Author(s):
Dilakshi Hansika, Hasitha G. Kuruppu, Jayamini Wickramaarachchi, Buddhika P. Dharmasena, Nanditha Rajapaksha
Email(s):
nanditha@tech.sab.ac.lk
DOI:
10.52711/2321-5844.2026.00018 
Address:
Dilakshi Hansika, Hasitha G. Kuruppu, Jayamini Wickramaarachchi, Buddhika P. Dharmasena, Nanditha Rajapaksha*
Department of Biosystems Technology, Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Pambahinna, Sri Lanka.
*Corresponding Author
Published In:
Volume - 17,
Issue - 2,
Year - 2026
ABSTRACT:
The bacterial breakdown of odourless apocrine sweat gland secretions leads to an unpleasant underarm odour, causing social distress. Concerns over the side effects such as irritation and cancer from traditional deodorants and antiperspirants have increased the demand for natural alternatives. This study aimed to formulate an herbal deodorant stick using natural and skin-friendly ingredients such as eucalyptus oil and turmeric oil along with beeswax, cocoa butter, virgin coconut oil, and lavender oil for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The oil was extracted from eucalyptus leaves using the hydro distillation method. The extracted eucalyptus oil was evaluated by measuring its pH and UV absorbance and by performing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (a Gram-negative bacterium) and Staphylococcus aureus (a Gram-positive bacterium) was tested using the agar disc diffusion method. Three deodorant stick samples were formulated using 1:2.5 (S1), 1:3.0 (S2) and 1:3.5 (S3) ratios of eucalyptus oil to beeswax to check their physical stability. Physical properties including pH, softening point, disintegration time, spreadability and stability (at 25 °C and 40 °C for 4 weeks) of the deodorant stick were evaluated. The results of the prepared deodorant sticks were compared with an Old Spice-Fresh deodorant stick sample in the market. The antibacterial assay indicated that eucalyptus oil inhibited Escherichia coli with an inhibition zone of 13 mm in diameter and Staphylococcus aureus with an inhibition zone of 12 mm in diameter. The pH values of the eucalyptus oil and all tested deodorant stick formulations were within the standard pH range of 4.5¬–6.5. The S3 formulation exhibited physicochemical properties consistent with those of a commercial deodorant stick, as indicated by its higher softening point (79 °C), prolonged disintegration time (2 hours), controlled spreadability (0.04 g cm s?¹), and excellent stability.
Cite this article:
Dilakshi Hansika, Hasitha G. Kuruppu, Jayamini Wickramaarachchi, Buddhika P. Dharmasena, Nanditha Rajapaksha. Formulation and Evaluation of an Eucalyptus Oil Based Antibacterial and Antiperspirant Deodorant Stick. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences. 2026; 17(2):116-2. doi: 10.52711/2321-5844.2026.00018
Cite(Electronic):
Dilakshi Hansika, Hasitha G. Kuruppu, Jayamini Wickramaarachchi, Buddhika P. Dharmasena, Nanditha Rajapaksha. Formulation and Evaluation of an Eucalyptus Oil Based Antibacterial and Antiperspirant Deodorant Stick. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences. 2026; 17(2):116-2. doi: 10.52711/2321-5844.2026.00018 Available on: https://rjtcsonline.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-17-2-3
REFERENCES:
1. Subhashis D, Babu MN, Kusuma G. Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Antimicrobial Deodorant Stick. . Res J Topical and Cosmetic Sci. 2011; 2(1).
2. Oliveira ECV de, Salvador DS, Holsback V, Shultz JD, Michniak-Kohn BB, Leonardi GR. Deodorants and antiperspirants: identification of new strategies and perspectives to prevent and control malodor and sweat of the body. Int J Dermatol. 2021; 60(5): 613–619.
3. C E. Does antiperspirant use increase the risk of aluminium-related disease, including Alzheimer’ s disease? Mol Med Today 1998; March: 107–109.
