Cream with liposomes? Advertising is deceiving you again!

The cosmetic industry presents liposomes – the smallest capsules of lipid molecules – as effective carriers of active ingredients of creams into the deep layers of the skin, where they can have their therapeutic or rejuvenating effect.

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark, working under the guidance of Professor Louis Bagatolli, have demonstrated that in fact liposomes are not able to penetrate deep into the skin and, accordingly, cannot deliver any active ingredients there.

Using the method of raster correlation spectroscopy, they analyzed the movements of liposomes applied to the skin, labeled with two fluorescent dyes. The coordinated movement of molecules glowing with two different colors was supposed to be proof of the intact liposomes on their way to the goal.

However, it turned out that liposomes are destroyed and release their contents either directly on the surface of the skin, or immediately after penetration under its surface.

According to Bagatolli, in earlier studies conducted using other methods, results were obtained, on the basis of which some experts came to the conclusion about the ability of liposomes to penetrate deep into the skin. However, these data were not unambiguous. Now, for the first time, the authors have managed to obtain convincing evidence of the uselessness of liposomes that are part of cosmetic products.

Bagatolli, who is a specialist in biological membranes, explains this by the fact that human skin was formed in such a way as to protect the body from the penetration of various compounds contained in the external environment, and liposomes are no exception.

Article by Jonathan Brewer et al. Spatially Resolved Two-Color Diffusion Measurements in Human Skin Applied to Transdermal Liposome Penetration is published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Southern Denmark: Don't trust liposomes in your beauty products.

20.02.2013