Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences

ISSN: 2320-1924; CODEN: JPBSEV

Published by Atom and Cell Publishers © All Rights Reserved
Available online at: http://www.jpabs.org/
Review Article

Skin Cream as Topical Drug Delivery System: A Review

Tanesh Sahu, Tarun Patel, Sagar Sahu, Bina Gidwani*

Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Pharmacy, Kumhari, Durg (C.G.), India

Received: 03-05-2016 / Revised Accepted: 07-07-2016 / Published: 25-08-2016

ABSTRACT

From time immemorial creams as topical preparations are considered an important part of cosmetic products.
Creams may be considered pharmaceutical products as even cosmetic creams are based on techniques developed
by pharmacy and un-medicated creams are highly used in a variety of skin conditions In ancient times, creams
were simply prepared by mixing of two or more ingredients using water as the solvent. With the advancement in
technology, newer methods are used for formulation of creams. These semi solid preparations are safe to use by
the public and society. They show versatility in their functions. In the present article, the history of creams, their
advantages and disadvantages, method of preparation and ingredients used are discussed. Creams can be applied
to any part of the body with ease. It is convenient to use cream by all the age group of people. The types of
creams with their examples are discussed in this article. In coming future, more advanced technologies and
methods will be used for preparation, formulation and evaluation of creams. Also the demand of herbal
constituents based creams are increasing day by day.

Key words: creams, semi solid preparation, cosmetics, topical delivery.

INTRODUCTION drugs via the vaginal route (e.g., Triple Sulfa

A cream is a topical preparation usually for
application to the skin. Creams for application to
mucus membranes such as those of the rectum or
vagina are also used. Creams may be considered
pharmaceutical products as even cosmetic creams
are based on techniques developed by pharmacy
and unmedicated creams are highly used in a
variety of skin conditions (dermatoses). The use of
the Fingertip unit concept may be helpful in
guiding how much topical cream is required to
cover different areas. Creams are semisolid dosage
forms containing one or more drug substances
dissolved or dispersed in a suitable base. This term
has traditionally been applied to semisolids that
possess a relatively fluid consistency formulated as
either water-in-oil (e.g., Cold Cream) or oil-in-
water (e.g., Fluocinolone Acetonide Cream)
emulsions.
However, more recently the term has been
restricted to products consisting of oil-in-water
emulsions or aqueous microcrystalline dispersions
of long-chain fatty acids or alcohols that are water
washable and more cosmetically and aesthetically
acceptable. Creams can be used for administering
Vaginal Cream). Creams are used to help sun
burns. Cold cream is useful for keeping your skin
moisturized all time, especially during the winters.
Here are a few good recipes for making cold cream
at home. With the arrival of winter season, skin
problems gain prominence. Your skin becomes dry
and moisture deprived. It stretches and then faint
lines of crack develop over lips and cheeks. If
proper care is not taken, these cracks may further
become red. Application of cold cream avoids
aggravation of skin problems during the cold
season. A plethora of cold creams are seen flooding
the market and you may be confused as to what to
pick for your skin. Making a cold cream at home
with pure natural ingredients is a very effective
remedy for the skin problems.
The credit for discovering cold cream goes to
Galen, a Greek doctor who developed the
formulation of cold cream in the second century.
He prepared an emulsion water and beeswax along
with rose petals. These were the key moisturizer
ingredients of the cold cream formulated by him.
This skin cream was popularly known as Galen's
cream. Cold creams not only moisturize the skin
but are also used for removing makeup and

