Skincare products come in so many different forms, systems, and packages - different formulas allow for unique textures at every step of your routine such that each application is an experience. Within these formulations, microscopic molecules play a major role in not only feel, but perceived absorption and skin penetration as well. Emulsions like lotions and creams, for example, are made up of tiny structures known as micelles, which allow for a homogenous solution of two immiscible liquids, like water and oil; a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion contains water and other polar ingredients in the inner phase (inside) of the micelle, which exists in an oil environment. Transversely, an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion orients the micelle oppositely, such that oil is safely packed away from a water environment. W/O emulsions typically have a refreshing break as you rub them into your skin and release the water from the internal phase, and O/W emulsions typically have an initial refreshing application and an emollient afterfeel as mechanical rubbing breaks the micelle and releases oils.

Whether you’re using a lotion or rubbing on a pure body oil, the microscopic structures that make up your skin care system also play a role in how that system interacts with your skin. Nano-emulsions, for example, have particles in the 100-800 nm range, which allows for skin absorption through both penetration of the skin’s lipid membrane and the upper layer of the epidermis (stratum corneum). On the other hand, macro-emulsions have particles anywhere from 800-1000 nm in size, and can often be less penetrative. A huge part in formulation, then, is not only the desired feel, but also how that feel will correlate to product efficacy. To better understand this, one must take a closer look at the actual composition of the skin. Your skin is composed of three distinct layers: the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. The epidermis, the first line of defense against the outside world, is further divided into 5 distinct layers.

Skin cells make their way up from the first to last layer, going from freshly divided cells to flattened, dehydrated squamous cells, and eventually sluff off as dead skin. These layers are tightly packed together and surrounded by lipids such as cholesterol, ceramides, and free fatty acids. This structuring ensures outside irritants cannot penetrate, and subcutaneous (beneath the skin) water cannot escape to the surface. However, this packing also provides a challenge for topically applied cosmetics and skin care to reach lower layers of the skin. The lower layers of the epidermis and the entirety of the dermis are where molecules need to target most. Although penetration into and interaction with the dermis is often associated with drug claims and cannot be made for cosmetics, epidermal penetration is an important goal for ingredients and can offer benefits such as regulation of hydration and reduction of hyperpigmentation.

However, with the limited permeability of the epidermis, the active molecules in a skin care product are unlikely to make it to the areas that matter. Oftentimes, these molecules are too large to fit through the spaces, or their polarities inhibit passage through the cells or lipid environment. Noting the power of micelles to promote proximal interactions of typically immiscible solutions, and the importance of the size of microscopic molecules for skin penetration, liposomal technology is the perfect solution to this problem. Liposomes are very similar to micelles, save that liposomes are composed of two layers and traditionally orient with their polar moiety outwards.

Liposomes are molecular structures made of phospholipid bilayers, which are arranged in a spherical shape; in the outer layer, polar (hydrophilic) heads face outwards towards the environment and non-polar tails point towards the center of the sphere, interacting with the tails of the phospholipids in the second layer, whose polar heads point towards the center of the liposome. Liposomes have been used in the cosmetics and pharma industries for years as a delivery system for active ingredients or medicines. Water-soluble active ingredients are contained within the liposome’s interior aqueous environment, whereas lipophilic (oil-loving) and amphiphilic ingredients are maintained within the lipid bilayers. Liposomes themselves can have skin benefits as well, such as replenishing the skin barrier with their lipid content.

Overall, the most basic role of a liposome is to act as a delivery vehicle for proper administration of drugs or skincare to the appropriate sites within the skin. One way to synthesize liposomes is by using a Microfluidizer Processor; a beginning media, such as a moisturizer, is allowed to flow through the microfluidizer and exposed to constant high pressure. The high pressure is then rapidly lowered, which increases the flow rate of this media through the apparatus. This sudden increase in flow rate causes turbulence in the media and cavitation, which is when vapor pockets are created in liquid media. This, alongside the high shear caused by passage through the specialized shape of the interaction chamber, causes the molecules to split into fine microparticles which interact with each other to form nano-sized liposomes. These liposomes are easily absorbed into the skin, passing through the stratum corneum for deeper epidermal delivery of ingredients.

Riman utilizes liposomal technology to deliver the benefits of our ingredients right to the place where they matter most. Our Radiansome™ 100 formula is composed entirely of liposomes created by the microfluidizer; these liposomes are the perfect size and composition for not only an overall better absorption into lower layers of skin, but also a more accurate delivery of ingredients to target sites. Furthermore, the liposomes themselves reinforce your lipid barrier for moisturized, healthy skin. No matter how effective an ingredient is, if it cannot penetrate properly, its benefits are nullified. In this manner, we ensure the efficacy we promise is the efficacy you experience.