Nanoemulsions: a versatile platform in health and wellness products

Nanoemulsions (NEs) can be divided in to two groups based on droplet size namely transparent or translucent (50–200 nm) and milky (up to 500 nm). As nanoemulsions have a small size, they often possess longterm physical stability and their properties are superior to the conventional emulsions.
NEs are prepared by generally recognized as safe (GRAS) grade excipients, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in large quantities by high shear stress or mechanical extrusion process.
NEs are appealing principally due to the following reasons: i. no creaming or sedimentation occurs on storage of nanoemulsion because of very small droplet size that reduces the gravity force and Brownian motion; ii. no separation occurs in nanoemulsion because the small droplet size prevents any flocculation; iii. in comparison to microemulsion, preparation of nanoemulsion need low concentration of surfactant (5–10%).
Nanoemulsions can be prepared in order to tune their physicochemical properties, showing various applications in the industrial field, such as personal care and cosmetics as well as health care, food, and agrochemicals.Pharmacy (therapy, diagnostics or theranostics) and cosmetics are fields where more direct applications of nanoemulsions are proposed.