Indonesia Has Great Potential For Natural Cosmetics Sources

Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Taruna Ikrar delivered his remarks at the Indonesia Cosmetics Ingredients (ICI) Expo & Seminar 2025 in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (14/5/2025). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Indonesia is a country with extraordinary natural wealth, including in terms of natural ingredients that can be used for the cosmetics industry.

From medicinal plants to minerals and animal products, this variety of resources is a big asset in the development of environmentally friendly skin and beauty care products as well as locally distinctive.

Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), Taruna Ikrar, revealed that Indonesia has great potential as a supplier of natural cosmetic raw materials. In the opening of the Indonesia Cosmetics Ingredients (ICI) Expo & Seminar 2025 event which took place in Central Jakarta, he stated that almost all basic ingredients for making cosmetics were available in his own country.

"Based on the data we have, Indonesia is very rich in cosmetic-forming substances, both from plants, animals, and mineral resources," he explained, as quoted by ANTARA.

The cadets also emphasized that many species of flora and fauna in Indonesia are endemic or not found in other countries. This uniqueness provides its own added value for domestic cosmetic products because it has distinctive characteristics that are difficult to imitate.

He gave an example of the difference in the structure of eggs between countries. "It turns out that protein, collagen, and the content of hyaluronic acid in eggs varies depending on the area of origin. This can be a differentiator in the cosmetic formula," he said.

One of the interesting innovations came from the research team of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) which succeeded in developing anti-aging serum from egg shells.

The inner part of the membrane is known to contain various active substances that play an important role in the cosmetic world such as collagen, protein, amino acids, and hyaluronic acids.

"This research is quite mature and it remains only to be registered with BPOM for further ratification," added the cadet.

Tak hanya itu, bunga kamboja juga mulai dilirik sebagai bahan aktif karena manfaatnya dalam mencegah acne dan memberulus kulit. Air dengan kandung tinggi yang ditemukan di beberapa wilayah Indonesia pun berpotensi dijadikan extract aktif untuk mengatasi masalah kulit.

The cadets explained that the government is currently pushing for the downstream process of these natural ingredients by cooperating with universities and industry players. This collaboration aims to make the wealth of domestic natural resources optimally utilized by the local cosmetic industry.

"Through the collaboration between educational institutions and the industrial sector, we hope that local superior products can be ratified and developed as part of the power of the national beauty industry," he concluded.