Niacinamide (NIA) – an antioxidant, has long been used to prevent the aging process. The physicochemical features of NIA make it impenetrable into the stratum corneum.

A recent study published in Pharmaceutics developed a hybrid nanogel by combining carrageenan and polyvinylpyrrolidone polymers with jojoba oil as a permeability enhancer for improved NIA cutaneous distribution. In order to enable controlled delivery of NIA, three different types of transethosomes were produced using the thin-film hydration process, each distinguished by the presence of either an edge activator or a permeation enhancer.

The findings showed that the hybrid hydrogels were robust, porous and highly aligned macrostructures; jojoba oil modified their morphology when it was present. Skin permeation tests with transethosomes-loaded hydrogels revealed that nanogels exhibit more regulated and increased permeation, especially when jojoba oil is present in the transethosomes.

These promising nanogels shields human keratinocytes from UV rays and can thus, be incorporated to sunscreens or after-sun lotions to increase skin protection.

Source: Pharmaceutics. 2021 Nov 20;13(11):1968. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111968.