Hair conditioning composition

[0001] The present invention relates to a transparent gel type of hair conditioner composition showing relatively low viscosity changes at fluctuating temperatures and comprising at least one cationic polymer as a thickener and stabilizer and free from fatty alcohols, and, therefore, not in the emulsion form which is especially excellently suitable for rinse off application as well as leave in application. The conditioner composition of the present invention further comprises at least one solubilizer selected from non-ionic, cationic and/or amphoteric surfactants. Furthermore, the conditioners of the present invention include active ingredients selected from antidandruff ingredients, hair restructuring ingredients, moisturising ingredients, sequestering agents and natural plant extracts showing hair conditioning and/or restructuring benefits.

[0002] Hair conditioners of various types either in application or in the form of preparation types have found their wide range of usage in hair dressing practice. Among those rinse off types of conditioners have always been preferred in hair care. Usually rinse off type of conditioners are in the form of emulsions and comprising fatty alcohols and emulsifiers of different character as the main principal ingredients. In addition, they certainly comprise conditioning ingredients of various types and those of common ingredients in cosmetic preparations. A general overview on the known hair conditioning products and also their usual compositions can be found in the monography of K. Schrader, “Grundlage und Rezepturen der Kozmetika”, 2nd Ed. 1989, pp 722-781.

[0003] The conditioners are, in general, non transparent preparations and often packed into a non transparent packaging as well and, therefore, lacking the attractiveness, based on appearance judgement, to the consumer. Furthermore, those conventional conditioners show large fluctuations in their consistency (viscosity) to temperature changes. This is certainly a disadvantage as products of same type are marketed in large number of countries with variable climate conditions. Consequently, formulation and/or production procedure adjustments are very much desirable, though only for consistency, when marketing the product in countries with variable climate conditions.

[0004] The desire to transparent gel type of conditioners is there as attractive appearance, even only given by the transparent appearance, is one of the main attribute to gain more customers. In addition, the cosmetic products of such decorated with colourful label designs improves further the attractiveness especially when packed into a transparent packaging.

[0005] Gel type of preparations are usually found not to be suitable for rinse off applications as after rinsing off, the hair is usually not combable, has dull appearance and is not manageable at all.

[0006] Those problems are solved by the present invention by formulating a conditioner composition comprising a cationic polymer as the main thickener and stabilizer which is transparent in appearance, does not contain any fatty alcohol and not in emulsion form. The conditioner has a consistency which is less sensitive to temperature fluctuations and furthermore especially excellently suitable for rinse off applications as well as leave in. The conditioner preparations of the present invention further comprises at least one solubilizer selected from non-ionic, cationic and/or amphoteric surfactants. Furthermore, the conditioners of the present invention can include active ingredients selected from antidandruff ingredients, hair restructuring ingredients, moisturising ingredients, sequestering agents and natural plant extracts showing hair conditioning and/or restructuring benefits.

[0007] The conditioners of the present invention make hair easy to comb and improve shine elasticity and volume and particularly improves structure of those damaged, chemically processed hair, which is known under the concept “hair repair”.

[0008] The transparency of the conditioner compositions of the present invention is judged macroscopically by naked eye thorough a bottle which does not have a thickness of more than 5 cm. The bottle can be preferably in round shaped or in an oval shape. Although the transparency of the conditioners are judged macroscopically by the inventors of the present invention, certainly there is a possibility of to evaluate the transparency by, for example, spectrophotometrically. In this case, the transmitted light of the sample is measured against a transparent preparation which is usually water. The measurement wavelength should be chosen in the visible range and errors which may occur due to light absorbance of substances included in the conditioner should be taken into account.

[0009] The cationic polymer used in the compositions of the present invention is known as Polyquaternium 37 with its CTFA adopted name. Chemically, it is homopolymer of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate quarternized with methyl chloride. The same structure is available from Ciba Chemicals under the trade name Salcare SC95 and 96. However those two materials are delivered in suspension form either as dispersed in an oily medium or in a non-ionic surfactant mixture. Recently, from Cosmetic Rheologies Ltd., it has been possible to receive the polymer in a powder form which, first of all, do not contain any additional raw materials and dissolves easily in water and forms gel. It is marketed with the trade name Ultragel 300.

