Abstract:

Bigel system is a unique emulsion system, in which a liquid in gel form （organogel or hydrogel） is dispersed in another incompatible gel （hydrogel or organogel） without adding （or a small amount of） surfactant. Bigel system has the dual advantages of both hydrogel and organogel, which can not only deliver hydrophilic and lipophilic active agents simultaneously, but also show better performance than either of the single gel. In addition, the bigel system does not contain （or a small amount of） surfactant, which will not cause the stimulation and dehydration of sensitive skin. The bigel system has a broad application prospect in the field of cosmetics, biomedicine, etc. In this paper, the gel and bigel systems are firstly introduced and then the factors of affecting the properties of bigel system including gel agent, the ratio of organogel to hydrogel, oil properties and preparation process, etc. are summarized. Furthermore, the skin safety, stability, moisture retention, sustained-release property and skin sense of bigel system are expatiated. On this basis, the study on the application of bigel system in cosmetics is expounded. Finally, the limitations of the application of bigel system in the field of cosmetics are put forward and personal views on the problems to be solved are proposed, which can provide not only basic information for the development and application of bigel products with excellent performance but also reference for the development direction of bigel system.

Key words: bigel system, organogel, hydrogel, cosmetics