A novel preparation method for silicone oil nanoemulsions and its application for coating hair with silicone

Zhenhua Hu,^1,2,* Meiling Liao,^2,* Yinghui Chen,^3,* Yunpeng Cai,² Lele Meng,² Yajun Liu,² Nan Lv,² Zhenguo Liu,¹ Weien Yuan<sup>2

1</sup>Department of Neurology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; ²School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; ³Department of Neurology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Jinshan District, Shanghai, People's Republic of China

^*These authors contributed equally to this work

Background: Silicone oil, as a major component in conditioner, is beneficial in the moisture preservation and lubrication of hair. However, it is difficult for silicone oil to directly absorb on the hair surface because of its hydrophobicity. Stable nanoemulsions containing silicone oil may present as a potential solution to this problem.
Methods: Silicone oil nanoemulsions were prepared using the oil-in-water method with nonionic surfactants. Emulsion particle size and distribution were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The kinetic stability of this nanoemulsion system was investigated under accelerated stability tests and long-term storage. The effect of silicone oil deposition on hair was examined by analyzing the element of hair after treatment of silicone oil nanoemulsions.
Results: Nonionic surfactants such as Span 80 and Tween 80 are suitable emulsifiers to prepare oil-in-water nanoemulsions that are both thermodynamically stable and can enhance the absorption of silicone oil on hair surface.
Conclusion: The silicone oil-in-water nanoemulsions containing nonionic surfactants present as a promising solution to improve the silicone oil deposition on the hair surface for hair care applications.

Keywords: silicone oil, nanoemulsion, stability, moisture preservation, lubrication

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