Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Live hair or scalp treating compositions
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-18
2003-09-30
Dodson, Shelley A. (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Live hair or scalp treating compositions
C424S070270, C424S078020, C424S078080, C424S400000, C424S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06627183
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to hair care compositions. In particular, it relates to hair care compositions which give good conditioning/shine to the hair with reduced feelings of tackiness and greasiness.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Hair is often subjected to a wide variety of insults that can cause damage. These include shampooing, rinsing, drying, heating, combing, styling, perming, colouring, exposure to the elements etc. Thus the hair is often in a dry, rough, lusterless or frizzy condition due to abrasion of the hair surface and removal of the hair's natural oils and other natural conditioning and moisturizing components.
A variety of approaches have been developed to alleviate these conditions. These include the use of ultra mild shampoo compositions, the use of hair conditioning shampoos which attempt to both cleanse and condition the hair from a single product and the use of hair conditioning formulations such as rinse-off and leave-on products.
Leave-on hair care formulations provide added advantages over the other approaches. For example, leave-on formulations are more cost effective and work for a longer duration because the conditioning ingredients remain on the hair. They are more convenient because the consumer can use the product at any time and does not have to wait to rinse the product. Also, the product may be applied to the parts of the hair most in need of the conditioning benefits.
Cationic polysaccharides are well known in the art for providing conditioning benefits. See, for example, WO-A-97/35542, WO-A-97/35545, WO-A-97/35546, all of which describe the use of cationic polysaccharides in conditioning shampoo compositions. GB-A-2,211,192 describes the use of cationic polysaccharides in a rinse-off conditioning composition. DE-A-4,326,866 describes a composition for use prior to cutting of the hair that comprises a cationic polysaccharide. JP-54 138 133 describes hair product compositions containing polypeptides and cationic celluloses. However, these cationic polysaccharides are also known to cause stickiness or tackiness. This can lead to the consumer feeling the hair is dirty or greasy, especially with leave-on conditioning compositions where there is no rinsing step.
It has now been surprisingly found that cationic saccharide polymers and copolymers having a cationic charge density of greater than 1.5 meq/g provide improved shine/conditioning benefits to the hair with reduced tackiness and greasiness.
While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the high cationic charge density makes the polymer more substantive to the hair providing good conditioning benefits. The cationic groups interact with the negative charge on the hair. Binding sites occur more frequently due to the increased frequency of said cationic groups along the polymer. The more frequent interactions may ‘pull’ the polymer backbone into closer association with the hair fibre thus reducing the depth of the hydrocarbon layer and reducing its tendency to interact with other surfaces such as skin on the fingers. Hence, there is a reduced feeling of tackiness and, due to the close association of polymer and hair, an enhanced shine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a hair care composition comprising:
(a) cationic saccharide polymer or copolymer wherein the cationic polymer has a charge density of greater than about 1.5 meq/g, preferably greater than about 1.6 meq/g, more preferably greater than about 1.7 meq/g, even more preferably greater than about 1.8 meq/g; and
(b) less than about 5%, preferably less than about 2%, more preferably less than about 1%, even more preferably 0%, by weight, of anionic surfactant.
The compositions of the present invention have reduced tackiness and greasiness while delivering good conditioning/shine benefits.
All concentrations and ratios herein are by weight of the hair care composition, unless otherwise specified.
All averages are weight averages unless otherwise specified.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The hair care compositions of the present invention comprise two main elements, cationic polymers or copolymers of saccharides and less than 5% anionic surfactant. These elements will be described in more detail below.
As used herein the terms “tacky” and “tackiness” means the adhesive feeling of the hair after the application of some hair care compositions.
As used herein the term “leave-on” means a hair care composition that is intended to be used without a rinsing step. Therefore, leave-on compositions will generally be left on the hair until the consumer next washes their hair as part of their cleansing regimen. Leave-on will generally comprise less than about 5% of anionic surfactant and will generally comprise less than 5% of non-ionic surfactant.
Cationic Polymers or Copolymers of Saccharides
An essential feature of the compositions of the present invention is that they comprise a cationic polymer or copolymer of saccharide. The cationic saccharides of the present compositions have a cationic charge density of greater than about 1.5 meq/g, preferably greater than about 1.6 meq/g, more preferably greater than about 1.7 meq/g, even more preferably greater than about 1.8 meq/g. Generally the cationic polymers will have a cationic charge density of less than about 5 meq/g, preferably less than about 3.5 meq/g, more preferably less than about 2.5 meq/g, even more preferably less than about 2.2 meq/g.
The “cationic charge density” of a polymer refers to the ratio of the number of positive charges on a monomeric unit of which the polymer is comprised to the molecular weight of said monomeric unit, i.e.:
Cationic
Charge
Density
=
number
of
positive
charges
monomeric
unit
molecular
weight
The cationic charge density of the cationic polymers herein can be determined using the Kjeldahl Method (United States Pharmacopoeia—Chemical tests—<461> Nitrogen Determination—method II). Those skilled in the art will recognise that the charge density of some of the polymers herein may vary depending upon pH and the isoelectric point of the cationic charge groups. The charge density should be within the above limits at the pH of intended use.
The cationic saccharides of the present invention generally comprise from about 1% to about 10%, preferably from about 2% to about 5%, more preferably from about 2.3% to about 3%, even more preferably from about 2.5% to about 2.9%, by weight, of cationic nitrogen.
The concentration of the cationic saccharide should be sufficient to provide the desired conditioning benefits. Such concentrations generally range from about 0.001% to about 20%, preferably from about 0.005% to about 10%, more preferably from about 0.01% to about 2%, even more preferably from about 0.05% to about 1%, by weight, of the total composition.
The cationic saccharides for use herein will generally have an average molecular weight of from about 5000 to about 10 million, preferably from about 100,000 to about 5 million, more preferably from about 500,000 to about 2 million, even more preferably from about 1 million to about 1.5 million.
Suitable cationic saccharides for use in the present invention include cationic polysaccharides and cationic copolymers of saccharides, preferred are cationic polysaccharides.
The cationic polymers for use herein are cationic polymers and copolymers of saccharides. The cationic polysaccharides useful in the present invention include those polymers based on 5 or 6 carbon sugars and derivatives which have been made water-soluble by, for example, derivatising them with ethylene oxide. These polymers may be bonded via any of several arrangements, such as 1,4-&agr;, 1,4-&bgr;, 1,3-&agr;, 1,3-&bgr; and 1,6 linkages. The monomers may be in straight chain or branched chain geometric arrangements.
Suitable non-limiting examples of cationic polysaccharides include those based on the following: celluloses and hydroxyalkylcelluloses;
McCann Chantelle Mary
McKelvey Graham Neil
McMeekin Anthony
Young Wendy Victoria Jane
Corstange Brahm J.
Dodson Shelley A.
Sivik Linda M.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
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