Insights of Lipid Vesicular and Particulate Carrier Mediated Approach for Acne Management

Acne vulgaris is a universal multifactorial human skin condition of the pilosebaceous units. Although acne majorly prevails in teenagers, it is neither restricted to age group nor gender. Multifarious causative factors like Propionibacterium acnes, dysregulated sebum secretion, and androgens play an integral role in the manifestation of acne. Though abundant new chemical entities are convenient for acne therapy, none can treat this condition without compromising patient compliance. Furthermore, accessible treatment prevents the ailment and alleviates signs and symptoms with no absolute cure. So presently, despite the variety of topical formulations, the current market demands an ideal remedy to fulfill the unmet need for acne management. Extensive research has proved the upper hand of novel carrier systems over conventional formulations by substantially improving efficacy and eliminating unpleasant side effects. Lipid-based vesicular and particulate systems are promising prospects due to their closeness to the intrinsic structure of the skin, which offer delivery of the actives in a more desirable approach. This review underlines the practicability and superiority of liposomes, niosomes, transfersomes, ethosomes, cubosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers over conventional therapies for acne. The review also highlights acne product market survey and available conventional as well as novel formulations portraying their scope in the market. In a nutshell, lipid-based vesicular and particulate systems prevail as a propitious modality for treating acne vulgaris as they conduce better penetrability, localized action, and reduce adverse effects. These systems have the ability to open a window of opportunities for effective acne alleviation.