Abstract :
The skin is the largest organ of the body and is responsible for the protection of other tissue beneath it from environmental exposure, which made skin exposed to most environmental agents. UV light is one of the environmental agents that commonly damaged the skin, from causing dry skin to triggering the development of cancer. Torbangun (Coleus amboinicus Lour) leaves, which are commonly used as lactagogue agents in Bataknese society, are rich in flavonoid and phenolic contents. Both of these phytochemicals are strong anti-oxidant agents, which help maintain the skin's moisture level, and in turn, the skin's pH. This study aims to explore the potency of torbangun leaf extract cream as a skin moisturizer and pH controller. This study was an experimental study with a randomized pretest-posttest with a control group design. The experiment in this study involved 28 male rats (Rattus norvegicus) which were grouped into seven different groups with different interventions and the same induction of UVA and UVB exposure. Data of this study found that torbangun leaves extract cream with a concentration as low as 5% performed as well as Vaseline® Healthy White at maintaining skin moisture level (p<0.05), but show no difference in controlling the skin pH level compared to the base cream (p>0.05). It can be concluded that torbangun leaves extract cream can be utilized as a moisturizer or to prevent dry skin due to UVA and UVB exposure.