Stable Soap Based Cleansing System

Abstract

Disclosed is a liquid soap composition which comprises: (a) from about 1 to about 50 wt. % of a fatty acid salt;(b) from about 0.1 to about 10 wt. % of a crosslinked alkali-swellable acrylic emulsion polymer; and(c) from about 0.1 to about 20 wt. % of an acidifying agent. The liquid soap composition exhibits good stability at elevated storage temperatures.

Description

Claims

1. A liquid soap composition comprising: A) at least one fatty acid salt;B) at least one crosslinked acrylic emulsion polymer polymerized from a monomer composition comprising: i) one or more unsaturated carboxylic acid containing monomers and salts thereof having a total of from about 3 to about 10 carbon atoms;ii) one or more vinyl monomers selected from the formulae: a) CH2═CXY wherein X is H and Y is —COOR, —C6H4R′, —CN, —CONH2, —Cl, —NC4H6O, —NH(CH2)3COOH, —NHCOCH3, —CONHC(CH3)3, —CO—N(CH3)2,or X is CH3 and Y is —COOR, —C6H4R′, —CN or —CH═CH2,or X is Cl and Y is Cl, andR is C1-C18 alkyl, or hydroxy C2-C18 alkyl,R′ is H or C1-C18 alkyl;b) CH2═CHOC(O)R1 wherein R1 is C1-C18alkyl; andc) CH2═CH2 or CH2═CHCH3; andiii) one or more polyunsaturated monomers;C) an acidifying agent;D) an optional surfactant selected from an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant, and mixtures thereof.

2. A liquid soap composition of claim 1 wherein said fatty acid salt is selected from the alkali metal and/or ethanolamine salt of a C8 to C22 fatty acid.

3. A liquid soap composition of claim 2 wherein said fatty acid salt is derived from saponified animal fat, saponified vegetable oil, and mixtures thereof.

4. A liquid soap composition of claim 2 wherein said fatty acid salt is derived from a base neutralized fatty acid.

5. A liquid soap composition of claim 1 wherein said unsaturated carboxylic acid containing monomer is selected (meth)acrylic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, crotonic acid, maleic acid, aconitic acid, half esters of polyacids with C1 to C4 alkanols, and mixtures thereof.

6. A liquid soap composition of claim 1 wherein said crosslinked acrylic emulsion polymer is polymerized from (meth)acrylic acid and a C1 to C5 alkyl (meth)acrylate.

7. A liquid soap composition of claim 1 wherein said acidifying agent is selected from an organic acid, an inorganic acid, and mixtures thereof.

8. A liquid soap composition of 7 wherein said acidifying agent is selected from citric acid, acetic acid, alpha-hydroxy acid, beta-hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, natural fruit acids, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfamic acid, phosphoric acid, and combinations thereof.

9. A liquid soap composition of claim 1 further comprising an optional component selected from one or more of a pH adjusting agent, a preservative, a viscosity adjusting agent, a skin conditioner, an antibacterial agent, an antioxidant, a fragrance, a colorant, a chelating agent, a humectant, an emollient, an insoluble material, a pearlescent material, a diluent, and combinations thereof.

10. A liquid soap composition of claim 8 wherein said composition comprises: A) from about 1 to about 50 wt. % of at least one fatty acid salt;B) from about 0.1 to about 10 wt. % of a crosslinked acrylic emulsion polymer;C) from about 0.1 to about 20 wt. % of an acidifying agent;D) a surfactant wherein the wt. ratio of said fatty acid salt to said surfactant ranges from about 1:39 to about 39:1.E) from about 1 to about 20 wt. % of an optional humectant; andF) from about 1 to about 15 wt. % of an optional emollient.

11. A method for making a stable liquid soap composition comprising: A) providing a fatty acid soap composition comprising at least one C8 to C22 fatty acid salt;B) optionally increasing the pH of the fatty acid soap by adding a suitable base;C) combining the fatty acid soap composition obtained in (A) or (B) with a crosslinked acrylic emulsion polymer; and(D) reducing the pH of the composition obtained in (C) by at least 0.5 to 7 pH units below by the addition of an acidifying agent.

12. A method of claim 1 wherein said crosslinked acrylic emulsion polymer polymerized from a monomer composition comprising: i) one or more unsaturated carboxylic acid containing monomers and salts thereof having a total of from about 3 to about 10 carbon atoms;ii) one or more vinyl monomers selected from the formulae: a) CH2═CXY wherein X is H and Y is —COOR, —C6H4R′, —CN, —CONH2, —Cl, —NC4H6O, —NH(CH2)3COOH, —NHCOCH3, —CONHC(CH3)3, —CO—N(CH3)2,or X is CH3 and Y is —COOR, —C6H4R′, —CN or —CH═CH2,or X is Cl and Y is Cl, andR is C1-C18 alkyl, or hydroxy C2-C18 alkyl,R′ is H or C1-C18 alkyl;b) CH2═CHOC(O)R1 wherein R1 is C1-C18 alkyl; andc) CH2═CH2 or CH2═CHCH3; andiii) one or more polyunsaturated monomers.

13. A method of claim 11 wherein said unsaturated carboxylic acid containing monomer is selected (meth)acrylic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, crotonic acid, maleic acid, aconitic acid, half esters of polyacids with C1 to C4 alkanols, and mixtures thereof.

14. A method of claim 12 wherein said crosslinked acrylic emulsion polymer is polymerized from (meth)acrylic acid and a C1 to C5 alkyl (meth)acrylate.

15. A method claim 11 wherein said acidifying agent is selected from an organic acid, an inorganic acid, and mixtures thereof.

16. A method of 11 wherein said acidifying agent is selected from citric acid, acetic acid, alpha-hydroxy acid, beta-hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, natural fruit acids, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfamic acid, phosphoric acid, and combinations thereof.