Sanitizing hand cleanser comprising an organic alcohol and silicone based materials

Abstract
The present development relates to a liquid cleansing product that effectively reduces the level of microbes on the skin in a relatively short wash time and which dries quickly without causing damage and drying to the skin. The sanitizing cleanser composition comprising an effective amount of organic alcohol to produce a reduction in microorganisms on the surface of the skin, and an additive to maintain the skin pH in the range of from about 4.0 to about 6.0. The cleanser composition may further include silicone to aid further the drying process, and emollients or oils for skin moisturizing.
Description




BACKGROUND




This invention relates to leave-on, topical antimicrobial compositions that do not require water for antimicrobial effectiveness when applied to the skin. Specifically, the antimicrobial compositions of the present invention use an organic alcohol based solution to provide an essentially immediate reduction of microorganisms on the skin, a silicone additive to aid in the drying process, and an emollient to leave the skin feeling moisturized.




It is well known that cleansing one's hands with soap and hot water is an effective means of reducing microorganisms on the skin surface. However, if the hands are not thoroughly dried, the trace water residue can harbor bacteria. While this may not pose a serious threat to the population at large, in a hospital setting where the population is more prone to infection, it is desirable to minimize any contamination risks.




In the past few years, research efforts have been directed toward formulating a liquid cleansing product that will effectively sanitize the skin without the use of water. Many of these liquid cleansing products incorporate relatively high concentrations or weight percentages of organic alcohols in the compositions. The alcohols allow the product to dry quickly, but also cause the skin to dehydrate to an unacceptable degree, irritating the skin and causing it to crack and chafe.




SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT




The present development relates to a liquid cleansing product that is not water-based. When used topically, the cleansing product effectively reduces the level of microbes on the skin in a relatively short wash time. Further, the cleansing product dries quickly without causing damage and drying to the skin with repeated use. As an added benefit, the cleansing product may provide a moisturizing benefit to the skin.




The present invention provides an antimicrobial sanitizing cleanser composition comprising an effective amount of organic alcohol to produce a reduction in microorganisms on the surface of the skin and an additive to maintain the skin pH in the range of from about 4.0 to about 6.0. Specifically, an effective amount of lactic acid, fumed silica, sodium lactate or a combination thereof can be added to balance the skin pH. The cleanser composition may further include silicone to aid further the drying process, and emollients or oils for skin moisturizing. The present invention also relates to methods for reducing the level of microorganisms on the skin using the leave-on antimicrobial compositions described herein.




DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




The present development is a composition for a sanitizing hand cleansing product. The product is organic alcohol based with additives to allow the skin to maintain a pH at from about 4.0 to about 6.0, thus reducing the bacteria count on the skin while maintaining the normal flora of the skin. The composition also includes a silicone component which aids in the drying process, and emollients which leave the skin feeling moisturized and refreshed. The antimicrobial compositions of the present invention are highly efficacious for reducing the number of microorganisms on the skin while also being moisturizing and protecting to the skin.




The sanitizing hand cleanser includes one or more organic alcohols to provide antimicrobial functionality, to assist in the drying process, and to serve as a solvent. Preferably, the alcohols are approved for use on human skin, such as ethanol, isopropanol, or a combination thereof. The organic alcohols are present in the formulation at a concentration of from about 60 wt. % to about 90 wt. %.




The hand cleanser also includes one or more additives to allow the skin to maintain a pH of from about 4.0 to about 6.0, such as fumed silica, lactic acid, sodium lactate or a combination thereof. In this pH range, the bacteria count on the skin is reduced while the normal flora of the skin is maintained, potentially providing additional antimicrobial benefits for the cleansing product. An effective amount of additive is included in the formulation to maintain the desired skin pH range, and the amount of additive may range from about 0 wt. % to about 12 wt. %, depending on the additive or combination of additives included in the formulation.




One or more silicone based materials are included in the hand cleanser formulation to further aid the drying process. The silicone based materials, such as cyclomethicone, trimethylsiloxy silicate or a combination thereof, are included in the formulation at a concentration of from about 5 wt. % to about 35 wt. %.