[0010] Unlike the other polymers known with the same CTFA adopted name, this is nearly pure raw material in powder form, it may certainly contain some impurities which do not disturb preparation of the conditioners of the present invention. Since the others, Salcare SC95 and 96 are both in a mixture with additional ingredients, it is not possible with those to prepare transparent gel type hair conditioners. Furthermore, the conditioners prepared with those also do not show good hair conditioning properties when used as a rinse of conditioner. In other words, opposite to the ones prepared with the powder Polyquaternium 37, those conditioners thickened with Salcare types do not improve hair quality in terms of combability, elasticity, manageability, volume and body and shine when used as a rinse off conditioner.

[0011] The conditioners of the present invention contain polyquaternium 37 known with the trade name Ultragel 300 at a concentration of 0.01 to 5%, preferably, 0.01 to 3.5% and more preferably 0.05-2.5% by weight calculated to the total composition.

[0012] The conditioners of the present invention comprise in addition to the cationic polymer one or more cationic surfactants as conditioner and solubilzers presented with the general formula

[0013] where R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, branched or non-branched alkyl chain with 8-22 C atoms or

R5CONH(CH2)n

[0014] where R5 is saturated or unsaturated, branched or non-branched alkyl chain with 7-21 C atoms and n has value of 1-4 or

R6COO(CH2)n

[0015] where R6 is saturated or unsaturated, branched or non-branched alkyl chain with 7-21 C atoms and n has value of 1-4, and

[0016] R2 is H or unsaturated or saturated, branched or non-branched alkyl chain with 1-4 C atoms or

R5CONH(CH2)n

R6COO(CH2)n

[0017] where R5, R6 and n are same as above.

[0018] R5 and R6 are H or lower alkyl chain with 1 to 4 Carbon atoms, and X is chloride, bromide, methosulfate.

[0019] Typical examples of those ingredients are cetyl trimethly ammonium chloride, stear trimonium chloride, behentrimoinium chloride, stearamidopropyl trimonuim chloride, dioleoylethyl dimethyl ammonium methosulfate, dioleoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate.

[0020] The concentration of cationic surfactants typically is from 0.01 to 10%, preferably 0.01-5%, more preferably 0.05-5% and most preferably 0.05-3.5% by weight, calculated to the total composition.

[0021] Furthermore, conditioners of the present invention comprise one or more non-ionic surfactants as solubilizers. Suitable nonionic surfactants are compounds from the category of alkyl polyglucosides with the general formula

R9-0-(CH2CH20)n-Zx,

[0022] wherein R9 is an alkyl group with 8 to 20, preferably 10 to 14 carbon atoms, Zx is a saccharide group with 5 to 6 carbon atoms, n stands for a number from 0 to 10, and x is a number between 1 and 5, preferably 1.1 to 2.5.

[0023] Further nonionic surfactants useful in the compositions according to invention are C10-C22-fatty alcohol ethoxylates. Especially suited C10-C22-fatty alcohol ethers are the alkyl polyglycol ethers known by the generic terms “Laureth”, “Myristeth”, “Oleth”, “Ceteth”, “Deceth”, “Steareth” and “Ceteareth” according to the CTFA nomenclature, including addition of the number of ethylene oxide molecules, e.g., “Laureth-16”:

[0024] The average degree of ethoxylation thereby ranges between about 2.5 and about 25, preferably about 10 and about 20.

[0025] Other additionally useful surfactants are, for example, the various sorbitan esters, such as polyethylene glycol sorbitan stearic acid ester, fatty acid polyglycol ester or also mixed condensates of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, as they are on the market, for example, under the trade name “Pluronics®”.

[0026] Hydrogenated castor oil with variable ethylene glycol units are found to be suitable non-ionic solubilizers. Those are for example known from BASF under the trade name Cremophor.

[0027] Further additionally useful surfactants are amineoxides.

[0028] Such amineoxides are state of the art, for example C12-C18-alkyl dimethyl amineoxides such as lauryl dimethyl amineoxide, C12-C18-alkyl amidopropyl or ethyl amineoxides, C12-C18-alkyl di(hydroxyethyl) or (hydroxypropyl) amineoxides, or also amineoxides with ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide groups in the alkyl chain.

[0029] Suitable amineoxides are on the market, for example, under the trade names “Ammonyx®”, “Aromox®” or “Genaminox®”.

[0030] The concentration of nonionic surfactants is typically from 0.01 to 10%, preferably 0.05-7.5%, more preferably 0.1-5% and most preferably 0.1-3.5% by weight, calculated to the total composition.

[0031] Further optional surfactant components are fatty acid mono- and dialkanolamides, such as coco fatty acid monoethanolamide and myristic fatty acid monoisopropanolamide.

