JAKARTA, SAWIT INDONESIA – Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI) has produced body lotion from red olein of palm oil. The Body Lotion extracted from the palm oil is more natural and has high content of nutrition such as carotenoid (pro-vitamin A), vitamin E, and squalene.
Since 2016, IOPRI – we called PPKS in Indonesia – has developed palm oil as active raw material for making lotion. The palm oil is chosen because it has high content of nutrition and vitamin. Lotion is highly demanded by the public. Generally, lotion functions to keep skin moisture and skin nutrition.
Ahmad Gazali Sofwan, a researcher of the (PPKS) said in Medan recently that the idea of researching the lotion was started from a result of research that the nutrition content of palm oil is complex enough as it has high content of carotenoid, vitamine E, ubiquinone, squalene and fitosterol.
“Since 2016 until 2017, PPKS had been researching the derivatives of palm oil, which have been clinically developed for skin. The product is developed from oil palm fruits with certain variety of PPKS that has high content of nutrition and aseptically processed to produce the natural red palm olein,” he said.
Ahmad Gazali explained that the research of lotion made from palm oil involved a number of experts in palm oil processing, including Donald Siahaan of PPKS, and Kasmirul Ramlan Sinaga of pharmacy faculty of North Sumatra University (USU) who is expert on pharmacy and cosmetics.
The lotion was first developed by PPKS with special physical character of the lotion in yellow color, while other lotions produced by other countries only use fatty acid taken from fractionated vegetable oils. What differentiate the lotion made from palm oil and those from non-palm oil? Generally, lotion uses single active material and usually not taken from natural sources. But the lotion from palm oil directly uses the palm oil as active material with high content of nutrition, such as carotenoid (pro-vitamin A), vitamin E, and squalene, which is very good for skin as it has a very strong activity of anti-oxidant.
“Lotion with active material from palm oil is more effective than other lotion products that use single active material. Lotion from palm oil is able to moisturize the skin longer and able to brighten skin faster than other lotion products,” said Ahmad who graduated from pharmacy faculty. (*)