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Open AccessReview
SLNs and NLCs for Skin Applications: Enhancing the Bioavailability of Natural Bioactives
by
Diana Antonia Safta
Diana Antonia Safta ,
Cătălina Bogdan
Cătălina Bogdan * and
Mirela-Liliana Moldovan
Mirela-Liliana Moldovan
Department of Dermopharmacy and Cosmetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 12 I. Creanga Street, 400010 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(10), 1270; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16101270 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 22 August 2024
/
Revised: 20 September 2024
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Accepted: 26 September 2024
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Published: 28 September 2024
Abstract
Abstract: Natural bioactives are mixtures of compounds extracted from plants with physicochemical properties that are usually not favorable for penetrating the skin`s complex barrier. Nanoparticles have important advantages both in dermatology and cosmetology: improved solubility and stability of encapsulated phytocompounds, controlled and sustained skin delivery, and enhanced skin permeation, leading to an improved bioavailability. This review focuses on two generations of lipid-based nanoparticles: solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). An extensive overview on the recent studies on SLNs and NLCs entrapping essential oils, oils, herbal extracts, and phytocompounds for topical applications is presented, emphasizing their composition, physicochemical characterization, efficacy, and methodologies used to evaluate them. This review also summarizes topical systems containing natural bioactives incorporated into SLNs and NLCs, commercially available products and registered patents in the field. SLNs and NLCs turn out to be effective nanocarriers for skin applications, offering significantly improved encapsulation efficiency, stability, and bioactives delivery. However, their full potential is underexplored. Future applications should study the encapsulation potential of new natural bioactives and show more specialized solutions that address specific requirements; an improved product performance and a pleasant sensory profile could lead to increased customer compliance with the product use.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Safta, D.A.; Bogdan, C.; Moldovan, M.-L.
SLNs and NLCs for Skin Applications: Enhancing the Bioavailability of Natural Bioactives. Pharmaceutics 2024, 16, 1270.
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16101270
AMA Style
Safta DA, Bogdan C, Moldovan M-L.
SLNs and NLCs for Skin Applications: Enhancing the Bioavailability of Natural Bioactives. Pharmaceutics. 2024; 16(10):1270.
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16101270
Chicago/Turabian Style
Safta, Diana Antonia, Cătălina Bogdan, and Mirela-Liliana Moldovan.
2024. "SLNs and NLCs for Skin Applications: Enhancing the Bioavailability of Natural Bioactives" Pharmaceutics 16, no. 10: 1270.
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16101270
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