Taiwanese scientists develop beauty products from soft corals

Researchers in Taiwan have developed a new body lotion made with extract from soft corals grown in aquariums.

The scientist Su Rui-hsin, from National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, and Wu Yu-ren, an associate professor at Meiho University in Checheng said they had been studying ways to make beauty products from soft coral extracts for the past two years.

Wu said they collected extract from coral cultivated by the museum, and not from wild coral, hence the process does not cause any harm to the environment.

Su said the chemical component of the extract is stable and the technology applied to obtain it is known, and it is making the local cosmetics companies interested in buying the expertise.

The scientists said by using the coral extract, they have succeeded in produce moisturizing body lotion, an anti-wrinkle cream, a skin-whitening cream and a makeup-remover.

Apart from the successful cooperation with Meiho University in developing the body lotion, the museum said it planned to forge a stronger strategic alliance with the university, the researchers said.

The museum started cultivating soft corals 10 years ago, as they are known to be difficult to grow, and few studies have been conducted on them, as they remain relatively unknown to scientists.