Development of a Formulation of Vanishing Cream Containing Wheat Germ Oil with Safe Preservation, and Measurement of Antioxidants in the Cream by a Rapid Method

Introduction: Wheat germ is a by-product of the wheat mill and contains 10 to 15% of the oil. The use of wheat germ oil in cosmetics is because this oil contains ceramide that prevents skin aging and can preserve the skin. Material and Methods: A vanishing oil in water (O/W) cream based on wheat germ oil was made and formulated. The antioxidants of the cream were extracted, and the best extraction conditions were obtained by the Taguchi method. Four factors of temperature, time, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and round per minute (RPM) were investigated at three levels. To maintain consumer health, carcinogenic preservatives such as parabens were removed from the formulation, and a new composition of methylpropanediol, capryl glycol, and phenylpropanoldiol (OMP) was used in the formulation. At microbial testing, two standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were selected as representative of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The stability of the antioxidants of wheat germ oil in the cream structure was studied.  Results: In the extraction of the antioxidants from the cream structure, the highest impact was related to the DPPH factor (78%) and temperature (14%), respectively. A growth inhibition zone of 24mm diameter was observed for S. aureus and 16mm for P. aeruginosa. The wheat germ oil cream was completely stable at 37°C after 30 days. Conclusion: A vanishing herbal cream was formulated base on OMP composition with a very good antimicrobial activity. A rapid extraction and measurement method of the cream antioxidants was established and optimized based on DPPH.