As is known in the art, humectants are added to assist in the retention of liquids within the product, and thickening agents are added to modify the product viscosity. In the present development, any humectant or thickener which does not significantly alter the ability of the formulation to maintain the skin at the desired pH can be used, with the humectant included at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % and the thickener included at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 6.5 wt. %. The thickener may be a cellulose-based material, fumed silica, or a combination thereof, such as methyl cellulose added at concentrations of about 0 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % used in combination with fumed silica added at concentrations of about 0 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. %.




Optionally, emollients and aesthetic additives, such as fragrance and/or colorants may also be added to the sanitizing hand cleanser formulation. Emollients or moisturizing agents, fragrance and colorants are added as necessary and at concentrations for consumer acceptance. For example, the formulation may include from about 0 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % fragrance, dye or a combination thereof. The formulation may also include from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of additional emollients, such as, tea tree oil, hemp oil, aloe-based oil, lanolin, jojoba, chamomile, floral oils, herbal materials or a combination thereof are added to the cleansing product to further aid skin moisturization.




The product is prepared by combining the alcohols, the silicone-based materials, the humectants, and the lactic acid or sodium lactate at ambient temperature in a batch mixing vessel and mixing until well blended. Then a portion of the alcohol mixture is removed to a separate mixing vessel and the thickening agents are added, with mixing, until the mixture thickens slightly. Optionally, the fumed silica is then added to the thickening agent mixture to cause the mixture to thicken further. The thickening agent mixture is then combined with the remaining alcohol mixture while maintaining continuous mixing. The resulting product should have a viscosity that allows the product to be dispensed through a hand-pump, such as is commonly used on liquid soap dispensing bottles. For example, the viscosity could range from about 100 centipoise (cp) to about 100,000 cp at about 25° C. The fragrance may be added at any time that allows for good mixing, such as with the organic alcohol.




The following examples are representative of the hand cleansers which can be prepared in accordance with the present invention. The antimicrobial performance data of some of the cleansers are also included. The cleanser formulations presented are intended for example purposes only and are not intended to be limiting in scope.











EXAMPLE 1




A sanitizing hand cleanser is prepared which includes about 70 wt. % anhydrous ethanol (3% isopropyl alcohol), about 18.6 wt. % Dow Corning® 345 Fluid (cyclomethicone), about 4.5 wt. % isopropyl myristate, about 1.5 wt. % lactic acid, about 1.5 wt. % sodium lactate (40% active), about 1.3 wt. % Dow Corning® 749 (cyclomethicone and trimethylsiloxysilicate product), about 0.6 wt. % Dow Methocel® OS (methylated cellulose), and about 2.0 wt. % Cabosil M5 fumed silica, commercially available from Cabot Corporation. The product is prepared by mixing the anhydrous ethanol, the 345 Fluid, the isopropyl myristate, the lactic acid, the sodium lactate, and the Dow Corning 749 at ambient temperature in a batch mix tank fitted with at least one agitator or mixing blade until the alcohol mixture is well mixed. Then about 30% of the alcohol mixture is removed to a separate mixing vessel fitted with mixing blades and the Methocel® is added, with mixing, until the mixture thickens slightly. The fumed silica is then added to the Methocel® mixture to cause the mixture to thicken further. The fumed silica/Methocel® mixture is then combined with the remaining alcohol mixture, with continuous mixing, until the fumed silica mixture is completely dissolved in the alcohol mixture. The resulting product has a pH of about 4.5 and has a viscosity of about 350 cp at about 25° C.




