SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Skincare face masks made from coconuts have won a Silver prize in the 2014 Korea International Women’s Invention Exposition (KIWIE 2014) in Seoul, South Korea. The coconut masks are the innovative products from Cuu Long Handicrafts Cooperative, a woman-run food processing enterprise in Ben Tre province of southern Vietnam.
From May 16th to 20th, a 4-member delegation of the Vietnam Women’s Union, led by its Vice President Bui Thi Hoa, attended the 2014 Korea International Women’s Invention Exposition (KIWIE 2014) in Seoul, South Korea, which attracted 150 participants from 25 countries.
KIWIE is truly one and only festival celebrating women inventors and inventions in the world, which has driven the growth of Women inventors for more than a decade as exhibiting and awarding the patent technologies and inventions of women at home and abroad.
The Vietnamese delegation made good impression at KIWIE 2014. Of the Vietnamese invention products brought into exhibition, the instance brown rice of Ms. Hoang Thi Kim Dung from Virice Co., Ltd won a Gold Prize and the coconut milk mask of Ms. Truong Thi Cam Hong from Cuu Long Handicrafts Cooperative won a Silver Prize.
Honored with the Silver award, Ms. Hong shared: “I am very honored to receive the Silver award for our cosmetic mask products from coconuts in the KIWIE 2014 for female innovators around the world”.
To make coconut face masks, coconut milk is taken from old coconuts and fermented with microorganisms Acetobacter. According to analysis results, the product has some nutrients such as protein, calcium, sodium which have good effects on the skin like skin cleaning, skin brightening, especially skin moisturizing. Nutrients are in coconut milk and do not disappear after processing. Besides, coconut mask products are completely pure with no chemicals and safe to use. This product has been tested multiple times by the Ben Tre Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics Testing Centre and it was granted for quality registration in Ben Tre Department of Health.
According to Ms. Hong, the coconut mask products have been successfully researched and tested after 10 years of dedication and passion. In early 2012, coconut masks branded Cuu Long appeared on the market when she brought the products to many local shops and businesses to display and sell to domestic customers as well as tourists. After 1 year on the market, her products were first contacted by a retail business from Singapore and they negotiated to be a distribution agent. The deal was successful, the coconut masks made in Vietnam were exported for the first time in the great joy of Ms. Hong. After that success, in turn, businesses from Hong Kong and Korea contacted her to order and wish to distribute products.
Note: In 2015, Cuu Long Handicrafts Cooperative was renamed as Cuu Long Coconut Processing Co,. Ltd
