Research from the Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia, describes the development and characterization of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) made from Andean region Otoba wax as well as their potential anti-hair loss benefits.
The work, published in Cosmetics, explains the SLNs were prepared as wax-in-water dispersions whereby two internal phase proportions used the same ratio of surfactant system and preservatives. These dispersions were subjected to ultrahigh pressure homogenization (UHPH), and thermal stability assays were carried out for four weeks to measure changes in Creaming Index, droplet size, polydispersity, viscosity, zeta potential, conductivity and pH.
See related: Delivering Actives via Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Lipid Carriers, Part I
The results showed the Otoba wax provided a required HLB value of around 9 and was mainly comprised of lauric (~35%) and myristic (~45%) fatty acids, which have been reported to improve hair loss. Regarding the SLNs, the internal phase concentration did not considerably affect the physicochemical and microbiological properties. Furthermore, UHPH enabled the production of SLNs with particle sizes > 200 nm, low polydispersity, high zeta potential and suitable stability.
The authors concluded Otoba wax holds potential for the development of cosmetic formulations, especially those intended for hair products. For more information, see the full article.