EXAMPLE 2




A sanitizing hand cleanser is prepared which includes about 77.6 wt. % anhydrous ethanol (3% isopropyl alcohol), about 15.5 wt. % Dow Corning® 345 Fluid (cyclomethicone), about 1.5 wt. % isopropyl myristate, about 3.6 wt. % sodium lactate (40% active), about 1.0 wt. % Dow Corning® 749 (cyclomethicone and trimethylsiloxysilicate product), about 0.5 wt. % Dow Methocel® OS, and about 0.3 wt. % fragrance. The product is prepared by mixing the anhydrous ethanol, the 345 Fluid, the isopropyl myristate, the sodium lactate, the Dow Corning 749 and the fragrance at ambient temperature in a batch mix tank fitted with at least one agitator or mixing blade until the alcohol mixture is well mixed. Then about 30% of the alcohol mixture is removed to a separate mixing vessel fitted with mixing blades and the Methocel® is added, with mixing, until the mixture thickens slightly. The Methocel® mixture is then combined with the remaining alcohol mixture, with continuous mixing, until the Methocel® mixture is completely dissolved in the alcohol mixture. The resulting product has a pH of about 4.3 and has a viscosity of about 340 cp at about 25° C.




EXAMPLE 3




A sanitizing hand cleanser is prepared which is identical to the product of Example 2 except that about 1.5 wt. % of tea tree oil is substituted for about 1.5 wt. % anhydrous ethanol (3% isopropyl alcohol). The product is prepared as in Example 2 with the tea tree oil added in the alcohol mixture. The resulting product has a pH of about 4.4 and has a viscosity of about 360 cp at about 25° C.




EXAMPLE 4




A sanitizing hand cleanser is prepared which is identical to the product of Example 2 except that about 1.8 wt. % of hemp oil is substituted for about 1.8 wt. % anhydrous ethanol (3% isopropyl alcohol). The product is prepared as in Example 2 with the hemp oil added in the alcohol mixture. The resulting product has a pH of about 4.3 and has a viscosity of about 350 cp at about 25° C.




EXAMPLE 5




A sanitizing hand cleanser is prepared which is identical to the product of Example 2 except that about 1.0 wt. % of tea tree oil and about 0.5 wt. % of hemp oil is substituted for about 1.5 wt. % anhydrous ethanol (3% isopropyl alcohol). The product is prepared as in Example 2 with the tea tree oil and hemp oil added in the alcohol mixture. The resulting product has a pH of about 4.3 and has a viscosity of about 365 cp at about 25° C.




Antimicrobial Performance Studies:




Antibacterial efficacy of the hand sanitizing cleansers can be evaluated by a variety of known procedures. For example, a minimum inhibitory concentration study may be used to determine the lowest concentration of the cleanser that inhibits growth of a microorganism or a rapid germicidal study may be used to measure the ability of the cleanser to rapidly reduce a known population of microorganisms. Such studies can be conducted using commonly available bacteria and fungi as are listed in Table I.












TABLE I











Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Study














Organism




ATCC




Organism




ATCC



















Aspergillus niger






6275






Bacillus cereus






11778








Streptococcus






6303






Staphylococcus epidermidis






12228








pneumoniae










Staphylococcus aureus






6538






Listeria monocytogenes






15313








Salmonella typhi






6539






Haemophilus influenzae






19418








Proteus mirabilis






7002






Candida parapsilosis






22019








Pseudomonas aeruginosa






9027






Campylobacter jejuni






33560








Candida albicans






10231






Staphylococcus aureus






33592








(MRSA)








Escherichia coli






11229






Escherichia coli


0157:H7




43895








Klebsiella pneumonia






11296






Enterococcus faecium






51559






(sub. species


ozaenae


)





(VRE)














The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the lowest concentration of an antimicrobial agent that inhibits growth of a microorganism. Serial dilutions of the antimicrobial test material are made in broth or agar and then a standardized concentration of the organism is plated onto the agar containing the diluted test material. A variety of organisms are tested against the article to determine the greatest dilution of the article possible while still maintaining antimicrobial efficacy.




Specifically, the product of Example 2 (“Product 2”) is tested for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) following a procedure wherein a 1:2 dilution of a test material, by weight, is prepared in Mueller-Hinton Broth or a Brain Heart Infusion Broth. A 200 μL aliquot of the dilution is added to the first well in a row of a microtiter plate. Dilutions of the product are then made starting from the first well with the wells containing dilutions of 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 1:10, 1:20, 1:50, 1:80, 1:100, 1:150 and 1:200 of the test material. Bacterial and media control wells are also included.




