Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form – Cosmetic – antiperspirant – dentifrice
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-21
2002-07-09
Williamson, Michael A. (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
Cosmetic, antiperspirant, dentifrice
C424S450000, C514S937000, C514S938000, C514S944000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06416771
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a moisturizing composition, a base containing the same, and a cosmetic or external preparation containing the moisturizing composition.
BACKGROUND ART
It is well-known that moisture is deeply involved in various products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and foods, and moisturization thereof is one of important functions for the quality of the products. It is also well-known that moisture is deeply involved in the retention of youthful skin, and the moisturization of skin is one of important functions for the quality of cosmetics. As known moisturizing agents, particularly known moisturizing agents used in cosmetics or external preparations, there are polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol, 1,3-butylene glycol and sorbitol, and further pyrrolidonecarboxylate salts, lactate salts, etc. In recent years, sodium hyaluronate produced by a microorganism has come to be used.
Moisturizing agents also play an important role to work as an agent retaining the moisture of cosmetics or external preparations themselves and thereby contribute to the retention of the stability of the system. Trihydric or more polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol and sorbitol have excellent moisturizing properties and moisture retainability, and further in view of their safety, stability, prices, etc., are used as most general purpose moisturizing agents.
As to requirements which moisturizing agents should have, it is desirable that they are not influenced by environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, wind, etc.), and particularly can retain moisture for a long time regardless of the surrounding humidity. However, in the case of any moisturizing agent, the amounts of the absorption and release of moisture are influenced by the surrounding humidity because of its vapor pressure. In the case of glycerol, for instance, its equilibrium moisture content at 25° C. is 60% when the relative humidity is 75%, and 15% when the relative humidity is 33%, and in the case of sorbitol, its equilibrium moisture content at 25° C. is 50% when the relative humidity is 75%, and 5% when the relative humidity is 33%, and their moisture contents are influenced by the degree of the surrounding relative humidity.
Thus, there is a problem that when the surrounding humidity is low, the moisturizing agent itself releases the retaining moisture and the amount of moisture retained is lowered. Also when cosmetics or external preparations containing moisturizing agents are used, as understood from the above, moisture is lost from the skin with time lapse under low humidities, and the moisturizing function is lowered. Therefore, as to moisturizing agents, it is necessary that the evapotranspiration of moisture under low humidity environments is slow.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a moisturizing composition excellent in moisturizing properties and stability, bases based thereon, and a cosmetic or external preparation containing the moisturizing composition.
The above object has been attained by
(1) a moisturizing composition comprising a trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol, lecithin and 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol, wherein lecithin: the trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol+3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol=1:1,000 to 1:1 (weight ratio) and the trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol:3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol=1:10 to 20:1 (weight ratio),
(2) A viscous or gel-like base which comprises the moisturizing composition of the above (1) having compounded therein an oily substance.
(3) An oil-in-water type emulsion base which comprises the moisturizing composition of the above (1) having compounded therein an oily substance and water.
(4) A solubilized base which comprises the moisturizing composition of the above (1) diluted with water.
(5) A cosmetic which comprises the moisturizing composition of the above (1) and other raw material(s) for cosmetics.
(6) An external preparation which comprises the moisturizing composition of the above (1) and other raw material(s) for external preparations.
In the above, the moisturizing composition can further contain water in an amount of more than 0% by weight but up to 50% by weight of the total weight of the trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol, lecithin and 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol. For displaying remarkable moisturizing properties, the moisturizing composition desirably has polarizability. The above trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol is preferably glycerol and/or sorbitol. The lecithin is preferably hydrogenated lecithin in view of oxidation stability.
The invention is further detailedly described below.
As lecithin constituting the moisturizing composition of the invention, there can be used soybean lecithin or egg yolk lecithin, before all else, which is available as a usual commercial product or reagent, and purified lecithin or fractionated lecithin obtainable by subjecting soybean lecithin or egg yolk lecithin to purification operation(s) such as solvent fractionation, extraction and/or fractionation to remove neutral oily matter as sufficiently as possible, or the like. For rapidly dissolving lecithin in a trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol, purified lecithin wherein neutral oily matter is removed is preferred. Lecithin constituting the moisturizing composition of the invention is assumed to further include hydrogenated lecithin and lysolecithin. Lecithin, in many cases, has an unsaturated fatty acid chiefly at the 2-position of glycerol constituting it, and one obtained by converting it, at least partially, to a saturated fatty acid is hydrogenated lecithin. The degree of hydrogenation in the hydrogenated lecithin is not particularly limited, but it is desirable in view of oxidation stability that it is 45 to 100%, preferably 80 to 100%. Preferred as lysolecithin is one having a low hydrolysis degree, i.e. deacylation degree (e.g., one having a hydrolysis degree of 70% or less). Lysolecithin having a high hydrolysis degree (e.g., one having a hydrolysis degree of more than 70%) can also be used in the invention, but when used, it is preferred to use it together with usual lecithin and make the mixing ratio of such lysolecithin 80% by weight or less based on the usual lecithin. As lecithin used in the invention including even hydrogenated lecithin and lysolecithin, such lecithin that the fatty acid constituting it is not a single fatty acid (ones derived from nature as exemplified above fall under this category) is preferred, and synthetic phosphatidylcholine having a single fatty acid as an constituent is undesirable because when it is used in place of the lecithin in the moisturizing composition of the invention, there is a tendency that precipitate deposits.
The trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol constituting the moisturizing composition of the invention is not particularly limited, and there can be used, as representative ones, glycerol, sorbitol, diglycerol, triglycerol, polyglycerol, erythritol, pentaerythritol, glucose, galactose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, xylose, xylobiose, reduced oligosaccharides, etc. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Preferred among them are glycerol and sorbitol.
As to 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol constituting the moisturizing composition of the invention, it is convenient to utilize commercial products (e.g., one made by KURARAY CO., LTD.). A composition comprising 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol, a trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol and lecithin (the moisturizing composition of the invention), whose characteristic lies in containing 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol, has a remarkably enhanced moisturizing characteristic, compared with a composition not containing 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol (usual compositions), as illustrated in the later-described examples and comparative examples.
In the moisturizing composition of the invention, it is necessary that the ratio (weight rat
Fujisawa Masaaki
Narita Toshie
Oyama Keiichi
Tsuchiya Naoko
Tsuji Misako
Nixon & Vanderhye
The Nisshin Oil Mills Ltd.
Williamson Michael A.
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