AMPALUNGGAY SOAP

In Partial Fulfillment of the Course

Requirement in Research

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to thank a lot of people who contributed to make this investigatory project
possible. We would like to thank our classmates for helping us guide each other in making our
research papers especially Paolo Barrameda for accompanying us in search for rare ingredients
of our soap and letting us obtain malunggay leaves from their front yard’s malunggay tree. We
would also like to thank our families because they have provided our necessities to buy our
ingredients, to search for references, and to create our research paper for our investigatory
project. We are thankful to one of our team mate’s father, James Francis Alfajora, who has let us
use his kitchen and help document the procedures of our ampalaya-malunggay soap. We would
like to thank our beloved school, Glendale School, for giving us the knowledge of Chemistry to
know the safety precautions of our experiment specifically our Science Teacher, Sir Gemini
Malubay. He has also helped us find where our rare ingredient can be bought. We owe it to T.
Sherlenne Uy for giving us the idea of ampalaya-malunggay soap, guiding us on creating our
investigatory project, motivating us that our product can be possible and of course, inspiring us
to become successful people since the day we met her. We would like to thank each other for
being a productive and cooperative teammate. Lastly, we would like to thank God for giving us
blessings and opportunities to be where we are right now.

ABSTRACT
It has been observed that people nowadays are very much concern with the appearance and
color of their skin, so our group decided to invent a new kind of soap. We can offer it to the
people to help make their skin whiter, softer and fairer at an affordable price.
We used one whole ampalaya, half pound of malunggay leaves, lye, coconut oil and lavender
fragrance. We cut the ampalaya into pieces and mixed with a little amount of water and blended
it. Then we chopped and minced half pound of malunggay leaves. We put the ampalaya and
malunggay leaves into separate bowls. We mixed a little amount of water into the lye and left it
to chill. We put the coconut oil in a pot and heated it and after heating we put it in another
container and slowly add the lye with it and mixed them vigorously for about an hour and a half
and put the blended ampalaya and minced malunggay into the mixture and continuously stirring
the mixture until it became more liquid.
After mixing all the ingredients, we add lavender fragrance oil into the mixture then put in into a
soap mold and covered it with cloth to make it hard. After a few days the soap hardened and we
took it from the mold and set it in a dry place to cure for about two months. After two months,
the soap is now ready to be used.

