Using Kakadu Plum Extract for Skin Care

Kakadu Plum, a small deciduous tree found in the northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, has an abundant crop of small plum-like pseudo drupes that are extraordinarily rich in vitamin C. Each plum contains 300mg of vitamin C per 100g of fruit while oranges, on the other hand, contain just 50mg of vitamin C per 100g of fruit.

Kakadu Plum Origin

Terminalia ferdinandiana, commonly called the Kakadu plum, is a flowering plant in the family Combretaceae, widespread throughout the tropical woodlands from northwestern Australia to eastern Arnhem Land.

They are a valuable Bush Tucker and have been a natural food and medicinal source for aboriginal people for thousands of years. The roundish, light green, fruits are usually eaten raw.

The fruits gained popularity again with Aborigines after the vitamin C results were widely reported.

Kakadu Plum Uses

Today, the Kakadu plum is more commonly sold as an ingredient for cosmetics but is slowly entering new markets as a nutraceutical in food supplements and fortified beverages. While the fruits have been trialed in plantation and some harvests from these irrigated fields are now supplying market demand, the vitamin C levels tend to fall with the less harsh growing conditions compared to wild stands of trees.

Extracting Kakadu Plum Powder

The process of preparing the extract includes the following:

• disintegrating kakadu plum fruit;
• treating the disintegrated kakadu plum material with enzymes to at least partially digest the material;
• juicing the kakadu plum material and
• drying the juice to produce a powder.

The resultant kakadu plum powder has a natural ascorbic acid content of about 15%.