Sorsogon State College

Senior High School Program

11B- THYMINE

PILI OIL: THE BEAUTY VITAMIN

THE USE OF PILI OIL AS AN INGREDIENT IN SOAP

MAKING

ARABELLA LANUZA

PRINCESS JANE LASALA

EMMANUELLE KATE MAGPAYO

ANN ROSELE NAVOTAS

MARK ANGELO SOLIMAN

The true origins of soap are rather vague, and have various legends associated with its

beginning. It is said that the term soap was derived from Mount Sapo a mountain somewhere

near Rome. According to Roman legend, Mount Sapo was an ancient site of animal sacrifices,

and after an animal sacrifice, when the heavens would open and shower the mountain the rain

would wash animal fat and ash that collected under the ceremonial altars down to the banks of

the Tiber River. Where the people who gathered to wash their laundry discovered that if they

wash their clothes in certain parts of the river after a heavy rain that the clothes came out much

cleaner.Evidence from ancient Babylonian relics where traces of soap-like material was found

that were even inscriptions as to its content; fats boiled with ashes. The upsurge of soap and

bathing habits in Europe came to an end after the fall of the Roman empire in 467 A. D. It is

believed that this lack of cleanliness contributed to the many plagues of the middle ages.

In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid. Soaps are mainly used as surfactants for

washing, bathing, and cleaning. Soaps for cleansing are obtained by treating vegetable or animal

oils and fats with a strongly alkaline solution. Fats and oils are composed of triglycerides; three

molecules of fatty acids are attached to a single molecule of glycerol. The alkaline solution,

which is often

called lye (sodium hydroxide), with the aid of heat results in a chemical reaction known

as saponification. In saponification, the fats are first hydrolyzed into free fatty acids, which then

combine with the alkali to form crude soap. One method of soap making is cold process, where
soap recipes include “superfatting”, which simply means that the oil (the fat) is in excess to

ensure that all of the sodium hydroxide is consumed. Many oils and butters have different

functions and the quantity and the use of them in blends create different results some oils

evaporate or loss their scent or both without base oils and some oils are pricier.

Now during the first world war, commercial soap came into existence. However, at the

same time, the ingredients needed to make soap were scarce. After the Great War and until the

1930's, soap was made by a method called batch kettle boiling. Commercial soap makers had

huge three-story kettles that produced thousands of pounds of soap over the course of about a

week. Shortly thereafter, an invention called continuous process was introduced and refined by

Procter & Gamble. This process decreased soap making production time to less than a day. Large

commercial soap manufacturers still use continuous process. A majority proportion of soaps sold

today are still made with almost the same method and are petroleum by-products. Since these

"soaps" are detergents, by law cannot be called soap. Commercial soap manufacturers also

learned that they could remove the natural glycerin in soap which gives it moisturizing

properties. They sell it or use it in other higher priced products like the moisturizers and creams

you need when their soap dries out your skin. Removing the natural glycerin also extends the

shelf life of the soap so that it can sit in storage or on store shelves for many years.

Fortunately, there has been a rise of awareness of the adverse effects of synthetic

additives and chemicals in many of the soaps used today. however, many manufacturers

knowing this with this create numerous different types of soap that serve an array of purposes

that have more ‘natural’ ingredients. Manufacturers are getting creative because of competition

and what with the abundance easy access of materials now unlike ever before wanting to please
customers with more ‘all natural’ ingredients soap however the reality remains that most

advertisements of this is false.

There has been a surge of ingenuity in soap making with the rise of many new

companies. As previously stated now with new sciences and the abundance of material no longer

limiting producers, new soap blends and skincare ingredients are being discovered that can

change the entire soap industry that may produce better soaps for the masses. One of these new

discoveries is Canarium ovatum or more locally known as pili.

The pili tree which means ‘choice’ (known in the scientific world as Canarium) is

indigenous to the Philippines Pili nut is an ethnic food, especially in the Bicol region, the crop's

center of genetic diversity. It yields a kernel, the pili nut, which is precious to the country's food

sector. The Philippines is the only country capable of producing and processing pili-based food

and byproducts with Bicol supplying 80% of the total output volume. The pili nut and its

byproducts have a steadily growing worldwide market. (Bongao, Gabatino, Arias Magdaluyo

2019). Oil can be also made from the bark it is called elmi oil and is used for a variety of

purposes from embalming to tending skin infections but its more commonly known sister oil is

made from the pulp of the fruit, Pili pulp oil or just pili oil.

