Purple sweet potato leaves become a workable skin gel base
Medicinal Plants
The purple sweet potato vine trailing over your garden bed isn't just a root crop, its leaves carry antioxidant compounds that scientists are now packaging into skin-care gels instead of tossing them in the compost.
Purple sweet potato leaves contain natural compounds that can fight inflammation and oxidation, so scientists tried turning them into a smooth gel you could rub on skin, like a medicated lotion. By adjusting the amount of two texture-control ingredients, a thickener and a moisture-helper, they found a recipe that made the gel spread evenly, stick well, and match the skin's natural pH. It's an early step toward turning a leafy garden scrap into a usable skin treatment.
Key Findings
Five emulgel formulas with varying HPMC (gelling agent) and propylene glycol (cosolvent) levels all achieved good homogeneity, brown color, and oil-in-water emulsion structure.
pH ranged from 5.10 to 5.40 (matching healthy skin pH), viscosity from 633 to 1,776 cPs, spreadability from 5.5 to 6.8 cm, and adhesion from 4.48 to 6.34 seconds across formulas.
Formula F5 had the most favorable overall physical properties, showing that gelling agent and cosolvent ratios significantly affect the gel's usability for topical application.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers turned purple sweet potato leaf extract, rich in antioxidant compounds, into a stable skin gel by tweaking two ingredients, finding one formula struck the best balance of texture, spreadability, and stickiness for topical use.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Formulasi Emulgel Ekstrak Daun Ubi Jalar Ungu (Ipomoea Batatas (L.) Poiret) dengan Variasi Gelling Agent dan Cosolvent
Purple sweet potato leaves (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Poiret) contain various bioactive compounds, including phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which have potential for development as natural active ingr...
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