RESEARCHER PRODUCES FACE CREAM FROM LATEX

By D. Arul Rajoo

HATYAI, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- In what has been described as a world's first, a
Thai researcher has invented a face cream from natural rubber latex or Hevea
brasiliensis (HB).

Dr Rapepun Wititsuwannakul who has 20 years experience in rubber research,
has invented the face cream which is set to transform the rubber and cosmetics
industries.

An associate professor of biochemistry at the Prince of Songkla University
(PSU) here, she began the research three years ago with a 5.2 million baht grant
from the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences.

"I have done many researches on rubber in the last 20 years but this is the
first time I went into producing face cream.

"We were concerned with the fluctuation of rubber price and its impact on
the industry and small farmers...we wanted to find more value-added products,"
she said in an interview.

According to the Hatyai native whose family also owns rubber plantations,
there was big potential for such whitening cream in the world, with an estimated
market value of Bt25 billion.

She said rubber latex comprised natural chemical components suitable for
making face cream.

"It's interesting to note that after tapping, rubber trees heal faster
despite the wound and able to produce new tissues within a short period of
time," she added.

Dr Rapepun, who did her first master and doctorate degrees at the University
of Minnesota, was recognised as 'Outstanding Young Researcher in Biotechnology'
by the Biotechnology Society of Thailand in 1991.

Her husband is a biochemist with the Mahidol University.

Dr Rapepun said she discovered that rubber face cream contained substances
which could produce and transform colour cells which made human skin brighter.

She said that during the research and trial period, 64 volunteers comprising
staff and students of the university, participated before positive results could
be seen after nine weeks of using the cream.

"There was no irritation or side effects," she noted.

Among findings of the research was that volunteers reported a 98.4 per cent
brighter face, reduction in oily face (53.1 per cent) and less pimples.

Dr Rapepun said while the university was talking with several companies to
commercialise the product, the public could order the Hb Brightening Cream
direct from PSU, priced at Bt450 for a 15 gram bottle, while HB extract for
improving skin health cost Bt3,000 for a 50 gram bottle. (US$1=Bt35.26)
-- BERNAMA