The global leader in microencapsulation
By the Tagra R&D team · Updated November 2026
25+
years of R&D
20+
granted patents
3
delivery platforms
Microencapsulation is the process of enclosing tiny particles or droplets of an active ingredient (the core) inside a protective coating (the shell or wall) to form microcapsules, typically between 1 and 1,000 micrometres in diameter. The shell isolates the core from its surroundings until the moment it is needed, then releases it in a controlled way: on rubbing, on dissolving, over time, or in response to heat, pH or moisture.
In practice, microencapsulation lets formulators do things that are otherwise impossible:
Protect sensitive actives such as retinol, vitamin C or probiotics from oxygen, light and water
Keep ingredients that react with each other apart in the same formula
Turn liquids and oils into free-flowing powders
Mask bitter tastes, metallic notes and strong odours
Release an active at the right place and time instead of all at once
Make poorly soluble ingredients disperse or dissolve in water
Quick definition: A microcapsule is a core of active material surrounded by a shell, between 1 µm and 1 mm in size. Below 1 µm, the particles are usually called nanocapsules.
Term
Meaning
Core (payload, active, fill)
The material being encapsulated: an active, oil, pigment, fragrance, vitamin, probiotic, pesticide
Shell (wall, coating, membrane)
The material that surrounds and protects the core: natural or synthetic polymers, waxes, proteins, sugars, lipids
Payload / loading
Share of the capsule’s weight that is core material
Encapsulation efficiency
Share of the core material that actually ends up inside capsules
Release mechanism
What triggers the shell to let the core out (friction, dissolution, diffusion, heat, pH, enzymes)
Microcapsule vs. microsphere
A microcapsule has a distinct core and shell; a microsphere (matrix particle) has the active dispersed throughout
Microencapsulation entered industry in the 1950s with carbonless copy paper, in which dye-filled microcapsules burst under the pressure of a pen. Pharmaceutical companies then adopted it for taste-masked and sustained-release drugs, and it spread into food flavours, agrochemicals, textiles, fragrances and, from the 1990s, cosmetics. Today it is a core delivery technology across almost every formulated-product industry.
Microcapsules are usually classified by their structure:
Structure
Description
Typical use
Mononuclear (core–shell, reservoir)
One core surrounded by one continuous shell
Maximum protection; triggered release on rupture
Polynuclear (multicore)
Many small core droplets inside one shell
Oils and flavours; gradual release
Matrix (microsphere)
Active dispersed throughout a solid matrix, no distinct shell
Spray-dried flavours and vitamins; diffusion release
Multi-wall
Several concentric shells
Extra barrier, staged release
They are also classified by how they release:
Breakable capsules stay intact through manufacturing and storage, then rupture under mechanical pressure (for example when a cream is rubbed onto skin), releasing the active at the moment of use.
Non-breakable capsules keep the core permanently enclosed. They are used when the ingredient must stay isolated, for example a pigment that should colour a product without bleeding into it.
Water-soluble or dissolving capsules release their core when the shell dissolves in water, saliva or digestive fluids.
Diffusion-controlled capsules let the core seep out slowly through the shell for long-lasting effect.
There is no single microencapsulation process. The method depends on whether the core is a solid, oil or water-soluble material, on the shell material, the target size, and the release mechanism.
