Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-12
2004-04-20
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S155000, C510S156000, C510S159000, C510S424000, C510S425000, C510S426000, C510S428000, C510S431000, C510S436000, C510S470000, C510S490000, C510S492000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06723688
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to methods and preparations for cleansing, specifically to methods and compositions that do not irritate the skin.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cleansing products come in many types and forms, but are generally divided into personal care cleansers and household cleansers. The personal care cleansers most commonly thought of by consumers are skin cleansers (including bar soaps) and shampoos. However, this class of product also includes body washes, personal hygiene cleansers, contact lens cleansers, dental cleansers, facial cleansers, and makeup removers (including eye makeup removers). The general class of household cleansers includes laundry detergents, hard surface cleansers, porous surface cleansers, dishwashing detergents, window cleansers, scouring cleansers and disinfectant cleansers. Although each of these products contains a specific set of specialized ingredients depending upon the particular end use of the product, they all contain surfactants.
The most common type of cleansing product is a liquid or a powder formulation. However, cleansing products can also be in such forms as an aerosol, a mousse, a gel, an emulsion, a discrete packet, or impregnated on a towelette. Although these cleansers come in many different forms, they all have in common the presence of a surfactant.
In view of their ubiquitous use, surfactants in cleansing products often come into contact with human skin. Although this contact may be brief or even secondary (as for instance clothing washed with laundry detergent), it is desirable that cleansing products have a minimal dermatologic effect. Unfortunately, surfactants often cause irritation, dryness, cracking and peeling of the skin. Additionally, there are known case reports in the dermatological literature documenting allergic dermatitis in response to contact with a cleansing product. The allergic reaction can be caused by the fragrance contained in the cleansing product, or by the surfactant itself. In general, if a surfactant system can be applied directly to human skin without causing irritation, it will be safe for use in products used to cleanse materials that contact the skin (such as laundry detergent), or in products with limited direct contact with the skin (such as household products, including hard surface cleansers, window cleansers, and automotive cleansers).
Numerous patents have issued which concern cleansing products that include surfactants, and mixtures of surfactants, which are designed to be mild to the skin (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,617; U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,979; U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,137; U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,978; U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,359; U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,912; U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,633; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,643; U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,246; U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,608; U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,212; U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,293; U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,414; U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,450; U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,253; U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,525). However, each of these formulations has limitations. These limitations include limited foam volume, an undesired skin feel of the foam, instability, etc. that require the addition of other agents, some of which are not commercially available. Thus there is a need for a surfactant composition that is mild to the skin and eyes and can be easily produced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A surfactant composition has been discovered that is mild to the skin, leaves the skin barrier intact, is stable, can be formulated into any type of cleansing preparation, and uses commonly available surfactants. In addition to being gentle to the skin, the surfactant composition is extremely mild to eye tissue, and is therefore suitable for contact lens solutions or other cleansers (such as shampoos) that contact the eye. The surfactant composition has a stable viscosity and an acceptable skin feel without the addition of polymeric materials.
A composition for cleansing is disclosed. The composition includes at least about 2% of a mixture of a salt of an alkyl sulfoacetate and a salt of an ethoxylated alkyl sulfosuccinate, at least about 3% of a salt of an ethoxylated alkyl sulfate, at least about 1% of an amphoteric surfactant, at least about 0.05% of an alkyl glucoside, and at least about 0.005% of a phospholipid.
A cleansing composition is also disclosed that includes about 2% to about 70% of a mixture of a salt of an alkyl sulfoacetate and a salt of an ethoxylated alkyl sulfosuccinate, about 3% to about 40% of a salt of an ethoxylated alkyl sulfate, about 1% to about 40% of an amphoteric surfactant, about 0.05% to about 10% of an alkyl glucoside, and about 0.005% to about 10% of a phospholipid.
In addition, a cleansing composition is disclosed that includes about 41% of a mixture of alkyl sulfoacetate and ethoxylated alkyl sulfosuccinate, about 34% of an ethoxylated alkyl sulfate, about 22% of an amphoteric surfactant, about 2% of an alkyl glucoside, and about 0.5% of a phospholipid.
A method of cleaning, including contacting a surface to be cleansed with a composition of the invention, is also described. The invention also includes cleansing compositions to which the surfactant has been added.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of particular embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS
Compositions including a combination of surfactants have been found that are very mild (gentle) to the skin and eye tissues such that they cause minimal, if any, irritation of these tissues. Although materials contained in the compositions are generally recognized as safe, the combination causes less irritation to the tissues than would be expected based on the irritation caused by the components individually. The compositions do not require the presence of any known anti-irritant compounds to achieve the level of safety found.
The compositions are unique for several additional reasons. They do not require the presence of ancillary materials to achieve levels of foam generally desired by consumers, and do not require the presence of polymeric materials to achieve a stable viscosity or skin feel often desired by consumers. Moreover, the compositions do not require the presence of solubilizers and stabilizers to achieve a suitable product shelf life, even when stored at the extremes of temperature, such as high temperatures (as high as 50° C.) or low temperatures (less than 4° C.). This combination of effects is both unexpected and unique among surfactants.
DEFINITIONS
The terms “a” and “the” include the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
The term “surfactant” refers to a surface-active agent that reduces surface tension when dissolved in water or an aqueous solution, or which reduces interfacial tension between two liquids, or between a liquid and a solid. Detergents, wetting agents and emulsifiers are examples of surfactants.
An “amphoteric” surfactant refers to a surfactant that has the capacity of behaving either as an acid or a base. Specific, non-limiting examples of an amphoteric surfactant are betaine, sultaine, hydroxysultaine, imidazoline, aminoalkanoate, and iminoalkanoate surfactants.
The term “phospholipid” refers to a lipid compound that yields on hydrolysis phosphoric acid, an alcohol, a fatty acid, and a nitrogenous base. Phospholipids include, but are not limited to, Coco Phosphatidyl PG-Dimonium Chloride, Linoleamidopropyl Phosphatidyl PG-Dimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Phosphatidyl PG-Dimonium Chloride, Borageamidopropyl Phosphatidyl PG-Dimonium Chloride, Stearamidopropyl Phosphatidyl PG-Dimonium Chloride, lecithin, and derivatives of lecithin.
The term “alkyl” refers to a cyclic, branched, or straight chain alkyl group containing only carbon and hydrogen, and unless otherwise mentioned contains one to thirty carbon atoms. This term is further exemplified by groups such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, adamantyl, and cyclopentyl. Alkyl groups can either be unsubstituted or substituted with one or m
Kawasaki Yoshi
Malik Arshad H.
Siddiqui Mukhtar
Klarquist & Sparkman, LLP
Ogden Necholus
Shaklee Corporation
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