Liposomes, Niosomes, Ethosomes, and Transethosomes for Curcumin and Chlorogenic Acid Delivery: Formulation Design and...

Polyphenolic antioxidants are incorporated into pharmaceutical, dermopharmaceutical, and cosmetic products because of their capacity to modulate oxidative stress, inflammation, microbial imbalance, skin aging, wound repair, and tumor-related processes. However, formulation is constrained by chemical instability, limited bioavailability, insufficient skin permeation, and degradation during processing or storage. This review integrates the chemical characteristics, natural sources, extraction approaches, antioxidant mechanisms, and evaluation of curcumin and chlorogenic acid, and critically examines their delivery through liposomes, niosomes, ethosomes, and transethosomes. Curcumin is lipophilic and poorly water-soluble, whereas chlorogenic acid is hydrophilic but permeability-limited. Their antioxidant activity is discussed through hydrogen atom transfer, single-electron transfer, interruption of lipid peroxidation, metal chelation, and localization within lipid interfaces, together with chemical, biomimetic, and cellular assessment methods. Vesicular carriers can improve encapsulation, stability, release control, skin interaction, biological performance, and incorporation into semisolid dosage forms. However, these benefits are accompanied by formulation-dependent trade-offs involving manufacturing complexity and cost, long-term stability and reproducibility, excipient-related skin tolerability, scale-up, and an application scope that depends on the intended dermal-delivery endpoint. Therefore, efficacy depends on the interplay among antioxidant properties, vesicle architecture, excipient selection, and processing conditions. Curcumin-loaded vesicles are better documented than chlorogenic-acid-loaded systems, particularly for deformable carriers. Future progress requires quality-by-design strategies, standardized characterization, predictive skin models, long-term stability and safety studies, and scalable manufacturing. Overall, antioxidant-loaded vesicles represent multifunctional platforms for developing stable and effective pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.