nanoemulsions: colloidal topical delivery systems for antiacne agents- a mini-review

One of the common chronic inflammatory skin diseases is Acne Vulgaris that affects up to 80% of a teen-age population. The progress of acne lesions is due to colonization of Propionibacterium acnes (P .acnes) in hair follicles. Treatment of acne includes topical or systemic therapy or combination therapy, with a tendency to perform topical therapy in mild to moderate acne. Nanoemulsions, small oil droplet less than 200nm, which have been stabilized by surfactant(s) and/or co-surfactant in water, could be effective carriers for topical delivery of anti-acne agents. Interesting properties of nanoemulsions such as the improved efficacy of the drug, ease of production, ability to be used in various formulations and ability to load lipophilic drugs could make it an ideal carrier for this purpose. This review highlights applications of nanoemulsions for topical therapy of acne.