Liposomes
September 2002 | Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Original Article | 161 | Copyright © September 2002
Robert Posner,VP, Research & Development, ABBE Cosmetic Group, Intl.
Posner's company – ABBE Cosmetic Group International in Farmingdale, NY – formulates and manufactures skin care products for many well-known companies in the beauty industry.
For many years, both the bench chemist and the dermatologist have been concerned with developing an ideal base for deliverance of 'actives' to the human epidermis.
As is common knowledge, the skin is a protective organ which allows very few materials to penetrate. Some bases are unable to work effectively because of their relative inability to penetrate the stratum corneum; for example, some notable actives such as collagen and elastin are molecules too large to penetrate effectively. With the liposome at our command however, we can carry and then release an active into several layers of epidermis. We can release both oil-and water-soluble actives, and at the same time control the feel and effectiveness of a topical application.
This article will examine the liposome: what it is, how it works, and how products made with liposomes can benefit dermatology.