An oil-in-water emulsion, comprising oily globules which are each provided with a lamellar liquid crystal coating and are dispersed in an aqueous phase, wherein each oily globule is individually coated with a monolamellar or oligolamellar layer obtained from at least one lipophilic surface-active agent, from at least one hydrophilic surface-active agent and from at least one ionic amphiphilic lipid imparting to the emulsion a pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.5, the coated oily globules having a mean diameter of less than 500 nanometres, and wherein the lipophilic surface-active agent, the hydrophilic surface-active agent and the ionic amphiphilic lipid vary within respective ranges of 35-55%, 25-40% and 15-35% by weight relative to their total weight.