A number of 46 out of a total of more than 200 recent patents in soft nanotechnology referring to applications of nanoemulsions for pharmaceutical and cosmetical formulations has been selected and reviewed. As key factors to maximize the efficiency of bioactive principles embedded within colloidal drug delivery systems are the nature and ratio of hydrophilic/lipophilic components, of surfactants/cosurfactants as emulsifiers, their mutual solubility and biocompatibility, the size and polydispersity of nanoparticles. The antioxidant and immunostimulative actions are discussed in relation to the specific therapeutic effects of galenical compositions used for preventing and/or treating various diseases.