Liposome

A liposome is a microscopic spherical vesicle made of one or more lipid bilayers, used to encapsulate and carry an active ingredient through the body or into the skin.

Liposomes are built from phospholipids, the same molecules that make up cell membranes, which arrange themselves into hollow spheres when dispersed in water. Fat-soluble compounds can be tucked into the lipid wall and water-soluble ones into the inner core. In pharmaceutical use, liposomes are engineered to protect a compound from degradation, control its release, or direct it to particular tissues. Several approved drugs, including some cancer therapies and vaccines, use liposomal delivery.

Liposomal cannabidiol products are marketed on the idea that encapsulation improves absorption of a poorly water-soluble compound. The principle is plausible, and early pharmacokinetic studies have explored it, but the benefit is specific to each formulation and depends on particle size, stability, and manufacturing quality. A label claiming liposomal delivery should be backed by the manufacturer's own data. Readers encounter the term in product descriptions and formulation research.