4. Shaw CA, Tomljenovic L. Aluminum in the central nervous system (CNS): toxicity in humans and animals, vaccine adjuvants, and autoimmunity. Immunol Res. 2013; 56(2–3): 304–316.
5. Bhargava HN, Leonard PA. Triclosan: applications and safety. Am J Infect Control. 1996; 24(3): 209–218.
6. Heisterberg M V, Menné T, Andersen KE, et al. Deodorants are the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis to fragrance ingredients. Contact Dermatitis. 2011; 64(5): 258–264.
7. Darbre PD, Harvey PW. Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. J Appl Toxicol. 2008; 28(5): 561–578.
8. Rathod S, Mali S, Shinde N, Aloorkar N. Cosmeceuticals and Beauty Care Products: Current trends with future prospects. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences. 2020; 11(1): 45.
9. HardikB. Bhatt DrNBP. Natural Deodorants: a Way Towards Sustainable Cosmetics. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Health Care. 2021; 3(11).
10. Bachir RG, Benali M. Antibacterial activity of the essential oils from the leaves of Eucalyptus globulus against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2012; 2(9): 739–742.
11. Maurya A, Verma SC, Jayanthy A, Shankar MB, Sharma RKr. A concise review on Phytochemistry and Pharmacological properties of Eucalyptus tereticornis Smith. Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry. 2016; 9(10): 457.
12. Hoch CC, Petry J, Griesbaum L, et al. 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol): A versatile phytochemical with therapeutic applications across multiple diseases. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 2023; 167: 115467.
13. Makwana H, Pradhan P, Koti J, Pandya D. Simultaneous Quantification of Four Triterpenoids in Eucalyptus globulus Leaves and Barks using an Optimized HPTLC Method. Res J Pharm Technol. 2026; 19(3): 1203.
14. Nagarnaik M, Sarjoshi A, Bodkhe A, Khanal B, Pise M, Pandya G. Characterization of active constituents in Turmeric powder and validation of method for curcumin in samples. Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry. 2015; 8(10): 643.
15. Nong Y, Maloh J, Natarelli N, Gunt HB, Tristani E, Sivamani RK. A review of the use of beeswax in skincare. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023; 22(8): 2166–2173.
16. Borase SB, Patil AP, Patil DP, Patil GP. Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Lip Balm. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences. 2026; 17(1): 21.
17. Singh M, Agarwal S, Agarwal M, R R. Benefits of Theobroma cacao and Its Phytocompounds as Cosmeceuticals. 2020; p. 509–521.
18. Pakhare SA, Omprakash Jaju S, Khendke AD. Cocoa butter, corn starch and sodium bicarbonate infused roll-on deodorant: a novel Approach to Odor Control. EPRA International Journal of Research and Development (IJRD). 2024; 7838(May): 94–104.
19. Scapagnini G, Davinelli S, Renzo L Di, et al. Cocoa bioactive compounds: significance and potential for the maintenance of skin health. Nutrients. 2014; 6(8): 3202–3213.
20. Mardia Mohamad Nasir MMN, Abllah Z, Azura Jalaludin A, Azura Shahdan I, Hayati Wan Abd Manan WN. Virgin Coconut Oil and Its Antimicrobial Properties against Pathogenic Microorganisms: A Review. 2018; 8(Idcsu 2017): 192–199.
21. Akshatha R S, Manasa C Reddy, Ranjitha Suresh, Thanushree H R. Formulation and evaluation of antibacterial herbal deodorant stick. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences. 2023; 16(2): 29–34.
22. Pawar DN, Pawar AP, Dalvi Y V. Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Scrub Gel. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences. 2019; 10(1): 13.
23. Benlabchir AA F-BK, Moutawalli A AM, Halmoune A, Benkhouili FZ, Oubihi A, Kabra A, Hanoune E, Assila H OZ. GC – MS Characterization and Bioactivity Study of Eucalyptus globulus Labill (Myrtaceae) Essential Oils and Their Fractions Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties and Molecular Docking Modeling. Pharmaceuticals. 2024; 17:1552.
