FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF A POLYHERBAL AYURVEDIC HAIR REGROWTH OIL CONTAINING BHRINGRAJ, AMLA, BRAHMI, HIBISCUS AND FENUGREEK

Hair loss is a common cosmetic and dermatological concern affecting individuals of all age groups. The increasing prevalence of hair fall associated with stress, environmental pollution, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalance, and unhealthy lifestyle practices has led to a growing interest in herbal alternatives for hair care. The present study was aimed at formulating and evaluating a polyherbal Ayurvedic hair regrowth oil containing extracts of Bhringraj (Eclipta alba), Amla (Emblica officinalis), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). Three formulations (F1, F2, and F3) were developed using coconut oil and castor oil as carrier oils and evaluated for various physicochemical parameters including organoleptic characteristics, pH, viscosity, specific gravity, acid value, stability, and hair growth-promoting activity. The prepared formulations exhibited satisfactory physicochemical properties with acceptable appearance, viscosity, and stability profiles. Among all formulations, F2 demonstrated optimum characteristics with a pH of 6.6 ± 0.05, viscosity of 1280 ± 15 cP, and good storage stability under accelerated conditions. Hair growth studies performed on albino rats revealed significant enhancement in hair growth initiation and hair length compared with the untreated control group. The optimized formulation showed hair growth activity comparable to the standard treatment group. The observed activity may be attributed to the synergistic effects of phytoconstituents present in the selected medicinal plants, including flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins, and antioxidants. The findings suggest that the developed polyherbal hair oil is a promising natural formulation for promoting hair growth, improving scalp health, and reducing hair fall. Further clinical investigations are recommended to establish its efficacy and safety in human subjects.