Formulation and Development of Adapalene Topical Nanohydrogel Using Different Surfactants and Cosurfactants for Anti-Acne Activity: In Vitro and Ex Vivo Evaluation

The study developed an adapalene (ADP) topical nanohydrogel (NH) using various surfactants and cosurfactants to enhance anti-acne activity, with a focus on improving skin permeation and targeting hair follicles. Among the formulations, NH-Tween-80 demonstrated superior drug permeability, antibacterial effects, and stability, maintaining 99.25% drug content over 6 months. It showed significantly higher adapalene permeation, with a 3.38- to 4.89-fold increase over conventional gels, and effective antibacterial activity against S. epidermidis. The study concluded that NH-Tween-80 was a promising candidate for acne treatment, suggesting a new approach for topical adapalene delivery, though further studies were needed to confirm its efficacy in humans.