Natural pollen-derived microcapsules as high-performance auxiliary cleaning particles for personal care

Effective removal of sebum, cosmetic residues, and environmental impurities is essential for high-performance personal cleansers. Nevertheless, developing functional auxiliary cleaning particles with both environmental friendliness and high cleansing performance remains a major challenge. This study fabricated sporopollenin exine capsules (SECs) from natural pine ( Pinus massoniana Lamb.), lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), and sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) pollens, and evaluated their potential as novel auxiliary cleaning particles. The resulting SECs exhibited relatively uniform, species-specific particle sizes (volume-average diameters of 48.2 μm for pine SECs, 67.7 μm for lotus SECs, and 41.2 μm for sunflower SECs) and achieved high protein removal efficiencies (> 90%). Their porous hollow microstructures endowed them with favorable oil adsorption capacity (exceeding 5 g·g-1) and selective partitioning behavior at the oil–water interface. Cleansing efficacy evaluations on porcine skin models indicated that SEC-incorporated formulations exhibited improved efficiency in removing persistent cosmetic residues compared with commercial silica particles. Moreover, in vivo biocompatibility assays in mice suggested no obvious skin irritation, sensitization, or systemic organ toxicity. Overall, natural pollen-derived SECs with high cleansing performance and eco-friendliness could serve as promising sustainable auxiliary cleaning particles for next-generation green personal care and cleansing products.