ABSTRACT
In 1994, the total value of the cosmetic and toiletry market, including personal care stood at approximately $25 billion, a 4-5% increase over 1993. This figure includes skin-care products, color cosmetics, and sun-care products. Since its discovery in 1965 by Bangham and coworkers, the liposome has not ceased to spark interest in many different fields of application. It took over 20 years until the liposome found its way into cosmetic products. In 1986 the first cosmetic products containing liposomes were launched by L’Oreal and Christian Dior. Today, liposomes are in widespread use in cosmetic products. Liposomes are lipid vesicles composed of one or more lipid bilayers surrounding an equal number of aqueous compartments. Liposomes can be classified according to their size, morphology, or method of preparation. Many methods of liposome preparation have been developed. Amselem et al. describe several methods for large scale preparation of liposomes.
