Natural Hand Wash Formulation from Pods of Gymnocladus burmanicus C.E. Parkinson.: A Promising Herbal Cleanser
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21276/pt.2026.v3.i2.6Keywords:
Clean and green product, Gymnocladus burmanicus, Natural hand wash, Saponins, Table salts, Vitex negundoAbstract
Gymnocladus burmanicus is a soap tree endemic to Arunachal Pradesh bearing about 13-17cm and 3-6 cm-sized pods. The pods were used as soap before commercial soap was available in the early days, but they have lost their utility in the locality today. Hand washing is a good hygiene practice to remove many infectious microbes and dirt before and after a meal. Hand washing has become increasingly vital since the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of effective and safe cleansing practices. The aim of this study was to formulate a natural hand wash using the cleansing and foaming properties of Gymnocladus burmanicus. The formulation is designed to be self-preservative, self-cleansing, self-lathering, and incorporates table salt as a natural scrubber and preservative, without synthetic detergents or preservatives. Cold extraction and Soxhlet extraction techniques were employed, with specific conditions detailed to ensure reproducibility. The study reports three methods of Gymnocladus hand wash formulation with table salt (ethanol Gymnocladus solution, water Gymnocladus solution, and Gymnocladus extract) that are free from added synthetic surfactants and preservative with an option to employ skin care additive extracts like neem, aloe vera, Vitex negundo and glycerine, and other additive like aroma, and color as per the need and demand of the final product requirements. Xanthan gum was used to provide appropriate viscosity. Quantitative evaluation parameters, including pH (mean values with standard deviations), foaming capacity (measured as foam volume), and microbial growth were used to assess the formulations. The hand wash formulations demonstrated promising results, including stable pH (range 6.3–7.2, SD ±0.3), effective foaming (20–30 mL foam volume), and absence of microbial growth over two weeks. The formulation of the hand wash indicated a promising natural product for a broader research scope that would benefit both consumers and the environment. This study presents the first natural hand-wash formulation made from Gymnocladus burmanicus pod.
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