ABSTRACT
This study explored the potential of using Bougainvillea leaves to develop a topical cream for treating skin rashes. Bougainvillea is a plant with reported medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, making it a promising candidate for skin care applications. The study aimed to investigate the composition of Bougainvillea leaves and the processes involved in extracting the active compounds and formulating the topical cream. The researchers employed a systematic approach to extract the ethanolic compounds from Bougainvillea leaves and formulate three topical cream variations with different concentrations of the leaf extract. These creams were tested on Wistar rats with experimentally induced skin rashes. The rats were monitored for changes in scratching frequency and skin redness to evaluate the efficacy of the creams. The results showed that the cream containing 30 mL of Bougainvillea leaf extract exhibited the most pronounced effects. Rats treated with this cream displayed significantly reduced scratching frequency and skin redness over the five-day observation period compared to the control group and the other treatment groups. Statistical analysis using a one-way ANOVA test confirmed the efficacy of the higher concentration cream. Based on this study, it was concluded that bougainvillea leaves have anti-inflammatory and wound-healing qualities that are worth using for topical skin care products. The 30 mL ethanolic extract of Bougainvillea Leaves cream formulation demonstrated the most promising results in alleviating symptoms of skin rashes in the animal model. Further research is needed to explore the full potential of this natural remedy and optimize its use for human skin health.