molecular mass

[sunset_rose]

Dear Sir,

I purchased some of your product and I have few questions about it. What is the molecular mass of the nanosome? (as we know the particles above 100kDa cant penetrate the skin barrier).

Also I heard that liposome stuctures are not stable and can fall apart. Because of that the *shelf life* of these products is not long, and I couldnt find any date till what the product should be used and what is the best way to store it.

I am sure that such HiTech product needs to be stored properly. Would you give me some information about that?

And the last question - what kind of preservation ingredients do you use? I can see only phenonip on the label. And how much this (or other) preservatives do you use?

Thank you very

[DrYechiel]

Hello, sunset_rose. Thanks for the questions.

The limitation of 100kilodaltons is very arbitrary. Smaller particles cannot penetrate and larger compounds can. To clear it up, KD is a measure of molecular size and is often used in relation to polymers. Liposomes are not giant molecules but rather a physical organization of molecules with an approximate phospholipid molecular weight of 750. A liposome is not a polymer and the use of MW or KD is not applicable to liposomes. Phospholipids can easily penetrate the skin and in the form of liposomes they are better organized for penetration than in bulk-random form. To understand more about liposome sizes and size limitations please open the master-class presentation I gave at HBA International on nano-sizing; it’s available as a PowerPoint Show with animation at http://www.topical-formulations.com/topical/nano-sizing.pps or in printable form at  http://www.topical-formulations.com/topical/nano-sizing.pdf . Please read pages 11 and 13 regarding liposome and lipid sizes and organization and page 15 regarding liposome stability. Our Nanosomes™ do penetrate into the skin.

Liposome structures can be damaged by several factors, including mechanical stress and the presence of detergents in the formulation (we do not combine detergents and liposomes); our formulation technologies allow us avoid this damage and create extraordinarily-stable liposomes. Our liposome-containing products have a shelf life of at least 1 year. We have actually recorded much longer than 1 year shelf life stability but we still recommend 1 year as a reasonable limitation. We make our products in small batches, so when you receive a product from us it is normally very fresh and you can use it for at least a year from the time of purchase. If you refrigerate, you will extend the shelf life of the product; if you keep it at high temperature, you will diminish its shelf life. However, if you freeze it you may lose the product, so don’t freeze it and don’t heat it but keep it in a moderate temperature or refrigerate if you so prefer. Some people don’t like the feel of a cold product on their face.

The higher the content of natural ingredients in a product the more preservation becomes important and the more the type of preservative becomes important. So, different products may be supplemented with different amounts of preservatives. Phenonip is a trade mark of a preservative mix which avoids the use of the common formaldehyde-releasing preservatives; instead it uses phenoxyethanol which is supported by a minor component of a paraben mix, as these are the only useful preservatives at very low percentage against mold in products with high content of natural ingredients. Other systems of preservation require a high concentration of the preservative in the formulation, which we prefer to avoid. The normal range of phenonip (phenoxyethanol with a minor component of parabens) is between 0.25% and 0.75% in many of our cosmeceuticals. We test the appropriate range to use in different products and we use the minimum amount that is effective in our botanical-rich formulations, but no less; adequate preservation is essential to everyone’s safety.   

Thanks again.