Delivery technology glossary

About this glossary

These are the terms used across the Beauty Science Technology pages, defined in a sentence or two. Each entry links to the page where the idea is explained in full. Ingredient terms are in the ingredient library.

A to C

Active. The ingredient in a formula chosen for a specific effect on how skin looks or feels. Everything else in the formula supports, protects or delivers it.

Biopersistent. Describes a material that does not break down in the body over time. It is one of the conditions in the EU definition of a nanomaterial. See Is it nano?

Biopolymer. A polymer produced by or derived from living organisms, such as a polysaccharide or a protein. NanoVeil shells are built from biopolymers.

Butyl stopper. The rubber stopper pressed into the neck of each NanoSerum vial. Butyl rubber reseals after a syringe is withdrawn, which is what makes the vial re-enterable. See The sealed vial format.

Carrier. Any structure that holds an active within a formula, such as a liposome, a lipid nanoparticle or a polymer shell. See Carrier systems compared.

Chelating agent. An ingredient that binds metal ions in a formula so they cannot speed up oxidation or weaken the preservative system. Disodium EDTA is a common example.

Controlled release. Release of an active from its carrier gradually, under defined conditions, rather than all at once. It describes timing. See Controlled release.

Crimp. The aluminum ring pressed over a vial's stopper and neck to hold the stopper in place. NanoSerum vials use a 20 mm crimp with a flip-off cap.

D to L

Dynamic light scattering (DLS). The most common method for measuring the size of particles in a liquid, from how fast they move. It is standardized in ISO 22412. See Particle size.

Emulsion. A mixture of two liquids that do not normally blend, such as oil and water, held together by an emulsifier. Most creams and many serums are emulsions.

Encapsulation. Holding an active inside a carrier so it is separated from the rest of the formula until it is released. See How encapsulation works.

Encapsulation efficiency. The share of an active that ends up inside the carriers rather than free in the base. It is a formulation measurement, reported with its method.

Flip-off cap. The plastic button in the center of a vial's crimp. Flipping it off exposes the stopper; the crimp and stopper stay in place.

INCI. International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, the standard naming system for cosmetic ingredient lists. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration. See How to read an INCI list.

ISO 22716. The international guideline for good manufacturing practice in cosmetics. Vegalab products are manufactured in conformity with ISO 22716 cosmetic GMP guidelines. See Manufacturing and GMP.

Layer-by-layer. A method of building a shell by depositing polymers one after another around a core, each layer binding to the last. It is the method behind NanoVeil.

Liposome. A hollow sphere whose wall is one or more phospholipid bilayers. It is the most studied carrier in skincare.

Lot number. The code that identifies a production batch. Every NanoSerum carton carries its expiry date and lot number.

M to P

Multi-dose. A container designed to supply more than one dose. Each NanoSerum vial is multi-dose, with three applications drawn through the stopper.

NanoVeil. Vegalab's multi-layer nano-encapsulation platform. NanoVeil builds a multi-layer biopolymer shell around an active, up to 20 programmable layers, so the active is held stable until defined conditions release it.

Nanoemulsion. An emulsion with very small droplets, often translucent and light in feel. There is no shell; an emulsifier film stabilizes each droplet.

Nanomaterial. A regulatory term with different definitions by jurisdiction. In the EU Cosmetics Regulation it means an insoluble or biopersistent, intentionally manufactured material on the scale from 1 to 100 nm. See Is it nano?

Nanometer (nm). One millionth of a millimeter. Carrier sizes are given in nanometers.

Niosome. A vesicle with the same bilayer structure as a liposome, built from non-ionic surfactants instead of phospholipids.

Oxidation. A chemical reaction with oxygen that breaks down many actives, often visible as yellowing or browning. See Stability and protection.

Particle size. The diameter of a capsule or droplet. It describes the carrier. See Particle size.

pH. A measure of how acidic or alkaline a formula is. Each active has a pH range in which it is stable.

Phospholipid. A lipid with a water-loving head and oil-loving tails, the building block of cell membranes and liposomes.

Polydispersity index (PDI). A measure of how uniform particle sizes are in a sample. A low PDI means most particles are close to the average.

Preservative system. The ingredients that keep a water-based formula within safe microbial limits throughout use. See Preservation and format.

Programmable layers. The number, order and type of layers in a NanoVeil shell, chosen for each active.

R to Z

Re-enterable. Describes a closure that can be passed through repeatedly and reseal each time. The NanoSerum vial stopper is re-enterable.

Release profile. A laboratory measurement of how much active leaves a carrier over time, plotted as a curve. See Controlled release.

Septum. A general term for a pierceable, self-sealing closure. The butyl stopper in a NanoSerum vial works as a septum.

Shell. The outer wall of a capsule. In NanoVeil it is built from multiple biopolymer layers.

Solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN). A carrier made from a lipid that is solid at skin temperature, with the active trapped in the solid matrix.

Stability. The ability of a formula, or an active within it, to stay unchanged in its pack over time.

Sterilized components. In the NanoSerum vial sets, the vials and stoppers are sterilized before filling. The serum is a preserved cosmetic formulation. See the Hyaluronic Skin Repair sealed vial set.

Z-average. The intensity-weighted mean size reported by dynamic light scattering. It is the figure most size claims quote.

Related

The evidence behind the technology pages is in the Beauty Science evidence hub. The wider literature on carriers is on delivery systems. To find a routine, use the Routine Finder.