Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form – Particulate form
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-01
2001-03-06
Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
Particulate form
C424S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06197343
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to complexion-improving beauty compositions, and more particularly to complexion-improving beauty compositions which cause high penetration of a component for positively improving peripheral circulation, are excellent in the effect of preventing and improving the uneven tone, dull looking and lusterlessness of skin, which are caused by the irregularity of blood circulation, and do not irritate the skin and eyes, thus being highly safe.
BACKGROUND ART
Investigations as to various cosmetic compositions for accelerating the blood circulation of the skin have heretofore been made with the view toward preventing and improving the uneven tone, dull looking and lusterlessness of skin, which are caused by the irregularity of blood circulation. For example, cosmetic compositions in which a blood circulation accelerator is incorporated (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 138411/1987 and 321616/1992, etc.), and techniques in which the content of water is decreased to the utmost, and a polyol is incorporated at a high concentration so as to generate heat upon application and raise the temperature of the skin applied, thereby accelerating the circulation of the blood (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 229926/1993, 320038/1993 and 9280/1994), and the like have been known.
However, the cosmetic compositions simply comprising the blood circulation accelerator have required a high concentration of the blood circulation accelerator or a long time in order that the effect of the blood circulation accelerator may be recognized, and may have given users an irritated feeling toward the skin in cases where such an agent has been incorporated at a high concentration. On the other hand, the cosmetic compositions of the type that the temperature of the skin is raised have had an abnormal feel of stickiness or sliminess and besides have involved a problem that they tend to give users a feeling of glow, since the polyol has been incorporated in a large amount.
Also having been investigated are massaging cosmetic compositions (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 44649/1976, 183205/1986, 211206/1988, 90011/1991 and 157279/1994) used for accelerating the blood circulation by applying physical stimulation, and massaging cosmetic compositions (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 44649/1976, Japanese Patent Publication No. 42203/1985, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 192814/1983 and 295504/1988) to which particles are added for enhancing physical stimulation. However, the massaging cosmetic compositions to which the particles are added have involved a problem that the effect of the particles are scarcely brought about when their particle size is smaller than 100 &mgr;m, or on the other hand when the particle size is not smaller than 100 &mgr;m, they give users a feeling of physical disorder during use, and damage the skin if time used or the frequency of use becomes high.
Further, techniques for enhancing safety by using granules, which are gradually disintegrated by inunction (rubbing) or massaging, have come to be investigated (Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 39444/1992 and 53649/1994, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 190616/1989, 197412/1991, 221826/1993 and 271417/1994). Even when such granules have been used, the resulting cosmetic compositions have brought about no sufficient effects for accelerating the circulation of the blood and improving a complexion.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a complexion-improving beauty composition which is excellent in the effect of improving a complexion and has high safety.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing circumstances, the present inventors have carried out an extensive investigation. As a result, it has been found that beauty compositions comprising disintegrable granules and a blood circulation accelerator can synergistically exhibit a blood circulation-accelerating effect in a short period of time, do not irritate the skin and eyes and can markedly improve a complexion, thus leading to completion of the present invention.
According to the present invention, there is thus provided a complexion-improving beauty composition comprising disintegrable granules and a blood circulation accelerator.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of improving a complexion, which comprises applying a composition comprising disintegrable granules and a blood circulation accelerator to the skin and then massaging or rubbing the skin applied.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The disintegrable granules useful in the practice of the present invention are those having strength that they are easily disintegrated on the skin when applied to the skin. In order that the granules may be easily disintegrated, they preferably have a strength of 2 to 8 as measured by a Vickers hardness test (JIS Z 2244) and a strength of 0.05 to 0.80 kgf/mm
2
, particularly 0.08 to 0.30 kgf/mm
2
as measured by a flexural test (JIS R 1601), both making use of a specimen made so as to have the same composition as the granules.
Examples of such disintegrable granules include granules composed of water-insoluble primary particles and a binder.
Examples of the water-insoluble primary particles include organic polymer compounds such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polypropylene, nylon, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyurethane, acrylic resins, polysiloxane, crystalline cellulose, starch and derivatives thereof; and inorganic powders such as silica, alumina, talc, kaolin, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, quartz and calcium phosphate. These primary particles may be in any form of a spherical or an amorphous form. However, the spherical form is particularly preferred from the viewpoint of safety. The average particle size of the primary particles is preferably 1 to 20 &mgr;m, particularly 3 to 15 &mgr;m. Taking the safety of eyes into consideration, it is preferred that at least 80 wt. % of the primary particles should have a particle size of 10 &mgr;m or smaller, particularly 4 to 10 &mgr;m.
The binder is used for binding the water-insoluble primary particles to one another to such strength that the resulting disintegrable granules are easily disintegrated on the skin. Examples thereof include animal and vegetable oils which are solid at ordinary temperature, such as fish oil, hardened castor oil and hardened rapeseed oil; and organic polymer compounds such as ethyl cellulose, acetyl cellulose, nitrocellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and vinyl acetate.
The disintegrable granules composed of these water-insoluble primary particles and binder can be prepared by a general granulating process, for example, fluidized bed granulation, agitation granulation or extrusion granulation. In particular, they may preferably be prepared in accordance with a process in which a water-insoluble binder is dissolved in an organic solvent, and the solvent is volatilized, thereby preparing granules (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 152407/1985), or a process in which powder of a water-insoluble binder is mixed with primary particles of granules, the mixture is granulated with a water-soluble binder, and the resultant granules are heated to melt the powder of the water-insoluble binder, and then cooled, thereby enhancing the water resistance of the granules (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 271417/1994). The disclosures of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 152407/1985 and 271417/1994 are incorporated herein by reference.
Of such disintegrable granules, disintegrable granules obtained by using polyethylene as the primary particles, and hydroxypropyl cellulose, hardened rapeseed oil and/or the like as the binder are preferred.
The particle size of the disintegrable granules is preferably 100 to 1,000 &mgr;m, particularly 200 to 600 &mgr;m. When the particle size falls within this range, the resulting beauty composition has a s
Iwai Hidetaka
Minami Takahide
Nagashima Yoshinao
Suzuki Akiko
Yada Yukihiro
Benston, Jr. William E.
Kao Corporation
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Page Thurman K.
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