- A liposome is a spherical vesicle with a phospholipid bilayer wall and a water-filled core.
- It can carry water-soluble actives in the core and fat-soluble actives in the bilayer.
- Types: SUV (single bilayer, small), LUV (single bilayer, large) and MLV (multilamellar).
- HNOVA™ nano-liposomes are 50 to under 200 nm and use plant-based phosphatidylcholine.
What is a liposome?
A liposome is a microscopic, spherical vesicle whose wall is made of one or more phospholipid bilayers surrounding a water-filled core. Phospholipids are amphiphilic — one end of the molecule loves water, the other loves fat — so in water they spontaneously assemble into closed bilayer shells, the same basic architecture as the membrane of every living cell.
Because a liposome has both a watery interior and a fatty wall, it can carry two very different kinds of cargo at once: water-soluble (hydrophilic) molecules in the core and fat-soluble (lipophilic) molecules within the bilayer. That dual capacity, together with the biocompatibility of natural phospholipids, is why liposomes are used as delivery carriers in medicines, nutritional ingredients and skincare.
Liposomes range from roughly 20 nanometres to several micrometres across. Those in the nano-liposome range — under about 200 nm, the range the HNOVA™ platform targets — stay dispersed in liquids and are small enough to be sterile-filtered, which is one reason this size band is favoured for ingredients.
Anatomy of a liposome
The wall is a bilayer of phospholipids arranged tail-to-tail: the water-loving heads face outward toward the surrounding water and inward toward the core, while the fat-loving tails tuck together in the middle. The most common phospholipid used is phosphatidylcholine (PC), obtained from plant sources such as soy or sunflower, or from egg. HNOVA™ uses plant-based PC for a clean-label carrier.
Formulations sometimes include additional ingredients that tune stability or charge. Exactly which are used is specific to each ingredient and is confirmed in the technical documentation.
What can a liposome carry?
A liposome places its cargo according to how that cargo behaves in water:
- Water-soluble actives — such as vitamin C, glutathione and mineral salts like magnesium — are entrapped in the aqueous core, shielded from the outside environment.
- Fat-soluble actives — such as CoQ10, carotenoids like lycopene, curcumin and quercetin — sit within the bilayer, which lets them disperse in water-based products without harsh solvents.
- Combinations — a water-soluble and a fat-soluble partner can travel in one carrier, as in vitamin C with K2.
Types of liposome: SUV, LUV and MLV
Liposomes are classified by size and by how many bilayers they have.
- SUV — small unilamellar vesicles: a single bilayer, roughly 20–100 nm.
- LUV — large unilamellar vesicles: a single bilayer, roughly 100–1,000 nm.
- MLV — multilamellar vesicles: several concentric bilayers like an onion, from about 0.5 µm upward.
Nano-liposomes for ingredients are generally engineered to be unilamellar and uniform. HNOVA™ liposomes fall between 50 nm and under 200 nm — see our guide to liposome particle size for why that band matters.
Where liposomes are used
- Pharmaceuticals. Liposomes were the first nanomedicine platform to reach patients; liposomal formulations of drugs such as doxorubicin and amphotericin B are established medicines.
- Nutraceuticals and functional foods. Liposomal delivery is used to carry poorly soluble, unstable or poorly tolerated nutrients — see how it works in liposomal vs non-liposomal.
- Cosmeceuticals and skincare. Liposomes have been used in skincare since the 1980s to carry hydrating, brightening and repair actives into serums and creams.
- Research. Liposomes are a standard model membrane in biophysics and a common carrier in early-stage formulation work.
A short history of liposomes
- 1960s — DiscoveryAlec Bangham and colleagues at Cambridge observe that phospholipids in water form closed, cell-membrane-like vesicles; the term “liposome” follows.
- 1970s — Drug carriersResearchers, notably Gregory Gregoriadis, propose liposomes as carriers for enzymes and drugs.
- 1980s — SkincareLiposomes enter cosmetics as a way to carry hydrating and anti-ageing actives.
- 1990s — Clinical approvalLiposomal medicines reach the market, establishing the technology's safety and manufacturability.
- 2000s onward — Nutritional ingredientsLiposomal delivery is adopted for vitamins, antioxidants and minerals; nano-sized, uniform vesicles become the goal.
Liposomes on the HNOVA™ platform
HNOVA™ is Hoynoza's proprietary nano-liposomal platform. It combines plant-based phosphatidylcholine, precision encapsulation and uniform 50 to under 200 nm vesicles, and is applied consistently across 39+ actives in six brands. Explore the HNOVA™ science, the full ingredient portfolio, or talk to the team about a formulation.