Kracie Develops New Proprietary Ingredient 'Liposome Fermentation Drip™' – Advanced Penetration Technology Delivering Fermentation Benefits Deep into the Skin

Kracie Home Products has developed 'Liposome Fermentation Drip™,' a proprietary ingredient that encapsulates two types of fermented components within multi-layered liposomes, aiming for moisturizing care that goes beyond temporary hydration. This establishes a new penetration approach that maximizes the functionality of fermented ingredients, enabling applications in skincare products that lead to deeply hydrated skin.

1. Background and Objective: Challenges in the Penetration of Water-Soluble Fermented Ingredients In recent years, fermented ingredients have gained significant attention in the skincare field. Components generated during fermentation, such as amino acids, peptides, and organic acids, are expected to be useful materials for conditioning the skin's moisture environment. However, because fermented ingredients are 'water-soluble multi-component systems,' a major challenge has been to deliver them efficiently to the skin while maintaining their stability. We focused on liposome technology. Liposomes are tiny capsule-like structures made of phospholipids that can deliver water-soluble ingredients into the skin while keeping them inside. In this study, we aimed to enhance the penetration of these ingredients into the stratum corneum by encapsulating them within these liposomes.

2. Selection of Fermented Ingredients and Design of 'Multi-layered Liposomes' After comparing various fermented materials, we selected 'Rice Koji Extract' fermented with Koji mold and 'Soy Milk Ferment' fermented with lactic acid bacteria, both of which showed excellent affinity for moisturizing effects and suitability for liposome encapsulation. These two ingredients were encapsulated within 'multi-layered liposomes' to create our proprietary ingredient. Multi-layered liposomes consist of layered lipid bilayers made of phospholipids, which can hold water-soluble ingredients inside. After penetrating the stratum corneum, the outer phospholipid membrane blends in, allowing the encapsulated ingredients to be released gradually. By adopting this structure, we achieved a proprietary ingredient that balances 'stabilization of fermented ingredients,' 'improved penetration into the stratum corneum,' and 'enhanced moisture retention,' naming it 'Liposome Fermentation Drip™.' We verified the structure using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), confirming the formation of multi-layered liposome structures with a particle size of approximately 100 nm.

3. Evaluation of Penetration Behavior via Raman Spectroscopy To evaluate the penetration behavior of the designed multi-layered liposomes into the stratum corneum, we conducted depth-profile analysis using Raman spectroscopy. The results showed changes in Raman signals in the depth direction within the stratum corneum after applying 1% multi-layered liposomes, suggesting that these liposomes act within the stratum corneum. Furthermore, similar Raman signal changes were observed at a 0.1% concentration, indicating similar penetration behavior even at low concentrations. 'Liposome Fermentation Drip™,' designed based on phospholipids with high affinity for biological membranes, is considered an effective means of delivering water-soluble fermented ingredients that were previously difficult to penetrate.

4. Confirmation of Skin Effects We conducted a comparative study on healthy Japanese women in their 20s to 60s. First, we measured the rate of change in stratum corneum moisture content when comparing the application of fermented ingredients alone versus 'Liposome Fermentation Drip™,' confirming that the latter resulted in significantly higher moisture content. Additionally, when measuring Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) under the same conditions, a significant decrease in TEWL was observed with 'Liposome Fermentation Drip™,' indicating a support effect for the stratum corneum barrier function. Furthermore, when evaluating the skin 20 minutes after applying a skincare formulation containing 'Liposome Fermentation Drip™,' we observed a significant increase in moisture content and a significant decrease in TEWL compared to pre-application. These results suggest that encapsulating fermented ingredients in multi-layered liposomes improved penetration efficiency, resulting in high moisturizing effects, combined with the barrier support effect of the phospholipids themselves.

5. Conclusion Through this research, we have established a new skincare approach that delivers water-soluble fermented ingredients stably and efficiently into the stratum corneum by encapsulating them in multi-layered liposomes. We plan to apply these research results to skincare products scheduled for release in the autumn of 2026.