Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form – Cosmetic – antiperspirant – dentifrice
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-28
2001-01-30
Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
Cosmetic, antiperspirant, dentifrice
C424S407000, C424S489000, C424S499000, C424S502000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06180124
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition which gives users a warmed and pleasant feeling upon application thereof, has an excellent moisturizing effect, and is good in spreadability on and conformability to the skin and easy to be washed off.
2. Description of the Background Art
Non-aqueous cosmetic compositions comprising a polyhydric alcohol have moisturizing and warming effects and are hence utilized as massaging cosmetics and the like (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 320038/1993). It is also known to incorporate a thickening polymer soluble in a polyhydric alcohol, or silica gel in order to facilitate the application of the polyhydric alcohol to the skin (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 87158/1998, 194327/1998 and 87165/1998).
However, in order to thicken the resulting composition with the thickening polymer alone, it is necessary to use a great amount of the thickening polymer. In addition, the dependency of the viscosity of the composition on temperature becomes high, which has involved problems that the spreadability upon application to the skin at low temperatures becomes poor, that the flowability at high temperatures becomes too high to take the composition with fingers, and that when particles such as a scrubber are incorporated, the precipitation of the particles are observed at high temperatures. On the other hand, the system making use of the silica gel has involved such problems that the pH is low, and easiness of washing off becomes poor due to water-insoluble silica gel.
Accordingly, there has been a demand for development of a cosmetic composition which can make good use of the excellent properties of the polyhydric alcohol, and is good in spreadability on and conformability to the skin and easy to be washed off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventor has found that when a polyhydric alcohol and a finely particulate metal oxide are used in combination in such a manner that water is substantially not contained, a cosmetic composition, which can prevent its flowability from heightening at high temperatures, can be well taken with fingers, can also prevent precipitation of particles, has good thixotropic property, is easy to use, spreads well and has good easiness of washing off, can be provided with a moderate viscosity.
It has also been found that when exothermic powder is incorporated into the above composition, such a composition can give users a far excellent warmed feeling, that when a clay mineral is incorporated, the temperature stability of the composition is improved, and that when a polyhydric alcohol-soluble polymer is incorporated, the viscosity of the composition is optimized, and the precipitation of particles can be prevented more effectively.
According to the present invention, there is thus provided a cosmetic composition comprising (A) a polyhydric alcohol and (B) a finely particulate metal oxide, wherein water is substantially not contained.
According to the present invention, there are also provided cosmetic compositions comprising exothermic powder, a clay mineral and/or a polyhydric alcohol-soluble polymer in addition to the above components.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Examples of (A) the polyhydric alcohol useful in the practice of the present invention include compounds having at least two hydroxyl groups in a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon skeleton which may have an ether bond. The hydrocarbon skeleton is preferably a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl or alkenyl group. Further, those which form a ring through an ether bond, such as saccharides, may also be included. Specific examples of the polyhydric alcohol include alkylene glycols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, amylene glycol and hexylene glycol; dialkylene glycols such as diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether; glycerols such as glycerol, diglycerol, triglycerol and polyglycerols; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol; and polyethylene glycols and polypropylene glycols. Of these, propylene glycol, butylene glycol and polyethylene glycols (preferably, those having a molecular weight of 200 to 100,000, particularly 200 to 6,000) are particularly preferred from the viewpoints of a feeling upon use and moisturizability. The butylene glycol includes 1,3-butanediol and 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol.
These polyhydric alcohols may be used either singly or in any combination thereof and are incorporated in a proportion of 1 to 95% by weight (hereinafter indicated merely by “%”) based on the total weight of the composition. They are preferably incorporated in a proportion of 5 to 90%, particularly 10 to 70% from the viewpoint of a feeling upon use.
The finely particulate metal oxide of the component (B) preferably has a specific surface area of 10 to 1,000 m
2
/g, particularly 40 to 900 m
2
/g from the viewpoints of thickening effect and a feeling upon use. Further, the finely particulate metal oxide preferably has an average particle diameter (primary particle diameter) of 1 &mgr;m or smaller, more preferably 2 to 100 nm, most preferably 5 to 30 nm from the viewpoints of a feeling upon use and stability. Specific examples thereof include aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide and iron oxide, with aluminum oxide and titanium oxide being particularly preferred.
The specific surface area is a value measured in accordance with the BET method making use of the absorption of nitrogen gas at the temperature of liquid nitrogen. The average primary particle diameter is a value determined by measuring diameters of 3,000 to 5,000 particles which have been photographed through an electron microscope, and arithmetically average the values obtained.
These finely particulate metal oxides may be used in any combination thereof and are incorporated in a proportion of 0.1 to 50% based on the total weight of the composition. When they are incorporated in a proportion of 0.5 to 30%, particularly 1 to 10%, a preferable thickening effect can be achieved.
A mixing ratio [(A):(B)] of the component (A) to the component (B) is preferably 100:1 to 2:1, particularly 40:1 to 3:1 by weight from the viewpoint of feeling upon use.
The cosmetic composition according to the present invention is a composition which does substantially not contain water. The term “substantially not contain water” as used herein does not mean excluding any composition in which a small amount of water is present, so far as the composition can generate sufficient heat of hydration when it comes into contact with external water. In the cosmetic composition according to the present invention, the content of water is at most about 5%.
When (C) exothermic powder is incorporated into the cosmetic composition according to the present invention, a stronger warmed feeling can be given users, and an effect as a massaging cosmetic is enhanced. It is preferred from the viewpoints of irritation to the skin and a feeling of roughness that the exothermic powder should be powder having an average particle diameter of 20 &mgr;m or smaller and substantially containing no particles having a particle diameter of 45 &mgr;m or greater. The term “substantially containing no particles having a particle diameter of 45 &mgr;m or greater” as used herein means that the amount of the particles having a particle diameter of 45 &mgr;m or greater is 2.0% or less, preferably 1.0% or less based on the total weight of the exothermic powder, and preferably that no such great particles are detected.
Non-aqueous cosmetic compositions comprising exothermic powder are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,680, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 100411/1994 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 336413/1994. However, the particle diameter of the exothermic powder incorporated into these cosmetic compositions is not limited in any way, and so such compositions are not preferred from the viewpoint of irritativeness to the skin.
The conditions of the part
Fukasawa Junichi
Hosokawa Kumiko
Koike Kenzo
Ohta Hiroshi
Shimizu Masaki
Kao Corporation
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Page Thurman K.
Tran S.
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