Preparation and Characterization of Titanium Oxide Nanocapsules Containning Retinoic Acid for Sustained Release

Abstract

Retinoic acid (RA) has been widely used in cosmetics and medicine due to its anti-aging, anti-acne, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the high concentration of RA may cause skin allergies and even liver damage, and carcinogenic substances can be generated because of light degradation. Thus, a feasible way is to encapsulate RA in nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) to improve photostability and sustained release. Herein, a convenient and environmental method was developed to realize the sustained release by TiO2 nanocapsules, which were prepared by water-in-oil emulsification reaction and using RA as the core material. The prepared nanocapsules showed improved solubility and enhanced the stability of active ingredients, the utilization rate, the good dispersion in both aqueous and organic phases, significant antibacterial properties, mildew-proof activity, and good photostability. Hence, this is a promising cosmetic raw material for makeup products with additional skincare efficacy.

Note:
Funding declaration: This research was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (21975280, 22201296), Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2020A1515110831), Shenzhen Science and Technology Program Grant (RCJC20200714114435061, ZDSYS20220527171406014).

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Keywords: Nanocapsules, Retinoic acid, Sustained release, Titanium oxide