# From Forest Berry Leaf Waste to Micellar Extracts with Cosmetic Applications
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Evaluation of Selected Functional Properties of Bath Washes
#### 3.3.2 Ability to Emulsify Fatty Soils  
At the end of each day, the skin accumulates various types of impurities, including hydrophobic substances like sebum. Therefore, an important quality differentiator, especially for cleansing cosmetics such as bath products, is their ability to emulsify fatty soils. The emulsification capacity of the model bath washes was evaluated, and the results are shown in Figure 2.  
Based on the analysis of the obtained data (Figure 2), the highest value on a 7-point scale was obtained for the reference cosmetic (sample B) and for the cosmetic containing the micellar extract of blueberry leaves (sample VML), which scored 6 points (no fringe in the flask neck, homogeneous emulsion). The emulsions produced by the bath washes labeled FVL and RFL were rated at 5 points. All results demonstrated that the prototype bath washes were highly effective at removing fatty soiling.  
Strawberry seed extract obtained under supercritical CO\({}_{2}\) conditions was examined as an ingredient in hair shampoos by [PERSON] [62]. This raw material was used in hair shampoo formulations at concentrations ranging from 0.25 wt% to 1 wt%. The methodology in that study was comparable to the one employed in this paper. The analysis of the results led to the conclusion that incorporating the proposed extract at a concentration of 0.25 wt% into the formulation did not alter the measured parameter. The reference shampoo and the shampoo with the plant extract at a concentration of 0.25 wt% scored 5 points. However, using the proposed raw material at higher concentrations (c = 0.5 wt% and c = 1 wt%) resulted in a 1-point reduction in the measured parameter compared to the baseline, and the produced emulsions were rated 4 points.  
In their study, [PERSON] et al. [63] used Bacillus Ferment Extract as an ingredient in a natural body wash cosmetic. The extract was incorporated into the formulation at concentrations between 16.7 wt% and 50 wt%. Also, in this case, a 30% reduction in the emulsifying ability was observed with the increasing concentration of the plant extract used.  
In another study, [PERSON] et al. [6] used extracts obtained under supercritical CO\({}_{2}\) conditions from blackcurrant seeds (supercritical carbon dioxide blackcurrant seed extract)  
Figure 2: Ability to emulsify fatty soils as determined in the analyzed bath washes. a, b—values in figure denoted by the same letters are not statistically different in the analyzed type of berry leaves at \(p<0.001\).  
as an additive to cleaning formulations (dishwashing liquids). The research team employed a methodology similar to that used in the study mentioned above [6]. The test results also revealed that enriching the formula with plant extracts reduced its ability to emulsify fatty soils by approximately 20% compared to the extract-free reference formulation.  
The results obtained in the present study generally align with the trends observed by the cited research teams. The reduced ability to emulsify fatty soils is mostly attributed to the chemical composition of the plant micellar extracts, which results in a more or less lyophilic nature. In this case, a portion of the cleansing potential of the surfactants in the formulation is used to solubilize the hydrophobic extract [1;6]. Consequently, the potential for emulsifying fatty soils in the proposed cosmetic formulations containing plant extracts is reduced.