CHAPTER ONE:
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Introduction
Here in the Philippines, the production of beauty soaps has increased as time passed. Cheche V.
Moral of the Philippine Daily Inquirer said that skincare in the Philippines is twenty two billion
pesos market and in 2004, Synovate, a global market research company, conducted a survey
wherein Filipino women has the highest rate of 50% usage of whitening products among Hong
Kong, Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Filipinos see fair skin and young skin, as one of the standards of beauty and being attractive has
become a basis of being accepted in the society because most people will judge you by the way
you look. It seems like there is discrimination within our society. Frankie, a blogger from
skinbeautifulblog.wordpress.com, has stated a few considerations of why it is so important to be
beautiful. She said, “attractive people are more likely to have dates and have many friends” and
“attractive people are 2-5 times more likely to be hired for a position” while “unattractive people
are most likely to be assumed or accused of committing a crime.” Advertisements are also one of
the factors that made us think that fair skin is beautiful. Like the Ponds commercial, it promises a
more desirable you if you purchase and use their beauty products. Another factor is the influence
of the Spaniards. They have this colonial mentality that people with fair skin are privileged.
A lot of Filipinos purchase this expensive soap for the benefit of having a beautiful skin although
it is a big addition to an individual's expenses. One bar of papaya whitening soap costs 80-290
pesos and it only lasts 1-2weeks. One of the most famous whitening soaps is Pervil Soap that
costs 100-120 pesos.
Statement Of Objectives
This investigatory project aims to make alternative organic beauty soaps. Nowadays, Philippines
are in the state of being economically challenged because in the first semester of 2012, 27.9% of
the population in the Philippines is below the poverty line. Since Filipinos could not afford
expensive beauty products, this investigatory project aims to help the society meet their wants
and their small budgets by creating a beauty soap using ampalaya and malunggay therefore we
also aim to make it cheaper than other beauty products in the market today.
In order to achieve this, we need to search for the contents of the beauty products and the two
vegetables and then study what that nutrient or ingredient does for our skin. The knowledge of
this will lead us to having our hypothesis of the product. People tend to avoid these herbs
because of its unlikely taste but our experiment will prove that ampalaya and malunggay are still
useful to the body without consuming it and that it can possible and effective as skincare
products by conducting an experiment.
Significance of the Study
The importance of this study is to use one of the healthiest and most unnoticeable veggies as
skincare soaps. Skin is one of the body parts that keep us healthy. To take care of our skin, we
daily use soaps to clean off those dirt, odors, and germs. We need to wash away the germs to
prevent it from getting under the surface of our skin. Using the healthiest vegetables to become a
daily used soap, maybe the biggest breakthrough of skin care products.
This study is for everyone in our society but most of it is the ones who want to achieve fair skin
and remove fine-lines. One of ABS-CBNnews.com's articles, "White Skin Comes With A
Price"by Leilani Chavez, says that a 26-year-old female named Jeimie had used almost all the
whitening products in the market. She started trying whitening products since her early 20's even
though she was born with a fair-complexion. She uses whitening products to maintain her skin
color. People, who are in 20's, both female and male, can have the benefit of having their skins
whitened by our product. Then at the age of the 20’s, with all the work and stress, the question
“when will my wrinkles show?” will pop-out of your mind. Women and men in 20’s could really
have wrinkles. There are some 20-year-old adults who already gets surgical procedures to
remove or avoid getting wrinkles so as you can see, not only 40’s adults gets wrinkles according
Tanya Sharma from skincare.lovetoknow.com. So with the help of our beauty soap, they could
also remove their fine-lines.
Scope and Delimitation
We have studied a few things to support our idea of making an ampalaya-malunggay soap. Our
study covers the content of ampalaya, malunggay, and beauty products. We studied each
ingredient's use to our skin. This serves as proof that our idea could be possibly made but it does
not mean that it is proven effective. Our study does not cover the external effectiveness of
ampalaya and malunggay on our skin. We also studied the production and usage of whitening
products in the Philippines to know how much help could our product be, in our society because
our aim is to use the worth of these vegetables as a convenient beauty soap. Lastly, we have to
examine the ways of making soaps in order to create our very own recipe of ampalaya-
malunggay soap.

CHAPTER TWO:
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDIES
Facts about Ampalaya
Ampalaya is known as bitter melon. Its scientific name is Momordica charanti. Ampalaya has
many names around the world. Here in the Philippines, it is called ampalaya while in other
countries like U.S.A, China, India, and Japan; it is respectively called bitter gourd and balsam
pear, fukwa, kerela, and nigai uri. Ampalayas are considered as a cucurbit because it is a member
of the gourd family. The gourd family is climbing vines, herbs, and rarely, shrubs or trees.
Ampalayas are particularly found in Asian countries because it normally grows in hot humid
areas but it is only cropped once, every year. Ampalaya contains Vitamin A 9%, Thiamine 2%,
Riboflavin 2%, Niacin 2%, Vitamin B5 2%, Vitamin B6 2%, Vitamin C 130%, Folate 17%,
Calcium 2%, Iron 2%, Magnesium 4%, Phosphorus 3%, Copper 2%, and Zinc 5%. As you can
see, there are various macronutrients and benefits that can be obtained from ampalaya. That is
why W. G. Goreja can consider ampalaya as one of the best medicines around the globe
according to his Bitter Melon: Nature’s Anti-Diabetic because it is the best alternative herbal
medicine that cures diabetes but according to my other references, it can also treat liver problems
and HIV. Here in the Philippines, they are many dishes that include ampalaya, one of the famous
example is Pinakbet from Ilocos Norte.

