TLDR Caffeine nanocrystals for skin products stay stable with the right stabilizer, but grow in size at higher temperatures.
The study from 2014 focused on the production and stability of caffeine nanocrystals, aiming to enhance dermal penetration for medium soluble drugs. It was found that the stability of these nanocrystals was significantly influenced by the choice of stabilizer and the dispersion medium. Carbopol® 981 emerged as an effective stabilizer, maintaining nanocrystal size at 4 °C and 25 °C over two months, although all formulations showed size increase at 40 °C due to higher solubility and Ostwald ripening. The study concluded that the physical stability of caffeine nanosuspensions was promising for in vivo studies and could potentially improve the performance of dermal anti-cellulite products. The research was supported by The China Scholarship Council for the first author.
263 citations,
February 2011 in “Journal of Controlled Release” Medium-sized particles penetrate hair follicles better than smaller or larger ones, which could improve delivery of skin treatments.
82 citations,
May 2009 in “BJCP. British journal of clinical pharmacology/British journal of clinical pharmacology” Caffeine penetrates human skin in lab tests similarly to real-life conditions, but actual skin use is still essential for accurate results.
211 citations,
February 2009 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics” Hair follicles help absorb and store topical compounds, aiding targeted drug delivery.
61 citations,
May 2014 in “International journal of pharmaceutics” Nanocrystals improve skin penetration and stability of caffeine, suggesting a new method for delivering similar substances through the skin.
10 citations,
July 2021 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics” Nanoparticles sized between 470 and 750 nm are best for delivering substances like caffeine into hair follicles for absorption.
Plant-based compounds can improve wound dressings and skin medication delivery.
130 citations,
August 2020 in “Drug Design Development and Therapy” Nanoparticles can improve skin drug delivery but have challenges like toxicity and stability that need more research.
2 citations,
April 2021 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” Serum formulations were better at delivering molecules to the hair bulb than nanoparticles.
