Design Considerations for Particle-Enabled Formulations

Dermatology and aesthetic formulations often require more than a standard excipient. Properties such as particle size, shape, and surface chemistry can influence formulation stability, active ingredient delivery, and final product performance. Our development team helps translate your product requirements into particle specifications.

Table 1: Example development needs and particle design strategies for dermatology and aesthetic application programs.

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Your Partner for Particle Platform Development

Each dermatology and aesthetic formulation and application requires a unique particle design strategy. nanoComposix works with a broad portfolio of material platforms, including the examples below, to help align particle composition, size, morphology, surface chemistry, dispersion format, and optical properties with your requirements.

Microparticle Surface Chemistry Development

Surface chemistry can be tailored to support dispersion, active loading, hydrophobicity, oil or water compatibility, sensory feel, and particle stability in the final formulation.

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  Biofunctional surfaces: Support active ingredient (e.g., peptides, proteins, small molecules) conjugation and loading.

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  Oxide and hydroxylated surfaces: Support aqueous dispersion, charge control, chemical modification, and downstream functionalization for silica, titania, iron oxide, and related platforms.

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  Silicone-based coatings: Support hydrophobicity, slip, spreadability, and compatibility with oil-rich or anhydrous systems.

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  Organosilane and alkylsilane treatments: Tune hydrophobicity, oil dispersibility, surface reactivity, and compatibility with non-aqueous phases.

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  Fatty acid and surfactant treatments: Support wetting, dispersion, emulsion compatibility, and sensory performance in creams, lotions, oils, and mineral dispersions.

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  Polymer coatings: Support steric stabilization, active compatibility, colloidal stability, and release behavior in hydrogels, emulsions, and aqueous dispersions.

Microparticle Size, Shape & Morphology Development

Particle dimensions and morphology can influence how a formulation looks, disperses, releases materials, interacts with light, and performs on the skin. nanoComposix can tune particle size, shape, porosity, and surface charge, to align with your development target.

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FAQ: Particle Development for Dermatology and Aesthetic Applications

Can you help us select the right particle platform for a dermatology or aesthetic application?

Yes. Our team works with you to help translate your product goals into a particle design strategy based on your target application.

Do you only supply catalog particles or can you develop a custom material?

We support both catalog and custom particle programs. Many projects begin with an existing particle platform to evaluate feasibility, then move into custom development to refine composition, size, surface chemistry, concentration, dispersion medium, purity targets, or documentation package.

Can you support products with quality requirements?

nanoComposix supports custom products with a range of quality expectations. Our team can help align material design, documentation, characterization, and manufacturing controls with the intended development pathway. nanoComposix has an ISO 13485 certified Quality Management System and cGMP compliant manufacturing capabilities. Learn more about our nanomedicine CDMO services.

What characterization methods do you use?

Characterization is particle-specific, but often includes:

• Size and morphology – TEM, SEM, DLS, LDA
• Surface charge – Zeta potential
• Concentration and composition – ICP-MS, gravimetric analysis
• Optical properties – UV-Vis
• Surface chemistry – FTIR, HPLC
• Endotoxin content – Turbidimetric, LAL-based endotoxin testing

Learn more about our standard characterization methods and services.

Can particles be customized for my formulation’s pH, solvent system, or base?

Yes. We can tailor particle composition, surface chemistry, ionic strength, buffer system, solvent compatibility, and dispersion medium to align with creams, gels, serums, emulsions, hydrogels, oils, anhydrous systems, or other topical formats.

How do you approach impurity assessment?

Our team considers impurity control as part of particle processing, purification, and characterization planning. Depending on the platform and application, materials can be assessed for residual reagents, metals, microbial content, or other project-specific impurity concerns using appropriate analytical methods.

Can particles be tuned for optical or photothermal response?

Yes. nanoComposix has experience tuning the optical properties of advanced particle systems. We have specific expertise in gold, gold-silica, titania, and other materials for wavelength-specific absorption, scattering, and photothermal applications.
Case Study: Photothermal Formulation for Acne Treatment

Can you coordinate additional testing for topical or aesthetic programs?

Yes. Depending on the project, we can help coordinate with external testing resources for additional formulation, safety, stability, microbial, optical, or application-specific testing needs.

Are your materials ready for final products or clinical formulations?

Catalog nanoComposix materials are for Research Use Only and are not supplied as finished-product or clinical-grade formulation components. Our team works with you to develop particle systems tailored to your formulation requirements. Your team is responsible for final formulation validation, regulatory suitability, and product qualification.

Can you provide sterile materials?

No. nanoComposix does not provide sterile materials and does not perform aseptic processing or fill-finish operations. Sterility should be addressed through appropriate downstream processing by the customer or a qualified manufacturing partner.

References

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11. Amatya, R.; Kim, D.; Min, K. A.; Shin, M. C. Iron Oxide Nanoparticles-Loaded Hydrogels for Effective Topical Photothermal Treatment of Skin Cancer. J. Pharm. Investig. 2022, 52 (6), 775–785. DOI: 10.1007/s40005-022-00593-9.
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13. COSMILE Europe. Hydroxyapatite. COSMILE Europe Ingredient Database.