Facts about Malunggay

Malunggay is known as horseradish tree or drumstick tree but it is called in different names in
different regions here in the Philippines like kalunggay in Bicolano, Kamalongan, Malunggay in
Bisaya, Kalamunge in Pampango, Arunggay in Iluko, and Marunggay in Pangasinense. Its
scientific name is Moringa oleifera Lamk. It is also commonly found in tropical countries like
the Philippines. Unlike ampalaya, it grows on trees and can planted in various soils but thrives
best in fertile, well-drained sandy loams. Malunggay is planted throughout the country especially
in the Central and Northern provinces. In our observation, there are many planted malunggay
trees in the backyards of the citizens in Quezon City. Like ampalaya, malunggay has various
uses. Some of our Filipino dishes like Tinola is mixed with malunggay leaves. The twigs of
malunggay are extracted as oil and used to become a cosmetic. Malunggay is also called a
“Miracle Tree” because curing ailments is the most beneficial use of malunggay. Malunggay
leaves are loaded with nutrients because a gram of malunggay leaves also contain two times the
protein in milk. Likewise, it contains three times the potassium in bananas and four times the
vitamin A in carrots. Health nutritionists claim that an ounce of malunggay has the same Vitamin
C content as seven oranges. Asthma, ulcers, and gout are few of many ailments that malunggay
cures or treats.
Facts about Soap
In a dictionary, soap is defines as “a substance used for washing and cleansing purposes, usually
made by treating a fat with an alkali, as sodium or potassium hydroxide, and consisting chiefly of
the sodium or potassium salts of the acids contained in the fat.” If we would visualize soaps, it
looks like a rectangular or sometimes, oval bars that we can usually buy in supermarkets around
the globe. Soaps clean the surface of our body to remove dirt and protect us from germs with the
presence of water. We daily use soap to maintain a good hygiene and avoid bad odors. Soaps can
also be moisturizers to help our skin become fair, young, soft, smooth, or healthy. Most people
doesn’t know that washing our hands properly and regularly would prevent diseases like flus to
attach them. People should be reminded that our hands are the most usable part our body. We use
it to eat, write, count money, opening doors, dialing and such and as we touch public objects,
germs from diseases are passed onto our hands and throughout our body. We wouldn’t want to
have a sick so it is important to wash our hands. As the Safeguard soap says, “safeguard, laban
sa limang banta (diarrhea, pneumonia, colds, cough, and skin rashes)”

CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Materials
Ingredients
· One whole Ampalaya or Bitter Melon
· Malunggay
· About 55grams of Lye
· 200ml of mineral water
· 500 ml of Minola coconut oil
· 20ml of lavender fragrance oil
Materials
· 6 round stainless molds
· Glass stirring rod
· Glass measuring cup
· 2 large pots
Procedure
We decided to make our soap out of a few organic ingredients. We started off by cutting one
whole ampalaya into pieces with a knife and setting it aside. Then we took the malunggay leaves
off its stems. After that, we put them into separate bowls and blended them separately in the
blender. We put a little water with our ampalaya so that it becomes a thick liquid while our
malunggay needed extra cutting to become minced after being blended because we needed it to
become dry bits.

After we set those aside, we put our gloves on and dropped about fifty grams of lye into two
hundred milliliters of water. We observed the chemical reaction as we dropped the lye in the
water our solution heats up. We mixed it until the mixture’s cloudy appearance disappears. And
while the lye is almost ready, we then put five hundred milliliters of coconut oil in a pot to heat
because the temperature of the oil needs to be at least five to ten Celsius apart from the
temperature of the lye and if not, it can also react and burn. When the oil was heated, we put it in
a separate container and slowly put the lye with it.

We mixed it very vigorously for about one and a half hour. As we mixed it, the mixture becomes
dark. Then we put the blended ampalaya and minced malunggay into the mixture. After that, we
stirred it again with a spoon just until it became one whole green liquid base. It had an
unpleasing smell to it so we also added about ¾ of a twenty milliliters of lavender scented
fragrance oil to the mixture.

Then we finally poured it into the molders and set it aside with a cloth on top of the molds so that
it absorb the substances that it will release and help the increase the speed of hardening the soap.
After a few days, the soap hardened enough for us to be able to take them out of their molds so
we took them out of their molds then set it in a dry place to let the soap cure for about two
months so it can finally be used.
Timetable of Activities
SEPTEMBER 24 (Tuesday)
Getting the idea
SEPTEMBER 25 (Wednesday)
Researching and proving of idea
SEPTEMBER 30 (Monday)
Planning of experiment and materials
OCTOBER 2 (Wednesday)
Deadline of Statement of Objectives
Deadline of Methodology
OCTOBER 3 (Thursday)
Testing of experiment
OCTOBER 6 (Sunday) – OCTOBER 21 (Monday)
Observation of Result
OCTOBER 7 (Monday)
Deadline of Results and Discussion
Deadline of Conclusion
Deadline of Recommendation
OCTOBER 12 (Saturday)
Deadline of First Complete Draft
OCTOBER 15 (Tuesday)
Deadline of Final Research Paper
OCTOBER 21 (Monday)
Blog: Investigatory Project
OCTOBER 23 (Thursday)
Presentation of Investigatory Project

