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Coconut Milk as an Alternative of Cosmetic Material
for Thinning Hyperpigmentation on the Face Skin
Nia Kusstianti1,* Sri Usodoningtyas1
1 Home Economic Department, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya Indonesia
*Corresponding author. Email: niakusstianti@unesa.ac.id
ABSTRACT
Coconut milk is a milk-white liquid and comes from grated coconut meat which is moistened and then squeezed and
filtered. Coconut milk can be used to soften the skin, and can eliminate black spots on the face, because it is rich in
natural fatty acids and contains antiseptics. Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition that is characterized by dark skin
patches caused by an increasing amount of melanin (a skin dye) which is the body substance responsible for the
appearance of skin color (pigment). The objectives of this study are: 1) to provide alternative cosmetics to thin out
hyperpigmentation on facial skin, 2) determine the negative reaction caused by coconut milk in the process of thinning
hyperpigmentation of face skin. This type of research is experimental research. The assessment criteria used consist of
a skin color chart to measure hyperpigmentation thinning, whether irritations arise, changes in face skin conditions and
other complaints during treatment. The results of an experiment involving 5 people as research samples with 12 times
the use of coconut milk obtained results showed that all subjects experienced depletion but each thinning subject varied
according to the hyperpigmentation color chart. Coconut milk is proven to be used as an alternative cosmetic ingredient
to thin out hyperpigmentation on face skin.
Keywords: Coconut Milk, Hyperpigmentation
1. INTRODUCTION
Beauty is synonymous with women. Beauty can come
from within (inner beauty), which is to have good morals
and personality as well as being smart. While beauty
from the outside is having a beautiful and pleasing face.
A woman can be said to have a beautiful face not only
from heredity, but must also be supported by healthy,
clean and well-maintained skin. If there is a woman who
has a beautiful face but is not supported by healthy skin,
then her beauty will not be seen and there may be a crisis
of confidence in her life.
Healthy skin is skin that is slightly moisturized, soft
and smooth, flexible (supple), has a slight acid reaction
and is free from all kinds of skin diseases and disorders
[1]. The part of the skin that requires extra attention and
care is the face skin. This is because the face is the center
of attention of the whole body. If the face skin has only a
few problems (for example; blackheads, acne,
hyperpigmentation or other skin problems), then all
means will be done to eliminate the problem.
Face skin problems that are often experienced by
most women are acne and pigmentation. There are
various factors that can cause acne, including: hormone
levels (usually occurs in women), which is 2-7 days
before menstruation, during pregnancy and when starting
or stopping birth control pills.
Acne can also arise due to heredity, emotional stress,
friction or scrubbing that is too hard, pressure on a
helmet, backpack and shirt collars that are too tight.
Environmental irritants such as pollution and high
humidity can also trigger acne breakouts. In addition,
acne can arise due to using make up that is too thick and
oily, massaging or pulling out acne scars and the
influence of certain drugs including androgens, lithium
and barbiturates.
Many factors can cause acne, but there are also many
ways to overcome or cure it. There are various kinds of
drugs or cosmetics that are sold in the market to treat
acne. Ranging from expensive to cheap, modern to those
using traditional ingredients.
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International Joint Conference on Science and Engineering (IJCSE 2020)
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Skin that has pigmentation problems it is very
difficult to heal and get rid of. Pigmented skin is a skin
condition that has undergone changes resulting in uneven
skin color in the form of patches or spots that are not the
same as the original skin color. The skin spots occur
because of the disruption of the melanocyte cells in
forming a skin color substance called melanin or
pigment. Melanocyte cell disorders can be in the form of
failure or failure to produce melanin or pigment, resulting
in white spots known as hypopigmentation. Meanwhile,
the disruption of melanocyte cells which overproduce
melanin or pigment but not evenly so that brown, blue,
red, or black spots occur is called hyperpigmentation.
There are numerous causes of diffuse hyperpigmentation.
The most common include metabolic causes and
medications [2].
Hyperpigmentation is very difficult to cure or get rid
of. This is due to a lack of knowledge about
hyperpigmentation from the sufferer itself, how to
prevent and how to overcome it. Another thing is also due
to the limited amount of cosmetics that are sold in the
market to eliminate hyperpigmentation, and even though
there are still very high prices. Therefore, researchers are
interested in examining alternative cosmetic materials
that are cheap, easy to obtain and safe.
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) has been describe as the
most important andextensively grown palm tree
worldwide [3]. Coconut is known for its many benefits.
You name it, the logs can be used for house building
materials, the leaves can be used to make ketupat, then
the leaf bones are used for a broom stick. The fruit is
delicious made of coconut ice or nata de coco. If
squeezed, it can produce coconut milk which makes
dishes delicious.
