The potential emulsions of xanthan gum and Daucus carota macerated oil in functional textiles for skincare applications: Formulation, characterization, and performance evaluation

Abstract

This study investigates the formulation and characterization of functional textiles with skin hydration properties by using Daucus carota macerated oil-based O/W emulsions. The key novelty lies in obtaining skin-hydrating textiles by using Daucus carota macerated oil as an active compound. Ten O/W emulsions were prepared by mixing in different ratios of Daucus carota macerated oil, xanthan gum, Tween 80, and water. The droplet morphology (size and shape) and the properties of the emulsion (pH, conductivity, turbidity, surface tension, contact angle) were investigated as a function of each constituent variation in the formulation, maintaining the others constant, to find the proper conditions to obtain stable and compatible with skin application o/w emulsions. Selected emulsions were tested for their biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties. The biocompatibility test shows that the high surfactant content is cytotoxic to NHDF cells, whereas emulsions with less surfactant content are biocompatible, irrespective of the Daucus carota macerated oil content. The emulsion skincare effects were evidenced by skin hydration and antimicrobial analyses. The obtained results suggest that these bioactive emulsions have sufficient potential to be used in skincare finishes to textiles by applying them on a cellulosic fabric obtaining new functional textiles with skin hydration properties and good comfort indexes (hygroscopicity, air, and vapor permeability). This study opens new perspectives in the field of skincare textiles by exploring the moisturizing potential of Daucus carota macerated oil emulsions in obtaining functional supports with skin hydration properties. The results provide evidence that the obtained functional textiles show better skin hydration compared to the case with direct application of the emulsion on the skin. Thus, the textile support plays a significant role in creating an occlusive barrier that helps retain moisture and prevents the loss of water from the skin's surface. Consequently, skincare textiles could represent an excellent choice for skin hydration.