CHAPTER FOUR:
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

Analysis
Our study is about creating a soap product with the combination of ampalaya or bitter melon and
malunggay. A French researcher said that organic products have high nutritional quality and
safety and so there have been a lot of studies regarding the use and benefits of organic products
such as soaps. Research has shown the significant improvements in health care industries that
involve the aid of organic products. According to Cancer Prevention Coalition, most of the
products in the cosmetics market are one the causes of cancer. Because it contains ingredients
such as mercury, which is a very dangerous element, and because many people are concerned
about this, healthcare industries are trying to create organic products for their consumers’ safety.
As I have mentioned earlier, the ampalaya-malunggay soap positions itself as an anti-aging and
whitening soap. One of its benefits is the suppleness of the skin after the soap is used or applied.
It felt smooth on the skin and it didn’t show allergic reactions after being used it and after the
following days. The ingredients that we used are all-organic and individually has a benefit to
skin. The scented smell of our product comes from the lavender extract oil, which is also
organic.
The soap that we formulated was successful because it solidified and it somewhat turned into a
soap. But in a way it was not successful because the lye was burned by the over-heated coconut
oil. We need both lye and coconut oil to have the same temperature. But since the lye was
burned, it took us quite time to mix the ingredients. After mixing all the ingredients we saw that
bubbles were starting to build up while we were transferring them on the container.
When we used the product, it wasn’t so hard because the time wasn’t sufficient to harden the
soap but when we used it was gentle to the skin and does not cause any allergic reaction.
Summary
In summary, the experiment still turned out to be pretty successful. For our first time making
soap, the results were very good. The outcome was not perfect for a few reasons like the solution
seemed burnt, the mixture didn’t reach trace with our efforts of mixing and the soap itself looked
a little bit too oily which could have caused it to not solidify properly but it’s actually fine. Our
oil turned out to be too hot compared to the lye solution so the lye reacted to the oil and burned.
Then after that we think that we did not stir the mixture properly enough to the stage that it
would be able to be molded into soap or is called by soap makers as “trace”.
Soap making is not an easy task to do specially because you are dealing with lye or sodium
hydroxide that is a very reactive chemical. Our goal was to make cheap and organic skin care
soap. But the truth is that there is really no such thing as a one hundred percent “organic soap”
because the main ingredient needed for it is lye, which is a chemical itself.
We conclude that making soap is fun and can be easy but requires much research before even
daring to deal with it. Our group definitely did not lack in research but we were short on some
materials. We did not have a thermometer at that instance which is important for people who
aren’t experienced in making soap and measuring the temperature of the lye and oil so the
mixture burnt a little bit and that is why we think that our soap solution did not reach
saponification properly. We also did not have an electric mixer that is required when making
soap so that the solution thickens up easily and that is the reason we assume why the solution just
did not thicken at all. We learnt through the experiment that exact measurements were really
needed so that the mixture saponificates.
Recommendations
We suggest that to anyone who is thinking of making soap for themselves for and reason should
do some proper research before deciding to do it. In some instances, buying soap could be more
preferable or ideal than taking a risk and making your own because not everyone is successful on
their first or even second try. But if you really want to make your own soap, do not just research,
try to ask someone who has already made soap or is making it for a living for advice. And
finally, if you are set on making soap, be sure to have the proper and complete materials you
need; like a thermometer and electric mixer specially when it is your first time making soap.
If you try or attempt making soap for the time, we would strongly suggest for you to use a large
pot when mixing the oil(s) with the lye solution because if you make a mistake like us on getting
the right temperature, the mixture will react and will bubble a lot and if you’re not doing it in a
large pot, it overflows and it will certainly get very messy; you would not want that to happen.
Also be sure to have proper measuring materials that will withstand lye and high temperatures.
And if you’re going to use a spoon or any other mixing apparatus besides an electric mixer, make
sure it is made of a material that wouldn’t possibly melt in lye. And of course, safety is important
so wear gloves, goggles and a mask when you are doing the procedure and always have vinegar
near you so in case you get lye on your hands or any other part of your body, you can easily
wash it off with vinegar as water wouldn’t work.

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