The bacterial organism of interest is scraped from a culture plate and resuspended in phosphate buffered saline solution to an approximate density of 1.0×10


5


cells. An inoculum of approximately 5×10


4


CFU (colony forming units) of each test organism is added to the test wells in a row of the plate and mixed. The plate is incubated at a temperature of 37±2° C. for about 23 hours. Table H summarizes the microbial growth in the test wells in terms of showing growth (+) or showing no growth (0). The MIC is considered to be the lowest dilution in which bacterial growth is completely inhibited in duplicate trials.















TABLE II











Organism





Test Material Well Dilutions




Controls
























ATCC




Rep.




1:2




1:4




1:8




1:10




1:20




1:50




1:80




1:100




1:150




1:200




Bacterial




Media









 6303




1




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 6303




2




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 6538




1




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 6538




2




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 6539




1




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 6539




2




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 7002




1




0




0




+




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 7002




2




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 9027




1




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






 9027




2




0




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






10231


a






1




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






10231


a






2




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






11229




1




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






11229




2




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






11296




1




0




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






11296




2




0




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






11778


b






1




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






11778


b






2




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






12228




1




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






12228




2




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






15313




1




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






15313




2




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






19418




1




0




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






19418




2




0




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






33560


c






1




0




0




+




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






33560


c






2




0




0




+




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






33592




1




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






33592




2




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






43895




1




0




0




+




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






43895




2




0




0




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






51559




1




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0






51559




2




0




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




+




0













a


Incubation temperature 25 ± 2° C. rather than 37 ± 2° C.












b


Incubation temperature 30 ± 2° C. rather than 37 ± 2° C.












c


Incubation time of about 25.50 hours at incubation temperature of 42 ± 2° C. with a 5% CO


2


atmosphere













Rapid Germicidal Studies




The rapid germicidal studies are used to measure the ability of an antibacterial agent to rapidly reduce a known population of microorganisms. An aliquot of the antibacterial test material is contacted with a known concentration of test bacteria or fungi for a predetermined period of time. The test material is then neutralized, the concentration of the surviving microorganisms is determined, and the efficacy of the antibacterial agent is calculated based on the percentage of microorganisms that did not survive the expose to the antibacterial agent.




For example, the product of Example 2 (“Product 2”) is evaluated for rapid germicidal activity using a protocol wherein a 5 mL aliquot of undiluted Product 2 is placed in a sterile glass jar at 25±1° C. and a 0.5 mL sample of a selected microorganism broth culture yielding an approximate microorganism dilution of about 108 CFU/mL is mixed into the antibacterial material aliquot. After waiting a prescribed time (“exposure time”), 45 mL of a neutralizer solution is added to the glass jar and stirred for 60 seconds. A 1 mL aliquot is removed from the jar—having a microorganism dilution of about 10


−1


- and 10-fold serial dilutions are made to reach a dilution of about 10


−6


. The dilutions are plated in duplicate using a Pour Plate Technique. The plates are inverted and incubated at 35±2° C. for 48±2 hours. Following incubation, the colony forming units per mL (CFU/mL) for surviving organisms are counted and compared to the starting populations. Control samples are included for each organism and exposure time following essentially the same procedure except that the Product 2 is not added in the initial step of the procedure. Table III lists microorganisms for use in the Rapid Germicidal Study, the number of colony forming units per mL for the controls and the test samples (reported in replicate), and the efficacy of the Product 2 as determined by percent reduction in organism count and the log


10


reduction.

















