Advances in Design of Liquid Crystalline Carrier for Cosmetic Application

Abstract

Ceramide is an indispensable component for skin barrier and prevents skin dehydration. Hence, supplying sufficient ceramide to skin is an important goal in the cosmetics industry. However, hydrophobic nature and hydrogen bonding of ceramide cause crystallization in aqueous solutions and limit the content of ceramide. Previously, lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) have been used as a carrier for containing ceramide, but LLC carrier in aqueous solutions are also unstable due to their hydrophilic nature. Here, we make advances in design of ceramide carrier by using thermotropic liquid crystals (TLCs) with hydrophobic nature. We demonstrate that the presence of hydrophobic (TLC)-hydrophilic (aqueous solution) interface greatly increases the doping concentration of ceramide by promoting the self-assembly of ceramide at the interface. This work was supported by the Korea National Research Foundation NRF(2021R1A2C2095010 & 2022M3C1A3081312) and COSMAX, Republic of Korea.