Hair care compositions

Details Hair care compositions Hair care compositions

2002-04-30

2004-02-10

Venkat, Jyothsna (Department: 1615)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Live hair or scalp treating compositions

Polymer containing

C424S070100, C424S070110

Reexamination Certificate

active

06689347

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to hair care compositions and to their use in the care of hair.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Shampoo compositions are generally formulated with highly effective cleansing surfactants, typically anionic surfactants, and do not in themselves provide much conditioning or styling benefit to the hair. In fact, basic shampoo formulations which have not been supplemented with specific conditioning or styling agents have a tendency to leave the hair in a cosmetically-unsatisfactory condition with regards to manageability and stylability. The hair tends to have a harsh, dull and dry feel, often referred to as “creak”, is often difficult to comb, in either the wet or the dry state, typically has poor brushing properties, and tends to have poor set-retaining abilities.
This has resulted in the use of products containing specific conditioning and/or styling agents. Such agents are generally applied separately after shampooing and rinsing the hair, for example, in the form of conditioner formulations or styling mousses etc. Alternatively, conditioning and/or styling agents have been incorporated into the shampoo formulations. Although the latter approach provides the advantage of removing the need for a separate conditioner or styling treatment, the conditioning and/or styling agents are not always compatible with the shampoo ingredients, especially the anionic surfactant. This can result in the cleansing action and/or cosmetic benefit being compromised.
One of the most common methods for imparting styling benefits to the hair has been the use of hair fixative agents, such as high molecular weight polymers. The problem with using such agents is that they have a tendency to negatively impact on conditioning attributes such as wet and dry stage clean feel and smoothness. In fact, they can result in a sticky feel to the hair.
Conventional styling polymers are typically water-soluble. This means that when incorporated into a shampoo or conditioner which is rinsed off the hair, there is a tendency for the styling polymer to be washed away to a greater or lesser degree with the shampoo/conditioner. Hence, most styling products are leave-in products, which are applied to the hair as post-shampoo/conditioner treatments.
The problem being addressed by the present invention is the provision of hair care compositions, in particular rinse off compositions which impart styling benefits, and in particular body benefits on the hair, but which do not compromise the cleansing action of the shampoo and which do not negatively impact on the conditioning attributes of the hair. The body benefits or attributes the present invention is looking particularly to provide are root lift, increased hair volume, bounce, control (i.e. ease of styling) and manageability, i.e. maintenance of style without undue stiffness and negative sensory feel. Such body attributes are particularly attractive to people with fine or long, weighty hair.
One way in which this problem has been addressed in the past has been to include conditioning agents, for example silicones and cationic surfactants, in the compositions, to counter the negative effects of the styling agents. Although such conditioning agents do provide substantial improvements in for example the wet and dry combing properties of the hair and in the smoothness of the hair, they tend to have a negative effect on many of the attributes associated with hair body.
We have now found that the inclusion of a certain level of functionalised clay material in hair care formulations provides substantial styling benefits, in particular with regards to imparting body attributes to the hair. Furthermore, the conditioning attributes of the hair are not adversely affected by the use of hair compositions containing these particles and there is no necessity to incorporate additional conditioning agents or specialised surfactant systems. The compositions of the present invention are also stable.
The use of clays in hair care compositions is known. Clays have been used for example as structurants and as grease absorbers. However, the use of functionalised clays in hair care compositions has not previously been disclosed.
The incorporation of the functionalised clay material into the hair care compositions of this invention leads to substantive improvements in the body of the washed and optionally conditioned hair, especially if a subsequent styling regime is followed. The compositions impart body attributes, such as are root lift, volume, bounce and manageability, in the absence (or substantial absence) of a styling polymer, which leads to compositions which have a styling benefit, but nevertheless do not suffer from the sensory negatives (e.g. stickiness and/or dry feel) which are associated with prior styling compositions which are based on, for example, a styling polymer.
DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, this invention provides an aqueous hair care composition comprising water-insoluble particles having a layered structure comprising oxygen atoms and silicon and/or phosphorus atoms, and further comprising organic functional groups which are covalently bonded to the silicon and/or phosphorus atoms in the layers.
Additionally, this invention provides for the use of water-insoluble particles as defined above in a hair care composition to impart body.
A method of treating hair is also disclosed which comprises the following steps:
i) wetting the hair;
ii) applying the product according to the invention;
iii) rinsing the hair
DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Definitions
Unless specified otherwise, all wt % values quoted hereinafter are percentages by weight based on total weight of the hair care composition.
D
3,2
average droplet or particle sizes as referred to herein may be measured by means of a laser light scattering technique, using a 2600D Particle Sizer from Malvern Instruments.
In this specification organic functional groups are interpreted as any group including a carbon atom, in particular compounds in which the linking group from the clay is to a carbon atom or a silicone atom.
The term “hair care composition” is intended to mean compositions for shampooing, conditioning and styling hair.
The present invention is based on the application in the treatment of hair of water insoluble particles having a layered structure comprising oxygen atoms and silicon and/or phosphorus atoms, and comprising organic functional groups which are bonded to silicon and/or phosphorus atoms in the layers by direct covalent bonds to carbon i.e., covalent bonds between silicon and carbon (Si—C bonds) or between phosphorus and carbon (P—C bonds). It is preferable if the linkage from the organic group to the clay is through a Si—O—C bond or a Si—O—Si bond. The oxygen can originally be part of the organic group or part of the clay.
Water-insoluble Particles
The present invention involves the use of water-insoluble particles having a layered structure comprising oxygen atoms and silicon and/or phosphorus atoms, and comprising organic functional groups which are bonded to silicon and/or phosphorus atoms in the layers. The term “water-insoluble”, as used herein, means that the particles are soluble in distilled water at a concentration of less than 0.01 g/l, preferably less than 0.001 g/l at 20° C. Preferably, the particles will be substantially insoluble but dispersible in water at 20° C.
The water insoluble particles used in the invention are of a size such that they are not perceived as distinct particles to the touch. Preferably, the particles used in the invention have an average size of from 0.1 to 100 &mgr;m. More preferably, the particles used herein have an average size in the range of from about 1 &mgr;m to 50 &mgr;m. The size of the particles refers to their maximum dimension, such as their diameter when the particles are substantially spherical.
The layered nature of the particles preferably involves an ordered array comprising oxygen atoms and silicon and/or phosphorus atoms. The layers may also comprise other metallic and/or non-metallic ato

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