TABLE III











Organ-




Expo-










ism




sure




Count for




Count for Test Sample




%




Log


10



















ATCC




Time




Control




Rep 1




Rep 2




Reduc-




Reduc-






#




(sec)




(CFU/mL)




(CFU/mL)




(CFU/mL)




tion




tion




















06275




15




2.0 × 10


7






  3.2 × 10


3






  3.4 × 10


3






99.98




3.78






06275




30




1.7 × 10


7






  1.4 × 10


3






  2.3 × 10


4






99.93




3.15






06275




60




1.4 × 10


7






  1.8 × 10


4






  5.5 × 10


3






99.91




3.07






06303




15




9.7 × 10


6






  6.0 × 10


1






  3.3 × 10


3






99.98




3.76






06303




30




1.4 × 10


7






  6.1 × 10


2






  1.1 × 10


2






>99.99




>4.59






06303




60




9.9 × 10


6






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.00






06538




15




3.4 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.53






06538




30




3.1 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.49






06538




60




3.4 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.53






06538




15




6.0 × 10


7






  5.0 × 10


4






  8.4 × 10


3






99.95




3.23






06538




30




3.7 × 10


7






  1.6 × 10


4






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.98




>3.67






06538




60




4.6 × 10


7






  1.2 × 10


2






  5.0 × 10


1






>99.99




5.73






06539




15




1.9 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.28






06539




30




1.6 × 10


7






  6.0 × 10


3






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.98




>3.72






06539




60




2.3 × 10


7






  3.5 × 10


3






  2.7 × 10


2






99.99




4.08






07002




15




2.0 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






  1.4 × 10


3






>99.99




>4.46






07002




30




2.6 × 10


7






  1.1 × 10


4






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.98




>3.67






07002




60




2.3 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.36






09027




15




2.0 × 10


7






2.9 × 10


2






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>5.12






09027




30




1.4 × 10


8






  2.4 × 10


5






<1.0 × 10


1






99.91




3.07






09027




60




1.3 × 10


8






<1.0 × 10


1






  2.8 × 10


4






>99.99




>3.96






09027




15




1.3 × 10


8






  7.0 × 10


4






  2.3 × 10


4






99.97




3.45






09027




30




2.0 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.30






09027




60




2.8 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






  1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.45






10231




15




1.0 × 10


6






  1.5 × 10


4






  1.4 × 10


3






99.18




2.09






10231




30




1.0 × 10


6






  8.6 × 10


2






  1.5 × 10


1






99.96




3.36






10231




60




9.8 × 10


5






  1.2 × 10


2






  3.4 × 10


3






99.82




2.73






10231




15




1.1 × 10


6






  7.5 × 10


1






  1.3 × 10


3






99.94




3.20






10231




30




9.8 × 10


5






  1.8 × 10


4






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.08




>2.04






10231




60




8.8 × 10


5






  2.8 × 10


2






  1.2 × 10


2






99.98




3.64






11229




15




4.0 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.60






11229




30




2.8 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.45






11229




60




3.6 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.56






11296




15




2.4 × 10


7






  2.0 × 10


3






