Preparation of transfersome gel loaded with a composition formed by 6 kinds of active ingredients (TFCom) and evaluation of its multi-dimensional synergistic beauty efficacy based on zebrafish

To develop a sleep mask with good skin permeability and multi-dimensional skin protection with transfersome gel as carrier. Six water-soluble beauty active ingredients (arbutin, tranexamic acid, hyaluronic acid, allantoin, hydroxyethyl urea and vitamin B12) were selected and mixed in a certain proportion to form a composition (Com6), which can significantly inhibit the ROS level, inflammatory reaction and cell aging of human fibroblasts induced by H₂O₂. The transfersome loaded with Com6 (TF_Com) had a particle size of (94.21 ± 1.36) nm, a PDI of 0.217 ± 0.07, and a Zeta potential of (−46.8 ± 0.26) mV. The steady-state permeation rate and skin retention of vitamin B12 in transfersome were higher than those in liposome, and much higher than those in its solution (P < 0.01). The particles of TF_Com gel (TFG_Com) were uniformly distributed on the gel skeleton, showing a spherical structure, and no mutual aggregation was found. TFG_Com was not irritating to guinea pig skin, had a viscosity of (43.85 ± 0.25) Pa.s that was easy to be wiped evenly and adhere to the skin, and had a pH of (6.82 ± 0.01) suitable for skin use. The TFG_Com demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects and effectively reduced melanin levels. It also exhibited a moderate ability to inhibit apoptosis and decrease ROS levels in H₂O₂-induced zebrafish. The six kinds of active components in TFG_Com have no antagonistic effect on these functions, anti-inflammatory and whitening were the results of the synergistic effect of some active substances in Com6. All these indicted that TFG_Com can conveniently protect the skin in a multi-dimensional way, which made it a sleep mask worth developing.