Cellulose for Future Materials and Technologies Special Research Unit, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Road Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Title: Cellulose Nanofibrils Derived from Coffee Pulp as a Sustainable Moisturizing Agent in Skincare Formulations
Arachaporn Wannaro1 and Prakit Sukyai1, 2
1Cellulose for Future Materials and Technologies Special Research Unit, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Road Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
2Center for Advanced Studies of Agriculture and Food, Kasetsart University Institute for Advanced Studies, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Sustainability and consumer safety have become key drivers of change within the skincare industry, particularly due to growing concerns about synthetic ingredients that may persist in the environment and potentially cause irritation. As consumers increasingly seek natural and eco-friendly alternatives, there is a rising demand for renewable materials capable of replacing petroleum-derived compounds in skincare formulations. In response to this shift, this study proposes the utilization of coffee pulp, an agricultural byproduct of the coffee industry, as a sustainable raw material to producing cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). CNFs possess excellent water and film formimg abilities, thereby demonstrating strong potential as a natural moisturizing agent in moisturizer formulations to replace synthetic moisturizing agents in skincare products.Chemical composition analysis of the coffee pulp revealed cellulose and hemicellulose contents of 16.28% and 27.83% respectively. Following extraction using 4% sodium hydroxide and 1.4% sodium chlorite for five cycles, the resulting cellulose exhibited high purity and a whiteness index of 88.84% making it suitable for skincare applications without affecting product coloration. Additionally, the extracted cellulose showed a crystallinity index of 51.45%.In the moisturizer formulations, 2 % CNFs were incorporated to replace dimethicone, a commonly used synthetic moisturizing agent, at ratios of 3:0, 2:1, 1:2 and 0:3. All formulations demonstrated pseudoplastic flow behavior, improving spreadability and contributing to a pleasant skin feel during application. Furthermore, their moisturizing performance was comparable to the full-dimethicone control. These findings confirm that CNFs can function effectively as a natural, sustainable moisturizing agent without compromising product performance, highlighting their potential for use in environmentally responsible skincare formulations.
Biography of the presenting author
Arachaporn Wannaro completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from the Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University at the age of 21. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in the same department, focusing on research related to the extraction and application of cellulose.
Presenting author details
Full name: Arachaporn Wannaro
Contact number: +66986903774
Email: arachaporn.wa@ku.th
Session name/ number: 2. Agricultural Biotechnology
Category: Oral presentation