Method
How it works
Typical size
Notes
Spray drying
Core is emulsified or dissolved with a shell material, then atomised into hot air; water evaporates and leaves particles
10–100 µm
The most widely used industrial method; cost-effective; mainly matrix particles
Spray chilling / spray cooling
Core dispersed in a molten fat or wax is sprayed into cold air and solidifies
20–200 µm
Solvent-free; used for food and feed
Fluidised-bed coating
Solid particles are suspended in an air stream and sprayed with a coating
100 µm and up
Good for coating powders and granules
Extrusion and dripping
Core and shell solution are pushed through a nozzle and set, e.g. in a calcium bath (alginate beads)
200 µm – several mm
Gentle; used for probiotics and cells
Pan coating
Particles tumble in a rotating pan while coating is applied
Large particles
Classic pharma tablet and bead coating
Method
How it works
Notes
Complex coacervation
Two oppositely charged polymers (e.g. gelatin and gum arabic) separate out of solution around oil droplets and form a shell
Very high payloads; classic for flavours, fragrances and omega-3 oils
Solvent evaporation / extraction
Shell polymer is dissolved in a solvent, emulsified with the core, and the solvent is removed so the polymer hardens around the core
Precise control of size and shell; widely used for pharma and cosmetic polymer capsules
Ionic gelation
Polymers such as alginate or chitosan cross-link with ions to form a gel shell
Gentle, water-based
Liposome and lipid-particle formation
Phospholipids or lipids self-assemble around the active
Strictly vesicles rather than microcapsules; often nanometre scale
Method
How it works
Notes
Interfacial polymerisation
Monomers react at the boundary between oil and water droplets, building a polymer shell (e.g. polyurea, polyamide)
Robust shells; common in agrochemicals
In-situ polymerisation
Shell forms from monomers in the continuous phase depositing on droplets (e.g. melamine-formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde)
Historically dominant for fragrance capsules in laundry; now under regulatory pressure
Family
Examples
Characteristics
Polysaccharides
Starches, maltodextrin, gum arabic, alginate, chitosan, cellulose and cellulose derivatives
Plant-derived, widely accepted; derivatives can be tuned for strength and release
Proteins
Gelatin, whey, soy, zein, pea protein
Good film formers; used in coacervation
Lipids and waxes
Carnauba, beeswax, hydrogenated oils, fatty acids
Moisture barrier; melt-triggered release
Synthetic polymers
Polyurea, polyurethane, polyacrylates, melamine-formaldehyde, PMMA
Strong and tunable, but most fall under the EU restriction on intentionally added microplastics
Inorganic
Silica, calcium carbonate
Rigid, inert shells
Choosing a shell is a trade-off between barrier strength, release behaviour, process temperature, regulatory status, biodegradability, cost and the claims a brand wants to make.
Trigger
Mechanism
Example
Mechanical rupture
Shell breaks under pressure or friction
Retinol released as a cream is rubbed in; scent released by rubbing fabric; colour change when a foundation is blended
Dissolution
Shell dissolves in water or another solvent
Water-soluble actives; supplements in the gut
Diffusion
Core migrates slowly through an intact shell
Long-lasting fragrance or insect repellent
Melting
Shell melts at a set temperature
Baking ingredients; lipid-coated feed additives
pH change
Shell dissolves at a given pH
Enteric coatings that pass the stomach and open in the intestine
Enzymatic or biological
Enzymes or microbes break down the shell
Targeted gut delivery; soil degradation in agriculture
Osmotic or swelling
Water enters, the capsule swells and opens
Controlled-release fertilisers
The most active field for new microencapsulation today. Typical goals:
Stabilising unstable actives such as retinol, vitamin C, resveratrol and essential oils, which oxidise, discolour or lose potency in the jar
Reducing irritation by releasing actives gradually or only on application
Combining incompatible ingredients in one formula (for example acids and actives that degrade each other)
Colour effects: pigments locked in capsules that stay invisible in the pack and release on application, or that adapt to different skin tones
Sun care: keeping UV filters apart from each other and from the skin
Solubility: making oil-soluble or crystalline actives such as salicylic acid, biotin or caffeine water-dispersible
Long-lasting flavour and cooling, masking the metallic taste of zinc and minerals, and protecting whitening and anti-bacterial actives.
Turning omega-3 oils, vitamins and flavours into stable powders; masking bitter plant extracts; protecting probiotics so they survive stomach acid; time-released caffeine and minerals.
Taste masking, sustained and targeted release, protecting drugs from stomach acid, and separating incompatible drugs in one dose.
Masking taste and smell so pets accept supplements and medicines; long-lasting fragrance in grooming products.
Slow-release fertilisers and pesticides, protecting actives from sunlight and rain, reducing solvent use and making liquid actives safer to handle.
Fragrance and softener capsules in laundry products, phase-change materials for thermal regulation, self-healing coatings, and carbonless paper.
Benefits: longer shelf life, stronger and more consistent performance, fewer stabilisers and preservatives needed, easier handling (powders instead of oils), new sensory effects, and claims that are hard to achieve any other way.
Limitations: extra ingredient cost; the capsule must survive the manufacturing process (shear, heat, solvents); some capsules can feel gritty or be visible if poorly matched to the formula; and the shell material must meet the regulatory rules of every target market.
