Use and stability of liposomes in dermatological preparations

In recent years liposomes have gained an increased interest as ingredients for topic formulations, both for their hydratating-humectant properties and as carriers for (trans)dermal delivery of active ingredients that exert their function at cutaneous and/or subcutaneous level. In this paper we describe (a) some aspects of liposome use with special regard to their stability in topical formulations and (b) the modalities of skin-liposomes interactions after topical application. A crucial aspect of the cosmetic utilisation of liposomes concerns indeed the intrinsic stability of the macromolecular structure of this vehicle, especially when liposomes are incorporated in surfactant containing forms as in the case of creams. In these conditions liposomes can be rapidly solubilized by a large variety of surfactants through a multi step process. With the aim to overcome this problem, the use of structured vehicles constituted of hydrophilic polymers has been recently proposed. With respect to t...