Nanomaterials have been availed to try and improve the performance of a wide range of products, from moisturizer and anti-ageing creams to hair care. Most of the major cosmetics manufacturers have at least some "nano-enhanced" products in their range. However, there is still some controversy over the safety of these novel materials, and the control of nanomaterials in cosmetics is lax or unclear in many parts of the world (Cadioli et al., 2006).
2. • Nanomaterials have been availed to try and
improve the performance of a wide range of
products, from moisturizer and anti-ageing
creams to hair care. Most of the major cosmetics
manufacturers have at least some "nano-
enhanced" products in their range. However,
there is still some controversy over the safety of
these novel materials, and the control of
nanomaterials in cosmetics is lax or unclear in
many parts of the world (Cadioli et al., 2006).
3. • BENEFITS OF NANOMATERIALS IN COSMETICS
The two main pros for nanoparticles in cosmetic
products are UV filtering and delivery of active
ingredients. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are
both availed extensively in sunscreens to prevent
UV damage to the skin - the nano formulations of
these materials have been much shown
repeatedly to give much better performance than
larger particles, reflecting visible light and
absorbing UV with very high efficiency (Daniel,
2004).
4. • A wide range of nanostructures have been proposed as delivery
mechanisms for the cosmetic ingredients in moisturizers, anti-
ageing creams, and other skincare products – from the lipid
nanoparticles to dendritic or hyper branched polymers. Again,
these nanostructured materials show much more efficient delivery
of the specific active ingredient to the skin cells (Oberdorster,
2004). Lipid nanoparticles are particularly effective, as they can
melange with the lipid bilayer in cell membranes, facilitating the
delivery of compounds which would otherwise not be able to enter
the cell. Lipid nanostructures, and dendritic biopolymers, garner the
additional benefit of being totally non-toxic and biocompatible. This
is in contrast to the metal and metal oxide nanoparticles - there are
still doubts and dilemmas about their safety for dermal use
(Kimbrel, 2007).
5. • NANO-VARIEGATION IN COSMETICS
• Mineral-based cosmetic ingredients with nano-sized dimensions
Some cosmetic products, such as the sunscreens, use mineral-
based materials and their performance depends on their particle
size. In sunscreen products, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, in the
size range of 18-20 nm, are used as efficient UV filters (Fig: 1). Their
main advantage is that they provide broad UV-protection and do
not cause cutaneous and drastically adverse health effects (Knopp
et al., 2009).
• Other nano-sized materials employed in cosmetics Many of the
paving cosmetic companies claim their products to contain various
types of nano-sized materials like fullerenes, nanotubes, liposomes,
quantum dots etc. TYPES OF N
6. • Nanoemulsions
• They are dispersions of nanoscale droplets of one
liquid within another. They are metastable
systems whose structure can be accurately
manipulated based on the method of
preparation. The components availed for their
preparation are GRAS products and are safe to
use. Their smaller particle size provides higher
stability and better suitability to carry the active
ingredients; they also increase the shelf life of the
product (Benn et al., 2008).
7. • Journal of Research in Pharmaceutics and
Industrial Pharmacy , Influence of
Nanotechnology in Cosmetology,
Dr.S.Sreeremya , 2019.Vol 1(1):1-11.