BUTTER-C
Signature ingredients
Betel leaf feminine wash OEM/ODM manufacturing
Betel Leaf Feminine Wash · OEM/ODM
Washing with water boiled with betel leaves is a folk hygiene habit familiar to many Vietnamese families — a relatable story for a feminine wash line. The named ingredient is betel leaf extract (INCI: Piper Betle Leaf Extract), rich in phenolic compounds, mainly hydroxychavicol. Most activity data come from test-tube experiments with the purified compound; we have not found any trial of a feminine wash containing betel leaf extract — limited evidence. The product therefore promises what an external rinse-off cosmetic can deliver: gentle cleansing of the external intimate area, a mildly acidic pH and a clean, comfortable feel — not effects on bacteria or drug-like gynecological benefits. The technical work lies in a low-level mild cleansing system, a lactic acid buffer, safrole control under ASEAN Annex II, holding the color of an extract that tends to darken, and a preservative system challenge-tested on the actual formula. The label states clearly: external use only, no douching. Butter-C offers turnkey OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formula development and testing to labeled finished goods and the notification dossier.
Formula base
Mild cleansing, lactic buffer and betel leaf extract
A betel leaf feminine wash uses the same base as a standard feminine wash; what is specific is the betel leaf extract preparation, the components that must be checked with it and how its color is held.
Betel leaf extract: read the preparation correctly
The material in Butter-C's current ingredient list is a liquid extract labeled INCI Piper Betle Leaf Extract (and) Propylene Glycol (and) Water. The use level is that of the preparation, not of the dry extract; the label lists all three INCI names in order of their content in the finished product. Each batch certificate of analysis should state the plant part (leaf), solvent, hydroxychavicol, eugenol, safrole, microbiology and heavy metals, plus a commitment that no areca nut is present.
Cleansing system
Coco-glucoside and decyl glucoside with cocamidopropyl betaine or sodium cocoamphoacetate — a low total surfactant level, no SLS, moderate lather; mildness tested on the finished product.
pH buffer
Lactic acid and sodium lactate hold a mildly acidic pH close to that of vulvar skin. Only the measured pH of the product goes on the label — an external wash has not been shown to change the pH inside the vagina.
Soothing feel and color hold
Glycerin, panthenol and allantoin for a gentle feel; disodium EDTA binds metal ions because, per the ingredient's technical note (not independently verified), betel extract changes color with metal ions and darkens over time.
Key technical points
Safrole, eugenol, color and the external-use boundary
These points are where a betel leaf feminine wash differs from a standard one; each is settled by the certificate of analysis or by testing on samples.
Safrole under ASEAN Annex II
Betel leaves used in betel quid in Taiwan have been reported to contain high levels of safrole (Chang et al., 2002). Annex II, entry 360 accepts safrole only at “normal content in the natural essences used” and at no more than 100 ppm in the finished product (50 ppm in dental and oral hygiene products). Because the limit applies to the finished product, Butter-C adds the safrole from the extract certificate to that from every fragrance or essential oil source.
Eugenol and EU exports
Betel leaf extract contains eugenol (one methanolic extract was quantified at 49.67 mg/g — Syahidah et al., 2017). ASEAN has no separate labeling threshold (Annex III, entries 67–92 are blank); for EU exports, eugenol is named on the label above 0.01% in rinse-off products (Regulation (EC) 1223/2009). Butter-C calculates it from the certificate of analysis, adding all sources (a cautious reading that EU regulatory staff should confirm); the analysis must separate eugenol from chavibetol — an isomer, not eugenol.
The extract tends to darken
Ingredient technical note (not independently verified): sensitive to heat and light, changes color with metal ions. In practice: add in the cool-down phase below 40 °C, include a chelating agent, use light-protective packaging and track color through stability testing. Hydroxychavicol carries a catechol group that oxidizes easily — consistent with the darkening (chemical inference, to be tested).
Not a substitute for a preservative
Betel leaf extract is not listed in ASEAN Annex VI; a water-rich formula still needs a preservative system that works at acidic pH and a challenge test to ISO 11930. Test-tube growth inhibition by purified hydroxychavicol (Sharma et al., 2009; Ali et al., 2010) does not replace that test.
Betel leaf is not betel quid
IARC (Volume 85, 2004) classifies betel quid with or without tobacco, and areca nut, in Group 1; for betel leaf on its own, IARC notes evidence suggesting lack of carcinogenicity in experimental animals. Leaf extract in a rinse-off product contains no areca nut and has brief contact — the product is not linked to betel chewing imagery, and the IARC statement is not used to call the extract “safe” (IARC does not assess cosmetics).
Three formulation directions
Three betel leaf feminine wash lines
Traditional betel leaf light gel
Glucoside–betaine, mildly acidic pH with a lactic buffer, the extract's natural color, a very light herbal scent or none; the familiar Vietnamese betel leaf water story.
Fragrance-free minimalist betel leaf
Few ingredients, no fragrance, with panthenol and allantoin; positioned as gentle for everyday use — mildness tested on the finished product. Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) notes that vulvar symptoms can worsen with scented products.
