INVASOMES: A PROMISING VESICULAR SYSTEM FOR ENHANCED TOPICAL DRUG DELIVERY

Topical drug delivery offers targeted treatment of skin disorders while minimizing systemic exposure and associated side effects. However, the stratum corneum presents a major barrier to effective drug penetration and retention within the skin. Invasomes are novel elastic vesicular carriers composed of phospholipids, ethanol, and terpenes, developed to enhance topical drug delivery. The synergistic action of ethanol and terpenes increases vesicular membrane fluidity, disrupts stratum corneum lipid organization, and improves drug partitioning into skin layers. The high deformability of invasomes facilitates penetration through intercellular pathways, leading to enhanced drug deposition in the viable epidermis and dermis. This review discusses the concept, composition, preparation methods, penetration mechanism, formulation aspects, and key parameters of invasomes relevant to topical delivery. Due to their ability to enhance skin retention and localized therapeutic efficacy, invasomes represent a promising carrier system for topical drug delivery applications.