Students of Thursina International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS) made a stellar achievement at the 2024 ASEAN Innovative Science Environmental and Entrepreneur Fair (AISEFF).
Alif Pirata Muhammad, M. Dhonan Chilmi, M. Yusuf Ibrahim Hermawan, M. Naufal Adqaury Ibnu Syaifa, and Fatih Firdaus presented their innovative idea of banana-peel sunscreen at the event which lead them to winning the bronze medal.
Their showcased project focused on the topics of banana peel waste management and protection against intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This idea came to be after Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) released a public warning on the rising of UV Index in certain areas of the country.
One member of the team, Alif Pirata Muhammad, explained that he and his teammates aimed to address two distinct issues through their projects: the waste management of banana peels and daily skin protection against intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To tackle these challenges, the team developed a sunscreen product using the peels of Musa acuminata × balbisiana (Saba) bananas.
“Freshly thrown out banana peel is extracted using ethanol, methanol, and acetone using a distillation process,†Alif revealed.
The extracted banana peel is blended with a combination of stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, propylparaben, triethanolamine, glycerol, methylparaben, and distilled water to formulate a cream. UV-Vis absorbance measurements in the UV-B range, combined with SPF calculations, show that the sunscreen cream offers maximum protection, with a pH level between 7.5 and 7.8.
“The main goal of this research is to reduce the environmental impact of banana peel waste and towhile provideing daily skin protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation,†Alif noted.
This accomplishment marked Thursina IIBS students’ success on presenting innovative solutions for environmental and skincare issues, while also earning international recognition and gold medals at prestigious events like I2ASPO and MIICA.
