Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form – Cosmetic – antiperspirant – dentifrice
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-04
2001-05-08
Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
Cosmetic, antiperspirant, dentifrice
C424S062000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228378
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition which has the ability to retain carbon dioxide gas therein, provides a blood circulation-facilitating effect, improves dull looking skin, dark circles and uneven skin tone, has no slimy feel, and gives users a pleasant feeling upon use.
2. Discussion Of The Background
Carbon dioxide gas is known to have a blood circulation-facilitating action. In the field of cosmetic compositions, there are known, for example, a cosmetic composition in which carbon dioxide gas is incorporated into a water-based cosmetic, and the mixture is hermetically packaged in a pressure container (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No 141512/1984) and an aerosol product in which a stock solution containing carbon dioxide gas is hermetically packaged in an inner bag of an aerosol container of dual structure (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 253408/1996). However, it is difficult for these cosmetic compositions to retain the carbon dioxide gas therein for a long period of time, and so the carbon dioxide gas is hard to keep on the skin upon use. As a result, the blood circulation-facilitating effect of the carbon dioxide gas can be neither sufficiently achieved nor sustained.
On the other hand there are cosmetic compositions in which a water-soluble thickener is incorporated for the purpose of improving their usability and stability. However, they have a slimy feel of their own when applied, and often give users an unpleasant feeling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic composition which has one or more of the ability to retain carbon dioxide gas therein, sustain a blood circulation-facilitating effect, improve dull looking skin, dark circles and uneven skin tone, have no slimy feel, and give users a pleasant feeling upon use.
The present inventors have now provided such a cosmetic composition, which has a specific viscosity and which contains at least a fixed amount of carbon dioxide gas even after the lapse of time. This composition has the ability to retain carbon dioxide therein, can sustain a blood circulation-facilitating effect, has no slimy feel and gives users a refreshed, pleasant feeling upon use.
According to the present invention, there is thus provided a cosmetic composition comprising carbon dioxide gas, wherein the viscosity of the cosmetic composition is 100 to 500,000 mPa.s at 25° C., and preferably wherein the concentration of carbon dioxide gas in the cosmetic composition at room temperature and standard pressure is kept at 60 ppm or more for at least 15 minutes after ejection from, for example, a pressurized container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the cosmetic composition according to the present invention., carbon dioxide gas is incorporated in a state dissolved in a water-based cosmetic composition. It is preferable that the concentration of the carbon dioxide gas in the cosmetic composition, when ejected from a (pressurized) container, be kept at 60 ppm or more, preferably 100 to 20,000 ppm, particularly preferably 200 to 10,000 ppm, each for 15 minutes or more after the ejection.
It is known that carbon dioxide gas develops a vasodilator action in the case where the pH of a solution, in which the carbon dioxide gas is dissolved, is acidic. Accordingly, it is preferred that the pH of the cosmetic composition be adjusted to not higher than 7, particularly 5 to 6.5. When carbon dioxide gas is incorporated under pressure into a cosmetic composition and dissolved therein, the pH of the cosmetic composition comes to show a stronger acidity. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the cosmetic composition in such a manner that the final pH thereof falls within the above range. This is within the skill of the ordinary artisan. Examples of pH adjusters include organic acids such as citric acid and tartaric acid, salts thereof, and phosphoric acid and salts thereof.
The cosmetic composition according to the present invention has a viscosity of 100 to 500,000 mPa.s, preferably 200 to 200,000 mPa.s, particularly preferably 500 to 20,000 mPa.s to 25° C. This viscosity enhances the ability to retain carbon dioxide gas therein and gives a pleasant feeling upon use.
In the present invention, a thickener is used to make the viscosity of the cosmetic composition the stated viscosity. Examples thereof include synthetic polymers such as carboxyvinyl polymers, acrylic acid-alkyl methacrylate copolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and polyethylene glycol; semisynthetic polymers such as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, methylhydroxypropyl cellulose, soluble starch and propylene glycol alginate; natural polymers such as sodium alginate, chitin and derivatives thereof, chitosan and derivatives thereof, pullulan, guar gum, locust bean gum, quince seed, carrageenans, galactan, gum arabic, tragacanth gum, pectin, mannan, starch, xanthan gum, dextran, succinoglucan, curdlan, gelatin, casein, albumin, and collagen; and water-swellable clay minerals such as montmorillonite, beidellite, nontronite,hectorite, saponite and stevenllite.
Among them, water-soluble thickeners, for example, carrageenans such as lambda carrageenan, kappa carrageenan, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, carboxyvinyl polymers, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, chitin and derivatives thereof, chitosan and derivatives thereof, and pullulan are preferred, with carrageenans, xanthan gum, sodium alginate and carboxyvinyl polymers being particularly preferred.
The thickener used in the present invention preferably has a film strength of at least 6.0×10
4
g/cm
2
, particularly 10.0×10
4
to 30.0×10
4
g/cm
2
as measured in the following manner, from the viewpoint of the ability to retain carbon dioxide gas. Namely, 1 wt. % of a thickener is added to an aqueous base solution having the following composition, the solution being casted in a mold to form a film 50 &mgr;m thick by 20 mm long by 100 mm wide after standing for 15 hours under conditions of 25° C. and 40% RH. Thereafter, the film-strength is measured, under the same conditions of 25° C. and 40 RH, by means of a Tensilon film strength meter, UCT-100W (manufactured by ORIENTEC CO.).
(Aqueous base solution)
(wt. %)
Polyvinyl alcohol (Gohsenol EG, product of
8.0
The Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.)
1,3-Butylene glycol
3.0
Purified water
Balance
Total
100.0
These thickeners may be used either singly or in any combination thereof so far as the viscosity within the range described above can be attained. For example, the thickener is incorporated in an amount of 0.01 to 10 wt. %, preferably 0.1 to 3 wt. %, particularly preferably 0.3 to 2 At. %, based on the total weight of the composition.
When a whitening agent is incorporated into the cosmetic composition according to the present invention, the effect of improving dull looking skin, dark circles and uneven skin tone and the like of the skin is markedly enhanced by the synergistic effect of the whitening agent and the carbon dioxide gas.
Examples of the whitening agent include ascorbic acid and derivatives thereof, hydroquinone derivatives, kojic acid and derivatives thereof, animal placenta extracts and plant extracts.
Specifically, examples of the derivatives of ascorbic acid include salts of L-ascorbic acid phosphate, salts of L-ascorbic acid phosphate, salts of L-ascorbic acid sulfate and salts of L-ascorbic acid. The salts include salts with monovalent to trivalent metals such as Na, K, Ca, Mg and Al.
Examples of the hydroquinone derivatives include condensates of hydroquinone or an alkylhydroquinone with a saccharide, such as arbutin.
Examples of the derivatives of kojic acid include kojic acid monobutyrate, kojic acid monocaprate, kojic acid monostearate, kojic acid monocinnamate, kojic acid monobenzoate, kojic acid dibutyrate, kojic acid dipalmitate, kojic acid distearate and kojic aci
Kiba Atsuyuki
Kodama Kenji
Takanabe Hidenobu
Howard S.
Kao Corporation
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Page Thurman K.
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