Liposomes.

Robert Posner has 40 years of experience in skin care bench chemistry, product development, and sales and marketing. Working closely with dermatologists and plastic surgeons, Posner is a former member of the NY State Hospital Pharmacists Association, the American Pharmaceutical Association, and the American Association of Hospital Pharmacists. Currently, Posner sits on the Board of Directors of EMDA (Esthetic Manufacturers and Distributors Association). Posner has written numerous articles for Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Magazine, is presently a consultant for Day Spa Magazine, and had been one of only two non-dermatologists on a consultant basis with Cosmetic Dermatology Journal. Posner's company--ABBE Cosmetic Group International in Farmingdale, NY--formulates and manufactures skin care products for many well-known companies in the beauty industry. For many years, both the bench chemist and the dermatologist have been concerned with developing an ideal base for deliverance of 'actives' to the human epidermis. As is common knowledge, the skin is a protective organ which allows very few materials to penetrate. Some bases are unable to work effectively because of their relative inability to penetrate the stratum corneum; for example, some notable actives such as collagen and elastin are molecules too large to penetrate effectively. With the liposome at our command however, we can carry and then release an active into several layers of epidermis. We can release both oil- and water-soluble actives, and at the same time control the feel and effectiveness of a topical application. This article will examine the liposome: what it is, how it works, and how products made with liposomes can benefit dermatology.