Researchers at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, used rubber seed oil to create a makeup remover that cleanses the skin thoroughly and moisturizes the skin naturally. The method is invented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanaporn Amnuaikit, Head of Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Asst. Prof. Dr. Sirirat Pinsuwan, and Mr. Panithi Raknam, a Ph.D. student. The innovation was awarded the gold medal at the Seoul International Invention Fair 2017 in South Korea, and the product has a patent pending (#1703000996).
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanaporn Amnuaikit described the seeds as brownish-white, like castor seeds, with a 35-45 percent oil content. In general, the oil from the seeds contains saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids.
The research team has noted that the oil extracted from rubber seeds has the potential to be developed as a cosmetic cleaning product. The focus is on choosing the right surfactant and physical attributes, and then the stability and performance of the cleaning will be evaluated. To extract oil from rubber seeds, the research team used local rubber trees. It was found that rubber trees in the south yield higher oil content than other part of Thailand.
The innovation already caught the attention of the private sector, opening the possibility to develop and distribute the product to consumers.