[0032] Conditioners of the present invention can contain amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants as solubilizing agents. Suitable ones are in particular the various known betaines such as fatty acid amidoalkyl betaines and sulfobetaines; for example lauryl hydroxy sulfobetaine; long-chain alkyl amino acids, such as cocoaminoacetate, cocoaminopropionate and sodium cocoamphopropionate and -acetate have also proven suitable.

[0033] In detail it is possible to use betaines of the structure

[0034] wherein R10 is a C8-C18-alkyl group and n is 1 to 3,

[0035] sulfobetaines of the structure

[0036] wherein R11 is a C8-C18-alkyl group and n is 1 to 3,

[0037] and amidoalkyl betaines of the structure

[0038] wherein R12 is a C8-C18-alkyl group and n is 1 to 3,

[0039] Preferred are fatty acid amidoalkyl betaines, in particular cocoamidopropyl betaine, and cocoamphoacetate and -propionate, in particular the sodium salts thereof. The concentration can be typically less than 5%, preferably less than 3.5% by weight calculated to the total composition.

[0040] Solubilizers of nonionic, cationic and amphoteric character can certainly be used in combination in the conditioners of the present invention. In this case, the total concentration of the solubilizer in the conditioner should, as a rule, not exceed 15%, prefereably 10% and more preferably 7.5% by weight calculated to the total composition. It should be noted that the solubilizers preferred are nonionic and cationic surfactants.

[0041] Conditioner compositions of the present invention can contain additional cationic polymers as conditioning agents. Suitable polymers are those of cationc polymers best known with their CTFA category name Polyquaternium. Typical examples of those Polyquaternium 6, Polyquaternium 7, Polyquaternium 10, Polyquaternium 11, Polyquaternium 16, Polyquaternium 22, Polyquaternium 28 and Polyquaternium 37. It has been found out that especially those of cationic cellulose type polymers know as Polymer JR type from Amerchol such as Polyquaternium 10 or cationic guar gum known with trade name Jaguar from Rhône-Poulenc and chemically for example Guar hydroxypropyl trimonium chloride, are preferred ones. Furthermore, chitosan and chitin can also be included in the compositions as cationic natural polymers.

[0042] Typical concentration range for any of the conditioners mentioned above can be 0.01-5% by weight, preferably 0.01-3.5% by weight and more preferably 0.05-2% by weight calculated to the total composition.

[0043] The conditioner compositions may contain organic solvents, for example, as penetration enhancer such as ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, benzyl alcohol, benzyloxyethanol, alkylene carbonates such as ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate, phenoxyethanol, butanol, isobutanol, cyclohexane, cyclohexanol, hexyleneglycol, ethylene glycol, butylenes glycol, propylene glycol, benzyl glycol, ethylene glycol monoethylether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, 1-phenylethylalcohol, 2-phenylethylalcohol, o-methoxyphenol. Concentration of organic solvents in the conditioner composition can be in the range from 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 7.5% by weight, and more preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight calculated to the total composition. The organic solvents may at the same time serve to solubilize ingredients which are not readily soluble in the conditioner composition.

[0044] Conditioner compositions of the present invention can optionally contain non-ionic polymers such as hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropyldlellulose, xanthan gum, xyloglucan, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone or their derivatives.

[0045] Anionic polymers should not be used in the conditioner compositions of the present invention as incompatibilities arose with the main thickening cationic polymer and other cationic conditioners. Typical example of those should not be used is acrylate type of polymers know with the trade name Carbopol from Goodrich.

[0046] The conditioner compositions can have viscosity values between 1,000 mPa.s to 70,000 mPa.s, preferably 1,000 mPa.s to 50,000 mPa.s and more preferably 1,000 mPa.s to 40,000 mPa.s measured at 20° C. with Brookfield viscosimeter with, for example, Spindle 5 at 5 rpm. The viscosity values are read after 30 seconds from the start of the measurement. In the selection of the viscosity, special attention must be paid to the way of application and packaging to be used. It should be noted that the viscosity of the conditioners is less sensitive to temperature fluctuations. In other words, the viscosity changes observed with either decreasing or increasing temperatures is relatively small when compared to well known gel type of preparations thickened such as with hydroxyethylcellulose.

[0047] The pH of the conditioners of the present invention varies from 2 to 7, particularly 2 to 6 and more particularly 2.5 to 5.5. Moreover, the optimum conditioning properties observed with the compositions having pH at 4.0±0.5.