In September 2023 the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2023/2055, which amends REACH Annex XVII to restrict synthetic polymer microparticles: solid polymer particles below 5 mm that are intentionally added to products. Many conventional microcapsule shells, including melamine-formaldehyde, polyurea and polyacrylate, fall within its scope.
The restriction is being phased in with transition periods, including:
Use
Restriction applies from
Rinse-off cosmetics
17 October 2027
Leave-on cosmetics (other than lip, nail and make-up products)
17 October 2029
Synthetic polymer microparticles used to encapsulate fragrances
17 October 2029
Lip, nail and make-up products
17 October 2035
Natural polymers that have not been chemically modified are outside the definition. Polymers that can be shown to be biodegradable under the regulation’s test methods, or that are water-soluble, can also be excluded. For formulators this means the choice of shell material is now a regulatory decision as well as a technical one, and documentation on each capsule’s status is essential.
Tagra’s microcapsules are microplastic-free. Our plant-derived, cellulose-based shells were designed for a world without microplastics, so formulators can use them in products sold in the EU without a phase-out date. Regulatory documentation for each grade is available on request.
Define the problem. Is the active degrading, irritating, incompatible, insoluble, or does it smell or taste bad?
Define the release. On rubbing, in water, over time, or never (permanently isolated)?
Check process compatibility. Maximum temperature, shear, pH, solvents and surfactants in your process.
Check the sensory fit. Particle size and appearance in the finished product.
Check regulatory status in every market you sell in, including the EU microplastics restriction, nano definitions and certifications (vegan, COSMOS, halal, etc.).
Ask for stability data and samples, and run them in your own base.
Tagra Biotechnologies has specialised in microencapsulation for more than 25 years, with more than 20 granted patents and in-house R&D and manufacturing. Our platform is built on plant-derived, cellulose-based, microplastic-free shells and covers three capsule technologies:
Breakable microcapsules (Release on Demand™): impermeable, elastic shells that survive manufacturing and release their contents when rubbed onto the skin. Examples: CelluCaps™, encapsulated retinol, CelluOils™, Cameleon CelluCaps™, DeeperCaps™.
Unbreakable microcapsules: transparent capsules that never open. The active stays sealed on the skin surface, so it cannot migrate or penetrate, for example UV filters. Example: SunCaps™.
Water-soluble microcapsules: make poorly soluble actives dissolve in water-based formulas. Examples: WS SA50™ (salicylic acid), WS Biotin™.
Tagra’s capsules are micron-sized (not nano), supplied as powders, withstand process temperatures up to 85 °C, and are added at the end of production with simple paddle mixing. Learn more about our technology, browse formulation problems we solve, or request samples.
It is wrapping tiny amounts of an ingredient in a protective coating, like a microscopic capsule, so it stays stable until it is needed and is then released in a controlled way.
Usually between 1 micrometre and 1 millimetre. Most cosmetic and food microcapsules are between about 5 and 300 µm. Particles below 1 µm are nanocapsules.
Size. Nanoencapsulation produces particles below 1 µm, which can penetrate differently and are regulated as nanomaterials in some markets, such as cosmetics in the EU. Microcapsules are larger and generally not classed as nanomaterials.
A liposome is a vesicle formed by phospholipid bilayers, usually at nanometre scale, and is relatively fragile. A microcapsule has a solid shell, is larger, and can be designed to stay intact through manufacturing and release on a specific trigger.
Spray drying, because it is fast, scalable and inexpensive. Coacervation, solvent evaporation and polymerisation methods are used when stronger shells or more precise release is needed.
Retinol breaks down quickly when exposed to air, light and other ingredients, and can irritate skin. Encapsulation protects it in the jar and releases it on application, keeping potency and improving tolerance.
It depends on the shell. Capsules made of synthetic, non-biodegradable polymers are generally within the scope of the EU microplastics restriction. Shells made of unmodified natural polymers, or materials shown to be biodegradable or water-soluble under the regulation, can fall outside it. Tagra’s cellulose-based microcapsules are microplastic-free.
Yes, when the shell and process materials are plant-based or otherwise compliant with the relevant standard. Check each ingredient’s certificates.
It depends on the active and its loading in the capsule. In cosmetics, use levels of around 1% are common, but the supplier’s guidance and your own testing should decide.
Start with the formulation problem, the release you need and your process conditions, then test samples in your own base. Contact Tagra’s R&D team for a feasibility discussion.