Neuroamide Liposomes

Skincare, as understood by the vast majority, involves the absorption of various beneficial effects to exert their functions, especially those targeting below the stratum corneum such as whitening and anti-aging skincare products. However, oftentimes, what you perceive as absorption isn’t quite what you see. Truly penetrating the skin is far from easy.

Why is absorption so challenging?

The skin’s surface comprises a tightly knit layer of the stratum corneum, making it difficult for external components to penetrate. Yet, the primary objective of skincare products is to enable the penetration of active ingredients into the skin, a goal contradictory to the protective mechanism of the stratum corneum. Therefore, the key lies in how to facilitate the penetration of active ingredients into the skin.

Liposome Technology and Absorption

With advancing technology, there are various methods to enhance product absorption, such as combining active ingredients with suitable carriers, selecting appropriate polar lipids, and utilizing permeation enhancers. Among these methods, liposome technology stands out in transdermal penetration. Liposomes, composed of lipid molecules with a unique double-layered hollow sphere structure, possess a distinctive amphiphilic structure. Active substances can reside in the hollow sphere’s core, while lipophilic substances can exist in the intermediate layer of the double membrane, allowing unstable, water-soluble, and oil-soluble substances to coexist perfectly within liposomes. Neuroamides are the main components of intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum, providing excellent moisturizing and barrier functions to the skin. However, the majority of neuroamides are lipophilic and struggle to penetrate into the skin. Yet, by leveraging the amphiphilic structure of liposomes, they can encapsulate neuroamides and penetrate into the stratum corneum, assisting in reducing moisture loss, supporting the skin barrier, and simultaneously ensuring both efficacy and stability of active substances.

Characteristics of Liposome Technology in Skincare In skincare, the core of liposome technology lies in transdermal absorption and sustained release. Through liposomal encapsulation, the efficacy of active ingredients is maximally preserved and exhibits the following characteristics:

Permeability: The unique physicochemical properties of liposomes enable them to penetrate through the skin’s epidermis and dermis, releasing active ingredients for absorption by the body. Due to the high biological compatibility between liposomes and the lipid composition of the skin’s stratum corneum, they can increase the accumulation of active ingredients in the local skin area.
Sustained release: Liposomes can continuously and slowly release active ingredients, ensuring prolonged efficacy. Active ingredients carried by liposomes are easily absorbed by the epidermis and dermis layers of the stratum corneum, enhancing bioavailability.
Protection: Liposome molecular structures can protect some active molecules, increasing their stability.
Enhancement: Encapsulating active ingredients improves their bioavailability. Liposomes enclosing hydrophilic or hydrophobic molecules can significantly increase their absorption by the skin.

Due to the challenges in extracting natural neuroamides, synthesizing natural-equivalent neuroamides, and formulating with natural or natural-equivalent neuroamides (with high melting points (> 90°C), crystallization tendency, and poor water solubility), their application has been limited. By employing high-pressure micro-jet and nano-embedding technologies, water-soluble neuroamide liposomes have been developed, effectively resolving solubility and applicability issues. This enables their encapsulation to synergistically interact with phospholipids, ceramides, and other natural stratum corneum components within liposomes. This reduces moisture loss, repairs barriers, effectively enhances the skin’s ability to retain moisture, and delays skin aging.