Nanoemulsions are submicron-size colloidal systems that have the ability to encapsulate, protect, and deliver active ingredients. They have been used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries to improve the absorption of drugs by the skin or via the gastrointestinal tract, aide in food conservation, and treat skin problems. To proper formulate a nanoemulsion, it is important to know the characteristics of its components (aqueous and oil phases, surfactants and additives), as well as the influence on the production method that will be used. This study investigates the influence of aqueous phase composition, stability and particle size in an oil-and-water nanoemulsion formation. By using a low energy method, the purified water was exchanged for different commercial mineral water and saline solutions, and the results of stability, particle size, pH and conductivity tests, were compared. These results show that the minerals present in commercial waters may alter the particle size, pH and conductivity values of nanoemulsions, as well as their stability.
Keywords: electrolytes; nanoemulsion; stability; water.