Enhanced Skin Performance of Emulgel vs. Cream as Systems for Topical Delivery of Herbal Actives (Immortelle Extract and Hemp Oil)

Abstract

Immortelle, as rich source of chlorogenic acid and the phloroglucinol alpha-pyrone compound arzanol, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, affects cell regeneration, and has positive effect on many skin conditions. Hemp oil, characterized by a favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, as well as an abundance of essential fatty acids and vitamin E, participates in immunoregulation and also act as an anti-inflammatory. In the present study, we examined the effect on the skin of creams and emulgels with immortelle extract and hemp oil, by comparing them to placebo samples and a non-treated control. A long-term in vivo study of biophysical skin characteristics, which lasted for 30 days, was conducted on 25 healthy human volunteers. Measured parameters were electrical capacitance of the stratum corneum, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and skin pH and erythema index. Further, a sensory study was carried out in which the panelists had to choose descriptive terms for sensory attributes in questionnaire. The results showed that application of all preparations led to increase of skin hydration and TEWL reduction, while the skin was not irritated, and its normal pH was not disrupted. This study also showed importance of the carrier. Not only were emulgels described by panelists as preparations with better sensory properties, there was a significant difference between the skin hydration effect of emulgel with immortelle extract and hemp oil compared to the placebo emulgel, which was not the case with creams. Such findings indicated enhanced delivery of herbal active substances from emulgel compared to the cream.

Permeability-Enhanced Liposomal Emulgel Formulation of 5-Fluorouracil for the Treatment of Skin Cancer

“…The incorporation of gelling agents makes it simple to transform these emulsions into emulgels in the desired form. Emulgels are a fairly well-established type of pharmaceutical topical formulation due to their superior stability, controlled drug release, soothing effect, non-irritancy, simplicity of application, and improved spreadability [ 48 ]. In the course of this research, we paid great attention to selecting emulsifying and gelling agents, as well as surfactants and co-surfactants, all of which contribute to the formulation’s stability and enhanced topical penetration.…”

Derivatives of L-Ascorbic Acid in Emulgel: Development and Comprehensive Evaluation of the Topical Delivery System

“…The sensory evaluation was carried out in conditions that imply a properly illuminated laboratory, a room temperature of 21 ± 2 °C, and a relative humidity of 45 ± 3%. Certain sensory characteristics of the investigated emulgel formulations were assessed by a questionnaire used in our previous studies ( Table 2 ) [ 1 , 35 ]. In the study, 20 participants evaluated the characteristics of the samples before, during, and after application by selecting descriptive terms from a provided list of sensory attributes.…”

“…The topical drug delivery systems vary in formulation and range in consistency from liquid to powder, but the most popular products are semi-solid preparations. Currently, emulgels are affordable and effective as new delivery options with enhanced stability [ 1 ].…”

Effectiveness of Helichrysum italicum Essential Oil on Wound Healing

“…In this study, the chlorogenic acid content was 11.5% and arzanol 4.59%. Chlorogenic acid is a compound that can accelerate the excision wound healing process through its antioxidant potential and its significant ability to increase collagen synthesis, while arzanol inhibits the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory mediators, so that these two compounds help in wound healing [19].…”