SKHINCAPS – “SKin Healthcare by Innovative NanoCAPsuleS” is a research project aiming to develop customised and safe nanocapsules to deliver novel products for skin healthcare applications, with increased efficiency and cost benefits, leading to ground-breaking innovations on the actual products.
The project will explore an innovative and sustainable in situ self-assembly nanoencapsulation technology to deliver these novel functional products.
Using this safe, sustainable and easily scalable technology, different actives will be addressed for nanoencapsulation:
- Phase-change materials (PCMs);
- A cocktail of vitamins and antioxidants;
- Natural essential oils.
The novel nanocapsules will be engineered to achieve three possible release mechanisms, enhancing actives efficiency.
Different demonstrators will be developed and fully tested for their safety and performance, using the SKHINCAPS customised and safe nanocapsules, for skin healthcare applications:
- First layer garments with no-release nanocapsules loaded with PCMs, to improve thermal management and skin comfort;
- Creams with triggered nanocapsules containing the cocktail, to improve the anti-ageing effect on the end-users skin;
- Lotions and textiles containing targeted nanocapsules loaded with natural essential oils to prevent or even mitigate bacterial infections on the end-users skin.
The SKHINCAPS consortium comprises SMEs from different stages of the supply chain, so it will promote stronger collaborations between materials suppliers, manufacturers and end-users. SKHINCAPS is therefore entirely aligned with the European 2020 strategy, contributing to boost competitiveness and support the creation of jobs and new sources of growth.
SKHINCAPS is also committed with the flagships initiatives, and with a number of wider Horizon 2020 objectives including: control healthcare expenditure, Horizon 2020 strategic cosmeceuticals sector and plural Horizon 2020 Key Enabling Technologies (KETs).
The project runs from October 2015 until September 2019.