Natural Skin-care Products: The Case of Soap Made from Cocoa Pod Husk Potash

Abstract

Consumer demand for natural and organic personal care products has increased steadily due to the fact that some synthetic chemicals have been proven to be harmful to human health. Soaps are general personal hygiene and general cleaning products and they can either be natural or synthetic. A popular local soap produced in Ghana is considered to be a natural soap because it is made from natural ingredients such as potash obtained from cocoa pod husk (CPH) and unrefined vegetable oils such as palm kernel oil. At the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), the soap has been re-formulated by adding cocoa butter or shea butter to improve on its nourishing effect. Soap made with CPH potash is found to be soft on the skin and has the properties of the ingredients used in its preparation, making it effective against bacterial and fungal diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. The lathering volume of the soap ranges from 200-300 ml, total fatty matter from 84-87% and an average pH value of 10, an indication of the absence of free caustic alkali. There is a high demand for the soap locally and it is therefore recommended that its industry be expanded for both local and international markets.