Journal of

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Background and Aim: Shampoos are surfactant systems to clean hair and body. Two kinds of surfactants are generally used in shampoo formulations: anionic and amphoteric. These agents, especially anionic ones may cause skin irritation and dryness after bathing. So, using a simple and fast method to determine the types and concentrations of surfactants can help to choose a product with high efficacy and low side effects. This study was aimed to determine surfactant concentrations using potentiometric titration method. Methods: Ten hair and body shampoos were selected from Iran's market to determine concentration of anionic and amphoteric surfactants using potentiometric titration method with prepared standard solution. Results: All formulations contain both surfactants, but one formulation did not have the amphoteric one. Conclusion: When we want to choose a shampoo for irritated and dry skin, formulations with more amphoteric surfactant should be chosen because they are much milder on the skin in comparison with anionic surfactants. Potentiometric method which was described in this study is one of the easiest ways to find out which shampoo is suitable for each patient.

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Background and Aim: Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a fungal infection of the skin that is caused by Malassezia species in tropical and subtropical areas. Various treatments such as ketoconazole 2% shampoo are effective in the treatment of PV. In this study, the therapeutic effects of ketoconazole 2% shampoo and Octopirox 1% shampoo on PV were compared. Methods: Fourty-two patients participated in the study. Twenty-five patients were treated using Octopirox 1% shampoo and 17 patients were treated by ketoconazole 2% shampoo. Each shampoo was administered for 5 minutes after daily showers for three weeks. At the end of the treatment period, patients were evaluated on the basis of the results KOH test and clinical examinations. Results: At the end of the treatment period in ketoconazole 2% shampoo group, 64.7% of patients were cured. In Octopirox 1% shampoo group, 44% of patients were cured. The detected difference was not statistically significant (P=0.187). Conclusion: Both shampoos were effective in eliminating the symptoms, but ketoconazole 2% shampoo was more effective in improving the associated hyperpigmentation and erythema than Octopirox 2% shampoo. No side effects were observed in either group.

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Background and Aim: Shampoos are products that remove fat and dust from the hair and scalp. Cleansing and decontamination are the most important properties of a shampoo for its acceptance. To create a stable foam in shampoos, alkaloids are often used which are believed to be carcinogens due to production of nitrosamines. Hence, the main goal of this study was the production of shampoo by using medicinal plants.

Methods: In this study, herbal shampoos were prepared by using aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of Yarrow, Cedar, Chubak and licorice as surfactants, and Katira as thickener. Then their physical and chemical properties were analyzed.

Results: After preparing the herbal base shampoo, the physical and chemical evaluation of the product was performed. We found that this formulation had cleansing power for foam formation, antimicrobial and antifungal properties, and also a high shelf life compared to the control sample (chemical shampoo). It also didn’t have any adverse effect on hair and scalp of consumers. The present formulation is also suitable for commercial shampoo production.

Conclusion: The herbal based shampoo had better qualitative properties than the chemical base, and the use of the aqueous extract of the aforementioned plants (compared to their hydro alcoholic extracts) had better performance and was economically feasible.