Review on Multipurpose Cream

Abstract

They may treat several skin issues with a single recipe, multipurpose creams have become a lucrative market niche in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors. These creams offer a practical skincare solution by combining moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and other therapeutic properties. With careful consideration for stability, consistency, and dermatological safety, multifunctional cream formulations combine an oil phase, an aqueous phase, emulsifiers, preservatives, and active components. Recent developments in emulsification methods, such liposomal delivery systems and Nano emulsions, have improved the effectiveness and skin penetration of active substances. Additionally, the incorporation of botanicals like neem, turmeric, and aloe vera into formulations has increased their popularity due to the rising consumer desire for natural and herbal components. For product quality assurance, evaluation tests such as pH, spreadability, viscosity, and stability studies are essential. The safety and compliance of multifunctional creams are guaranteed by regulatory guidelines issued by organizations such as the FDA and EMA. The main ingredients, formulation techniques, assessment techniques, and market trends related to multifunctional creams are highlighted in this study, along with the difficulties and potential future developments in this expanding industry. The ongoing development of these formulas is expected to satisfy the growing need for skincare products that are efficient, eco-friendly, and customized.

Introduction

The skin, the body’s largest organ and main defense, has driven the growing popularity of topical formulations, especially creams, for health and skincare. Multipurpose creams are semi-solid emulsions combining water and oil phases stabilized by emulsifiers, designed to moisturize, protect, whiten, prevent aging, and treat minor skin conditions. They come mainly in two types: oil-in-water (O/W) creams, which are non-greasy and water-washable, and water-in-oil (W/O) creams, which are more occlusive and suited for dry skin.

Multipurpose creams contain a blend of active ingredients (synthetic or botanical), bases (emollients, humectants, oils), and additives (preservatives, emulsifiers, perfumes). The formulation process involves careful selection of ingredients, heating and emulsification of phases, and addition of stabilizers to ensure consistency, stability, absorption, and safety. Advanced techniques like encapsulation and nanoemulsions improve delivery and efficacy.

Creams undergo thorough evaluation including visual inspection, pH, viscosity, spreadability, stability under various conditions, skin irritation tests, and microbial analysis to ensure quality and safety. Regulatory compliance is essential, with guidelines set by bodies like FDA, EMA, and India’s Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

Recent innovations focus on multifunctionality with products combining moisturizing, protection, and therapeutic effects. Future directions include smart formulations responsive to skin conditions, enhanced delivery systems, sustainable ingredients and packaging, and personalized skincare leveraging AI and consumer data.

Conclusion

A major breakthrough in skincare, multipurpose creams provide users with a single remedy for a range of skin issues, from healing to anti-aging and moisturizing. The emulsion system, stability, and dermatological safety must all be carefully considered throughout the formulation process, which blends excipients and active components. By increasing ingredient penetration and stability, recent developments like liposomal delivery and Nano emulsion have increased the efficacy of these creams. The future of multifunctional creams will continue to be shaped by the use of botanicals and sustainable techniques as customer desire for natural and herbal goods increases. Although there are still issues with product stability, long-term safety, and regulatory compliance, these multipurpose skincare compositions have a bright future thanks to further research and technical developments.

References

[1] Patel, V. R., & Kaur, G. (2013). Formulation and evaluation of multipurpose herbal creams: A study on Aloe Vera, Neem, and Turmeric as active ingredients. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences, 4(2), 91-98. [2] Gupta, M., & Sharma, P. (2015). Polyherbal cream formulation: Ocimum sanctum and Azadirachta indica for anti-inflammatory effects. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 10(3), 231-237. [3] Deshmukh, A., Patel, S., & Shinde, S. (2016). Development and evaluation of moisturizing cream containing Jojoba oil and Vitamin E. Pharmaceutical Research, 12(5), 467-472. [4] Kaur, S., Arora, M., & Gupta, R. (2017). Herbal antiseptic cream formulation using Calendula and Tea Tree Oil. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 39(4), 453-460. [5] Kale, S. S., & Tayade, D. P. (2018). Formulation and evaluation of Ayurvedic cream for dry skin using Shea Butter and Ashwagandha. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 55(3), 602-609. [6] Suryawanshi, S. S., & Patil, V. G. (2019). Development of multipurpose cream with Niacinamide and Aloe Vera for skin tone improvement. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 18(2), 213-221. [7] Reddy, K. S., & Suman, M. (2020). The role of nanoemulsion-based creams in enhancing active ingredient delivery: A study using Turmeric Oil. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 15, 1221-1234. [8] Chavan, R. B., & Verma, N. (2021). Formulation and evaluation of sunscreen cream with Green Tea Extract and zinc oxide. Journal of Dermatological Science, 82(3), 145-152. [9] Kamble, M. K., & Kadam, V. K. (2022). Anti-acne multipurpose herbal cream using Clove Oil and Neem Leaf Extract. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, 12(6), 47-54. [10] Sharma, M., &Jangra, S. (2023). Comparative study of synthetic vs. herbal ingredients in multipurpose creams: Efficacy and safety analysis. Cosmetic Science & Technology, 24(1), 98-106. [11] Choudhary, P., & Goyal, A. (2014). Development of polyherbal creams and their dermatological applications. Pharmaceutical Biology, 52(10), 1371-1376. [12] Soni, S., & Gaur, S. (2015). Formulation and characterization of herbal cream for skin health: A comparative study with commercial products. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 37(5), 442-448. [13] Ali, F., & Malek, S. (2016). Emulsion technology in the preparation of herbal creams: A review. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research, 39(1), 98-103. [14] Verma, M., & Kumar, A. (2017). Use of nanoemulsions in the development of multipurpose creams for enhanced delivery of active ingredients. Journal of Controlled Release, 246, 90-100. [15] Gupta, A., & Agarwal, N. (2018). Advances in herbal creams: Neem, Aloe Vera, and Sandalwood as active ingredients for skin protection. Asian Journal of Pharmacognosy, 12(2), 89-95. [16] Sharma, P., & Sharma, S. (2019). Polymeric emulsions in multipurpose cream formulations: An approach to enhance stability and skin penetration. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 533, 120-128. [17] Pradhan, S., & Kumar, S. (2020). Natural antioxidants in herbal creams for skin rejuvenation: A review on recent developments. Phytotherapy Research, 34(3), 576-586. [18] Khan, F., & Bhat, S. (2021). Stability and microbiological evaluation of herbal creams with Tea Tree Oil and Eucalyptus. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Technology, 14(7), 105-112. [19] Prasad, S., & Misra, R. (2022). Comparative evaluation of synthetic and herbal preservatives in multipurpose creams. Cosmetic Dermatology Research Journal, 5(4), 221-230. [20] Kumar, M., & Shah, R. (2023). Role of liposomal delivery systems in improving the efficacy of multipurpose creams. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 19(2), 285-292.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mr. Alankar Eknath Dalavi, Ms. Aishwarya Todkar, Mr. Nitin Gawai, Mr. Vivek Patil. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.