Hair treatment compositions

Details Hair treatment compositions Hair treatment compositions

1999-05-27

2002-08-13

Kishore, Gollamudi S. (Department: 1615)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Preparations characterized by special physical form

Cosmetic, antiperspirant, dentifrice

C424S450000, C424S070100, C424S070110, C424S070120, C514S880000, C514S881000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06432420

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to hair treatment compositions. More particularly the invention relates to hair treatment compositions comprising cholesterol in combination with certain hair benefit agents, which compositions are particularly suitable for application to hair for repair and restoration of damaged hair, and for moisturisation and protection of the hair fibre against future damage.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Hair can suffer damage from a number of sources. The hair fibre can be damaged by environmental influences such as exposure to UV and chlorine; chemical influences such as bleaching, perming, overfrequent washing with harsh surfactant based cleansing shampoo compositions; and mechanical influences such as prolonged use of heated styling appliances.
Damage to the hair typically manifests itself in cuticle and protein loss from the hair fibre, excessive fibre stiffness, hair fibre brittleness and breakage and frayed or split ends.
A wide array of ingredients are claimed to be effective in the treatment and prevention of hair damage, as can be seen from the literature and from marketed products.
For example, certain amino acids are known to provide beneficial results in the prevention and treatment of hair damage. A number of shampoo and conditioner formulations are on the market which contain aloe vera extract, a substance rich in arginine, as an ingredient for fibre repair and moisturisation. Literature references include DE 3118882-A, which describes a tonic for hair which contains a mixture of amino acids. In this mixture, a 1:4:12 histidine:lysine:arginine ratio is said to stimulate keratin formation. FR 2669224-A describes a scalp treatment comprising amino-dicarboxylic acid complexed with a basic amino acid complex as the active ingredient. The complex is said to prevent degradation of the hair root and improve the hydration of the hair keratin by neutralisation of scalp lactic acid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,235 describes hair treatment with a “cocktail” of 20 different amino acids and vitamins to enhance softness, lustre and body.
WO93/15709 is directed to the treatment and prevention of damage to keratinous material. This document describes a composition comprising an “oleophilic liquid vehicle” which is preferably a mixture of oleic, palmitic and linoleic acids, for infusing the other reagents in the composition into the hair shaft. The other reagents are a higher n-alkane such as eicosane, which is said to bond hydrophobically to keratin, and preferably a long chain dibasic acid such as sebacic acid, which is postulated to cross-link and therefore reinforce keratin chains at damage sites.
There remains a need for topical hair treatment compositions which deliver improved damage repair and protection to the hair.
The present inventors have now found that the penetration of certain hair benefit agents into the hair fibre from a topical hair treatment product can be specifically enhanced by the inclusion of cholesterol in the hair treatment composition. Compositions according to the present invention demonstrate improved efficacy in the repair and prevention of the principal symptoms of damaged hair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a hair treatment composition suitable for topical application to hair for the repair and prevention of damage, comprising:
(i) cholesterol, and
(ii) a hair benefit agent which is a mixture of a basic amino acid and a fatty acid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an essential component of the compositions of this invention.
The level of cholesterol in the composition is suitably from 0.005 to 0.1%, preferably from 0.01 to 0.05%, optimally from 0.02 to 0.03%, by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
Hair Benefit Agent
Compositions of the invention contain as a further essential component, a hair benefit agent which is a mixture of a basic amino acid and a fatty acid.
Basic Amino Acids
By “basic amino acid” is meant those amino acids having more basic groups than carboxyl groups. Suitable basic amino acids are L-arginine, DL-arginine hydrochloride, L-histidine, DL-histidine, L-lysine, and DL-lysine. L-Arginine is particularly preferred.
Simple derivatives of the basic amino acid may also be employed, such as salts and hydrosalts.
A particularly preferred example of a hydrosalt is a hydrohalide, especially the hydrochloride derivative.
It is further possible to employ other derivatives such as acyl, ester and peptide derivatives. These too may be used as salts or hydrosalts.
Examples are N-alkanoyl derivatives in which the alkanoyl moiety has an alkyl chain length of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, e.g. N-butanoyl, N-hexanoyl and N-octanoyl, N-alkyl or COO-alkyl derivatives in which the alkyl group is straight chain and from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, e.g. methyl, ethyl and n-propyl and peptide derivatives in which the peptide residue comprises from 2 to 8 amino acid residues or substituted amino acid residues.
The level of basic amino acid in the composition is suitably from 0.005 to 0.5%, preferably from 0.01 to 0.4%, optimally from 0.1 to 0.3%, by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
Fatty Acids
By “fatty acid” is meant those compounds represented by the general formula RCOOH, wherein R denotes a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon radical having from 7 to 25, preferably from 10 to 22 carbon atoms on average—the hydrocarbon radical having a straight or branched chain or having hydroxyl group.
Suitable fatty acids are branched chain fatty acids such as 18-methyleicosanoic acid and other homologues of this series, straight chain fatty acids such as stearic, myristic and palmitic acids, and unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid. The fatty acids may be added singly, as mixtures, or in the form of blends derived from extracts of, e.g. lanolin. Oleic acid is a particularly preferred fatty acid, since this is a principal component of the natural free fatty acid content of hair.
The level of fatty acid in the composition is suitably from 0.005 to 0.1%, preferably from 0.01 to 0.05%, optimally from 0.02 to 0.03%, by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
A particularly preferred combination is L-arginine and oleic acid.
The total weight of hair benefit agent in compositions of the invention is suitably from 0.005% to 5%, preferably from 0.085% to 2%, most preferably from 0.1 to 0.5% by total weight of hair benefit agent based on the total weight of the hair treatment composition.
Preparation Process
Advantageously, in hair treatment compositions of the invention, the cholesterol and hair benefit agent may be compounded into a dispersion of multilamellar vesicles. This is highly preferred, since it is a convenient way of enhancing the efficacy of hair treatment compositions of the invention in the repair and prevention of the principal symptoms of damaged hair.
Thus, in a further aspect the present invention provides a hair treatment composition comprising a dispersion of multilamellar vesicles, the vesicles being formed of cholesterol, basic amino acid and fatty acid.
The dispersion of multilamellar vesicles may conveniently be prepared by the following steps:
(i) compounding the fatty acid with the cholesterol, and
(ii) adding the mixture so obtained to an aqueous solution of the basic amino acid.
In step (i), preferred fatty acids are as described above under the heading “Fatty Acids”. Especially preferred is oleic acid.
In general, if the amount of fatty acid relative to the amount of cholesterol is too low, then difficulties in compounding may be encountered. Conversely, too high an amount of fatty acid may be detrimental to conditioning performance of the final product. A suitable weight ratio of cholesterol to fatty acid (e.g. oleic acid) in step (i) was found to be about 3:1 to 1:2. Optimally, the weight ratio was found to be about 1:1, in terms of ease of processing, stabilit

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