Basically, coconut milk is an oil ‐in ‐water
emulsion, stabilized by some proteins existing in the
aqueous phase. [4]. The main component of coconut milk
is coconut oil, it account for 38% by weight. Coconut oil
is naturally saturated, about 92% consists of saturated
fatty acids., mainly are medium chain fatty acids
(MCFA). About 50 % offatty acid in coconut oil is lauric
(CI), for this reason, it is called the "lauric oil" [5].
Figure 1 Santan
It turns out that not only as a food delicacy, coconut
milk can also be used for cosmetics. Coconut milk can be
used as an external medicine, namely to clean dirt and oil
that sticks to the skin. Coconut milk can also be used to
soften and smooth the skin, and can get rid of black spots
on the face, because coconut milk is rich in natural fatty
acids that contain antiseptics. The many medicinal
applications of coconut include its use as an antiseptic,
astringent, bactericidal, diuretic agent, etc [6] So it is not
surprising that many cosmetic products on the market use
coconut milk as one of the ingredients.
Considering the many benefits of coconut milk for
skin beauty, this research will try out coconut milk as an
alternative cosmetic ingredient to thin the
hyperpigmentation layer on face face, which is cheap and
easy to obtain. And also because coconut milk comes
from natural ingredients, so its use is safe for face skin.
The objectives of this study were: 1) to provide
alternative cosmetic ingredients to reduce
hyperpigmentation on face skin, 2) to determine the
negative reactions caused by coconut milk in the process
of thinning facial skin hyperpigmentation. The benefit of
research is to develop the potential of natural resources
as an alternative treatment, in this case coconut milk,
which can dilute the hyperpigmentation of faceskin, add
to the knowledge of makeup students, lecturers and the
general public, reduce the risk of negative effects of
chemicals in cosmetics modern.
2. METHOD
This type of research is experimental research. The
experiment was carried out by starting with conducting
laboratory tests to determine the content of coconut milk
which affects the hyperpigmentation thinning process of
face skin, then an experiment was carried out on facial
skin which has a melasma type hyperpigmentation
problem.
Figure 2 Melasma Hyperpigmentation
The research subjects here were women aged 25-40
years who had hyperpigmentation problems on their face
skin, in this case the melasma type. The samples taken
were 5 people because they were considered sufficiently
representative of 5 types of human skin, namely normal
skin, dry skin, oily skin, combination skin (oily T areas
only) and sensitive skin.
The way to use coconut milk to thin
hyperpigmentation on face skin is to apply it directly to
the problematic face using a cotton ball and let it stand
for 1 hour. After that, lift the coconut milk again with a
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cotton ball that was previously wet with warm water.
This experiment was carried out for 12 treatments or for
a month. The discoloration of hyperpigmentation on face
skin was measured using a color chart.
Figure 3 Color chart
To determine the progression of thinning
hyperpigmentation on facial skin, test results data on
facial skin conditions once a week or three treatments
were analyzed in the form of exposure. Then the data
from the trials as a whole or 12 treatments were analyzed
again in the form of exposure to find out whether coconut
milk proved poitive to dilute hyperpigmentation on facial
skin.
Assessment of the results of trials on research
subjects was carried out using research instruments with
the following assessment criteria: skin color chart (to
measure the thinning of hyperpigmentation, whether
irritation occurs, changes in facial skin conditions, other
complaints during treatment.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1. Early Week (before treatment)
The initial condition before treatment, the color of the
hyperpigmentation of each subject was different. And the
condition of facial skin is normal, meaning there are no
complaints. Subjects 1, 3, and 5 have hyperpigmented
color which occupies color chart number 7, while
subjects 2 and 4 have hyperpigmentation occupies color
chart number 8.
3.2. First Week (after treatment)
After 3 treatments or a week after treatment, none of
the subjects experienced a significant hyperpigmentation
color change, meaning that they still occupy the color
chart like the initial week. Likewise with irritation, none
of the subjects experienced irritation. For changes in skin
conditions after 3 treatments, all subjects felt their skin
getting smoother. For other complaints during treatment,
subjects 1, 2, and 5 felt itching on their skin. But when
the treatment is finished, the skin condition returns to
normal meaning it doesn't itch anymore.
3.3. Second Week
After 6 times treatment or two weeks after treatment,
subjects 1 and 3 did not experience a change in color
hyperpigmentation. Whereas subjects 2 and 4
experienced a color change in hyperpigmentation,
namely occupying color chart number 7. Likewise with
subject 5, experiencing a color change in
hyperpigmentation, namely occupying color chart
number 6. For irritation, none of the subjects experienced
irritation. Changes in facial skin condition after 6
treatments, all subjects felt their skin getting smoother
and supple. For other complaints during treatment,
subjects 1, 3 and 4 felt itching on their facial skin. While
subjects 2 and 5 besides feeling itchy skin on their faces,
they also felt red.
