First-time study reveals sinami seed powder can be successfully formulated into sustainable exfoliant

Researchers found seeds from sinami, a plant similar to acai fruit, offer numerous skin benefits when included as an exfoliant.  

Sinami is a fruit native to South American countries, where it is often consumed as pulp or wine or added to sweets such as ice cream. Countries such as Brazil use the oil extracted from the mesocarp for both skin conditioning and cooking.

Sinami oil is similar to olive oil, with high amounts of oleic acid and vegetable pigments, including carotenoids and chlorophyll. 

The processing of sinami results in large quantities of agro-waste, specifically sinami seed. By testing and finding a cosmetic use for the seeds, the authors write, it is possible to create a biodegradable and eco-friendly product. 

In cosmetics, skin exfoliants range from chemical to physical, and often physical exfoliants are comprised of synthetic polymers or fine seed powder. Through the upcycling of sinami agro-waste, an exfoliant can provide a more environmentally friendly skincare product, either as a chemical or physical exfoliant. 

Though sinami pulp and peel have proven to have cosmetic applications, the seeds have not been studied for this use before this study. The authors found the seed can be used as a biodegradable exfoliating ingredient.

However, it depends on its compatibility with other ingredients in cosmetic products as it results in a dark color, necessitating a dark color cosmetic product. The seed also requires a gel-type viscosity. 

Characteristics of sinami seed extract​

To determine the qualities of sinami seed extract and how it may best be applied as an exfoliant, the authors first dried sinami seeds. They then milled, vacuum packed, and sieved the sample. After trial and error, the authors decided to use ethanol as the solvent and determined a gel formula to be the most effective. 

The authors found that the sinami seed extract had high moisture content and low crude fiber and total lipid content, as most elements were removed with the pulp and peel. 

When looking at phenolic content, the sinami seed extracts had the lowest levels — acai fruit has triple the amount. However, the extract demonstrated antioxidant activity. The authors wrote, “sinami extracts showed high antioxidant activity in vitro against DPPH IC50 (0.34 mg/mL) and ABTS IC50 (0.10 mg/mL) radicals​.” 

For the use of sinami seeds in cosmetics, the authors suggest using sodium laureth sulfate and cocamidropropyl betaine, which help create a gel formula. Overall, they concluded, “these results suggest that sinami seed powder holds promise as a commercial exfoliant​.”

Source: Cosmetics​

2023, 10​(3), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics10030090​

Title: “Development and Functionality of Sinami (Oenocarpus mapora​) Seed Powder as a Biobased Ingredient for the Production of Cosmetic Products”

Authors: Romero-Orejon, F.L., et al. 

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