Background: Hair removal often results in pain, skin irritation, and risk of infection. Although techniques like laser and electrolysis are available, they are expensive, time-consuming, and may carry long-term side effects. The present study focuses on developing a herbal pre-care dusting powder to reduce discomfort during hair removal procedures. Aim: Formulation and development of Pre hair removal treatment herbal powder. Methods: The formulation incorporated Arnica montana and menthol as herbal anesthetic agents, kaolin as adsorbent and a talc–rice powder blend as flow enhancer. Preformulation studies (micromeritic and flow properties) were performed for each component. A 3×2 full factorial design was applied to optimize kaolin (X₁) and rice powder (X₂) against angle of repose (R₁), water absorptivity (R₂), and particle size (R₃). The optimized batch underwent in vivo testing for skin irritation (using digital RGB color picker tool) and analgesic activity (hot plate test). Results: Angle of repose, %water absorptivity and particle size for DoE batches was found in the ranges of 25-32°, 58-80% and 37-51µm. The optimized formulation had desired AoR (28.97°), water absorptivity (68.82%) and particle size (42.75 µm). No skin redness and irritation was observed in animal models. Analgesic study model revealed significantly improved latency in paw licking (10.36 ± 0.54 s) and jumping (14.41 ± 0.69 s) compared to the control group (6.97 ± 0.46 s and 10.18 ± 0.31 s; p < 0.05). Discussion: Herbal based optimized formulation demonstrated acceptable pharmaceutical and in vivo performance proving its competence for pre hair removal treatment care. Conclusion: Herbal-based dusting powder can become a promising, safe and natural option for pre-treatment to reduce pain and irritation during hair removal procedures.
Keywords: Herbal formulation, Dusting powder, Analgesic activity, Arnica montana, Factorial design, Skin irritation, Design of experiment.
How to cite this article: Borsadiya SR, Mehta DM, DoE Optimized Herbal Based Cosmetic Formulation for Pre Hair-Removal Treatment. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(1): 119-129. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.1.13