*Corresponding Author Address: Mr. Tanesh Sahu, M. Pharm, Research Scholar, SRIP, Kumhari, Durg, India;
Email – beenagidwani@gmail.com
 Sahu et al., J Pharm Biol Sci 2016; 4(5): 149-154
temporary tattoo marks. The cream is rubbed on
tattoo marks and then erased with a cotton ball.
Cold cream uses are also associated with
preparation of facial paints for kids. .(kavitha et
al,2003)[23]
TOPICAL DRUG DELIVERY
Over the last decades the treatment of illness have
been accomplished by administrating drugs to
human body via various roots namely oral,
sublingual ,rectal ,parental ,topical ,inhalation etc.
Topical delivery can be defined as the application
of a drug containing formulation to the skin to
directly treat cutaneous disorder or the cutaneous
manifestations of a general disease (eg:‐psoriasis)
with the intent of containing the pharmacological
or the effect of drug to the surface of the skin or
within the skin semi‐solid formulations in all their
diversity dominate the system for topical delivery ,
but foams, spray , medicated powders, solutions
and even medicated adhesive systems are in use.
(kavitha et al, 2003)[21]
Advantages
• Avoidance of first pass metabolism.
• Convenient and easy to apply.
• Avoid of risk.
• Inconveniences of intravenous therapy and of the
varied conditions of absorption like Ph changes
presence of enzymes gastric emptying time etc.
• Achievement of efficacy with lower total daily
dosage of drug by continuous drug input.
• Avoid fluctuation of drug levels inter‐and intra-
patent variations.( Surver et al, 2002).
Disadvantages
• Skin irritation of contact dermatitis may occur
due to the drug and / excipients
• Poor permeability of some drugs through the skin
• Possibility of allergic reactions
• Can be used only for drugs which require very
small plasma concentration for action
• Enzyme in epidermis may denature the drugs
• Drugs of larger particle size not easy to absorb
through the skin.(Mishr et al,1990)
Skin creams:- Creams are those emulsions which
are either oil in-water or water in-oil type.
Depending upon the main ingredients and purpose
of these formulation, they can be broadly classified
as:-
Types of skin creams:-
Make-up Creams (o/w emulsions)
i) Vanishing Creams
ii) Foundation Creams
Cleansing creams (w/o emulsions)
Creams for winter (w/o emulsions)
i) Cold creams
150
Creams for dry skin
i) Moisturizing creams
All purpose creams
Night creams
Skin protective and hand creams
Ingredients used in skin cream:- A discussion of
basic raw material in the manufacture of skin
creams Is made here. This include water, petroleum
oil, vegetable oils, fats as well as their derivatives,
humectants and emulsifying agent.
Water: One of the most widely used raw materials
in the manufacture of cream is water. In cosmetics
water is used as solvent for many ingredients of
cosmetics. Water should be either deionised or
distilled, if it has to be incorporated in cream
formulations. Water is cheapest ingredient in
creams, so it is good judgement to use purest water.
Oil, fates and waxes: Oil, fats and waxes and
derivatives there form comprise an essential
portion of creams. Oil may be two types’ mineral
and glyceride
Mineral oil:- Mineral oil consist of hydrocarbons
derived from petroleum oil. A number of mineral
oils are used in cream formulation.
Examples:
o Light liquid paraffin
o Heavy liquid paraffin
Glyceride oil:- glyceride oil is mostly vegetable
oils. Examples of glyceride oils are almond oil,
arachis oil, castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil etc.
Fats:- A variety of fatty materials are used in
cream preparations. These materials may be from
vegetable, animal or mineral origin. Glyceride oils
and fats may be of animals or vegetable origin.
They consist of combinations of higher fatty acids
and glycerin. When saponified they form soap, or
fatty acid and glycerin, depending upon process
used. The most common of these fatty acid are
lauric, margaric, plamitic, stearic, saturated group.
Oleic acid is liquid and most popular unsaturated
fatty acid. More specially the oil most commonly
used in other cosmetics are olive oil, almond oil,
seasame oil, peanut oil, coca butter fat, mutton
tallow, lard and beef stearine.
Waxes:- Waxes used in creams and other
cosmetics include beeswax, carnauba wax, ceresin,
ozokerite japan wax and spermaceti. Of these
beeswax and spermaceti are of animal origin, while
carnauba, candelila and japan wax are from
vegetable kingdom. Montan a vegetable wax and
ozokerite a mineral wax, are both derived from
lignite of these waxes. Beeswax, cerecin and
spermaceti most important for cosmetics.
 Sahu et al., J Pharm Biol Sci 2016; 4(5): 149-154
Lanolin:- Lanolin is derived from wool fat. The
anhydrous grade is free from water. The hydrous
lanoline contain between 25% and 30% water.
Anhydrous lanolin has melting point of 380C to
420C and a slight odour.
Glycol:- Those used in cosmetics consist mainly of
ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and propylene
glycol. Glycol are dihydric alcohols lying halfway
between ethanol and glycerol. There are number of
glycol available.
Colours: Colouring agents is infact, a generic term
for any colour imparting substances. Most of
natural colours have been replaced by coaltar
colours so for as cosmetics is concerned. A few of
the natural colours might still to be used. Examples
of natural Colours used in cosmetics are saffron,
chlorophyll, cochineal.
Emollients: Emollients, also commonly referred to
as moisturizers, are products that help to soften
skin or to treat skin that has become dry. Most
emollients are forms of oil or grease, such as
mineral oil, squalene, and lanolin. They work by
