Hair Follicle Targeting With Curcumin Nanocrystals: Influence of Formulation Properties on Penetration Efficacy

The study investigated the effect of vehicle properties like viscosity, lipophilicity, and polarity on the penetration of curcumin nanocrystals into hair follicles using an ex-vivo pig ear model. It concluded that these properties did not influence the penetration into hair follicles, indicating that no special formulation is needed for targeting hair follicles with drug nanocrystals. This finding supports the development of nanocrystal-loaded vehicles without specific targeting criteria. While passive dermal penetration of curcumin varied with different gels, hydrogels with a humectant showed the best results, though they reduced follicular penetration efficacy. Further research was suggested to better understand these findings.