24. U. Chande K, S. Ekhande N, H. Padwal M. Phytochemical and Pharmacological Activities of black Turmeric: A Review. Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 2023; 327–330.
25. Sidek NAM, Berg B Van Der, Husain K, Said MM. Antimicrobial Potential of Ten Medicinal Plant Extracts Against Axillary Microbiota Causing Body Odor. Pharmacophore. 2021; 12(6): 1–5.
26. Chandrasekar R, Kumar GS. Formulation and Evaluation of a Poly Herbal Anti-acne gel. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences. 2020; 11(1): 5.
27. Chopade SS, Gaikwad E, Jadhav A, Patil N, Payghan S. Formulation and Evaluation of Fast Disintegrating Tenoxicam Tablets and The Comparison with Marketed Product. Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Science. 2020; 10(4): 257–263.
28. Bhurat M. R, Barhate S. D. Preliminary Evaluation of Remusatia vivipara tubers Mucilage as Gelling Agent. Res J Pharm Technol. 2013; 6(4).
29. Brophy JJ, Davies NW, Southwell IA, Stiff IA, Williams LR. Gas chromatographic quality control for oil of Melaleuca terpinen-4-ol type (Australian tea tree). J Agric Food Chem. 1989; 37(5): 1330–1335.
30. Cox SD, Mann CM, Markham JL, et al. The mode of antimicrobial action of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil). J Appl Microbiol. 2000; 88(1): 170–175.
31. Lambers H, Piessens S, Bloem A, Pronk H FP. Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, which is beneficial for its resident flora. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2006; 28: 359–370.
32. Turek C, Stintzing F. Stability of Essential Oils: A Review. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2013;12.
33. Gomes PB, Mata VG, Rodrigues AE. Characterization of the portuguese-grown cistus ladanifer essential oil. Journal of Essential Oil Research. 2005; 17(2): 160–165.
34. Adams R. Identification of Essential Oil Components by Gas Chromatography/Quadrupole Mass Spectroscopy. Carol Stream. 2005; 16: 65–120.
35. Rätsch C. The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants. 2005;
36. Silverstein RM, Webster FX, Kiemle DJ, Bryce DL. Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds. 2015; 230–298.
37. Baser KHC, Buchbauer G, editors. Handbook of Essential Oils. CRC Press. 2015
38. Coates J. Interpretation of Infrared Spectra, A Practical Approach. In: Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry. 2006;
39. (NIST) NI of S and T. Infrared spectra of terpenes. 2023;
40. Schulz H, Özkan G, Baranska M, Krüger H, Özcan M. Characterisation of essential oil plants from Turkey by IR and Raman spectroscopy. Vib Spectrosc. 2005; 39(2): 249–256.
41. Carson CF, Hammer KA, Riley T V. Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) oil: a review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2006; 19(1): 50–62.
42. Ranjan Sahoo M, Srinivasan Umashankar M, Raghava Varier R. Development and Evaluation of Essential Oil-based Lozenges using Menthol and Eucalyptus and in vitro Evaluation of their Antimicrobial activity in S. aureus and E. coli. Res J Pharm Technol. 2022; 15(11): 5283–5288.
43. Ali SM, Yosipovitch G. Skin pH: from basic science to basic skin care. Acta Derm Venereol. 2013; 93(3): 261–267.
44. Schmid-Wendtner M-H, Korting HC. The pH of the skin surface and its impact on the barrier function. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2006; 19(6): 296–302.
45. Narkhede SB, Desai H, Singh P, et al. Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Multipurpose Cream Enriched with A2 Cow Ghee. Research Journal of Topical and Cosmetic Sciences. 2026; 17(1):1.
46. Lee K, Kim S, Kim A, Joo Suh H HK. Sphingolipid identification and skin barrier recovery capacity of a milk sphingolipid- enriched fraction (MSEF) from buttermilk powder. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2020; 42(3): 270–276.