Water-free formulations for Topical Applications
21. June 2022
Topical uses of our specialty products are a pivotal component of our daily aspiration at IOI Oleo GmbH. The business units Pharma and Personal care have common history and share products and expertise to help customers developing high quality, sensorially appealing formulations.
The majority of API candidates under clinical development are poorly water-soluble, and they can be sensitive to hydrolysis or adverse reactions triggered by impurities. Water-free formulating may be an idea that derives from technical needs, but it offers a multitude of possibilities. For example, depending on product presentation, a water-free system may not require preservation or other stabilizers.
Petrol-based formulations have been and will remain a staple in the toolbox of topical formulation development. However, an occlusive nature, formulation aesthetics or skin feeling may not be beneficial to the targeted mode of action and patient compliance in chronic application regimes.
By combining tried and trusted vegetable-based excipients from IOI Oleo, you can create water-free formulations with a familiar petrolatum appearance, an appealing sensory profile and non-pharmacological benefits for certain skin conditions. IOI Oleo’s range of emollients, solubilizers, emulsifiers, viscosity regulators and film formers enables a variety of textures, viscosities, skin feelings and melting characteristics.
For individual advice and further details, please contact us at any time
In order to be able to offer you product combinations with a perfect fit, we have commissioned a series of short-term in-vivo studies. Our well-known SOFTISAN® 378 was mixed with a selection of complementary emollients from our range and tested for the ability to produce water-free formulation concepts.
The results of the studies are convincing:
Formulations based on SOFTISAN® 378 increased skin moisturization in a range of 40-60% according to Corneometer measurement.
The scoring for skin softness of treated areas significantly increased from 1.7 to 2.8-3.5 on a clinical Scoring was done by a dermatological expert.
The formulations did not show a significant influence of transepidermal water loss and therefore will not contribute to skin occlusion or increase the risk of maceration.
More than 69% of study participants answered positively during the self-assessment of the formulations with regards to “skin hydration”, “skin softness” and “skin feeling nourished”.
The Witten site has been engaged in the manufacture of semi-solid formulations and ingredients for more than 100 years. Our excipients are successfully used by market leaders and innovators for the development and manufacture of sensorially appealing topical formulations, while leveraging the regulatory setup if IOI Oleo´s GMP-certified production.
Contact us and learn all about formulating water-free concepts with our naturally-based product portfolio.
Robert Radsziwill
Robert Radsziwill joined IOI Oleo GmbH in 2019 as Sales Manager Europe in the Pharma division. Prior to joining IOI Oleo Pharma, Robert held technical and commercial roles in sales and product management for nine years at a supplier of raw materials to the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device industry. Through his experience with materials for pharmaceutical use and medical devices, Robert has contributed to the successful initiation and completion of new product development projects with industrial and academic partners in the Healthcare sector. Understanding, ranking and navigating technical, functional and regulatory concerns are paramount for him during early project ideation and material selection to ensure success for all project participants. Robert earned his diploma degree in Business Chemistry at the Westfälische-Wilhelms-University of Münster and has focused ever since on those disciplinary interfaces where technical and commercial minds join forces to innovate and improve the status quo.