Ready-foam betel leaf wash
A thin, low-viscosity liquid for a foaming pump; sodium cocoamphoacetate with glucosides for fine foam, no thickener needed.
Packaging must be planned with the formula
Pump bottles, foaming bottles, travel sachets; opaque or light-protective bottles help limit darkening; discreet design.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
Below are the parameters Butter-C tracks during formula development and scale-up. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product's in-house specification.
- Incoming extract certificate of analysis
- Plant part, solvent, hydroxychavicol, eugenol, safrole, microbiology, heavy metals — for every batch; commitment that no areca nut is present (arecoline is prohibited, Annex II entry 238).
- Safrole in the finished product
- Calculated from the certificate and the formula, adding every fragrance and essential oil source; no more than 100 ppm (Annex II, entry 360).
- pH
- Measured fresh and after aging at 25 °C; the key parameter for the lactic buffer and the preservative system.
- Color, odor
- Compared with a reference sample at 40 °C, room temperature and under light; betel extract tends to darken.
- Viscosity
- Across temperatures, so the pump or foaming bottle dispenses evenly.
- Microbiology and preservative challenge
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy test to ISO 11930 on the final formula.
- Packaging compatibility
- Filled into the actual bottle; pump function, leakage and staining of the pack checked after aging.
Claims
Claims for a feminine wash with betel leaf extract
Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT lists only the external genital organs as a cosmetic contact site; products applied to the internal genitalia are not considered cosmetics (Appendix 03-MP). Hydroxychavicol inhibits some bacteria and fungi in the test tube, but that is a purified compound in a dish, not data on a feminine wash. Butter-C reviews the wording on the label and in promotional materials when preparing the notification dossier.
Gently cleanses the external intimate area
Instead of: claims to act on bacteria, “germ-free clean”, claims about fungi.
Mildly acidic pH (state the measured pH of the product)
Instead of: balances intimate pH, balances the vaginal microbiome.
Leaves a clean, comfortable feel
Instead of: eliminates odor at the source, drug-like claims about vaginal discharge, tightening.
Contains betel leaf extract — a Vietnamese herbal story
Instead of: prevents gynecological inflammation thanks to betel, “safe because it is natural”, “naturally preserved with betel”.
Directions
External use only; no douching, not for use inside the vagina; lather with water, then rinse off.
Warnings
Stop use if irritation occurs; itching, unusual discharge or an unusual odor need a doctor's examination. Pregnant or breastfeeding women: data on betel leaf extract are insufficient, so ask a doctor before use.
Manufacturing specifications
Available capabilities
- Texture
- Clear light gel, liquid, ready foam.
- Betel leaf material
- A liquid betel leaf extract is in Butter-C's current ingredient list; the label follows the preparation's TDS/certificate of analysis.
- Pack formats
- Pump bottles, foaming bottles, sachets. Volume agreed when packaging is selected.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order.
- Testing
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; a certificate of analysis is supplied with each batch.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and notification dossier prepared by Butter-C, with the betel leaf extract certificate and the safrole calculation.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.
Suggested product concept
Fragrance-free betel leaf wash gel in a pump bottle
A product concept to help you picture the line, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is developed to fit your brand's positioning and price point.
Betel leaf extract as the named ingredient
Added in the cool-down phase with disodium EDTA; certificate of analysis states safrole and eugenol.
Glucoside–betaine
Coco-glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine; low total surfactant, moderate lather, quick rinse.
Lactic acid–sodium lactate
Holds a mildly acidic pH; sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate are two preservatives suited to acidic pH.
150 ml pump bottle, fragrance-free
Light-protective bottle; the label states external use only, no douching.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type serves very different customers from brand to brand. Tell us your requirements in the areas below and our pharmacists will build the formula accordingly.
Format
Light gel, liquid, ready foam.
Scent
Fragrance-free (recommended) or a very light herbal scent.
Supporting ingredients
Panthenol, allantoin, glycerin. Avoid stacking many plant extracts: RCOG notes that herbal creams (such as those with tea tree oil or aloe vera) can make vulvar allergy worse.
Users
Everyday use; postpartum women only when the safety assessment states so; pregnant or breastfeeding women are advised to ask a doctor.
Companion products
A matching intimate moisturizing gel uses a base without betel: skin pigment disorders have been reported in people who used steamed betel leaves as facial dressings (Liao et al., 1999 — whole leaves, not an extract; there are no data for the extract left on the skin), so Butter-C uses betel leaf extract only in rinse-off products.
Positioning and packaging
No SLS, no parabens — stated only as the formula actually is; pump bottles, foaming bottles, travel sachets, discreet design.
Further reading
Related knowledge
Betel leaf extract in cosmetics
Hydroxychavicol, eugenol, safrole, limited evidence and why betel leaf differs from betel quid (in Vietnamese).
Feminine wash OEM/ODM manufacturing
The general page on cleansing systems, pH and claims for feminine washes; this page focuses on betel leaf extract.
Female intimate skin: characteristics, pH and proper hygiene
Why cleansing is external only, why not to douche, and when to see a doctor (in Vietnamese).
ISO 11930 preservative challenge testing
How preservative systems are assessed for water-rich products such as feminine washes (in Vietnamese).
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details (in Vietnamese) →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
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