Pili oil being a relatively new material in the cosmetic industry and therefore has limited

researches conducted upon especially its use in cosmetics added the fact that it is indigenous to

the Bicol region there are only several companies that have discovered its usefulness in their

cosmetic products. Rosalina Tan a pioneer and co-founder of Pili Ani which is a Philippine based

brand of skincare products that focuses on using oils from the pili tree for its many benefits to the

skin.
 Pili oil is locally made and contains just as many skincare benefits as any other beauty oil

out there. Extracted from the pulp of the pili fruit, it has moisturizing properties like vitamin E

and antioxidants. These antioxidants are called carotenoids and phytosterols that nourish the skin

and protect it from cell damage. Carotenoids tend to be in many skin creams to fight off aging

while phytosterols are naturally occurring cholesterols in plants, especially nuts, that help restore

the hair and skin.

People are amazed with the results of moisturizers, lip-balms, and treatments that contain

pili oil (Ramirez 2019) What is more is how pili oil is anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-

bacterial. It fights foreign bodies in your skin on different levels. Many skin issues aren’t caused

by just one element after all, but are the effects of a combination of irritants. How a pimple is

caused by a combination of oil, sweat, and dirt, if not a sign of coming in contact with an

allergen. (Estrada 2016)

Research conducted at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Biotech funded by

Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) through the Organic Producers and Trade Association or

OPTA also found pili oil to be similar to olive oil in chemical and nutrient content, but with

more betacarotene. Carotenoids, which are effective as antioxidants, were also found to be

present in pili oil.

The concentration of phytosterols, which “cause a fall in the absorption of cholesterol,” was also

established, the UPLB research concluded. Its tocopherol (Vitamin E) content has the

capacity to retard lipid oxidation in food products. According to Melinda Yee, who pioneered

pili growing for oil in Sorsogon City in 2005 Pili oil has properties that help rejuvenate the skin,
according to Melinda Yee, who pioneered pili growing for oil in Sorsogon City in 2005. It can

cure skin disorders, restore normal hair color, and control dandruff.

There are countless possibilities for the use of pili oil in different fields especially in the

area of skincare. The researchers can utilize the information gathered on pili oil, to predict

possible outcomes and the availability of pili oil in the location were the research is conducted to

produce their own skincare creation that will make the utmost use of the properties of pili oil in

the form of soap in a cost efficient manner which may be useful to many people and also through

it raise awareness of its use in skincare products and to contribute to existing knowledge. Also

supported with information in the science of soap making particularly in making soap by cold

press method. In this study the researchers aim to analyze and make different blends of soap with

pili oil being emphasized as an atypical ingredient in an attempt to figure out its effectiveness in

soap. In addition, finding the best blend of oils including the pili oil.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research is designed to accomplish the following statements:

• Producing a research product of soap from pili oil-palm oil and other oils blend wherein

the main focus is pili oil

• To further studies and spread knowledge about the effectiveness of Pili oil as an

ingredient in cosmetic products

• To find and study the most effective blend composition in regards to the quality of the

product

• To create a product that may boost the production and consumption of pili oil
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will provide data that would be useful in the possible future manufacturing of like,

products. It will be able to serve as a basis for researchers who plan on studying about the use of

pili oil- palm and other oils blend in soap making, as well to those who plan on expanding the

use of pili oil to other fields. This study may also be beneficial to those that grow pili as well as

palm trees as it will encourage the cultivation of the pili and palm tree as well as the utilization

of the oils from these trees for cosmetic, pharmaceuticals, biofuel, food and also industrial

applications.it can also serve as a quality control reference in use of blending oils to those who

may choose to use the formula for mass production of the pili oil- palm oil soap.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study will only cover the scientific and quality aspects of the pili- palm oil and other

additive oils blend soap and not its marketable prospects in the advent of finding how much,

when and where the researchers would sell it. Due to time, finance and the constraints of the lack

of availability of equipment, this work is limited to the use of pili oil-palm oil blend in the

production of cosmetic soap. However, the resulting data obtained can be extended to the

production of other cosmetic and pharmaceutical products

https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/blog/posts/what-is-the-origin-of-soap/

https://www.philstar.com/other-sections/newsmakers/2019/04/30/1913586/going-pili-nuts-about-

beauty

https://iamcountryside.com/soapmaking/best-essential-oils-soap-making/

https://www.esquiremag.ph/style/grooming/pli-ani-skincare-a1771-20190218

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214785319330949z

https://www.livescience.com/57044-science-of-soap.html