[0048] For adjusting the pH of the said conditioner compositions, following ingredients can be used: Organic acids such as citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, butyric acid and hydroxy butyric acids, valeric acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, mandelic acid, glycolic acid, glucuronic acid, propionic acid, salicylic acid or acetic acid or inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid. Concentration of the organic and/or inorganic acids or their mixtures should be adjusted in a way that conditioner composition so obtained has a pH value between 2 to 7. Typically concentration for acids can be 0.01-5% by weight, preferably 0.01-4% by weight, more preferably 0.05-2.5% by weight calculated to the total composition. The pH of the conditioner composition can also be adjusted to the required pH by using alkaline solution such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or their salts with those acids mentioned above in the case that at the selected acid concentration pH of the composition is lower than that of the aimed value.

[0049] The conditioner composition may contain active ingredients selected from moisturisers, sequestering agents, antidandruff agents, hair restructuring agents and natural ingredients showing conditioning benefits.

[0050] The moisturising agents are selected from panthenol, polyols, such as glycerol, polyethylene glycols with molecular weight 200 to 20,000. The moisturising ingredients can be included in the conditioner compositions at a concentration range of 0.01-2.5% by weight calculated to the total composition.

[0051] The sequestering agents are selected from polycarboxy acids. The preferred one is ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, EDTA. Typical useful concentration range for sequestering agents is of 0.01-2.5% by weight calculated to the total composition.

[0052] Antidandruff agent is preferably piroctone olamine (Octopirox). Other antidandruff agents such as climbazol can also be used as long as those are soluble in the conditioner compositions or can be solubilized with the aid of the solublizers mentioned above. Typical useful concentration range for sequestering agents is between 0.2-1% by weight calculated to the total composition.

[0053] Hair restructuring agents preferred are especially the ones disclosed in the German patent DE 197 51 550 C2.

[0054] One of the known hair restructuring agents is ceramide type of compound with the general formula

[0055] where R13 and R14 are independent from each other alkyl- or alkenyl group mit 10 to 22 carbon atoms, R15 is methyl, ethyl, n-propyl or isopropyl group and n is a number between 1 to 6, preferably 2 or 3.

[0056] Other preferred hair restructuring agents are fatty acids with 10 to 24 carbon atoms and especially with 16 to 24 carbon atoms.

[0057] Sterols,especially the phytosterols, are as well preferred hair restructuring agents as disclosed in the above mentioned german patent. Especially preferred ones are of plant origin for example ergosterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, fucosterol, brassicasterol, fungisterol, campesterol, zymosterol, ascosterol, cerevisterol, episterol, faecosterol, spinasterol. Among those phytosterols, the ones found in “Avocadin” which is the unsaponified fraction of the avocado oil is more preferred.

[0058] The concentration of ceramide in the conditioners of the present invention can be in the range of 0.01 to 2 and especially 0.01 to 1 % by weight calculated to the total weight of the composition. The fatty acids may be contained at a level of 0.01 to 2.5% and epecially 0.01 to 1% by weight calculated to the total weight of the composition. Phytosterol concentration of the conditioners is less than 1 % and preferably less than 0.5% by weight calculated to the total weight of the composition. It should be noted that the combination of those three ingredients are preferably used in combination in the composition of the present invention. Special attention has to be paid when formulating such compositions to the transparency of the compositions. This can be achieved by carefully adjusting the solubilizers concentration in the compositions.

[0059] Natural plant extracts showing hair conditioning and/or restructuring effects can be used in the conditioners. Those are preferably the extracts from almond, Aloe Vera, coconut, mango, peach, lemon, wheat, rosemary, apricot, algae, grapefruit, sandalwood, lime and orange. Those extracts used are the ones commercially available and generally include organic solvents such as propylene glycol, butylenes glycol, ethanol, isopropanol. The active matter in those extracts can vary largely, i.e. in the range of 1-30% by weight. Concentration of those as an extract depending on the compatibility with the other ingredients can be in the range of 0.1 to 5%, preferably 0.1 to 2% by weight calculated to the total composition.

[0060] The following examples are to illustrate the invention, but not limiting it.

EXAMPLE 1

[0061]

1

Ultragel 300
1.00

Merquat 550
2.00

Panthenol
0.50

Hydroxyethylcellulose
0.20

Glycerin
2.00

Cetrimonium chloride
1.00

Lactic acid
0.07

Fragrance
q.s.

