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Coating & Impregnation Spicule

Coating & Impregnation
Spicule

UNIZ LAB's proprietary technology directly coats and impregnates active ingredients onto the Spicule surface. This precision process — exclusive to water-soluble ingredients — maximizes skin delivery efficiency.

Coating vs Impregnation visualization — Left Spicule shows active particles coated on the surface; right Spicule shows active particles impregnated inside. Particle release after ingredient delivery through microchannels

Visual Comparison

Two Delivery Methods,
At a Glance

Left — Coating:
Active particles attached to the Spicule surface. Immediate surface release upon skin penetration
Right — Impregnation:
Active filled into the Spicule's internal hollow cylindrical structure (lumen). Gradual Controlled Release

Manufacturing Process

Step-by-Step Process Visualization

All of UNIZ LAB's Coating & Impregnation processes are Aqueous-phase precision processes free of organic solvents. No organic solvents are used at any step — a precision process that binds water-soluble active ingredients to the Spicule.

Coating Process

Coating Process — 4 Steps

Surface Binding

Dry Spicule Preparation

23-step refined White Spicule (99%) prepared in dry state

Moisture content < 5%, particle size classified

Active Ingredient + Purified Water

Water-soluble actives (HA, Peptides, Niacinamide, etc.) dissolved in purified water

Precision control of concentration, pH, and temperature

Surface Binder + Purified Water

Proprietary binding polymer mixed in purified water → mediates active-to-Spicule surface binding

Precision binding strength control by molecular weight

Spicule Immersion → Drying

Spicules immersed in the mixed solution, then standard drying. A uniform active coating layer forms on the surface

Surface coating thickness ~1 µm

Core Principle: The Surface Binder forms surface electrostatic and hydrogen bondsbetween the active ingredient and the Spicule surface, acting as a bio-compatible binding mediator. Upon skin penetration, the surface coating is released immediately, delivering instant efficacy .

Impregnation Process

Impregnation Process — 2 Steps

Internal Filling

Spicule Immersion

Dry Spicules immersed in diluted purified water containing dissolved active ingredients

Liquid begins to be absorbed into the Spicule's internal hollow lumen (~1.5 µm)

Low-Temperature Vacuum Drying + Heating

Transferred to a low-temperature vacuum dryer, then heated. Vacuum removes internal air → active is drawn into the lumen → after drying, internal filling is complete

Low temperature (<60°C) preserves active potency; vacuum maximizes fill rate

Core Principle: After vacuum removes air inside the Spicule, the active solution is naturally drawn into the lumen. Low-temperature heating evaporates only the solvent (water) → the active remains and fills the interior. After skin penetration, time-delayed release (Controlled Release) sustains efficacy over an extended period.

Coating vs Impregnation — Technical Comparison

Category	Coating	Impregnation
Binding Location	Spicule surface	Spicule internal lumen (hollow cylinder)
Process Steps	4 steps (mixing · immersion · drying)	2 steps (immersion · vacuum heat drying)
Surface Binding Method	Polymer Binder mediated (surface electrostatic & hydrogen bonds)	Solvent evaporation leaves only the active inside the lumen
Drying Method	Standard drying (room temperature)	Low-temperature vacuum heating (<60°C)
Release Pattern	Immediate surface release	Time-delayed release (Controlled Release)
Efficacy Onset	Instant	Long-lasting

Common Features: Both methods are Aqueous-phase precision processes with no organic solvents. Organic solvent ND. Water-soluble actives only.

Coated Spicule Gallery

Coated Spicule Visualization

Uniform surface coating distribution verified with fluorescence-labeled actives

Fluorescence-labeled active uniformly coated on the Spicule surface — fluorescence microscopy ×400

Fluorescence Verification

Fluorescence-Labeled Active Coating

Direct observation of uniform coating distribution on the Spicule surface via fluorescence microscopy

Surface Coated Spicule

Surface-Coated Spicule (SEM)

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Impregnated Spicule

Impregnated Spicule cross-section (SEM)

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Water-Soluble Active Ingredients

Water-Soluble Actives Available for Coating & Impregnation

Extracted from all 12 AUIN formulations, 48 water-soluble actives. Excludes bases, oil phases, and acids (AHA/BHA/PHA).

Hydration · Barrier

· 10items

Common Name

INCI Name

Concentration

Function

Low MW Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

0.3~0.8%

Basal layer penetration, deep hydration

Medium MW Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

0.3~0.8%

Sustained mid-epidermal hydration

High MW Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

0.05~0.8%

Surface hydration, evaporation barrier

Ultra-High MW Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

0.3~0.8%

Instant plumping

Ultra-Low MW Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

0.5~0.8%

Lower epidermal penetration, collagen stimulation

Dexpanthenol

0.5~2.0%

Barrier recovery, instant soothing

Beta-Glucan

0.3~0.5%

Soothing hydration, moisture supply

Trehalose

1.0~1.5%

Cell protection, moisture loss prevention

Ectoin

0.3~0.5%

Anti-stress, cell protection

Allantoin

0.2~0.5%

Irritation relief, soothing

Coating & Impregnation Ingredient Overview

Hydration · Barrier

Brightening · Tone-Up

Regeneration · Anti-Aging

Soothing · Anti-Inflammatory

Sebum · Pores

Scalp · Hair

Other Functionals

Total Ingredients

* Water-soluble ingredients outside this list can also be coated upon client request (pre-testing required)

Academic & Technical References

UNIZ LAB R&D Data: Coating & Impregnation process data for 48 water-soluble actives — vacuum-reduced-pressure impregnation + ultrasonic penetration + wet coating, three-stage process.
Transdermal Delivery System (TDS): Prausnitz, M. R., & Langer, R. (2008). Transdermal drug delivery. Nature Biotechnology, 26(11), 1261-1268.
Microneedle DDS: Waghule, T., et al. (2019). Microneedles: A smart approach. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 109, 1249-1258.