Black currant essential oil as potential preservative in cosmetic products

Abstract

The use of black currant essential oil in the composition of hygiene and beauty products as a preservative has not been extensively studied. Studies on the cultivation of black currant varieties for the extraction of essential oils and antioxidant efficacy have been performed already [1]. The antibacterial and antifungal efficiency of black currant essential oil was investigated in this study. After studying the antibacterial properties of black currants [2] it was concluded that this essential oil could be applied in the development of hygiene products, so further research is needed. The main object of this research was black currant essential oil. This essential oil was used as a natural preservative in the stable emulsion, its antibacterial and antifungal activity was evaluated. During the work, five product groups were created: negative control - a product without a chemical and without a natural preservative; positive control - a product with a chemical preservative; a product containing 0.5% essential oil; product with 1.5% essential oil and product with 3% essential oil. The final cosmetic products were artificially contaminated with the most common micro-organisms: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus brasiliensis and Candida albicans. The full antibacterial and antifungal efficiency test was performed using a PET test (Preservative efficacy test) [4]. Table 1. Product information sheet. A stable emulsion containing 3% black currant essential oil. Emulsion pH 5.6. […].