Preservative
q.s.

Water
to 100

[0062] Conditioner is prepared by dissolving Ultragel 300 in water first and other ingredients are added one one by one to the gel solution. In the case of the solid ingredient it is preferable either alone or combined with others to prepare their solution first in a small portion of water. The conditioner thus obtained has a pH value of 4 and has a viscosity of 17,440 mPa.s measured with Brookfield viscosimeter at 20° C. with spindle 4 at 10 rpm. The conditioner so obtained is transparent.

[0063] For illustration of the insensitivity of the viscosity of the composition to the temperature fluctuations, viscosity of the above example is measured at various temperature. At the same time, a new composition is produced in which only hydroxyethylcellulose is used as thickener, so that one of the compositions produced is containing 1.2% hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC-1.2%). In order to illustrate that the viscosity is in the same range as in the inventive composition, the hydroxyethylcellulose concentration is increased to 1.7% by weight calculated to the total composition (HEC-1.7%) . The viscosity results are presented in Table I.

2TABLE IViscosity mPa · sTemperature ° C.Example 1HEC-1.2%HEC-1.7%5180406719187202017440372013500351638021607500501578012404760

[0064] All viscosity values are measured with Brookfiled viscosimeter at given temperature, with spindle 4 and at 10 rpm.

[0065] As obvious from the results in Table I, viscosity of the conditioners thickened with hydroxyethylcellulose is strongly dependent on temperature whereas the viscosity of the inventive composition thickened with Polyquaternium 37 (Ultragel 300) changes slightly.

[0066] In order to show the conditioning effect of the inventive composition in rinse off application, the composition of example 1 is tested against a composition of the following formula. In the comparative example, polyquaternium 37 is excluded, the concetration of Hydroxyethylcellulose is increased to 1.7% to thicken, and as a conditioner Merquat 550 concentration is increased to 14.5% raw material which corresponds to 1.16% by weight cationic conditioning ingredient.

EXAMPLE 2 (COMPARATIVE FORMULA, NOT INVENTIVE)

[0067]

3

Merquat 550
14.50

Panthenol
0.50

Hydroxyethylcellulose
1.70

Glycerin
2.00

Cetrimonium chloride
1.00

Lactic acid
0.07

Fragrance
q.s.

Preservative
q.s.

Water
to 100

[0068] Both compositions (inventive and comparative) are tested against each other in a half-head test on 10 women. For this purpose whole head of test person is washed with a Shine and Vitality shampoo (commercially available product under the brand name Goldwell Definition) and the equal amount from both conditioners are applied to each side and processed for 5 min. Subsequently rinsed off and towel dried and further dried with a dryer. In wet and dry stage sensory evaluations are made on the hair properties given in Table II.

4TABLE IISensory evaluationPreferedParameterExample 1Example 2no preferenceEasy combing721Smoothness622Roughness235Easy combing622Smoothness613Elasticity820Volume451Shine820

[0069] Similar results are obtained with the following inventive examples.

EXAMPLE 3

[0070]

5

Ultragel 300
1.20

Panthenol
0.50

Decyl polyglucoside
3.50

Ceramide of the formula
0.20

Palmitic acid
0.10

Avocadin
0.05

Benzyloxyethanol
2.00

Glycerin
2.00

Behentrimoniumchloride
2.00

Citric acid
q.s. to pH 4.5

Fragrance
q.s.

Preservative
q.s.

Water
to 100

[0071] Formulation is prepared as described for example 1 except ceramide and palmitic acid are first dissolved in decyl polyglucoside and than added to the rest of the composition. The composition so obtained is clear and has a viscosity around 19,500 mPa.s measured with Brookfield viscosimeter at 20° C. with spindle 4 at 10 rpm. The composition is especially suitable for damaged hair as restructurant, repair treatment.

EXAMPLE 4

[0072]

6

Ultragel 300
1.20

Panthenol
0.70

PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil
0.50

Aloe vera extract
1.00

Polyethylene glycol 200
1.00

Stearamidopropylamine
2.00

Citric acid
q.s. to pH 3.5

Fragrance
q.s.

Preservative
q.s.

Water
to 100

[0073] Formulation is prepared as described for example 1 The composition so obtained is clear and has a viscosity around 23,000 mPa.s measured with Brookfield viscosimeter at 20° C. with spindle 4 at 10 rpm. The composition is especially suitable for dry hair as a moisturising conditioner.

Hair conditioning composition

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