Current Applications and Benefits of Polymeric Nanocarriers for the Management of Skin Disorders

Preparations for topical application are highly important for therapeutic and cosmetic use since the skin has an extensive and accessible application area. Among the many advantages, this route avoids the systemic effects of the substances and, therefore, fewer adverse reactions are observed. However, the skin is an organ with a remarkable barrier effect, which can compromise the administration of pharmacologically / cosmetologically active molecules. Thus, the skin permeability of substances is a challenge that is only achieved through the preparation of formulations capable of overcoming that same barrier. Nanotechnology was introduced in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic areas to enable the development of systems for the delivery of substances and the optimization of already existing formulations. Among the several benefits and advantages of nanotechnology for topical application is the increased penetration of the drug in the skin, the improvement of the stability of the active, decrease in the active substances (reducing the possible toxic effects and allergic reactions caused by the high concentration of these compounds), and even the intensification of the drug action. This manuscript reviews the topical delivery technologies based on polymeric nanocarriers (PNC) as nanoparticles (NP) and nanogels (NG) and their benefits for better efficacy in most common cutaneous disorders. It starts with skin properties, the aspects for the penetration of active ingredients in the skin and cutaneous penetration challenges, followed by a summary of strategies for skin penetration/permeation of drugs. Then, the focus of the current research was to review NPs and NGs explored for skin disorders management published during the last years.