Recovery of Beneficial Compounds from Fruit Waste for Application to Potential Skincare Products

Abstract

Pectin was adopted as a natural ingredient in cosmetic formulations due to its moisturizing, stabilizing, binding, viscosity-controlling, and gel-forming properties. Pectin extracted from fruit peels has the potential to become another environmentally friendly alternative to commercial pectin. This study used pectin extracted from red dragon fruit peels and durian rinds, tropical fruit waste sources, to prepare skincare lotion formulations. Also, betalains recovered from red dragon fruit were applied to those formulas as a colorant and active ingredient. The developed lotions were evaluated for pH, viscosity, spreadability, and stability. Red dragon fruit peel pectin and encapsulated betalains-based formula exhibited suitable properties and indicated antioxidant and antimicrobial activity through tests. The results provided a basis for selecting and designing vegan skincare products based on fruit waste-derived compounds.