Example of the Aquea Delivery System depositing an active ingredient (in this case, a UV filter) on skin in a face wash product.
The Aquea Delivery System™
Aquea Scientific Corporation’s multi-patented Aquea Delivery System was created as a vehicle by which active ingredients can be incorporated into surfactant-based systems and deposited on negatively-charged substrates (either natural or induced) such as skin, hair and textiles. The delivery system allows for a wide diversity of active ingredients; customizable delivery to designated target sites (e.g. surface of, or controlled penetration into stratum corneum). It leverages concepts based on Ceramic Chemistry (also known as Sol-Gel Chemistry): the same technology used in fiber optics and semiconductors. This revolutionary innovation provides an extensible delivery system that works by three modes of action:
- Electrostatic Charge
- Polymer Matrix
- Particle Size and Molecular Weight Control
Electrostatic Charge
Silica shells (a/k/a encapsulates or vesicles) contain the active ingredient(s). Typically, active ingredients are negatively charged (anionic) or neutral (nonionic). Since the skin (and other substrates) are naturally anionic, or can have a negative charged induced, like or neutral materials do not readily adhere without the use of extraneous substances. The Aquea Delivery System takes these materials, encapsulates them, then incorporates them in an emulsion which causes the external shell to become positively charged. These cationic vesicles are now naturally attracted to the anionic skin or alternative substrate.
Polymer Matrix
The active ingredients are further incorporated into a Polymer Matrix which creates a semi-occlusive barrier on skin. This facilitates several outstanding features of the Aquea Delivery System:
1. The polymer matrix serves as a strong proton donor, reinforcing the positive charge on the exterior of the silica shell.
2. It assures the active ingredients remain on the skin surface and helps the active ingredients adhere to the skin.
3. It helps to inhibit transepidermal water loss (TEWL) thereby increasing the moisturization to the skin. In the U.S., this is sufficient to substantiate the claim “helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”
Particle Size and Molecular Weight Control
We are able to engineer the Particle Size of the encapsulates. By controlling the particle size and the molecular weight of the active ingredients contained in the silica capsule, it is possible to target specific substrates and sites of action, as well as focus the delivery mode (e.g. whether the capsule stays on the surface and / or remains intact – or – penetrates to a predetermined level either intact or with the ability to deliver a payload).
The current commercialized Aquea Delivery System is not nanotechnology; it is microtechnology. The particles are typically >1µ and <5µ. This assures the vesicles do not penetrate deeply into skin, but stay on the surface – where you want the sunscreens to be. This system also permits the use of raw materials with a molecular weight >60,000 thereby assuring no significant skin penetration. It is useful in applications such as sunscreens and barrier products.
For other products, the Aquea Delivery System is engineered to reduce the particle size; restructure the capsule topography; incorporate the appropriate locking mechanism (to seal in the active ingredient) which will be released by a predetermined trigger substance or condition (e.g. pH, friction, enzymatic reaction (lipase, for example), etc.) and control the molecular weight of the contents to draw the vesicles further into the stratum corneum (or other substrates), if appropriate and desired.
While the Aquea Delivery System is distinct from all other delivery methods in that it works in a Wash On™ environment (i.e. delivers actives to the skin or other substrate in surfactant-based products), it is not limited to Wash On, but has broad application in rinse off and leave on products as well.
