Nanotechnology is an emerging technology with wide applications and can be defined as the manipulation of materials in the size range of 1-200nm.
The improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of nanoparticles have helped open up avenues for the use of nanotechnology in various fields ranging from pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, chemistry, agriculture and cosmetics.
It is precisely the prospect of unifying nanotechnology and cosmetics that has led to unprecedented progress in the 21st century cosmetics industry.
Indeed, nanocosmetics offer a wide range of applications for skin, hair, nail and oral care. In the field of dermocosmetics, for example, it is possible to create products that give the skin a healthier appearance, strengthen the structure of collagen and promote the restoration of necessary peptides. Moreover, it is possible to obtain not only formulations that deeply nourish and moisturise the skin, but also specific and effective treatments to combat skin imperfections such as wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, facial impurities and many others.
When applied to hair care products, however, nanotechnology can exert an enhanced effect in repairing damaged hair or stimulating follicular growth.
They can also be used for lip-specific products, with the aim of preventing lips from cracking due to their film-forming properties.
Nanocosmetics can be classified into different types depending on the characteristics of the system, the method of preparation and the components involved. Among the categories, one in particular is widely used and exploited by the major brands in the cosmetics industry: we are talking about nanoemulsions.
Nanoemulsions are liquid dispersion systems that possess better kinetic and thermodynamic stability than classical emulsions. They appear macroscopically in transparent, translucent or milky form. These systems can be of various types such as oil-in-water (O/W), water-in-oil (W/O), bicontinuous systems or even multilayer systems (O/W/O or W/O/W). They also differ according to the preparation method used, which can result in formulations of different consistencies such as liquids, creams or gels, depending on requirements.
The increase in demand for cosmeceutical nanoemulsions is due to the numerous benefits these technologies are able to provide to products.
In the field of skin care, for instance, their ability to control and optimise the dispersion of active ingredients in the desired skin layers is recognised. In addition, nanoemulsions give formulations better stability, improved efficacy and prolonged action, as well as being visually and sensorially appealing due to the possibility of special textures. They also guarantee greater biocompatibility thanks to their micellar internal structure, which mimics the structures of skin cell membranes.
On the basis of these characteristics, nanoemulsions have been widely used in cosmetics for the production of creams, lotions, deodorants, sunscreens, sprays, shampoos and gel products.
Nanoemulsions are produced using different approaches that can be classified as high-energy and low-energy approaches, depending on the principle involved. The methodology employed and the operating conditions are important elements in determining the size of nanoemulsion droplets.
The most widely used high-energy production method is the high-pressure homogenisation process: the previously emulsified product is passed through the narrow slot of a homogeniser and is subjected to shear force, collision and cavitation. The nanoemulsion is created in a continuous flow at high speed, which can reach hundreds of metres per second. These homogenisers are very efficient in reducing the size of a pre-existing coarse emulsion.
Biofarma Group, always on the lookout for the most advanced technologies for the production of highly innovative cosmetics, has exploited the potential of nanoemulsions to create products dedicated to the wellbeing of the face, hair and body.
In the skin care field, for example, the Group has worked on formulations with refined textures, developed to plump and firm the skin, reinforcing its natural barrier; products able to reduce pigmentation spots and imperfections and refine the skin's grain, evening out its tone; formulations that aim to reduce the depth of stretch marks.
Finally, in the field of hair care, Biofarma Group has exploited the potential of nanoemulsions to create a treatment that protects hair from the thermal stress generated by the heat of hairdryers, straighteners and curling irons, thus improving its resistance properties.
Sunil Kumar Dubey, Anuradha Dey, Gautam Singhvi, Murali Manohar Pandey, Vanshikha Singh, Prashant Kesharwani, Emerging trends of nanotechnology in advanced cosmetics, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, Volume 214, June 2022, 112440
Shishu Goindi, Amanpreet Kaur, Randeep Kaur, Atin Kalra, Pratibha Chauhan, Nanoemulsions: An Emerging Technology In The Food Industry, Panjab University, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh, India
Nur Haziqah Che Marzuki, Roswanira Abdul Wahab & Mariani Abdul Hamid (2019) An overview of nanoemulsion: concepts of development and cosmeceutical applications, Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment, 33:1, 779-797, DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2019.1620124
