetrasodium-edta (accessed Nov. 20, 2024).

[10] “Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone,” Safe Cosmetics.

https://www.safecosmetics.org/chemicals/methylisothiazolinone/

[11] M. Bahuguna and S. Kashyap, “FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF HAND

WASH,” doi: https://doi.org/10.20959/wjpr20167-6663.

[12] M. A. Shah, S. B. Natarajan, and Mohd Gousuddin, “Formulation, Evaluation and

Antibacterial Efficiency of Herbal Hand Wash Gel,” International Journal of Pharmaceutical
Sciences Review and Research, vol. 25, no. 2 23, pp. 120–124, Mar. 2014, Available:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285120338_Formulation_Evaluation_and_Antibacteria
l_Efficiency_of_Herbal_Hand_Wash_Gel

[13] “Ammonium lauryl sulfate,” Wikipedia, Apr. 24, 2020.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_lauryl_sulfate