  1.6 × 10


3






99.99




4.12






11296




30




2.0 × 10


7






  1.1 × 10


3






  6.5 × 10


1






99.99




4.54






11296




60




2.1 × 10


7






  3.8 × 10


3






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>4.04






11778




15




8.2 × 10


5






  1.8 × 10


3






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.89




>2.96






11778




30




8.2 × 10


5






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>4.91






11778




60




8.6 × 10


5






  2.6 × 10


3






  1.0 × 10


1






99.85




2.82






12228




15




1.4 × 10


7






  9.6 × 10


3






  8.4 × 10


4






99.66




2.48






12228




30




1.2 × 10


7






  1.5 × 10


3






  5.0 × 10


4






99.78




2.66






12228




60




1.4 × 10


7






  1.5 × 10


1






  7.2 × 10


3






99.97




3.59






15313




15




4.3 × 10


7






  3.0 × 10


5






  1.8 × 10


5






99.44




2.25






15313




30




4.7 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






  6.9 × 10


3






>99.99




>4.14






15313




60




4.8 × 10


7






  3.4 × 10


4






  1.7 × 10


5






99.79




2.68






19418




15




1.7 × 10


7






  3.5 × 10


2






  4.7 × 10


3






99.99




3.85






19418




30




1.5 × 10


7






  1.2 × 10


4






  5.0 × 10


4






99.79




2.69






19418




60




1.6 × 10


7






  1.0 × 10


3






  9.8 × 10


3






99.97




3.47






22019




15




9.0 × 10


5






  1.0 × 10


3






  6.0 × 10


3






99.61




2.41






22019




30




9.5 × 10


5






  6.2 × 10


2






  5.4 × 10


2






99.94




3.22






22019




60




1.6 × 10


6






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>5.20






33592




15




1.4 × 10


7






  7.4 × 10


4






  2.6 × 10


5






98.78




1.92






33592




30




1.1 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






  2.2 × 10


3






>99.99




>4.00






33592




60




1.4 × 10


7






  1.6 × 10


3






  1.8 × 10


3






99.99




3.92






33650




15




5.6 × 10


6






  6.0 × 10


2






  1.8 × 10


3






99.98




3.67






33650




30




4.9 × 10


6






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>5.69






33650




60




6.2 × 10


6






  3.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>5.19






43895




15




4.2 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.62






43895




30




4.8 × 10


7






  5.3 × 10


3






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>4.27






43895




60




3.0 × 10


7






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.48






51559




15




4.0 × 10


7






  4.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.02






51559




30




4.6 × 10


5






<1.0 × 10


1






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>6.66






51559




60




8.8 × 10


5






  4.0 × 10


3






<1.0 × 10


1






>99.99




>4.30














From a reading of the above, one with ordinary skill in the art should be able to devise variations to the inventive features. For example, other additives may be included in the formulation to increase consumer acceptance, such as dyes, colorants, skin-softening agents, skin-protecting agents, such as sunscreening materials, and other silicone or non-silicone compounds or solvents that may modify the drying characteristics of organic alcohols or change the tactile feel and dryness caused by high alcohol containing systems. These and other variations are believed to fall within the spirit and scope of the attached claims.



