| abstract |
A therapeutic or cosmetic composition for topical application, capable of stabilizing an active ingredient and delivering said ingredient, comprising a plurality of microcapsules having a core-shell structure. The microcapsules have a diameter of approximately 0.1 to 100 microns. The core of each microcapsule includes at least one active ingredient, and is encapsulated within a microcapsular shell, The shell is comprised of at least one inorganic polymer obtained by a sol-gel process, and the shell protects the active ingredient before topical application and releases the ingredient after topical application. This composition is useful to encapsulate active ingredients that are unstable in formulation, or are irritating to the skin. The present invention further discloses a process for the encapsulation of an active ingredient in the form of a dispersion within a hydrophobic phase. |