ASSESSMENT OF THE MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF HERBAL HAIR COLORS IN YAZD, IRAN

Background and Aim:Hair is protective appendages on the body. Use of herbal hair colors are perceived to be safe and without side effects. However, one of the major problems faced by formulators using herbal material in personal care products is the high risk of microbial contamination. This study aimed to investigate the microbiological load in herbal hair colors marketed in YazdMethods:total of 32 samples consist of several types of herbal hair colors from Yazd were collected. Total count and the presence of pathogenic microorganism E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were analyzed by standard methods.Results:the contamination level of herbal hair colors to Escherichia coli (97%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (78%), Staphylococcus aureus and Total count (56%) were contaminated higher than standard level of Iranian national standards protocols.Conclusion:Results revealed that the prevalence of microbial contamination is heavily high in herbal hair. Therefore it is important to take precautions during production process in order to prevent infections due to microbial contamination