Pickering emulsions for dermal delivery

We report on the stability, structural and dermal delivery characteristics of Pickering emulsions composed of medium chain triglycerides, hydrophilic nanoparticles ~ 50 nm and lipophilic amphiphiles in the oil phase. The emulsion stability and structural properties were analyzed as a function of the charge and concentration of the lipophilic can be engineered to enhance the shelf-life of unstable lipophilic molecules. The penetration/permeation behavior of Pickering emulsions was estimated from an ex vivo porcine skin model using alltrans- retinol and a fluorescent probe. The skin retention and depth of the penetration can be significantly increased (p 0.05), up to a skin depth of ~ 290 μm by Pickering emulsions in comparison to the control emulsions. The skin permeation of nanoparticles was negligible (< 1 μgmL− 1 after a 6 h exposure time) which demonstrated the potential of Pickering emulsions for epidermal/dermal skin targeting.