Abstract

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF HERBAL SUNSCREEN CREAM CONTAINING GUAVA LEAF EXTRACT

Arnold Allan A.*, Dhanush E., Harish S., Priyanka S., Yogeshwaran S., Senthil Kumar Krishnan, Kannabirran Vaikundam

Abstract

Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major cause of photoageing, sunburn, and skin cancer, creating sustained demand for effective and safe sunscreen formulations. Synthetic UV filters, though effective, are increasingly associated with dermal and environmental concerns, prompting interest in herbal alternatives. Guava (Psidium guajava) leaves are rich in flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic compounds with reported antioxidant and UVabsorbing properties. In the present study, an herbal sunscreen cream was formulated using guava leaf extract in combination with zinc oxide as the primary UV-protective agent. Five formulations (F1–F5) were developed by varying the concentration of guava leaf extract (2–10 mL) while keeping all other excipients constant. The formulations were evaluated for appearance, odour, homogeneity, pH, spreadability, viscosity, washability, greasiness, phase separation, skin irritation, physical stability, and in-vitro SPF. All formulations were found to be homogeneous, skincompatible, and non-irritant. SPF value increased progressively with increasing extract concentration. Formulation F4 (8 mL guava leaf extract per 100 g cream) was confirmed as the optimized formulation, providing the best overall balance of high in-vitro SPF (≈17), ideal skin-compatible pH (6.2), cosmetically elegant appearance, favourable viscosity and spreadability, complete absence of skin irritation, and the most robust physical stability among the higher-SPF batches. The study demonstrates that guava leaf extract can be successfully incorporated into a cosmetically acceptable sunscreen cream as a natural adjuvant to conventional UV filters.

Keywords: Herbal sunscreen, Guava leaf extract, Psidium guajava, Zinc oxide and In-vitro SPF.