Cosmetics liposome encapsulation

Liposomes have been used for years as components of drug delivery systems, and as transdermal carriers of active ingredients in the cosmetic industry (307, 308). More recently, liposomes have found use in the food and nutritional supplement industries. Keller (308) lists more than a dozen nutritional products on the market that have been formulated with novel liposome-based delivery systems. In the food area, hposomes have been studied for their ability to encapsulate and provide controlled release of enzymes (309, 310), and liposome-encapsulated enzymes have been used to accelerate the ripening of cheese (311). 

As one of the main structural constituents of biological membranes, PLs play a crucial role in the biochemistry and physiology of cells. PLs have also found plications in numerous industries. For example, PLs are often used as emulsifier, stabilizer and wetting and dispersing agents in the food industry. Pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries utilize PLs in liposomal encapsulation of active ingredients for enhanced delivery and bioavailability (Gabizon et al, 1997). 

The liposomal encapsulation technology is focused on cosmetic and pharmaceutical systems, since the PC fractions are quite costly. Plant scale produced PC phospholipids are used as excipients for targeted drugs transport, encapsulation and cell membrane passage. 

Another application of liposomes is in the cosmetics industry. Liposomes can be formed that encapsulate a vitamin, herbal agent, or other nutritional element. When applied to the skin, the liposomes pass easily through the outer layer of dead skin, delivering their contents to the living skin cells beneath. As with the pharmaceutical liposomes, these liposomes, sometimes called cosmeceuticals, fuse with skin cells. Thus, they directly deliver the beneficial cosmetic agent directly to the cells that can benefit the most. 

Figure 37.3 Liposomes. Liposomes are small artificial vesicles that are formed when phospholipids and water are subjected to high-shear mixing or to vigorous agitation by an ultrasonic probe. Liposomes can be used to encapsulate hydrophilic drugs and are used for the delivery of some anticancer drugs. They are also used to deliver cosmetics.

Polymeric microencapsulates and lipid microencapsulates have extensive potential applications in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutics [1-5]. Microencapsulates can protect and conserve an active component until its release is desired and stimulated. Polymeric microencapsulates consist of a (biocompatible) polymer matrix in which an active component is encapsulated. Most frequently poly(lactic add) (PLA) or poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is used as the polymer [6,7], but alternatives have been investigated [8, 9]. Lipid microencapsulates, lipid vesicles and liposomes are composed of a (phospho-)lipid bilayer membrane that encapsulates an aqueous volume, thus mimicking a cell structure. 

Interesting and practically relevant materials for stud5dng the behavior of smart polymers attached to lipid membranes are liposomes, self-assembled 50-200 nm vesicles that have one or more (phospho)lipid bilayers which encapsulate a fraction of the solvent. Liposomes are stable in aqueous suspension because of the repulsive forces that appear when two liposomes approach each other. Liposomes are widely used for drug delivery and in cosmetics (96). 

Encapsulation is widely used in many industrial sectors such as pharmaceutics, cosmetics, food, textile, and agriculture for chemicals trapping and delivery [22]. Various morphologies of capsules have been developed, such as protein vehicles [23], cyclodextrins [24], thermally gated liposomes [25], concentrated... 

Uses Moisturizer, emulsifier for phannaceulicals, dennalology, cosmetics, skin care, creams/lotions encapsulation of active compds. mfg. of liposomes and mixed micelles... 

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