Nano Cosmetics
Nano Cosmetics and Nanoemulsions
Nanoemulsions are oil-in-water emulsions in which the particles of one liquid are just a few nanometres across. Nanoemulsion technology is exciting huge amounts of interest in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry, as the drugs or nutrients formed by nanoemulsions should be much easier for the body to absorb.
Until recently nanoemulsions have been formed by grinding a mixture to make particles successively smaller. Scientists have now developed a new method in which the mixture of liquids is passed through a kind of atomiser at a pressure of over 1700 atmospheres. This creates turbulence that breaks large bubbles of liquid into smaller, nano-sized bubbles.
In addition, the resulting nanoemulsions are also sterile. It is thought that the turbulence destroys any bacteria that might be present. This would be an advantage to manufacturers because any product made from this kind of nanoemulsion should have a much longer shelf life than a non-sterile product.