A majority of cosmetic products that we encounter on daily basis contain lipid\nconstituents in solubilized or insolubilized forms. Due to their amphiphilic nature, the lipid\nmolecules spontaneously self-assemble into a remarkable range of nanostructures when mixed\nwith water. This review illustrates the formation and finely tunable properties of self-assembled\nlipid nanostructures and their hierarchically organized derivatives, as well as their relevance to the\ndevelopment of cosmetic formulations. These lipid systems can be modulated into various physical\nforms suitable for topical administration including fluids, gels, creams, pastes and dehydrated films.\nMoreover, they are capable of encapsulating hydrophilic, hydrophobic as well as amphiphilic active\ningredients owing to their special morphological characters. Nano-hybrid materials with more elegant\nproperties can be designed by combining nanostructured lipid systems with other nanomaterials\nincluding a hydrogelator, silica nanoparticles, clays and carbon nanomaterials. The smart materials\nreviewed here may well be the future of innovative cosmetic applications.
Loading....