Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Live hair or scalp treating compositions – Permanent waving or straightening
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-29
2001-05-29
Dodson, Shelley A. (Department: 1615)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Live hair or scalp treating compositions
Permanent waving or straightening
C424S401000, C424S070500, C424S070510, C008S410000, C008S411000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238658
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an oxidizing agent containing at least two components, comprising a first composition containing an oxidizing agent in aqueous medium, preferably, an aqueous solution, and a second composition containing a specific thickener, described hereafter. 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 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.
The oxidizing agents which can be used in the fixing compositions can be chosen in particular from peroxides such as an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, urea peroxide, bromates such as alkali metal bromates, enzymes such as peroxidases and oxidoreductases with two unpaired electrons, persalts such as perborate and persulfates, or a mixture of alkali metal bromates and a persalt.
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 oxidizing agents in order to facilitate their application, to allow better localization of the product on the hair, to avoid any running of the oxidizing composition, and to allow the hair to be held in the desired position.
However, the formulation of thickened oxidizing compositions 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 oxidizing 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 oxidizing 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 an oxidizing agent containing two components, comprising a first component comprising a composition containing an oxidizing agent in aqueous solution and a second component comprising a composition containing a thickening polymer in a specific form.
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 oxidizing composition almost immediately, by simple mixing the two components.
Furthermore, the oxidizing composition of the invention can have a texture which is particularly suited to all applications and in particular to applications to the hair which is not wound on curlers; since the composition is easy to apply, it does not run, and it allows the hair to be held in the desired position.
One aspect of the invention is an oxidizing composition for permanently shaping the hair comprising:
a first component comprising at least one oxidizing 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 as a reverse emulsion, with the proviso that said thickening polymer is not quaternary hydroxyethylcellulose;
wherein the first and second components are to be mixed with each other at the time of initiating the permanently reshaping of the hair to obtain a ready-to-use oxidizing composition.
Another aspect of the invention is a ready-to-use oxidizing composition for permanently shaping the hair formed by mixing at or close to the time of initiating said permanently shaping of the hair:
a first component comprising at least one oxidizing 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 as a reverse emulsion, with the proviso that said thickening polymer is not quaternary hydroxyethylcellulose.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a process for permanently reshaping the hair by applying a reducing composition followed by applying a composition obtained by mixing together, at or shortly before use, the two components of the abovementioned oxidizing agent. In particular, this aspect of the invention comprises a process for permanently reshaping the hair, comprising the steps:
applying a composition containing at least one reducing agent to wet or dry hair, before, during or after placing the hair under tension mechanically or shaping manually;
allowing a period of time sufficient to allow the reduction of the disulfide linkages of the hair by the at least one reducing agent
obtaining, at or close to the end of said period of time, a ready-to-use oxidizing composition for permanently shaping the hair formed by mixing:
a first component comprising at least one oxidizing 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 as a reverse emulsion, with the proviso that said thickening polymer is not quaternary hydroxyethylcellulose;
applying the ready-to-use oxidizing composition thus obtained to the hair at or shortly after the end of said period of time;
leaving the ready-to-use oxidizing composition on the hair for a period of time sufficient to allow permanent reshaping; and
thereafter rinsing the hair.
Another aspect of the invention involves a process for permanently reshaping the hair, comprising the steps:
applying a composition containing at least one reducing agent to wet or dry hair, before, during or after placing the hair under tension mechanically or shaping manually;
allowing a period of time sufficient to allow the reduction of the disulfide linkages of the hair by the at least one reducing agent;
after said period of time, rinsing the hair;
obtaining, at or close to the end of the rinsing, a ready-to-use oxidizing composition for permanently shaping the hair formed by mixing:
a first component comprising at least one oxidizing agent in aqueous medium, and
a second component comprising at least one thickening polymer in aqueous medium, the thickening polym
Nguyen Ly-Lan
Sabbagh Anne
Dodson Shelley A.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
George Konata M.
L'Oreal (S.A.)
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