Potential for Herbal Oil from Virgin Coconut Oil with Turmeric Rhizome Addition as a Natural Ingredient in Skin Care for Tropical People

The tropical climate results in high exposure to sunlight and humidity, which can lead to skin damage due to increased oxidative stress and pathogenic bacterial infections. Indonesians often utilize VCO and turmeric in skin care separately, as both have potential as antioxidants, antibacterials, and sunscreens. This study aims to produce herbal oil from VCO and turmeric (CHO) to maintain skin health in terms of antioxidant, antibacterial, and sunscreen activities. CHO was created by varying the maceration time to 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours. The resulting CHO was analyzed for phytochemicals and physicochemical quality and tested for antioxidant, antibacterial, and sunscreen activities. The results showed that all CHO oils contained secondary metabolites: flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and phenolics. Physicochemical tests on CHO oil showed that the oil with a maceration time of 24 hours had the best physicochemical characteristics with a moisture content of 0.0051%, peroxide number 0.0081 meq/kg, and free fatty acids 0.0041%. The test results of antioxidant activity, antibacterial, and sunscreen activity indicate that all CHO oils are antioxidant, antibacterial, and able to protect from UV exposure. CHO-24 oil is the oil with the best bioactivity, with antioxidant activity of IC50 177.352 ppm, antibacterial inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus of 8.42 mm, and SPF value of 40.798. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that CHO oil as a whole has the potential to maintain coolie health through its activity as an antioxidant, antibacterial, and sunscreen, with the best product being CHO-24.