increasing the ability of the skin to hold water,
providing the skin with a layer of oil to prevent
water loss, and lubricating the skin
EMULSIFYING AGENT
Inorganic solid: Inorganic solid which forms
emulsion include bentonite, colloidal, kaolin,
hydrated lime or magnesia and other clay, when
dispersed with water, their colloidal properties
permit the formation of emulsion in water.
Gums and protines: Gums and proteins are used
as emulsifying agent include gum tragacanth,
karaya gum, gum Arabic, agar- agar, irish moss,
alginate pectins, saponins, gelatin, casine, methyl
cellulose and egg albumin.
Wetting Agent: Wetting agent are basically a type
of surface active agents. Among them are include
soap, sulfonated oils, fatty alcohols sulfates,
sulfated fatty esters and amides, Secondary alcohol
sulfates and aryl alkyl sulfates. Quaternary
ammonium compound are series of wetting agents
which also exhibit high germicidal and fungicidal
properties.wetting agent have two common
properties of lowering surface tension, being un-
influenced by hard water forming considerable
foam with water and other solvents, possessing
considerable solvent action and aiding in formation
of emulsions.
Humectants: Humectants (or moisturizers) are
important cosmetic ingredients allowing to prevent
loss of moisture thereby retaining the skin's natural
moisture. Some compounds also have the ability to
151
actively attract moisture. Humectants are key
ingredients in most skin care products but are also
often used in hair care products to volumize the
hair by attracting moisture which expands the hair
shaft. There is a large variety of very different
compounds providing moisturzing effects including
proteins, acids, polysaccharides, and various small
molecules (e.g. glycerine, sorbitol, urea, aloe
vera,olive oil, honey, babassu oil, grap seed oil,
avocado oil, etc).
Perfumes: Perfume is a substance that imparts a
scent or order, including a sweet and pleasant
smell. Examples of natural perfumes used in
creams are-
o White Blossoms:
o Rosy Dreams
o Orange Blossom
Some functional raw materials: There are some
materials which are incorporated in semisolid
preparations for their specified functions and are
used in variety of semisolid preparation. These
materials are given below.
Vitamins:- Vitamins play an important role in
maintaining the physiologoical function of whole
body. They also help us maintaining physiological
fuction of skin. Vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C,
vitamin E, nicotinamide, biotin etc. are generally
used in formulations of creams.
Amino acids:- Amino acids are effective in
helping recovery of dry and rough skin by
moisturizing the epidermis system.There are
several amino acids, but there are certain amino
acids with which the body must be supplied such
amino acids are called essential amino acids .
Essential amino acids includes histidine, arginine,
tryptophan, methionine, etc.
Anti –inflammatory agents:- The term anti-
inflammatory refers to something that reduces, or is
against, inflammation. Examples of natural
Vitamins used in creams are green tea, turmeric,
white willow, boswellia, cade oil etc.
HERBAL OR PLANT MATERIALS
Human beings have been using herbs (plants) for
different purposes like food, medicine,
beatifying.In good old days many herbal and
natural materials used to be employed for beauty
treatment. Gradually with the advancement of
science, readymade cosmetic preparations came
into existence. Today variety of chemical
substances of different origins are used in
cosmetics There is resurgence of use of herbal
ingredients in creams.(Mithal et al,2003)[28]
HISTORY OF COLD CREAM
The invention of cold cream is credited to Galen, a
physician in second century Greece. GALEN, the
 Sahu et al., J Pharm Biol Sci 2016; 4(5): 149-154
celebrated physician of Pergamus, in Asia, but who
distinguished himself at Athens, Alexandria, and
Rome was the inventor of that particular unguent, a
mixture of grease and water, which is now
distinguished as cold cream in perfumery, and as
Ceratum Galeni in pharmacy George William
Septimus Piesse (1857), Take of white wax four
ounces, oyl of roses omphacine a pound; melt in a
double vessel, then powr it out into another, by
degrees putting in cold water, and often powring it
out of one vessel into another, stirring it till it be
white ; last of all wash it in rose water, adding a
little rose water and rose vineger. Nicholas
Culpeper (1650).
Galen's cold cream was based on beeswax and
water, also containing olive oil and rose petals for
softness and scent, respectively. Significant
differences in formula were established centuries
ago. Spermaceti from whales was utilized as far
back as 1780, contributing to the severe hunting of
these animals. This 1857 account relates:
The modern formula for cold cream is, however,
quite a different thing to that given in the works of
Galen, in point of odour and quality, although
substantially the same--grease and water. In
perfumery there are several kinds of cold cream,
distinguished by their odour, such as that of
camphor, almond, violet, roses.
FORMULATION OF COLD CREAM
With the arrival of winter season, skin problems
gain prominence. Your skin becomes dry and
moisture deprived. It stretches and then faint lines
of crack develop over lips and cheeks. If proper
care is not taken, these cracks may further become
red. Application of cold cream avoids aggravation
of skin problems during the cold season. A plethora
of cold creams are seen flooding the market and
you may be confused as to what to pick for your
skin. Making a cold cream at home with pure
natural ingredients is a very effective remedy for
the skin problems occurring during winter season.
