A novel, patented technology from Berg + Schmidt promises a solution to every conceivable issue when formulating with a lipophilic active.
Actives are incredibly useful, but they often present a significant challenge to cosmetics formulators and this often limits their use. Many actives are an irritant to the skin at high concentrations, while others become unstable when mixed with water or on contact with oxygen. Other ingredients are useful on the skin’s surface but must not penetrate into the epidermis.
Developed in collaboration with Professor Rainer Müller of the Free University of Berlin, BergaCare SmartLipids are delivery systems for the protection and controlled release of active substances. This could help solve many of these issues.
SmartLipids’ submicron-sized capsules are formed from liquid and solid fats that are imperfectly crystalised to create a matrix for the delivery of a substance of choice. This innovation helps it to overcome the hurdle of an ingredient’s instability and/or low solubility, while at the same time restoring the skin’s natural barrier function.
Two varieties, one containing Q10 and the other retinol, are commercially available at present with a sunscreen and whitening ingredient both currently in the pipeline. But the beauty of the technology, according to Berg + Schmidt’s R&D Manager, Florence Olechowski, is that it is highly customisable.
As well as being suitable for the delivery of a lipophilic active of the manufacturer’s choice, depending on the fats used, BergaCare SmartLipids can provide controlled – either fast or slow – release for better bioavailability.
Where necessary, the capsules can also be designed to resist melting at skin temperature. For example, if a manufacturer wanted to encapsulate UV filters within. With this technology, it is also possible to customise how occlusive you want your final product to be.
Berg + Schmidt presented these state-of-the-art ingredients at InCosmetics in Paris earlier this year.
