Global cosmetics ODM (research, development and manufacturing) corporations COSMAX said on the 13th that it developed a technology that can control the release rate of active ingredients in cosmetics as desired. COSMAX plans to apply the new technology to developing high-performance sunscreens with enhanced longevity.
COSMAX developed a "multiple emulsion platform" with Professor Lee Hyo-min and Dr. Kim Eun-seo's research team in the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH to precisely control the stability of emulsions and the rate of substance delivery. The new technology can be applied to multiple-emulsion formulations with a "W/O/W" structure, which contain both an external water-in-oil emulsion and an internal oil-in-water emulsion.
Multiple emulsions combine the strengths of internal and external emulsions to deliver a light feel and excellent moisturizing effects. However, existing surfactant approaches reduced stability, causing formulations to separate easily or lowering the delivery rate of active ingredients.
To solve these problems, COSMAX identified the roles of polymer and small-molecule surfactants. It demonstrated that polymer surfactants strengthen the oil film of emulsions to improve stability, while small-molecule surfactants can control how fast substances inside the emulsion move outward.
Furthermore, by combining small-molecule and polymer surfactants to match product characteristics, the team developed an active-ingredient delivery platform optimized for each product. The study was recently published online in the international science journal "Science Advances."
The developers expect the new platform to be useful for next-generation sunscreen development. That is because it can efficiently store UV filters in the emulsion to improve their residence time on the skin and the release rate of the ingredients.
Park Cheon-ho, head of the R&I unit at COSMAX BTI, said, "The mixed surfactant combination identified in this study, in particular, will become a core technology for new sunscreens," adding, "Because the release rate of UV filters is crucial to improving product efficacy and safety, we will use these findings to develop safe and effective sun products."