Comparison of stratum corneum penetration and localization of a lipophilic model drug applied in an o/w microemulsion and an amphiphilic cream
November 2007
in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics”
TLDR The microemulsion delivered the dye deeper into the skin than the cream.
The study compared the penetration and localization of the lipophilic dye curcumin in human skin when applied via an oil-in-water microemulsion versus an amphiphilic cream. Using tape stripping and laser scanning microscopy, it was found that the microemulsion allowed deeper penetration into the stratum corneum and hair follicles, reaching the complete follicular infundibula. In contrast, the cream resulted in curcumin primarily remaining on the skin surface and only reaching the follicular orifices. This indicated that the microemulsion was more effective in delivering the dye deeper into the skin layers.
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