Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Plant material or plant extract of undetermined constitution...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-02
2003-11-04
Naff, David M. (Department: 1651)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Plant material or plant extract of undetermined constitution...
C424S766000, C424S777000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641845
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel skin whitening blend that is a synergistic combination of a hypopigmenting component and an antioxidant. The skin whitening blend is further incorporated into a suitable topical vehicle to provide a skin whitening composition. Optionally, the novel skin whitening blend may also incorporate a sunscreen and/or a skin cell turnover rate accelerant.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficacious skin whitening blend that includes a hypopigmenting component and an antioxidant.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an efficacious skin whitening blend that further comprises a sunscreen and/or a skin cell turnover rate accelerant.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficacious skin whitening composition that is the skin whitening blend of the present invention in a pharmaceutically elegant topical vehicle.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an efficacious skin whitening composition that is a cream.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an efficacious skin whitening composition that is a lotion, solution, hydroalcoholic liquid, powder, pack or dermal patch.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention relates to a skin whitening blend (hereinafter “skin whitening blend”) that, is incorporated into a suitable topical vehicle to comprise the total skin whitening composition of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, all percentages disclosed herein are weight percentages of the total skin whitening composition (hereinafter “composition”).
Suitable topical vehicles for use in the present invention include cream, lotion, solution, hydroalcoholic liquid, pack, powder and dermal patch.
The activity/efficacy of the composition is defined herein as lightening of skin color, evening of skin tone/color, reduction in the appearance of solar lentigines (age spots) or ephilides (freckles), reduction of melasma, reduction of chloasma, reduction of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, reduction of pigmented keratoses, and/or the reduction of any sun-induced damage.
The first embodiment of the present invention is a composition having a skin whitening blend. The skin whitening blend has a hypopigmenting component and an antioxidant. In a second embodiment of the present invention, the skin whitening blend also has a component (hereinafter “accelerant”) that enhances, or accelerates, the skin cell turnover rate. In a third embodiment of the present invention, the skin whitening blend has the hypopigmenting component, the antioxidant and a sunscreen, while a fourth embodiment has all three ingredients, plus the accelerant of the second embodiment.
The hypopigmenting component for all four embodiments includes one of the following constituents: (i) a licorice extract; (ii) a natural extract that includes at least one of the following extracts: hamamelitannin, mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape chlorella, bearberry, cowberry, bilberry, molasses, pear, guava, or a mixture thereof; and (iii) a blend of the licorice extract as defined in (i) and a natural extract blend as defined in (ii) (hereinafter “natural extract blend”).
With regard to the natural extract (ii), any natural extract has hypopigmenting activity if used alone. However, to achieve the level of lightening of skin tone that is desired by applicants, it is preferred that the natural extract be a mixture of at least two extracts selected from the following group: hamamelitannin, mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape, chlorella, bearberry, cowberry, bilberry, molasses, pear and guava (hereinafter “natural extract mixture”). In a second preferred embodiment, the natural extract mixture has both pear and guava extracts. In a more preferred embodiment, the natural extract mixture has all of the following extracts: hamamelitannin, mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape, chlorella, bearberry, cowberry, bilberry, and molasses. In a most preferred embodiment, the natural extract mixture has all of the following extracts: hamamelitannin, mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape and bearberry. When the extract is either mulberry extract or scutellaria extract, it is preferred that at least a portion of the extract is derived from the root thereof.
When the hypopigmenting component has a licorice extract, either a water soluble (or aqueous) or an oil soluble licorice extract may be used.
Examples of suitable water soluble licorice extracts are glycolic licorice extracts, alcoholic licorice extracts, and combinations thereof. If a water soluble licorice extract is used, the concentration of the licorice extract is greater than about 0.001 wt % to about 30 wt %.
Ad An oil soluble licorice extract is the preferred licorice extract. Preferably, the oil soluble licorice extract is in powder form and is from about 0.001 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, more preferably from about 0.002 wt % to about 1.0 wt %, of the composition. It is even more preferable that the oil soluble licorice is from about 0.002 wt % to about 0.2 wt % of the composition. It is most preferable that the oil soluble composition is about 0.05.wt % to about 0.1 wt % of the composition. The oil soluble licorice extract may have one or more of the following constituents: glabridin, glabrene, formononetin, glabrol and other related phenolic compounds. Examples of phenolic compounds may include hispaglabridin-A, 4′-O-methylglabridin, and 3′ hydroxy-4′ O-methylglabridin.
It is preferred that the hypopigmenting component is the licorice extract (i). The more preferred hypopigmenting component for the composition is the natural extract blend (iii), (which includes both the licorice extract (i) and the natural extract (ii)). However, it is even more preferred that the hypqpigmenting component is the combination of the more preferred embodiment of the licorice extract (i) and the more preferred first embodiment of the natural extract mixture (ii). It is most preferred that the hypopigmenting component is the combination of the most preferred embodiment of licorice extract (i) and the most preferred first embodiment of the natural extract mixture (ii).
If the hypopigmenting component is the mixture of natural extracts as defined by (ii), the natural extract mixture may have from about 0.1 wt % to about 99.0 wt % of a mixture that has at. least two of the following extracts: hamamelitannin (
Hamamelis virginiana
), mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape,
Chlorella vulgaris
, bearberry (
Arctostaphylos uva ursi
), cowberry (
Vaccinium vitis idaea
), bilberry (
Vaccinium myrtillus
), or molasses (Black Sugar).
A second example of the natural extract mixture has from about 0.1 wt % to about 99 wt % of hamamelitannin extract and from about 0.01 wt % to about 99 wt % of each of the following extracts: mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape, and bearberry. More preferably, the second example of the natural extract mixture is from about 5 wt % to about 30 wt % hamamelitannin extract, from about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % of each of the following extracts: mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape, and bearberry.
A third example of the natural extract mixture has from about 0.1 wt % to about 99 wt % of hamamelitannin extract and from about 0.01 wt % to about 99 wt % of each of the following extracts: mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape, chlorella, bearberry, cowberry, bilberry, and molasses. More preferably, the third example of the natural extract mixture is from about 5 wt % to about 30 wt % hamamelitannin extract, and from about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % of each of the following extracts: mulberry, saxifraga, scutellaria, grape, chlorella, bearberry, cowberry, bilberry, and molasses.
A fourth example of the natural extract mixture has about 0.01 wt % to about 99 wt %,pear extract, and from about 0.01 wt % to about 99 wt % guava extract. More preferably, the fourth example of the natural extract mixture has from about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % pear extract
Kyrou Christos D.
Martin Dennis M.
Ptchelintsev Dmitri
Simpson Susan E.
Teal Janice J.
Avon Products Inc.
Naff David M.
Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle LLP
Ware Deborah K.
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