Authors : Dr. Sonali Vijaykumar Magdum; Pranita Santosh Bhavare; Prathamesh Ravindra Patil; Pranali Parasharam Bhendulkar; Prajwal Prashant Deshmukh; Pranoti Anil Pandav

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/92uzmh78

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/nbstvjdy

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26May2098

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Hand hygiene is one of the most essential practices in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases. While alcohol-based sanitizers are widely used due to their rapid antibacterial action, their frequent application may lead to skin dryness, irritation, and flammability concerns. As a safer and more sustainable alternative, herbal hand sanitizer gels formulated with plant extracts and essential oils offer significant antimicrobial potential along with better skin compatibility. This review focuses on the formulation techniques, components, mechanisms, and evaluation parameters involved in the development of herbal and polyherbal hand sanitizer gels. Herbal sanitizers utilize plant-derived bioactive compounds such as tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids from extracts like Neem, Tulsi, Turmeric, Clove, and essential oils including tea tree, lemon, and lavender. These constituents exhibit antimicrobial action through mechanisms such as disruption of microbial membranes, inhibition of protein synthesis, and interference with metabolic pathways. Different gelling agents (Carbopol, xanthan gum), penetration enhancers (propylene glycol, menthol), and preservatives are incorporated to ensure optimal consistency, stability, and efficacy. Preparation methods include simple mixing, cold processing, essential-oil-based blending, and nanoparticle-assisted formulations using silver nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial activity. The evaluation of herbal sanitizer gels involves physical, chemical, and microbiological testing, including pH, viscosity, spredability, homogeneity, and antimicrobial assays such as agar well diffusion, disc diffusion, pour plate, and spread plate methods. Results from various studies indicate that herbal formulations demonstrate moderate to strong antimicrobial activity, good stability, and favourable sensory attributes. Overall, herbal hand sanitizer gels represent an effective, ecofriendly, non-toxic, and economical alternative to chemical sanitizers, supporting improved hygiene with reduced adverse effects.

Keywords : Herbal Hand Sanitizer; Polyherbal Gel; Antimicrobial Activity; Essential Oils; Plant Extracts; Formulation and Evaluation.

References :

1. Shri Balakrishna Acharya , Saradindu Ghosh, Giriraj Yadav, Kavita Sharma, Dr. Sirsendu Ghosh, Dr. Sushil Joshi. Formulation, Evaluation and Antibacterial Efficiency of water-based herbal Hand Sanitizer Gel. bioRxiv The Preprint Server for Biology 2018.1/16
2. Debgopal Ganguly, Madhumita Banerjee, Arindam Chakraborty, Hira Das, Ashik Sekh, MD Arif Sarfaraj, Sk Tanbir Arif, Rajesh Ghosh ,Soumyadip Ghosh ,Dillip Kumar Sahoo . Preparation and Evaluation of Polyherbal Handwash of Different Herbal Sources Neuroquantology November 2022 | Volume 20 | Issue 11 |Page 8113-8123
3. S. Kiruthika, N Uma Maheswari Formulation and Evaluation of Polyherbal Hand Sanitizer International Journal of Botany Studies Volume 6, Issue 3, 2021, Page No. 184-187
4. Vikas Chander Jhawat, Vipin Saini, Sunil Kamboj, Nancy Maggon,Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems: Approaches and Advancements in Drug Absorption through Skin ,International journal of pharmaceutical science   Review and Reserach,2013 , 47 -56
5. Adnan Siddiqui, Sarita Nulkar, Shubham Patil, Swaraj Patil, Samruddhi Sawant and Parvez Mulla Herbal Alternatives to Chemical Hand Sanitizers: A Review of Their Effectiveness and Benefits World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Volume 14, Issue 10, 272-285
6. Jane Lee Jia Jing,Thong Pei Yi,Rajendran J. C. Bose, Jason R. McCarthy,Nagendran Tharmalingam and Thiagarajan Madheswaran Hand Sanitizers: A Review on Formulation Aspects, Adverse Aspects and Regulation International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020 Volume 17 / Issue 9
7. Tushar Saha, Prakash Khadka, Shyamal C. Das Alcohol-based hand sanitizer – composition, proper use and precautions GERMS 11(3) September 2021 page 411
8. Vijaykumar Chandrakant Waghmare1, Ashwini Dhawale, Samruddhi Pramod Aglawe, Ravi Keshav Kangane, Abhishek Eknath Bhosale Formulation and Evaluation of Polyherbal Hand Sanitizer Gel International Journal of Sciences and Innovation Engineering May 2025 Vol.02 No.05. P. 392-400
9. Mohsin J. Jamadar, Rajmahammad Husen Shaikh Preparation and Evaluation of Herbal Gel Formulation Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Education, 2017, 201-224
10. Ms. Komal Dattatraya Gunjal, Mr.Vishal P.Kopnar, Dr. Amol Navnath Khedkar Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Hand Sanitizer JETIR May 2025, Volume 12, Issue 5
11. Prassanna Bhadange, Vinayak Bhavsar, Vaishnavi Bohade, Nikhil Kadam, Yash Bachhav, Ritesh Karmarkar Development of Alcohol-Free Herbal Sanitizer Using Silver Nanoparticles: A Sustainable Approach to Hand Hygiene International Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences 2025, Vol 3, Issue 3, 109-114
12. Firdous Shaikh, Priyanka Bhosale, Snehal More Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Hand Sanitizer Using Psidium guajava Leaves Extract International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research May - June 2020; Article No. 07, Pages: 37-39
13. Vivek Kumar, Anshika Sambyal, Ayush Thakur, Arvaz Khan, Chetan,Avneet Gupta, Deepak Prashar and Priya Thakur Fabrication and evaluation of polyherbal hand sanitizer using essential oils International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science 2025; 63-66
14. Dr.Kuntal Das PHARMACRUTICAL MICROBIOLOGY NIRALI PRAKAHAN, Fifth Edition 1.32 - 1.37
15. Dr.Chandrakant Kokare, PHARMACRUTICAL MICROBIOLOGY, NIRALI PRAKAHAN, Seventh edition. Nanded,Pune.13.7- 13.10
16. Dr.Chandrakant Kokare, PHARMACRUTICAL MICROBIOLOGY Principles and applications, NIRALI PRAKAHAN, First edition. Nanded,Pune.6.1-6.5
17. Anna Herman and Andrzej P. Herman, Essential oils and their constituents as skin penetration enhancer for transdermal drug delivery: a review, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2014, 473-485