3.4. Third Week
After 9 treatments, subject 1 did not experience a
significant change in color hyperpigmentation. Subjects
2, 3 and 5 experienced a hyperpigmented color change,
namely occupying color chart number 5, while subject 4
occupying color chart no.6. After the third week of this
treatment, none of the subjects also experienced
irritation. The skin changes experienced are the skin
becoming smoother and more supple. For other
complaints during treatment, subjects 1 and 3 felt itching
on their facial skin, while subjects 2, 4, and 5 felt
itchiness, they also felt red.
3.5. The Fourth Week
After 12 treatments, finally subject 1 experienced a
hyperpigmented color change occupying color chart No.
6. Subjects 2 and 3 occupied color chart No. 4, subject 4
occupied color chart No. 5 and subject 5 occupied color
chart No. 3. no one was irritated. Skin changes after
treatment are the skin getting smoother and more supple.
Another complaint during use, for subjects 1 and 3 felt
itching skin. While subjects 2, 4 and 5 felt itchy and red
on their skin, but after discontinuation of use the skin
returned to normal.
After 12 treatments of using coconut milk in 5
subjects who had hyperpigmented facial skin problems,
it was found that all subjects experienced thinning
hyperpigmentation on their facial skin, but each subject's
thinning varied, this was influenced by the skin condition
of each subject. According to the hyperpigmented color
chart, the lower the number on the hyperpigmented color
chart, the lighter the hyperpigmented color. And then, the
higher the number on the hyperpigmented color chart, the
darker the hyperpigmented color. The discoloration of
hyperpigmentation before and after using coconut milk
can be seen from the table below:
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Sample
Week
0
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
1
7
7
7
7
6
2
8
8
7
5
4
3
7
7
7
5
4
4
8
8
7
6
5
5
7
7
6
5
3
Table 1. Hyperpigmentation Thinning from Week 0 to
Week 4
Subjek
Before
Using Coconut
Milk
After
Using Coconut
Milk
1
7
6
2
8
4
3
7
4
4
8
5
5
7
3
Table 2. Hyperpigmentation Thinning Result before
and after Using Coconut Milk base on Colour Chart
The results of the thinning process of
hyperpigmentation on facial skin using coconut milk can
be seen from the color chart above, where each subject
experiences a thinning process but the level of thinning
differs according to the skin condition of each subject.
The results of the assessment based on research
instruments, none of the subjects experienced irritation,
this means that coconut milk is safe for the skin. For
instrument results; changes in conditions that occur in
facial skin, all subjects stated that there were changes in
the facial skin, where the facial skin became smoother
and more supple. This is because coconut milk contains
a lot of vegetable fat which can moisturize the skin so that
the skin becomes smooth and supple. For complaints
during use, all subjects felt itchy and red skin. This skin
condition is only temporary during the use of coconut
milk, and will return to normal after the coconut milk is
cleaned from facial skin.
4. CONCLUSION
Coconut milk was proven to be able to attenuate
hyperpigmentation with a significant difference in results
between before treatment and after treatment for one
month (12 treatments). It can only be seen that in the
treatment results in the first week there has been no
change, and in the treatment results in the second week
there are small changes (not significant), the changes
seen in the third week and the fourth week are very
visible.The positive findings of this study are that
coconut milk can smooth facial skin and make face skin
supple.
During the treatment, it must be ensured that the face
skin is clean from cosmetic impurities and dust to
minimize the appearance of other skin problems such as
acne.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to all correspondents who have filled out the
questionnaire properly and honestly from his experience
in maintaining family health conditions amid the covid-
19 pandemic.
REFERENCES
[1] Wahjudi, Windiyati, 2014, “Perawatan Kecantikan dan Kulit,”
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[2] J Clin Aesthet Dermatol, Hyperpigmentation Therapy : A Review,
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2014
Aug;7(8): 13-17
[3] Apala Chaubey, Mahak Sharma, Barkha Bhatnagar. “Effect of
Coconut Water on Measures of Hydration and Physical
Performance in Athletes”. International Journal of Health
Sciences and Reasearch. Vol. 7; Issue; 7; July 2017.
[4] Umesh Patil, Scottawat Benjakul. “Coconut Milk and Coconut Oil
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[5] Suyitno. T, “ Health Benefit of Coconut Milk”. Indonesian food
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[6] Huetter, I. Hair care with depth effects by low molecular proteins.
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