gel particles or beads can be prepared by forming a hot aqueous solution of a gelling agent , and discharging the hot gelling agent solution through a discharge orifice into a cold moving stream of hydrophobic liquid so that the gelling agent solution cools rapidly and good quality gel particles coalesce in the cold hydrophobic liquid stream . the cold hydrophobic liquid stream can be contained in a conduit so that the cold hydrophobic liquid stream moves past the discharge orifice and exerts a force on hot solution in the discharge orifice , the force acting to withdraw the hot solution from the discharge orifice . optionally , the gel particles can be crushable gel beads 10 formed of an agar complex providing cosmetic , pharmaceutical , etc . delivery vehicles for topical delivery of biologically or cosmetically active agents . preferred agar beads 10 are complexes of a continuous phase of agar gel 12 in a self - supporting solid or semi - solid form with a restraining polymer 14 . various active agents 16 may be bound to restraining polymer 14 , for , example ascorbic acid , lactic acid or papain .