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Volume 12
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10.3390/cosmetics12060288
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

High-Limonene Orange Peel Essential Oil as a Natural Antibacterial Agent in Hand Sanitizer Gels

by
Marcos A. Coronado
1,
José R. Ayala
1,*,
Beatriz E. Jaramillo-Colorado
2,
Daniela G. Montes
1,
Ernesto Beltrán-Partida
1,
Benjamín A. Rojano
3,
Andrés Felipe Alzate-Arbeláez
3 and
Ana M. Vázquez
4
1
Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21100, Baja California, Mexico
2
Grupo de Investigación, Facultad de Química, Campus San Pablo, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena 130014, Bolívar, Colombia
3
Laboratorio de Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias, Sede Medellín, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Calle 59 no. 63-20, Medellín 050034, Antioquia, Colombia
4
Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas, Sociales e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Guadalupe Victoria 21100, Baja California, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cosmetics 2025, 12(6), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics12060288
Submission received: 14 November 2025 / Revised: 10 December 2025 / Accepted: 14 December 2025 / Published: 18 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fine Chemicals from Natural Sources with Potential Application in the Cosmetic/Pharmaceutical Industry—Volume 2)
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Abstract

Orange peel waste has potential to be valorized from agro-industrial and food sectors to formulate products for personal hygiene and public health. This study presents the formulation of alcohol-based antibacterial gels incorporating essential oils extracted from Citrus sinensis orange peel waste and its sensory evaluation among 770 participants in a holistic approach. The orange essential oil, obtained via hydrodistillation, demonstrated a high limonene content of 96.5% by GC-MS. Antibacterial activity assessed by agar diffusion assays showed orange essential oil efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition zones of 25.9 mm and 23.62 mm, respectively. Two gel prototypes, GSA and GSB, were developed and sensorily evaluated. GSA was preferred for its superior appearance, spreadability, absorption, and smell, with 99% acceptability. Appearance and spread sensory parameters were the differentiators between both formulations according to user preferences. Thus, 93% of respondents are willing to use either GSA or GSB as a daily hygiene product over commercial ones. Although the gels exhibited reduced antibacterial activity relative to essential oil, with inhibition zones measuring 8.3 mm for E. coli and 9.0 mm for S. aureus, they retained satisfactory user acceptability. These findings support the use of citrus biowaste-derived essential oils in sustainable personal hygiene products.
Keywords: biomass valorization; Citrus sinensis; essential oil extraction; sensorial test biomass valorization; Citrus sinensis; essential oil extraction; sensorial test
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MDPI and ACS Style

Coronado, M.A.; Ayala, J.R.; Jaramillo-Colorado, B.E.; Montes, D.G.; Beltrán-Partida, E.; Rojano, B.A.; Alzate-Arbeláez, A.F.; Vázquez, A.M. High-Limonene Orange Peel Essential Oil as a Natural Antibacterial Agent in Hand Sanitizer Gels. Cosmetics 2025, 12, 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics12060288

AMA Style

Coronado MA, Ayala JR, Jaramillo-Colorado BE, Montes DG, Beltrán-Partida E, Rojano BA, Alzate-Arbeláez AF, Vázquez AM. High-Limonene Orange Peel Essential Oil as a Natural Antibacterial Agent in Hand Sanitizer Gels. Cosmetics. 2025; 12(6):288. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics12060288

Chicago/Turabian Style

Coronado, Marcos A., José R. Ayala, Beatriz E. Jaramillo-Colorado, Daniela G. Montes, Ernesto Beltrán-Partida, Benjamín A. Rojano, Andrés Felipe Alzate-Arbeláez, and Ana M. Vázquez. 2025. "High-Limonene Orange Peel Essential Oil as a Natural Antibacterial Agent in Hand Sanitizer Gels" Cosmetics 12, no. 6: 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics12060288

APA Style

Coronado, M. A., Ayala, J. R., Jaramillo-Colorado, B. E., Montes, D. G., Beltrán-Partida, E., Rojano, B. A., Alzate-Arbeláez, A. F., & Vázquez, A. M. (2025). High-Limonene Orange Peel Essential Oil as a Natural Antibacterial Agent in Hand Sanitizer Gels. Cosmetics, 12(6), 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics12060288

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