Nanotechnology in cosmetics pros and cons

Liposomes in the cosmetics: present and outlook

Liposomes are small spherical vesicles composed of phospholipid bilayers capable of encapsulating a variety of ingredients, including water- and oil-soluble compound, which are one of the most commonly used piggybacking and delivery techniques for many active ingredients and different compounds in biology, medicine and cosmetics. With the increasing number of active cosmetic ingredients, the concomitant challenge is to effectively protect, transport, and utilize these substances in a judicious manner. Many cosmetic ingredients are ineffective both topically and systemically when applied to the skin, thus changing the method of delivery and interaction with the skin of the active ingredients is a crucial step toward improving their effectiveness. Liposomes can improve the delivery of active ingredients to the skin, enhance their stability, and ultimately, improve the efficacy of cosmetics and and pharmaceuticals. In this review, we summarized the basic properties of liposomes and their recent advances of functionalities in cosmetics and and pharmaceuticals. Also, the current state of the art in the field is discussed and the prospects for future research areas are highlighted. We hope that this review will provide ideas and inspiration on the application and development of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Liposome-Hydrogel Composites for Controlled Drug Delivery Applications

Various controlled delivery systems (CDSs) have been developed to overcome the shortcomings of traditional drug formulations (tablets, capsules, syrups, ointments, etc.). Among innovative CDSs, hydrogels and liposomes have shown great promise for clinical applications thanks to their cost-effectiveness, well-known chemistry and synthetic feasibility, biodegradability, biocompatibility and responsiveness to external stimuli. To date, several liposomal- and hydrogel-based products have been approved to treat cancer, as well as fungal and viral infections, hence the integration of liposomes into hydrogels has attracted increasing attention because of the benefit from both of them into a single platform, resulting in a multifunctional drug formulation, which is essential to develop efficient CDSs. This short review aims to present an updated report on the advancements of liposome-hydrogel systems for drug delivery purposes.

Antihistamine and Wound Healing Potential of Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Bulbine frutescens (L.) Willd

Background

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is an inflammatory skin condition with synthetic treatments that induce adverse effects and are ineffective. One of the proposed causes for the development of the condition is the outside-in hypothesis, which states that eczema is caused by a disruption in the skin barrier. These disruptions include developing dry cracked skin, which promotes the production of histamine. Bulbine frutescens (BF) is traditionally used to treat wounds and eczema; however, limited research has been conducted to scientifically validate this. Furthermore, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been used to repair damaged skin; however, no research has been conducted on AuNPs synthesized using BF.

Purpose

The study aimed to determine whether BF alleviated skin damage through wound healing, reducing the production of histamine and investigate whether AuNPs synthesized using BF would enhance biological activity.

Methods

Four extracts and four synthesized AuNPs were prepared using BF and their antiproliferative and wound healing properties against human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) were evaluated. Thereafter, the selected samples antiproliferative activity and antihistamine activity against phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulated granulocytes were evaluated.

Results

Of the eight samples, the freeze-dried leaf juice (BFE; p < 0.01) extract and its AuNPs (BFEAuNPs; p < 0.05) displayed significant wound closure at 100 µg/mL and were further evaluated. The selected samples displayed a fifty percent inhibitory concentration (IC50) of >200 µg/mL against PMA stimulated granulocytes. Compared to the untreated (media with PMA) control (0.30 ± 0.02 ng/mL), BFEAuNPs significantly inhibited histamine production at a concentration of 100 (p < 0.01) and 50 µg/mL (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

BFE and BFEAuNPs stimulated wound closure, while BFEAuNPs significantly inhibited histamine production. Further investigation into BFEAuNPs in vivo wound healing activity and whether it can target histamine-associated receptors on mast cells as a potential mechanism of action should be considered.

Nanocosmeceuticals: Trends and Recent Advancements in Self Care

The term cosmetics refers to any substances or products intended for external application on the skin with the aim of protection and better appearance of the skin surface. The skin delivery system promotes the controlled and targeted delivery of active ingredients. The development of this system has been driven by challenges encountered with conventional cosmeceuticals, including low skin retention of active components, limited percutaneous penetration, poor water dispersion of insoluble active ingredients, and instability of effective components. The aim is to create cosmeceuticals that can effectively overcome these issues. This review focuses on various nanocarriers used in cosmeceuticals currently and their applications in skin care, hair care, oral care, and more. The importance of nanotechnology in the sphere of research and development is growing. It provides solutions to various problems faced by conventional technologies, methods, and product formulations thus taking hold of the cosmetic industry as well. Nowadays, consumers are investing in cosmetics only for better appearance thus problems like wrinkles, ageing, hair loss, and dandruff requires to be answered proficiently. Nanocarriers not only enhance the efficacy of cosmeceutical products, providing better and longer-lasting effects, but they also contribute to the improved aesthetic appearance of the products. This dual benefit not only enhances the final quality and efficacy of the product but also increases consumer satisfaction. Additionally, nanocarriers offer protection against UV rays, further adding to the overall benefits of the cosmeceutical product. Figure 1 represents various advantages of nanocarriers used in cosmeceuticals. Nanotechnology is also gaining importance due to their high penetration of actives in the deeper layers of skin. It can be said that nanotechnology is taking over all the drawbacks of the traditional products. Thus, nanocarriers discussed in this review are used in nanotechnology to deliver the active ingredient of the cosmeceutical product to the desired site.

Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Cosmeceutical and Skin Care: A Systematic Review

Cosmeceuticals have gained great importance and are among the top-selling products used for skin care. Because of changing lifestyles, climate, and increasing pollution, cosmeceuticals are utilized by every individual, thereby making cosmeceuticals a fruitful field for research and the economy. Cosmeceuticals provide incredibly pleasing aesthetic results by fusing the qualities of both cosmetics and medicinal substances. Cosmeceuticals are primarily utilized to improve the appearance of skin by making it smoother, moisturized, and wrinkle-free, in addition to treating dermatological conditions, including photoaging, burns, dandruff, acne, eczema, and erythema. Nanocosmeceuticals are cosmetic products that combine therapeutic effects utilizing nanotechnology, allowing for more precise and effective target-specific delivery of active ingredients, and improving bioavailability.

Inorganic nanoparticles in dermopharmaceutical and cosmetic products: Properties, formulation development, toxicity, and regulatory issues

The use of nanotechnology strategies is a current hot topic, and research in this field has been growing significantly in the cosmetics industry. Inorganic nanoparticles stand out in this context for their distinctive physicochemical properties, leading in particular to an increased refractive index and absorption capacity giving them a broad potential for cutaneous applications and making them of special interest in research for dermopharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes. This performance is responsible for its heavy inclusion in the manufacture of skin health products such as sunscreens, lotions, beauty creams, skin ointments, makeup, and others. In particular, their suitable bandgap energy characteristics allow them to be used as photocatalytic semiconductors. They provide excellent UV absorption, commonly known as UV filters, and are responsible for their wide worldwide use in sunscreen formulations without the undesirable white residue after consumer application. In addition, cosmetics based on inorganic nanoparticles have several additional characteristics relevant to formulation development, such as being less expensive compared to other nanomaterials, having greater stability, and ensuring less irritation, itching, and propensity for skin allergies. This review will address in detail the main inorganic nanoparticles used in dermopharmaceutical and cosmetic products, such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, silver, gold, copper, and aluminum nanoparticles, nanocrystals, and quantum dots, reporting their physicochemical characteristics, but also their additional intrinsic properties that contribute to their use in this type of formulations. Safety issues regarding inorganic nanoparticles, based on toxicity studies, both to humans and the environment, as well as regulatory affairs associated with their use in dermopharmaceuticals and cosmetics, will be addressed.

The True Nature of Tricalcium Phosphate Used as Food Additive (E341(iii))

Tricalcium phosphate (TCP) is a food additive, labeled E341(iii), used in powdered food preparation, such as baby formula. In the United States, calcium phosphate nano-objects were identified in baby formula extractions. Our goal is to determine whether the TCP food additive, as is used in Europe, can be classified as a nanomaterial. The physicochemical properties of TCP were characterized. Three different samples (from a chemical company and two manufacturers) were thoroughly characterized according to the recommendations of the European Food Safety Authority. A commercial TCP food additive was identified as actually being hydroxyapatite (HA). It presents itself in the form of particles of different shapes (either needle-like, rod, or pseudo-spherical), which were demonstrated in this paper to be of a nanometric dimension: E341(iii) is thus a nanomaterial. In water, HA particles sediment rapidly as agglomerates or aggregates over a pH of 6 and are progressively dissolved in acidic media (pH < 5) until the complete dissolution at a pH of 2. Consequently, since TCP may be considered as a nanomaterial on the European market, it raises the question of its potential persistency in the gastrointestinal tract.

Nanoparticles for Topical Application in the Treatment of Skin Dysfunctions-An Overview of Dermo-Cosmetic and Dermatological Products

Nanomaterials (NM) arouse interest in various fields of science and industry due to their composition-tunable properties and the ease of modification. They appear currently as components of many consumer products such as sunscreen, dressings, sports clothes, surface-cleaning agents, computer devices, paints, as well as pharmaceutical and cosmetics formulations. The use of NPs in products for topical applications improves the permeation/penetration of the bioactive compounds into deeper layers of the skin, providing a depot effect with sustained drug release and specific cellular and subcellular targeting. Nanocarriers provide advances in dermatology and systemic treatments. Examples are a non-invasive method of vaccination, advanced diagnostic techniques, and transdermal drug delivery. The mechanism of action of NPs, efficiency of skin penetration, and potential threat to human health are still open and not fully explained. This review gives a brief outline of the latest nanotechnology achievements in products used in topical applications to prevent and treat skin diseases. We highlighted aspects such as the penetration of NPs through the skin (influence of physical-chemical properties of NPs, the experimental models for skin penetration, methods applied to improve the penetration of NPs through the skin, and methods applied to investigate the skin penetration by NPs). The review summarizes various therapies using NPs to diagnose and treat skin diseases (melanoma, acne, alopecia, vitiligo, psoriasis) and anti-aging and UV-protectant nano-cosmetics.

