| abstract |
Crushable gel beads (10) formed of an agar complex provide novel cosmetic, pharmaceutical, etc. delivery vehicles for topical delivery of biologically or cosmetically active agents. Preferred agar beads (10) are complexes of a continuous phase of agar gel (12) in a self-supporting solid or semi-solid form with a restraining polymer (14). Entrapped in and dispersed randomly throughout each agar bead (10) is a water-soluble, preferably polar, restraining polymer (14), preferably a quaternized cationic polymer, such as polyquaternium (24) or steardimonium hydroxyethylcellulose. Various active agents (16) may be bound to restraining polymer (14), for example ascorbic acid, lactic acid or papain. Methods of manufacture are also described. |