RETINOL DISPERSION IN THE FORM OF HYDROGEL FOR DERMAL DELIVERY

Ioana Lavinia LIXANDRU MATEI; Bogdan Alexandru SAVA; Andreea Iuliana IONESCU; Codruta SAROSI; Gabriel VASILIEVICI; Marian BĂJAN; Daniela Luminița MOVILEANU; Daniela Roxana POPOVICI; Abeer BAIOUNF

doi:10.24193/subbchem.2025.2.03

RETINOL DISPERSION IN THE FORM OF HYDROGEL FOR DERMAL DELIVERY

Authors

Ioana Lavinia LIXANDRU MATEI Botanical SRL, 7 Trandafirilor St., Tatarani, Prahova County, 107059 Romania; University Politehnica Bucharest Splaiul Independenței, 060042 Bucharest, Romania. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3910-9882
Bogdan Alexandru SAVA University Politehnica Bucharest Splaiul Independenței, 060042 Bucharest, Romania; National Institute of Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics - INFLPR 409 Atomistilor St., Magurele, Jud. Ilfov, Romania. *Corresponding author: bogdan.sava2901@upb.ro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0229-9179
Andreea Iuliana IONESCU Botanical SRL, 7 Trandafirilor St., Tatarani, Prahova County, 107059 Romania.
Codruta SAROSI Babes-Bolyai University, 1 Mihail Kogălniceanu St., 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2960-9832
Gabriel VASILIEVICI National Institute for Research Development for Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM-Bucuresti, 202 Spl. Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0217-929X
Marian BĂJAN Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, Faculty of Petroleum Refining and Petrochemistry, 39 Bucharest Boulevard, 100515 Ploiesti, Romania. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5856-3944
Daniela Luminița MOVILEANU Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, Faculty of Petroleum Refining and Petrochemistry, 39 Bucharest Boulevard, 100515 Ploiesti, Romania. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7345-439X
Daniela Roxana POPOVICI Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, Faculty of Petroleum Refining and Petrochemistry, 39 Bucharest Boulevard, 100515 Ploiesti, Romania. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3913-0350
Abeer BAIOUNF Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Damascus, Damascus, Syria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbchem.2025.2.03

Keywords:

retinol, hydrogel, dermal delivery, stability, bioglass

Abstract

This study reports the development of a dermato-cosmetic hydrogel combining retinol (2% wt) and bioactive glass (1.25% wt) in a Carbopol-based matrix enriched with hyaluronic acid. The formulation was synthesized using high-shear dispersion and evaluated through TGA, DSC, FTIR, and XRD. Thermal analysis indicated strong water-polymer interactions, while FTIR and XRD confirmed amorphous structure favorable for controlled release. The hydrogel showed high conductivity (25000 µS/cm) and alkaline pH (12.4), attributed to its 85% water and triethanolamine content. Turbiscan and microscopy confirmed physical stability. Microbiological tests confirmed sterility. In vivo VISIA analysis on five volunteers over 45 days revealed visible improvements in wrinkles, pores, red areas, UV spots, and porphyrins, with notable changes as early as day 14. These results support the hydrogel’s potential for effective and well-tolerated dermal delivery of retinol.

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STUDIA UBB CHEMIA, Volume 70 (LXX), No. 2, June 2025

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Published

2025-06-20

How to Cite

LIXANDRU MATEI, I. L., SAVA, B. A., IONESCU, A. I., SAROSI, C., VASILIEVICI, G., BĂJAN, M., … BAIOUNF, A. (2025). RETINOL DISPERSION IN THE FORM OF HYDROGEL FOR DERMAL DELIVERY. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Chemia, 70(2), 37–51. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbchem.2025.2.03