Lipid-based formulations in cosmeceuticals and biopharmaceuticals

Anas Ahmad,Haseeb Ahsan

doi:10.1186/s41702-020-00062-9

Abstract

The fatty acids containing plant oils have been used as components of cosmetic formulations, and the best cosmetic function has been established for unsaturated fatty acids present in triglycerides. Many oils, fats, waxes, and phospholipids are employed as excipients in cosmetics and personal care products. Antioxidants such as carotenoids, retinoids, and tocopherols are used for their antioxidant properties because of their importance in therapeutic care. For skin care, the most important are oils with high contents of linoleic and α-linolenic acid which reduce the formation of eczemas or atopic dermatitis. These essential fatty acids incorporate into the cell membranes and regenerate the damaged lipid barrier of epidermis and restrict water loss. The unsaturated fatty acids show prominent healing effects on skin inflammation and are used in various cosmetic products. Mineral oils and waxes are also used in several products due to their property of skin tolerance, protection, cleansing, and viscosity. As cosmeceutical formulation, the nanoformulations are effective against irritated and inflamed skin and effective for therapy of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. The lipid nanoparticles offer advantages of chemical stability and good skin compatibility that can be used for protection against radiation and aging.

Highlights

Humans have used cosmetics since early civilizations, and the products were obtained from natural compounds and minerals
The beneficial effects promoted from the use of lipid-rich substances into the formulations of various Personal care products (PCP) are considered as useful ingredients (Ahsan 2019)
This review article attempts to identify the various complex lipids and derivatives found in cosmetic products which may have an important role on the body skin

Summary

Introduction

Humans have used cosmetics since early civilizations, and the products were obtained from natural compounds (milk, flowers, fruits, seeds, vegetables, etc.) and minerals (clay, ash, etc.). Irritated inflamed skin with microscratches and bacterial colonization (upper), antibacterial effect of silver ions released from microsilver (middle), and restoration of skin barrier by adsorbing highly adhesive NLC film (adapted and modified from Muller et al 2014 with permission) were released first into the market and described as first generation lipid nanoparticles and were followed by improved second generation nanoparticles, i.e., nanostructured lipid carriers (Chen et al 2017) These nanoparticles generally function as nanocarrier of medicinally active agents like drugs, inhibitors, and other pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical agents (Kaul et al 2018; Aziz et al 2019). The characteristic of lipid-based nanomaterials is that they can be incorporated into aqueous dispersions and remain physically stable and can be readily mixed with dermal formulations like cream and can form an adhesive film providing an occlusive effect This occlusive effect elevates the penetration of active cosmeceuticals into the skin thereby enhancing its effects (Müller et al 2016; Muller et al 2014). In addition to the known functional applications like surfactants or emulsifiers, the polar lipids play an important role in various physiological functions to keep the skin healthy and disease free (Traversier et al 2018)

Conclusion

Availability of data and materials Not applicable