Rational selection of lipid nanocarriers for topical corticosteroid delivery

Topical corticosteroids remain central to treating psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, eczema, and related inflammatory dermatoses; however, their effectiveness is often limited by poor lesion-specific delivery, short residence time, variable skin retention, and local or systemic adverse effects. The key challenge is not simply to increase corticosteroid penetration, but to deliver the drug to the appropriate skin layer and retain it there for long enough to achieve therapeutic effects. Lipid nanocarriers may help by modulating drug loading, release, retention, skin hydration, and penetration depth through materials that interact favourably with the skin barrier. This review evaluates the major lipid nanocarriers explored for topical corticosteroid delivery with respect to epidermal retention, dermal targeting, sustained release, and, where justified, deeper dermal delivery. It develops a target-matched selection framework and applies a Quality by Design approach linking disease context and target skin layer to product attributes, process variables, and scale-up requirements. No single lipid nanocarrier is universally optimal. Nanostructured lipid carriers are best supported when epidermal retention and sustained cutaneous residence are the main goals, whereas vesicular systems may be more suitable when controlled dermal access is required. Carrier choice should therefore be guided by disease context, target skin layer, and transport behaviour rather than penetration enhancement alone.