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The effect of the presence of surfactant micelles and of the mode of incorporation (pre-homogenization or post-homogenization) on the antioxidant efficiency of a homologous series of n-alkyl gallates phenolipids (G0, G3, G8, G12 or G16) was investigated in oil-in-water nanoemulsions. In both absence and presence of surfactant micelles, G12 and G16 were the best antioxidants. The effect of the mode of incorporation was modulated by the presence of surfactant micelles. In absence of surfactant micelles, G8 and G16 had higher efficiency when incorporated pre-homogenization, suggesting that the mode of incorporation promoted a distinct initial distribution of these compounds. In contrast, in presence of surfactant micelles, the antioxidants could be incorporated in any phases without efficiency loss. These results demonstrate the important role of surfactant micelles in modulating the antioxidant efficiency and could be used by the food industry to optimize emulsion formulations.