AU2013100581A4 - Skin care composition - Google Patents

Abstract

-21 The present invention provides a skin care composition, comprising an oil substance and a wax, wherein the oil substance and the wax comprise fatty acids. An emulsifier and water are also included in a sufficient quantity such that the resultant 5 emulsified composition has a creamy or pasty consistency. The composition is formulated such that the fatty acid profile of the composition is predominately saturated. The invention also relates to a method of treating a mammal, the method comprising the step of applying the skin care composition of the invention to the mammal for a predetermined period of time.

Description

- 1 SKIN CARE COMPOSITION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to cosmetic applications, and in particular to skin care compositions which are more stable than some existing conventionally-formulated 5 skin care products. The invention has been developed primarily for use as a skin care composition and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10 The following discussion of the prior art is provided to place the invention in an appropriate technical context and enable the advantages of it to be more fully understood. It should be appreciated, however, that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should not be considered as an express or implied admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the 15 field. It is well known in the prior art to make use of oily substances such as tallow to massage and moisten the skin and to form a protective barrier. Very often, such oily substances have been blended with herbs or their extracts to produce a therapeutic composition with a view to support and/or cure injured skin. In fact, people from all 20 around the world and in all cultures made use of such natural resources that are available in their respective regions. For instance, people in Africa have been using shea butter (fat obtained from the seeds of the shea tree) and coconut butter for the manufacture of soaps and other skincare products. On the other hand, owing to the climatic conditions, people in Europe depended more on fat obtained from animal sources like lard and 25 tallow for these purposes. It is also known to emulsify the oily substance to provide -2 different textures to the composition, such as a thin or watery texture, to a creamy or even pasty texture. Tallow is basically a type of white coloured or off-white hard fat obtained from animals like sheep and cattle. This hard animal fat is separated by melting it from the 5 fibrous and membranous substance that is found naturally with it. At first, tallow is heated up to 45'C to 50'C to melt the hard fat and then the molten fat is filtered to remove the fibrous and membranous substances. The chemical composition of tallow is typically around 50% oleic acid (monounsaturated), while the remaining amount comprises mainly palmitic and stearic acid (both saturated fatty acids) with a minor 10 amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Tallow is available in a range of grades that are used for different purposes. The top grade is 'edible', which is generally used for human consumption. The next grade is 'prime', some of which can be further processed to meet the 'edible' criteria, and 'inedible' is used in soaps and for fractionation processes, i.e. separating out stearic acid which is used in the manufacture of foods, cosmetics, 15 candles, soaps and industrially to prevent metal oxidation. Generally, only the lower grades of tallow would be processed for use in cosmetics. Grass-fed edible-grade suet based tallow is considered the best quality. It has been found that some prior art therapeutic or cosmetic compositions based on oily substances, such as tallow, are unstable over time and can be irritating to the skin 20 when used for extended periods, especially for those with sensitive skin. It has also been found that such prior art compositions can be sticky to the touch and often leave a residue. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative. 25 -3 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a skin care composition comprising: an oil substance comprising fatty acids; 5 a wax; an emulsifier and water, both in a sufficient quantity such that the resultant emulsified composition has a creamy or pasty consistency, wherein the composition is formulated such that the fatty acid content of said composition is predominately saturated fatty acids. 10 Preferably the skin care composition is a topical cream. Preferably the wax comprises fatty acids. Preferably the emulsifier comprises fatty acids. In the description which follows, the content of each component of the composition is expressed in wt% of the composition exclusive of water. All percentages are wt% unless expressed otherwise. 15 Prior art therapeutic or cosmetic compositions which are based on fatty acids as the oily and/or waxy substance comprise a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Depending on the source of the fatty acids, there is usually varying ratios of each fatty acid type. However, generally speaking, whatever the source the majority of the fatty acid content comprises a mixture of monounsaturated and 20 saturated fatty acids, with the minor component being polyunsaturated fatty acids. By way of example, tallow has the following typical fatty acid composition/profile: * Saturated fatty acids: (43%) - palmitic acid: 26%; stearic acid: 14%; myristic acid: 3% * Monounsaturated fatty acids: (50%) - oleic acid: 47%; palmitoleic acid: 3% 25 e Polyunsaturated fatty acids: (4%) - linoleic acid: 3%; linolenic acid: 1% -4 It has been surprisingly found that if a skin care composition is formulated such that the majority of the fatty acid content is chosen to be of the saturated fatty acid type, then the composition is more stable over time and is less irritating to the skin, especially when used for extended periods and for those with sensitive skin. It has also been 5 surprisingly found that the compositions of the invention are less sticky to the touch and leave minimal residue after application when formulated to be predominately comprised of saturated fatty acids. It has further been found that even a relatively small percentage increase in the overall saturated fatty acid content provides a disproportionately large improvement in the composition, for example in terms of stability and reduction in skin 10 irritability. In order to provide a composition which is predominately saturated fatty acids, the preferred oil substance is tallow which is sourced from fresh grass-fed beef suet, and in one embodiment has the following fatty acid profile: * Saturated: 52.1 % 15 e Monounsaturated: 40.1 % * Polyunsaturated: 2.8 % It will be appreciated that the saturated fatty acid content in fresh grass-fed beef suet can range from 50 to 55%, and in some cases the saturated fatty acid content in fresh grass fed beef suet can be as high as 60, 65, 70, 75 or 80%. It is also possible to control the 20 animal's diet to influence the overall fatty acid profile. Pure fractionated tallow, e.g. stearic acid, can be used to adjust the overall proportion of saturated fatty acid as required. The present invention is therefore a skin care composition based on fatty acids and wherein the fatty acid content is predominately saturated. Preferably the -5 composition is formulated such that the total fatty acid content in the composition is greater than 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 99 wt% saturated. In one embodiment, the compositions of the invention can be formulated as described in the prior art and a sufficient quantity of an additional saturated fatty acid 5 included such that the fatty acid content of the overall composition is predominately saturated. In an alternative embodiment, the compositions of the invention can be formulated such that only ingredients are chosen which naturally have a relatively high saturated fatty acid content, and such that the fatty acid content of the overall composition is predominately saturated. 10 The preferred tallow of the invention incorporates very little poly-unsaturated fatty acids. It has been found that the poly-unsaturated fatty acid content is the least stable of the fatty acids, and potentially the one with the most potential to cause allergic reactions and rancidity issues. Prior art skincare applications using vegetable oils will have a significant proportion of poly-unsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty 15 acids. In preferred embodiments the composition of the invention comprises a maximum poly-unsaturated fatty acid content of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wt%. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is contemplated that the use of predominantly fully saturated fatty acids, preferably with minimal polyunsaturated fatty acid content, provides a very 'unreactive' composition, which makes the compositions 20 of the invention less prone to be reactive/allergenic on the skin, and more resistant to oxidation and rancidity, and therefore requiring less preservatives to achieve an acceptable shelf life. The compositions of the invention provide long lasting moisturising properties, without being sticky or leaving residue, and can be formulated as a sunscreen, nappy cream, hair treatment or conditioner, or deodorant. In other 25 embodiments, the compositions of the invention are formulated to be a soothing -6 insecticidal cream for animals or a natural insect repellent cream for humans or animals. In yet other embodiments, the compositions of the invention are formulated to treat rain scald, greasy heal, and general insect-mediated inflammation. According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of treating 5 a mammal, comprising the step of applying the composition according to the first aspect to said mammal for a predetermined period of time. The predetermined period of time can be any time period which provides a therapeutic effect, and may be minutes or hours, or days. The composition of the invention may be applied and left on indefinitely, in which case the composition may 10 break down naturally over time. In some embodiments, the present invention provides skin cleansing exfoliation and/or polishing in a cosmetically aesthetic vehicle while, at the same time, leaving the skin exceptionally soft, smooth and moisturized. Oil substance 15 The oil substance used in the composition should preferably have no free carboxyl groups, and is selected from animal and vegetable fats. Preferably the oil substance is chosen to comprise predominantly saturated fatty acids, and preferably comprise a minimum amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Preferably the predominant oil substance is grass-fed beef suet dripping, but could also be comprised of other 20 naturally occurring predominantly saturated oils and fatty acids. The oil substance is not limited to only Tallow, but can also include other naturally sourced, predominantly saturated oils and fatty acids such as coconut oil (92% saturated), palm oil (49% saturated), and palm kernel oil (79% saturated). In preferred embodiments the oil substance is a mixture of cocoa butter and 25 grass-fed beef suet dripping, and the overall fatty acid content is more than 55% -7 saturated. For example, cocoa butter contains the following fatty acid composition: saturated fatty acids (57-64%); monounsaturated fatty acids (29-43%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (0-5%), and is therefore ideally suited for use in the compositions of the invention. Preferably the ratio of cocoa butter-to-suet is between 5 about 1:1 to 1:4. It will be appreciated that the oil substance is chosen such that it is predominantly composed of saturated fatty acids. Preferably the oil substance is included in the composition between 40 and 80 wt%. 10 Preferably the oil substance has minimal or no 'beefy' odour, and has excellent clarity, colour and very few insoluble impurities. The following table lists various grades of suet suitable for the present invention. Total fat Saturated fat Monounsaturated Polyunsaturated fat fat Suet 94g 52g (55%) 32g (34%) 3g (3%) Suet 106g 59g (55%) 36g (34%) 4g (3%) Suet - grass-fed beef Suet drppg b85g 57g (67%) 26g (31 %) 2g (2%) suet dripping Wax material 15 The composition of the invention also contains a 'conditioner' in the form of a saturated wax, with a range of 15 to 40 wt% being particularly effective. The waxes used in the invention are preferably the saturated esters of higher fatty acids. Useful saturated waxes, therefore, include cetyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, myristyl behenate, myricyl cerotate, arachyl melissate, ceryl cerotate, ceryl palmitate, or 20 pisangceryl carnaubate.

