Lipid Nanovesicles for Antioxidant Delivery in Skin: Liposomes, Ufasomes, Ethosomes, and Niosomes

Introduction

Skin cells play a crucial role as the body’s first line of defense against external stressors. These stressors, including UV rays, pollution, and various infections, can increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as O2•, HOO•, H2O2, and HO•. These species are naturally produced as byproducts in cell metabolism and are involved in redox signaling [1]. Cells are able to regulate ROS concentration using antioxidants (vitamin E, and C, glutathione, coenzyme Q10, carotenoids) and enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalases, glutathione peroxidase, etc.) that help maintain redox homeostasis [2,3,4]. However, this regulatory capacity declines with age [5], leading to an imbalance in redox equilibrium, which results in oxidative stress and inflammation. In the skin, chronic oxidative stress can contribute to the development of wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and hyperpigmentation as well as to various pathological conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and even cancer [6,7].

It is well known that the use of exogenous antioxidants supplied by the diet enhances the body’s response against ROS [2,8]. However, many natural antioxidants are not as effective in vivo due to their short lifetime, low absorption through cell membranes, rapid metabolic degradation, and excretion [9]. Topical application to the skin suffers from similar disadvantages, because many natural antioxidants are unable to penetrate the stratum corneum (SC). The structure and composition of the skin layer are shown in Figure 1.

In recent decades, several nanomaterials have been developed, gaining significant attention for their applications across various fields. Notably, extensive research has also been conducted for delivering molecules with poor solubility [10]. Some examples of nano-delivery systems include vesicles [11,12], liposomes [13], polymer nanoparticles [14], solid lipid nanoparticles [15], and liquid crystals [16]. These systems are designed to encapsulate and deliver drugs or other active compounds to specific target sites in the body, offering improved efficacy, reduced side effects, and enhanced therapeutic outcomes. On the other hand, lipid vesicles experience instability over time, limited active ingredient loading capacity, challenges in retaining the active ingredient, and high costs. Each system has its own unique properties, advantages, and drawbacks, making it suitable for different applications. In the case of skincare, specialized liposomal carriers have been tailored to target the unique characteristics of the skin’s external surface and to pass through the specific structure of the stratum corneum.

This review aims to provide a synopsis of various liposomal systems developed for delivering antioxidants into skin cells. It offers a general description of the critical quality attributes (vesicle size, size distribution, stability), the potential benefits and limitations of each type of vesicle, along with recent applications for delivering specific antioxidants to the skin and the use of lipid nanovesicles in the cosmeceutical industry.

Download the full article as PDF here: Lipid Nanovesicles for Antioxidant Delivery in Skin

or read it here

Excipients named in the paper beside others: Precirol^® ATO 5, Labrafac, Tween 80

Ricci, A.; Stefanuto, L.; Gasperi, T.; Bruni, F.; Tofani, D. Lipid Nanovesicles for Antioxidant Delivery in Skin: Liposomes, Ufasomes, Ethosomes, and Niosomes. Antioxidants 2024, 13, 1516. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13121516

Read also the interesting article on Antioxidant Delivery in Skin here:

• Novel Nanocarriers for Targeted Topical Skin Delivery of the Antioxidant Resveratrol