the invention , a transdermal delivery method , relates to penetration - enhancing pharmaceutical compositions comprising a novel , stable mixture of cetylated esters , cetyl or stearyl alcohols , polar solvents and surfactants , which , under appropriate conditions , combine into amphiphilic nanoparticles within a stabilized liquid dispersion for use in delivery of medicinal agents through the skin . the term cetosomes is used to describe these particles in order to differentiate them from other nanoparticles , such as niosomes , cerasomes , polymeric micelles , dendrimers , liposomes , lipoids , solid lipid nanoparticles and other particles . the self - assembling cetosomes , with both ionic and nonionic points of attraction , incorporate and concentrate a variety of different bioactive agents of interest and demonstrate stable properties with similarities to colloidal molecular structures . the compositions enhance topical transdermal fluxes of bioactives without permanently disrupting natural skin barrier function .