Biomimetic liquid crystalline systems are widely used in skin care cosmetics and topical pharmaceutical preparations. Multi-component lipid/surfactant formulations that contain natural phospholipids combined with long chain fatty acids and alcohols are widely employed in so-called ‘biomimetic’ skin care preparations. Such products – which include, for example, the PhysiogelTM and BiophilicTM ranges of commercial products – are formulated with the intention that when exogenously applied to the skin surface they form lamellar structures that mimic those within the underlying stratum corneum. By this means it is proposed that the applied products provide an occlusive barrier that acts to reduce water loss and so helps promote skin (re-)hydration. Our ability to rationally design such formulations, however, is hampered by our incomplete understanding of their structure on the nanoscale.
In our latest paper, we have collaborated with Jayne Lawrence’s group in the Division of Pharmacy & Optometry at the University of Manchester to combine molecular dynamics simulations with a range of x-ray and neutron scattering experiments in order to investigate the structural properties of a model lipid membrane which is representative of these formulations used in skin care preparations. Additionally we have investigate the interactions with both 1,2-pentanediol and 1,5-pentanediol, which are generally used in skin creams as humectants/moisturising agents and also serve as unconventional preservatives.
Full reference: “Supramolecular architecture of a multi-component biomimetic lipid barrier formulation“, Delaram Ahmadi, Ruth Ledder, Najet Mahmoudi, Peixun Li, James Tellam, Douglas Robinson, Richard K. Heenan, Paul Smith, Christian D. Lorenz, David J. Barlow & M. Jayne Lawrence, Journal of Colloid & Interface Science (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2020.11.017.