# Research on Waterless Cosmetics in the Form of Scrub Bars Based on Natural Exfoliants
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Color Evaluation of Scrub Bars  
Color represents one of the main quality attributes in cosmetic products. Color measurements are essential for monitoring the correct progress of technological processes and tracking color changes during the storage of raw materials and finished products. Color optimization is also important for meeting consumer preferences and quality standards in cosmetic products. In view of the above, the impact of different exfoliants on the color change of the scrub bars was evaluated, with the results shown in Figure 5.  
Figure 5: _Cont._The study found that different exfoliants influenced the color parameters of the formulated scrub bars. Perceptual lightness (Figure 5A), which is an attribute related to the amount of reflected light, ranged from 33.95 to 76.54 in the evaluated scrub bars. The highest value of the L* parameter, i.e., the lightest color, was noted for the F_MC scrub bar (76.54), which contains microcrystalline cellulose in the formulation. Conversely, the F_CA scrub, which contained _Coffea arabica seed powder_ as an exfoliant, demonstrated the lowest lightness (L* = 33.95). The colorimetry results can be compared with Figure 1, which shows photographs of the scrub bars. This comparison clearly indicates that the F_CA scrub is the darkest, but based on a visual evaluation, it is not possible to clearly determine which of the scrubs is the lightest. The trichromatic color coordinates a* (Figure 5B) and b* (Figure 5C) also exhibited variations based on the types of exfoliants used in the scrub bar formulas. When examining the a* parameter, it is evident that incorporating the exfoliants _Zea mays (corn) cob granules_ and _Coffea arabica seed powder_ into the formulations led to an increase in the red color component of the F_ZMC (3.26) and F_CA (5.59) scrubs. Conversely, incorporating sucrose, microcrystalline cellulose, and sodium chloride into the formulations resulted in the a* parameter assuming negative values, resulting in an increase in the intensity of the green color in the scrub bars, which can be represented with the following sequence: F_S > F_MC > F_SC. The value of the b* parameter, reflecting color changes from blue to yellow, varied from 8.77 to 16.63, which shows a greater proportion of the color yellow in all evaluated body scrubs. Similar results for the L* parameter were obtained in [45], which studied the application of food industry ingredients, including microcrystalline cellulose, as fillers in waterless facial cleansers. In the cleansing powders containing microcrystalline cellulose, the researchers observed negative values for the a* parameter and positive values for the b* parameter. The study by [PERSON] et al. [46] also revealed that incorporating plant powders into hair conditioners led to alterations in all the color parameters measured. Above all, the authors noted a reduction in the L* value compared to the baseline sample. Chemically, plants are rich in compounds that can be used as coloring agents in the food or cosmetic industries, among other applications. The same applies to natural exfoliants, which, serving as an interesting alternative to microplastics, also come in various colors [47; 48].  
Figure 5: Results of colorimetric measurements for scrub bars with exfoliant: sucrose (F_S), microcrystalline cellulose (F_MC), _Coffea arabica seed powder_ (F_CA), _Zea mays (corn) cob granules_ (F_ZMC), and sodium chloride (F_SC). (**A**) Parameter L*, (**B**) Parameter a*, (**C**) Parameter b*.