Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics

In cosmetic and medical applications SoftBattery™ can be used e.g. to power disposable iontophoresis devices. In practice this means a device which uses microcurrent to gently push active ingredients into skin. The device can be for example a cosmetic patch which transdermally delivers the active ingredients to lower skin layers in order to rejuvenate the skin. Iontophoresis is a safe and well established technique which has significant benefits:

• Can enhance the delivery of active ingredients through skin up to 1000 times [1].
• Makes delivering water soluble vitamins and amino acids through skin possible.
• Active ingredient molecules are transdermally delivered directly to the place where they are needed, not the entire body.

The method has been used by doctors and cosmetologists for a long time, but up till now the devices have been relatively large and cumbersome. With SoftBattery™ it is now possible to make simple and efficient devices which can easily be used also at home. In addition to offering batteries Enfucell offers application engineering services to help cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies develop iontophoresis applications.

[1] Jaskari Tarja, Vuorio Marja, Kontturi Kyösti, Urtti Arto, Manzanares José A. and Hirvonen Jouni, 2000: Controlled transdermal iontophoresis by ion-exchange fiber. Journal of Controlled Release 67, numbers 2-3, pages 179-190. © 2000 Elsevier Science.