Korean cosmetics conglomerate Amorepacific, along with scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), has recently developed a new nanotechnology-based delivery system for skincare. The company, home to brands such as Sulwhasoo, Innisfree, COSRX, and Laneige, is currently integrating the new nanotech into Iope and Primera products.
Amorepacific’s nanotech lipid-based ingredient carrier, Lipo3Ex, offers a new solution to the long-standing challenge in developing cosmetic delivery methods that are simultaneously compact and structurally stable. The new lipid carrier is approximately 20 nanometers (nm) and “highly resistant to structural collapse,” Amorepacific describes in a press release. In skincare products, active ingredients must be transported through the skin barrier using the correct delivery system. Typically, small particle sizes are ideal for penetrating the skin; however, it is difficult to maintain the structural integrity of ingredient carriers smaller than 50 nm.
Through rigorous skin trials, Amorepacific has demonstrated Lipo3Ex’s superior ability to deliver active ingredients more evenly across the skin than traditional delivery systems. With this new technology integrated into their products, Amorepacific aims to provide consumers with more consistent and stable skincare results.
Amorepacific’s success in nanotech research underscores the importance of delivery technology in enhancing the efficacy of active ingredients in skincare, rather than focusing solely on active ingredients.
Byung-Fhy Brian Suh, CTO of the Amorepacific R&I Center, said in a press release, "In cosmetics, and most profoundly within skincare, precise delivery technology serving as the critical conduit linking an ingredient's potential to tangible efficacy has finally merged with pioneering nanoscience research, suggesting new technological frontiers, and making this study truly significant."
Amorepacific’s focus on nanotech delivery reflects a shift toward innovation in delivery technology as a key driver of improved skincare efficacy. In an interview, Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at Mount Sinai, emphasized the importance of delivery systems in skincare over the ingredients. “No matter what active ingredient you have in a product, if it's not stable or doesn't penetrate through the outer skin layer, it won't do its job.”
Amorepacific’s development of Lipo3Ex highlights the growing importance of delivery technology in skincare innovation. As brands look beyond active ingredients alone, advancements in nanotechnology-based delivery systems may play a crucial role in improving ingredient stability, penetration, and overall product efficacy, setting a new benchmark for the future of skincare research.