Cosmeto-textile from formulation to characterization: An overview

Abstract

Functionalized textiles and especially cosmetotextiles are increasingly used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. A cosmetotextile allows the administration of active molecules simply and controllably. It can also be used to change the surface properties of a fabric in order to make it self-cleaning, hydrophobic or lipophobic. Different techniques have been developed over recent years to functionalize fabrics: microencapsulation, plasma, sol-gel. The adhesion of the molecules, drugs and particles that functionalize textiles can be achieved physically or chemically. This article reviews the current state of the art concerning functionalization techniques and the methods used to characterize a functionalized fabric. Based on existing results and the authors' reflections, it provides discussion and suggestions related to choosing processes. This review also reveals the surprising lack of publications on the functionalization of textile supports.