Development of Sustainable Hydrophilic Azadirachta indica Loaded PVA Nanomembranes for Cosmetic Facemask Applications

Preparation of Quick-Dissolving Nanofiber Face Masks Based on Needleless Electrostatic Spinning

As the global facial mask market continues to grow, consumers have put forward higher requirements for the functionality and ingredients of mask products. Ordinary facial masks mostly use ordinary non-woven fabrics as the mask base fabric and are used with essence. Preservatives are generally added. At the same time, they are susceptible to the influence of the external environment and are easily oxidized, causing the mask to deteriorate and cause skin allergic reactions. In addition, traditional facial masks have problems such as poor fit with the skin, poor breathability, insufficient absorption of nutrient solutions, and easy dripping. The high specific surface area and high porosity of a nanofiber mask prepared by electrospinning technology are beneficial to the skin's absorption of nutrients, and it has good fit with the skin and strong breathability. A unique advantage of this nanofiber mask is that it uses spray. After the mask is sprayed with water or essence, the water-soluble polymer within it can be quickly dissolved, saving a lot of time. Nanofiber facial mask products can effectively solve consumer pain points and are conducive to the high-end development of facial masks. Therefore, this article combines needleless electrospinning technology to develop a new solid-state, preservative-free, quick-dissolving nanofiber facial mask that can be prepared on a large scale. Based on needleless electrospinning technology, this article deeply explores the process parameters and their influencing mechanisms for preparing nanofiber, quick-dissolving facial masks to achieve the stable preparation of nanofiber facial masks with the best morphology; a comprehensive analysis of the structure and influence of nanofiber facial masks from micro and macro perspectives demonstrates their performance and allows evaluation of them. The experimental results show that the mask morphology is optimal under the process conditions of using a spinning liquid of 20% collagen peptide solution, a spinning voltage of 30 kV, a collection distance of 19 cm, and a liquid supply speed of 130 mL/h.

Electrospun Nanofibers Encapsulated with Natural Products: A Novel Strategy to Counteract Skin Aging

The skin is the primary tissue affected by wounds and aging, significantly impacting its protective function. Natural products are widely used in cosmetics, representing a new approach to preventing age-related damage. Nanomedicine combines nanotechnology and traditional treatments to create innovative drugs. The main targets of nanotechnological approaches are wound healing, regeneration, and rejuvenation of skin tissue. The skin barrier is not easily permeable, and the creation of modern nanodevices is a way to improve the passive penetration of substances. In this study, Helichrysum italicum oil (HO) was combined with different types of electrospun nanofibers to study their protective activity on the skin and to evaluate their future application for topical treatments. In the present research, we used biodegradable polymers, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), which were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). All results show a positive trend in cell proliferation and viability of human skin stem cells (SSCs) and BJ fibroblasts pre-treated with combined nanofibers and then exposed to UV stress. Gene expression analysis revealed the activation of a molecular rejuvenation program in SSCs treated with functionalized nanofibers before UV exposure. Understanding the mechanisms involved in skin changes during aging allows for the future application of nanomaterials combined with HO directly to the patients.

Electrosprayed Environment-Friendly Dry Triode-Like Facial Masks for Skincare

The cosmetics industry has a worrying impact on the environment, including the plastics used in products and packaging and environmentally unfriendly additives. In this study, we present an environment-friendly triode-like facial mask (TFM) that utilizes only green and degradable raw materials, nontoxic and harmless solvents, and electric energy to achieve distinct switchable directional water transport properties, avoids a wet storage environment, and reduces excessive packaging. The TFM demonstrates droplet stability when not in contact with the skin while facilitating rapid liquid transfer (15 μL) within durations of 2.8 s (dry skin) and 1.9 s (moist skin) upon contact. We elucidate the underlying mechanism behind this triode-like behavior, emphasizing the synergistic interaction of the wettability gradient, Gibbs pinning, and additional circumferential capillary force. Moreover, the TFM exhibits a reduction in the proportion of aging cells, decreasing from 44.33 to 13.75%, while simultaneously providing antibacterial and skin-beautifying effects. The TFM brings a novel experience while also holding the potential to reduce environmental pollution in the production, packaging, use, and recycling of cosmetics products.

Engineering of PVA/PVP Hydrogels for Agricultural Applications

Hydrogels have gained significant popularity in agricultural applications in terms of minimizing waste and mitigating the negative environmental impact of agrochemicals. This review specifically examines the utilization of environmentally friendly, shapable hydrogels composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in various casings for crop protection against different pests, fertilizing, and watering. To activate their effectiveness, PVA/PVP hydrogels were loaded with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic environmentally friendly pesticides, namely hydrogen peroxide (HP), the essential oil thymol, and urea as a fertilizer, either separately or in combination. This review covers various physical and chemical approaches used for loading, shaping, and controlling the release profiles of pesticides and fertilizers. Additionally, it explores the evaluation of the chemical composition, structure, classification, rheology, and morphology of the hydrogels as well as their impact on the thermal stability of the encapsulated pesticides and fertilizer, followed by biological tests. These hydrogels significantly contribute to the stabilization and controlled release of essential nutrients and biocides for plants, while maintaining excellent biocidal and fertilizing properties as well as sustainability characteristics. By shedding light on the latest insights into the concepts, applications, and results of these hydrogels, this review demonstrates their immense potential for widespread future use in agriculture.

Development and Characterization of Drug Loaded PVA/PCL Fibres for Wound Dressing Applications

Nowadays, synthetic polymers are used in medical applications due to their special biodegradable, biocompatible, hydrophilic, and non-toxic properties. The materials, which can be used for wound dressing fabrication with controlled drug release profile, are the need of the time. The main aim of this study was to develop and characterize polyvinyl alcohol/polycaprolactone (PVA/PCL) fibres containing a model drug. A dope solution comprising PVA/PCL with the drug was extruded into a coagulation bath and became solidified. The developed PVA/PCL fibres were then rinsed and dried. These fibres were tested for Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, linear density, topographic analysis, tensile properties, liquid absorption, swelling behaviour, degradation, antimicrobial activity, and drug release profile for improved and better healing of the wound. From the results, it was concluded that PVA/PCL fibres containing a model drug can be produced by using the wet spinning technique and have respectable tensile properties; adequate liquid absorption, swelling %, and degradation %; and good antimicrobial activity with the controlled drug release profile of the model drug for wound dressing applications.