Preparation of Nano/Microcapsules of Ozonated Olive Oil in Hyaluronan Matrix and Analysis of Physicochemical and Microbiological (Biological) Properties of the Obtained Biocomposite

Hydrogels, based on natural polymers, such as hyaluronic acid, are gaining an increasing popularity because of their biological activity. The antibacterial effect of ozone is widely known and used, but the instability the gas causes, severely limits its application. Ozone entrapment in olive oil by its reaction with an unsaturated bond, allows for the formation of stable, therapeutically active ozone derivatives. In this study, we obtained an innovative hydrogel, based on hyaluronic acid containing micro/nanocapsules of ozonated olive oil. By combination of the biocompatible polymer with a high regenerative capacity and biologically active ingredients, we obtained a hydrogel with regenerative properties and a very weak inhibitory effect against both bacterial commensal skin microbiota and pathogenic Candida-like yeasts. We assessed the stability and rheological properties of the gel, determined the morphology of the composite, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and particle size by the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. We also performed Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy. The functional properties, including the antimicrobial potential were assessed by the microbiological analysis and in vitro testing on the HaCat human keratinocyte cell line. The studies proved that the obtained emulsions were rheologically stable, exhibited an antimicrobial effect and did not show cytotoxicity in the HaCat keratinocyte model.

Acid Hydrolysis and Optimization Techniques for Nanoparticles Preparation: Current Review

Nanostarch is unique in that it is highly soluble, thermally stable, non-toxic and inexpensive. Hence, it is utilized in numerous well-established applications, including drug delivery, cosmetics, textiles, foods, and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). These applications take advantage of the special functions that can be achieved through modifications to the structure and properties of native starch. The most common method for the preparation of nanostarch with a relatively higher crystallinity and stability is acid hydrolysis. Technically, the properties of nanostarch are highly dependent on several factors during the hydrolysis process, such as the acid, concentration of acid, reaction time, reaction temperature, and source of starch. The production of nanostarch with desired properties requires a detailed understanding on each of the factors as they are inevitably affected the physical and chemical properties of nanostarch. Hence, it is vital to incorporate optimization technique into the production process to achieve the full potential of nanostarch. Therefore, the current review comprehensively elaborates on the factors that affect acid hydrolysis as well as the optimization techniques used in the preparation of nanostarch.

Nano-biotechnology, an applicable approach for sustainable future

Nanotechnology is one of the most emerging fields of research within recent decades and is based upon the exploitation of nano-sized materials (e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanomembranes, nanowires, nanofibers and so on) in various operational fields. Nanomaterials have multiple advantages, including high stability, target selectivity, and plasticity. Diverse biotic (e.g., Capsid of viruses and algae) and abiotic (e.g., Carbon, silver, gold and etc.) materials can be utilized in the synthesis process of nanomaterials. "Nanobiotechnology" is the combination of nanotechnology and biotechnology disciplines. Nano-based approaches are developed to improve the traditional biotechnological methods and overcome their limitations, such as the side effects caused by conventional therapies. Several studies have reported that nanobiotechnology has remarkably enhanced the efficiency of various techniques, including drug delivery, water and soil remediation, and enzymatic processes. In this review, techniques that benefit the most from nano-biotechnological approaches, are categorized into four major fields: medical, industrial, agricultural, and environmental.

Bioactive properties of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using Cocos nucifera leaves

Biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles has been reported using Cocos nucifera leaf (CNL) extract along with estimation of their antimicrobial potential before and after calcination using different micro-organisms. UV-visible spectra of ZnO nanoparticles showed absorption maxima at 383 nm and 363 nm, respectively, with 3.237 eV and 3.416 eV, respectively, as the corresponding band gap energies. FESEM and TEM images showed spherical morphologies of ZnO nanoparticles within the size range 109-215 nm. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite structures. ATR-IR spectra revealed the presence of stretching vibrations of N-H, O-H, C=C, C=O and NH2 groups along with C-H and N-H deformation involving biomolecules from CNL extract responsible for reduction and stabilization of ZnO nanoparticles. Uncalcinated ZnO nanoparticles displayed antibacterial activities only against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa whereas calcinated ZnO nanoparticles did not show antibacterial activities against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis. ZnO nanoparticles were not active against Penicillium spp., Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizoctonia solani as well as HCT-116 cancer cells before as well as after calcination. Antimicrobial nature and biocompatibility of ZnO nanoparticles were influenced by different parameters of the nanoparticles along with micro-organisms and the human cells. Non-antimicrobial properties of ZnO nanoparticles can be treated as a pre-requisite for its biocompatibility due to its inert nature. These ZnO nanoparticles can serve a dual purpose by facilitating use as antibacterial agent against susceptible micro-organisms as well as a biocompatible carrier molecule in drug delivery applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03110-9.