How are Nanoemulsions beneficial in cosmeceutical formulation?
Introduction
What is a Nanoemulsion in skincare?
A nanoemulsion is a type of colloidal dispersion, which consists of minute droplets of active ingredients or oils in water or water-soluble liquid. The size of the active ingredients are measured between 20 to 200 nanometres, indicating that they are extremely small. These droplets have significantly larger surface area than larger droplets, enabling better penetration and deposition of active substances into the skin. Nanoemulsion can be considered an application of nanotechnology in skincare products.
What are the applications of nanoemulsions in cosmetics?
Nanoemulsions are used in skincare products such as creams, lotions, serums, and sunscreens to improve the product’s stability, texture, and efficacy. The small droplet size of the active ingredients in a nanoemulsion enhances their penetration into the skin, as they can more easily pass through its outer barrier. This can lead to improved skin hydration, increased effectiveness of active ingredients, and a smoother, more comfortable application. Therefore, many industries are using nanoemulsions to formulate skincare products [1].
What are the advantages of nanoemulsions?
Nanoemulsions are better than other forms of skincare and cosmetic products. The following points explain their advantages-.
FIGURE 1: APPLICATIONS OF NANOEMULSIONS
- Enhanced Delivery of Active Ingredients: Nanoemulsions can deliver active ingredients effectively into the skin. The small droplet size allows for enhanced penetration through the skin barrier, increasing the bioavailability and effectiveness of the active components, thereby enhancing skin health [2]. This property makes nanoemulsions desirable for use in serums like retinol face serum, peptide serum and Vitamin E serum.
- Improved Stability of Formulations: Nanoemulsions enhance the stability of cosmeceutical formulations. They prevent phase separation and provide a uniform distribution of ingredients by reducing the droplet size, resulting in improved shelf life and product quality.
- Texture and Sensory Characteristics: Nanoemulsions create a lightweight, non-greasy, and easy-to-spread formula, which improves the texture of cosmetic products. Hence, they offer a pleasant feel while applying the product.
- Solubilisation of Oil-Soluble Ingredients: Nanoemulsions enable the incorporation of oil-soluble ingredients into water-based cosmetic products and cosmeceuticals. Nanoemulsions increase the solubility of lipophilic compounds by dispersing oil droplets at nanoscale, thereby increasing the variety of ingredients that can be incorporated into cosmetic formulations.
- Sunscreen Formulations: Nanoemulsions are commonly employed in sunscreen products, like medicated sunscreen, matte sunscreen, water based sunscreen and gel based sunscreen. They enable the dispersion of UV filters uniformly, ensuring even coverage and efficient protection against harmful UV rays, which can be used to treat photomelanosis and photo tanning.
- Improved Delivery of Fragrances: Nanoemulsions can be used to encapsulate fragrances and deliver them slowly over time. This technology helps maintain the scent for an extended period, providing longer-lasting fragrance. This is especially valuable in developing essential oil–based perfume products.
- Skin Hydration: Nanoemulsions formulated with moisturising agents help deliver water and hydrating ingredients deep into the skin, improving skin hydration [3].
The Future of Nanoemulsions
Nanoemulsions are becoming increasingly popular in the skincare industry since they have numerous advantages. The technology for developing nanoemulsions must be in accordance with market trends and consumer preferences and try to incorporate sustainable ingredients and procedures. Moreover, the manufacturers must closely watch how to make nanoemulsion formulation more cost-effective and maintain the quality, safety and efficacy of their products [1].
Conclusion
Nanoemulsions incorporate tiny particles of oil-based active ingredients in another liquid. They have many applications like sunscreens, fragrances, serums and lotions. They have better texture and enable deeper penetration of the product. The manufacturers must closely watch the industry trends and consumer preferences during product formulation and ensure the products are safe and effective.
How the Food Research Lab can help
We are contract manufacturing facility who offer B2B service in new product development. We monitor market trends and help our clients formulate products per the trends. We have extended our services from food, beverage and nutraceutical development to cosmeceutical product development for skincare and cosmetic startups. In addition, we offer lab testing of cosmetic products and cosmeceuticals for their safety, quality and efficiency. We emphasise using high-quality ingredients in the products and ensure the product meets the regulations, guaranteeing its success.