Topical Vitamins A, C, E monodoses: from cosmeceuticals application to skin nutrition.

An old problem of topical dermo-cosmesis and dermatology is represented by the quantity of product or drug that the subjecy applies and its compositions in terms of number and concentration of ingredients. Many (perhaps all) of the dermatologists must be accustomed to using outdated terminology and generic descriptions, which includes phrases like "two applications per day" or "a veil at evening" and so on. The truth is that we do not know how much product or medication the subject apply. Vitamins A, C and E are joined by a common difficulty in formulation: the first and last with fat-soluble character, the second water-soluble; they are active in the biologically free form, highly instable to light and oxygen. This has meant that strategies have been developed to make them usable in dermatology. Do not underestimate the aspect of pleasantness that the finished product must have. A product unappealing (spreadability, odor, stability) is unlikely to be effective, as little or incorrectly applied. A novel monodoses delivery/application approach will be presented.