Microbial contamination and preservative capacity of some brands of cosmetic creams

Peter G Hugbo,Anthony O Onyekweli,Ijoma Igwe

doi:10.4314/tjpr.v2i2.14604

Peter G Hugbo, Anthony O Onyekweli + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v2i2.14604

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Abstract

Purpose: Cosmetic and topical products need not be sterile but may contain low levels of microbial load during use. This study was conducted to determine and compare the level and type of microbial contaminants in commercial cosmetic products sold in the market and a laboratory prepared aqueous cream and their preservative capacities while in use. Methods: Ten brands of commercially available cosmetic creams and lotions were randomly purchased from the open markets in Benin City. Aqueous Cream was also prepared. Their bacterial and fungal loads as well as types were evaluated. Preservative capacity was evaluated by challenging the creams and lotions with washed and characterized isolates of Staph. aureus and viable counting was performed by the surface viable method. The prepared aqueous cream was similarly challenged with the test organism. Results: All the products were contaminated to varying degrees. Staphylococci and other gram-positive cocci were the most preponderant; gram-negative isolates were hardly found. Fungal contaminants consisted largely of Asp. fumigatus, Penicillium and Microsporium species. Challenge test (re-infection) with Staph. aureus revealed the commercial products as having low capacity for suppressing bacterial proliferation such as may be encountered during in ‐ use contamination. Conclusion: Commercial cosmetic creams and lotions evaluated did not generally meet the standards for microbial limits as specified in official monographs. Such products can adversely affect health status of consumers as well as the stability profiles of the products.

Highlights

The warm and rather humid climatic conditions that prevail in most tropical countries, including Nigeria, would tend to support the survival and growth of many microorganisms
Studies carried out till date[2,3,4,5,6] to assess the incidence and hygienic status of many topical products, do not sufficiently simulate actual – use conditions of the products in the sense that laboratory– prepared sterile creams are frequently used in the challenge tests[7]
This paper reports the results of evaluation of ten cosmetics skin preparations and a laboratory prepared non-sterile cream for the load and type of microbial contamination and the ability of such products to consistently suppress the multiplication of microbial contaminants with which they were challenged

Summary

Introduction

The warm and rather humid climatic conditions that prevail in most tropical countries, including Nigeria, would tend to support the survival and growth of many microorganisms. This paper reports the results of evaluation of ten cosmetics skin preparations and a laboratory prepared non-sterile cream for the load and type of microbial contamination and the ability of such products to consistently suppress the multiplication of microbial contaminants with which they were challenged. Microbial contamination of cream/lotion was determined by thinly spreading a loopful of material withdrawn from the depths of the bulk product on nutrient and Sabouraud agars and incubating for 24 – 48h at 37 oC and 5 days at 28 – 30 oC for bacteria and moulds, respectively.

Results

Conclusion