Microbiological Quality and Characterization of Potential Pathogens Associated with Selected Brands of Commercial Cosmetic Products in Nigeria

Aims: Seemingly innocuous commercial cosmetic products have been responsible for serious overt and covert skin infections, which were often ignored as the sources or vehicles of transmission of pathogens.

Materials and Methods: Three (3) popular brands of commercial cosmetic products, consisting of fifteen (15) units each, of Hair straighteners, “Lip Gloss” and baby lotions, were randomly purchased from retail stores in Southwest Nigeria, and the microbiological qualities were evaluated, using the Aerobic plate count technique.

Results: From the forty five (45) samples analyzed, thirty-eight (84%) were contaminated, from which a total number of seventy (70) microbial isolates belonging to eleven (11) bacteria genera (comprising 7 Gram positive rods, 27 Gram negative rods and 10 Gram positive cocci) and nine (9) fungal genera, were isolated. Of the bacteria isolates, 50% of the Gram negatives and 52.9% of the Gram positives were multidrug resistant. The bacteria and fungal diversity in the baby lotion exceeded the hair relaxer and the Lip gloss, respectively.

Conclusion: The isolation of Buttiauxella agrestis, which had not been previously reported, in addition to Enterobacter gergoviae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus flavus, Penicilliumspp and Candida albicans (designated as objectionable microorganisms in cosmetics) indicated failures in the statutory microbiological standards. As such the products could serve as vehicles for transmission of these pathogens.