Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Live hair or scalp treating compositions
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-29
2001-02-13
Dodson, Shelley A. (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Live hair or scalp treating compositions
C424S070200, C424S070500, C424S070510
Reexamination Certificate
active
06187302
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a reducing composition, i.e. agent, containing at least two components, comprising a first composition containing a reducing agent in an aqueous solution and a second composition containing a specific thickener. The two compositions are mixed together close to the time of use, preferably immediately before the time of use, to form a ready-to-use mixture, and the mixture is used in a process for treating the hair to permanently reshape it. The invention also relates to processes for using this agent.
One technique commonly used in the cosmetics field for imposing a long-lasting shape on the hair involves reshaping the hair using a reducing agent and then an oxidizing agent.
The technique most commonly used to permanently reshape the hair involves, as a first step, opening the cystine disulfide (S-S) linkages of keratin (cystine) using a composition containing a reducing agent, and then, after the hair has been treated, the hair is preferably rinsed. The second step involves reforming the said disulfide linkages by applying to the hair, which has been placed under tension beforehand, with curlers or the like, or which has been shaped or smoothed out by other means, an oxidizing composition also known as a “fixer”, so as to give the hair the desired final shape.
This technique thus makes it possible either to make the hair wavy or to straighten it or remove curls therefrom, or alternatively to make it smooth.
The new shape given to the hair by a chemical treatment is long-lasting, i.e., lasting for a few weeks, and is resistant in particular to washing with water or with shampoo. This is in contrast with techniques using styling products which lead to a temporary reshaping, such as hairsetting, such a reshaping disappearing after styling or shampooing.
The reducing compositions generally used for the first step of a permanent-waving operation contain sulfites, bisulfites or, preferably, thiols as reducing agents. Among these preferred reducing agents are cysteine and its derivatives, cysteamine and its derivatives, thiolactic acid and thioglycolic acid and its esters, in particular glyceryl thioglycolate. Thioglycolic acid is particularly effective and constitutes the product most frequently used to reduce the disulfide linkages of keratin.
For certain permanent-waving techniques, such as, for example, in reshaping processes without curlers, or in a hair-straightening process, it is preferable to use sufficiently thickened reducing agents in order to facilitate their application, to allow better localization of the product on the hair, to avoid any running of the reducing composition and to allow the hair to be held in the desired position.
However, the formulation of thickened reducing agents is particularly difficult because of frequent problems of instability over time. Several phenomena generally occur: a fall in viscosity of the product and/or a decrease in the reducing agent titer, and/or the appearance of an unpleasant odor, or all of these shortcomings at the same time, are frequently observed in particular.
If the thickening system is separated from the reducing agent for keratin fibers, for example in a multi-compartment system or kit, the difficulty of obtaining a uniform thickening quickly enough and easily enough after mixing is encountered.
Broadly, the invention can solve these various problems by providing a reducing agent containing two components, comprising a first component comprising a thiol-bearing reducing agent in aqueous solution and a second component comprising a composition containing a thickening polymer in a specific form.
In one aspect, the invention provides a reducing composition for permanently reshaping the hair comprising:
a first component comprising at least one thiol-bearing reducing agent in aqueous medium, and
a second component comprising at least one thickening polymer in aqueous medium, the thickening polymer being in the form of an aqueous dispersion, an oily dispersion, or a reverse emulsion, with the proviso that said thickening polymer is not vinylpyrollidone-styrol, carboxymethylcellulose, acrylic acid homopolymers, quaternary hydroxyethylcellulose, and cross-linked polymers of polymethacrylic acid;
wherein the first and second components are to be mixed with each other at the time of initiating said permanently reshaping of the hair to obtain a ready-to-use reducing composition.
In another aspect, the invention provides a ready-to-use reducing composition for permanently reshaping the hair formed by mixing at or close to the time of initiating the permanently reshaping of the hair:
a first component comprising at least one thiol-bearing reducing agent in aqueous medium, and
a second component comprising at least one thickening polymer in aqueous medium, said thickening polymer being in the form of an aqueous dispersion, an oily dispersion, or a reverse emulsion, with the proviso that said thickening polymer is not vinylpyrollidone-styrol, carboxymethylcellulose, acrylic acid homopolymers, quaternary hydroxyethylcellulose, and cross-linked polymers of polymethacrylic acid.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a process for permanently reshaping the hair, comprising the steps:
obtaining, at or close to the time of said subsequent applying step, a ready-to-use reducing composition by mixing
a first component comprising at least one thiol-bearing reducing agent in aqueous medium, and
a second component comprising at least one thickening polymer in aqueous medium, the thickening polymer being in the form of an aqueous dispersion, an oily dispersion, or a reverse emulsion, with the proviso that said thickening polymer is not vinylpyrollidone-styrol, carboxymethylcellulose, acrylic acid homopolymers, quaternary hydroxyethylcellulose, and cross-linked polymers of polymethacrylic acid;
applying to the hair, before, during or after the step of placing the hair under tension by a mechanical means or shaping by any manual means, the ready-to-use reducing composition thus obtained;
leaving the ready-to-use composition on the hair for a period of time sufficient to reduce the disulfide linkages of the hair;
optionally rinsing;
thereafter applying to the hair a fixing composition containing at least one oxidizing agent;
leaving the fixing composition on the hair for a period of time sufficient to allow permanent reshaping; and
thereafter rinsing the hair.
The compositions of the present invention have the advantage in particular of being very easy and quick to prepare, thereby making it possible to obtain a thickened and uniform reducing composition almost immediately, by simple mixing of the two components.
Furthermore, the reducing composition of the invention has a texture which is particularly suited to all applications and in particular to applications to the hair which is not wound on curlers; since this composition is easy to apply, it does not run and it allows the hair to be held in the desired position.
Other subjects of the invention will become apparent on reading the description and the examples which follow.
As described above, the first component and the second component are intended to be mixed with each other at the time of use in order to obtain a ready-to-use reducing composition intended to be applied to the hair in order to reduce the hair's disulfide linkages.
Preferably, the reducing agent is chosen from thioglycolic acid, thiolactic acid, cysteine, cysteamine, thioglycerol and glyceryl thioglycolate or one of the cosmetically acceptable salts thereof, such as, more particularly, the hydrochlorides, hydrobromides, citrates, acetates and sulfates.
The reducing agent is used in proportions which are sufficient to reduce the disulfide linkages, and preferably in proportions ranging from 1 to 25%, in particular from 3 to 25%, by weight relative to the total weight of the ready-to-use composition.
The thickening polymers in the second component are preferably chosen from
ammonium acrylate/acrylamide copolymers, as a W/O reverse emulsion, such as Bozepol C sold by Hoechst;
acrylamide/2-acr
Nguyen Ly-Lan
Sabbagh Anne
Dodson Shelley A.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
George Konata M
L'Oreal (S.A.)
LandOfFree
Multi-component reducing agent and process for permanently... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Multi-component reducing agent and process for permanently..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multi-component reducing agent and process for permanently... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2559378