Claims
  • 1. A sanitizing hand cleanser comprising:from about 60 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of one or more organic alcohols; from about 15.5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of one or more silicone based materials; from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of one or more humectants; from about 0 wt. % to about 12 wt. % of one or more skin pH-maintaining additive; and one or more thickening agents added at a concentration so as to produce a product with a viscosity in the range of 100 cp to 100,000 cp at about 25° C.
  • 2. The hand cleanser of claim 1 wherein said organic alcohol is selected from anhydrous ethanol, isopropyl alcohol or a combination thereof.
  • 3. The hand cleanser of claim 1 wherein said pH-maintaining additives allow the skin to maintain a pH of from about 4.0 to about 6.0.
  • 4. The hand cleanser of claim 3 wherein said pH-maintaining additives are selected from the group consisting of fumed silica, lactic acid, sodium lactate or a combination thereof.
  • 5. The hand cleanser of claim 3 wherein said pH-maintaining additive is fumed silica.
  • 6. The hand cleanser of claim 5 wherein said fumed silica is added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. %.
  • 7. The hand cleanser of claim 3 wherein said pH-maintaining additive is lactic acid.
  • 8. The hand cleanser of claim 7 wherein said lactic acid is added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. %.
  • 9. The hand cleanser of claim 6 further including lactic acid added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. %.
  • 10. The hand cleanser of claim 3 wherein said pH-maintaining additive is sodium lactate.
  • 11. The hand cleanser of claim 10 wherein said sodium lactate is added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 2.0 wt. %.
  • 12. The hand cleanser of claim 1 wherein said silicone based material is cyclomethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate or a combination thereof.
  • 13. The hand cleanser of claim 1 wherein said humectant is isopropyl myristate.
  • 14. The hand cleanser of claim 1 wherein said thickening agent is a cellulose based thickener.
  • 15. The hand cleanser of claim 14 wherein said thickening agent is methyl cellulose.
  • 16. The hand cleanser of claim 1 wherein said thickening agent is fumed silica.
  • 17. The hand cleanser of claim 16 wherein said fumed silica is present at concentrations of from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. %.
  • 18. The hand cleanser of claim 1 further including a fragrance.
  • 19. The hand cleanser of claim 18 wherein said fragrance is added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. %.
  • 20. The hand cleanser of claim 1 further including a colorant.
  • 21. The hand cleanser of claim 1 further including one or more emollients.
  • 22. The hand cleanser of claim 21 wherein said emollients are added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. %.
  • 23. The hand cleanser of claim 22 wherein said emollients are selected from the group consisting of tea tree oil, hemp oil, aloe-based oil or a combination thereof.
  • 24. The hand cleanser of claim 1 wherein said viscosity is in the range of from about 250 cp to about 450 cp at about 25° C.
  • 25. A sanitizing hand cleanser comprising:a) an alcohol mixture, prepared by mixing from about 60 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of one or more organic alcohols with from about 15.5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of one or more silicone based materials and with from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % isopropyl myristate and with about from about 0 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. % lactic acid and with from about 0 wt. % to about 2.0 wt. % sodium lactate at ambient temperature until well blended; and b) a thickening mixture, prepared by removing a portion of said alcohol mixture to a separate mixing vessel and adding from about 0 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % methyl cellulose while maintaining continuous mixing, wherein said thickening mixture is combined with said alcohol mixture at ambient temperature and with continuous mixing until reaching a product viscosity of from about 250 cp to about 450 cp at about 25° C.
  • 26. The hand cleanser of claim 25 wherein said organic alcohol is selected from anhydrous ethanol, isopropyl alcohol or a combination thereof.
  • 27. The hand cleanser of claim 25 wherein said silicone based material is cyclomethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate or a combination thereof.
  • 28. The hand cleanser of claim 25 further including from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % fumed silica added to said thickening mixture.
  • 29. The hand cleanser of claim 25 further including a fragrance added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % to said alcohol mixture.
  • 30. The hand cleanser of claim 25 further including from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of one or more emollients selected from the group consisting of tea tree oil, hemp oil, aloe-based oil or a combination thereof, said emollients being added to said alcohol mixture.
  • 31. A method of making a sanitizing hand cleanser comprising:a) mixing from about 60 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of one or more organic alcohols with from about 15.5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of one or more silicone based materials and with from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % isopropyl myristate and with about from about 0 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. % lactic acid and with from about 0 wt. % to about 2.0 wt. % sodium lactate at ambient temperature until well blended; b) adding from about 0 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % methyl cellulose to a portion of said mixture formed in step a) and mixing until well blended; and c) adding said methyl cellulose mixture to said mixture formed in step a) at ambient temperature and with continuous mixing until reaching a product viscosity of from about 250 cp to about 450 cp at about 25° C.
  • 32. The hand cleanser of claim 31 wherein said organic alcohol is selected from anhydrous ethanol, isopropyl alcohol or a combination thereof.
  • 33. The hand cleanser of claim 31 wherein said silicone based material is cyclomethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate or a combination thereof.
  • 34. The hand cleanser of claim 31 further including from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % fumed silica added to said thickening mixture.
  • 35. The hand cleanser of claim 31 further including a fragrance added at a concentration of from about 0 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % to said alcohol mixture.
  • 36. The hand cleanser of claim 31 further including from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of one or more emollients selected from the group consisting of tea tree oil, hemp oil, aloe-based oil or a combination thereof, said emollients being added to said alcohol mixture.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/241,900, filed on Oct. 20, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference.

US Referenced Citations (12)
Number Name Date Kind
5629006 Hoang et al. May 1997 A
5861415 Majeed et al. Jan 1999 A
5925376 Heng Jul 1999 A
5942478 Lopes Aug 1999 A
5951993 Scholz et al. Sep 1999 A
6063381 Staggs May 2000 A
6183766 Sine et al. Feb 2001 B1
6210695 Beerse et al. Apr 2001 B1
6217887 Beerse et al. Apr 2001 B1
6238682 Klofta et al. May 2001 B1
6248343 Jampani et al. Jun 2001 B1
6265363 Viscovitz Jul 2001 B1
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/241900 Oct 2000 US