Here are some recipes for making a cold cream at
home.
The credit for discovering cold cream goes to
Galen, a Greek doctor who developed the
formulation of cold cream in the second century.
He prepared an emulsion water and beeswax along
with rose petals. These were the key moisturizer
ingredients of the cold cream formulated by him.
This skin cream was popularly known as Galen's
cream. Cold creams not only moisturize the skin
but are also used for removing makeup and
temporary tattoo marks. The cream is rubbed on
tattoo marks and then erased with a cotton ball.
Cold cream uses are also associated with
preparation of facial paints for kids.
152
METHODS FOR PREPARATION OF COLD
CREAM
Cold cream is an emulsion of water and certain
fats, usually including beeswax and various scent
agents, designed to smooth skin and remove
makeup. The name derives from the cooling feeling
that the cream leaves on the skin. Variations of the
product have been used for nearly two-thousand
years. Cold cream is an emulsion of fats and water
which can be used to clean and soften the skin.
Traditionally, cold cream has been used to remove
makeup gently at the end of the day, and it can also
be used to soften tough skin on the knees and
elbows, or to keep skin protected from harsh winter
weather.
The concept of cold cream is quite ancient. Credit
for the invention is usually given to Galen, a
second century Greek physician who developed an
emulsion of beeswax, oil, rose petals, and water.
The cream was designed to moisturize and
condition the face, and to help remove the harsh
makeup of the period. In some
regions, cold cream is called “cream of Galen” or
“Galen's cream” in a reference to this; the “cold”
in cold cream comes from the cool, refreshing
feeling that it leaves behind. There are several ways
to use cold cream. To remove makeup, a thin layer
is spread on the face, allowed to sit for a moment,
and then wiped off. Tissues or washcloths can be
used to remove the cold cream. The moisturizing
agents in the cream will condition the face and help
it recover from harsh beauty products. (K.lwasa et
al,1998)
Types of cold creams:-
Organic Cold Cream: Products is the first step in
deciding the best cold cream for you. If you want
complete control over the cold cream that you use
on your skin, you can make your own based on
numerous available recipes. Understanding what
sets cold cream apart from other facial. People also
can make the substance at home using a few
common cold cream ingredients. This beauty
product has several variations, but typical
cold cream ingredients include mineral oil, borax,
beeswax and essential oils. (Chung et al,1999)
Natural Cold Cream: People also can make the
substance at home using a few
common cold cream ingredients. This beauty
product has several variations, but typical
cold cream ingredients include mineral oil, borax,
beeswax and essential oils .The cleanser’s oil
combines with facial oils, loosening them so they
will wipe off while allowing the skin to retain
its natural moisture.
 Sahu et al., J Pharm Biol Sci 2016; 4(5): 149-154
Most commercial cold creams are naturally
hypoallergenic, nonirritating, and are appropriate
for every skin type. (Chung et al,1999) Procedure
Heat first four materials (A) and next three
General procedure of manufacturing: materials (B) separately in glass containers at about
As this preparations are emulsion type, the total 750C. Add the second mixture to the first mixture
ingredients can be classified in to oil phase and slowly with continuous stirring until the thick
aqueous phase. Ingredients of oil phase and stable emulsion is formed. Add perfume when the
aqueous phase. Ingredients of oil phase should be temperature fallen to about 350C. stir again mill
taken in increasing melting point. The materials of and store in suitable container. (Methal, 1994)
least melting point should be taken in increasing
melting point. The materials of least melting point EVALUATION PARAMETERS OF COLD
should be taken and melt it. Add the other oil or CREAM:-
wax gradually in increasing melting point and melt 1. Determination of pH
them with continuous stirring. Take separately the 2. Primary skin irritation test:
ingredients of aqueous phase and mix them and 3. Visual appearance
heat to same temperature as oil phase. Emulsifying 4. Viscosity in cps v/s shear rate in sec-1.
agent be added to specific phase. Mix the two 5. Spreadability
phase with continuous stirring until a smooth cream 6. Stability studies
is formed Finally the Product can be milled by 7. Reheological studies
triple roller mill. Preservative should be dissolved 8. Thermal behavior
in the water before making cream. Perfume should 9. Saponification value
be added after the primary cream is formed and 10. Acid value
cooled but before final milling.(Mithal et
al,2003)[28] CONCLUSION

FORMULA FOR COLD CREAM Creams are semisolid formulations widely

General formula used for preparation of 100 gm. acceptable by the society. The formulations should
Base cream is given below in table:- be subjected to stability study as per I.P. guidelines
Name of ingredients Quantity for 100 gm for the period of minimum one month. Creams are
Beeswax 8.0 gm meant for wider applications in the skin like
Mineral oil 49.0gm beautification, regeneration, treatment and
Paraffin wax 7.0 gm maintenance. The use and type of cream depends
Cetyl alcohol 1.0 gm on the need of person. Now - a day’s herbal creams
Borax 0.4 gm are more acceptable as compared to synthetic
Water 34.6 gm marketed products. In future, herbal based creams
Preservative q.s. will acquire the entire market.
Perfume q.s.

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