Abstract: To provide a UV protection agent for topical application to the skin or hair with a very high UV filter substance concentration and good adhesion to skin and hair in accordance with the invention there is proposed a UV protection agent having at least one UV filter substrate encapsulated in a vesicle carrier system, wherein the UV protection agent is characterised in that the at least one UV filter substance encapsulated in the vesicular carrier system is soluble in oil and the vesicular carrier system comprises vesicles which are made up of hydrophobised polysaccharides and are of a particle size of between 10 and 1000 nm and have a positive surface charge with a zeta potential in the range of between 1 and 150 mV. In addition there is proposed the use of such a UV protection agent in suitable cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical formulations.

Abstract: A method for the determination of the morphological integrity of a membrane of lipid vesicles, such as liposomes, using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy including the steps of: a) labeling the lipid vesicles with an ESR-active probe; b) producing a sample by introducing a quantity of the labeled lipid vesicles into a test medium; c) producing a positive control by introducing a quantity of the labeled lipid vesicles into a control medium and optionally a negative control by introducing a quantity of the ESR-active probe into the test medium; d) obtaining ESR spectra of the controls and the sample; and e) comparing ESR spectra of the sample and controls to determine relative morphological integrity. Morphological integrity of lipid vesicles may be quantitatively determined in the test medium by obtaining difference spectra produced using the spectra of the sample and of the positive and/or negative control.

Abstract: A cosmetic composition containing from about 1% to about 50% by weight of membrane-forming sphingolipids and/or galactolipids and about 5% to about 50% by weight of a fluorocarbon or fluorocarbon mixture charged with oxygen. Surprisingly, it has been shown that the use of membrane-forming sphingolipids and/or galactolipids as transport vesicles or for the formation of transport vesicles for a fluorocarbon or fluorocarbon mixture charged with oxygen results in excellent transport of oxygen through the stratum corneum of the skin and the epidermis in a manner which is far superior to known transport systems.