-8 The waxes used in the composition of the invention may be derived from naturally occurring animal and vegetable waxes, such as beeswax, carnauba wax, Chinese insect wax, or banana wax. Beeswax is particularly preferred. The fatty acid profile of bees' wax is quite complex, containing over 300 5 substances, but consists of predominantly esters of higher fatty acids. Small variations in composition occur based on source species and locations. Ingredient Typical Proportion % Saturated Free fatty acids 12-14% 85 Free primary fatty alcohols 1% Linear wax 35-45% * monoesters/hydroxymonoesters Complex wax esters 15-27% ** Odd numbered, straight chain 12-16%* hydrocarbons * Derived almost exclusively from palmitic acid, 15-hyroxypalmitic acid and oleic acid (these are predominantly saturated or monounsaturated) 10 ** 15 hydroxypalmitic acid or diols (predominantly saturated) *** Predominant chain length of C 2 7 -C33. With increasing chain length the proportion of unsaturated species increases (above C 3 3 only unsaturated species are present) Source: Kuznesof, P.M &Whitehouse, D.B (2005) Chemical and Technical 15 Assessment 65th JECFA Emulsifier, water content and form of the composition The compositions of the invention include water and an emulsifier, and preferred compositions of the invention are in the form of a cream or have a paste-like 20 consistency.

-9 The compositions of the invention consist essentially of an oil substance comprising fatty acids, a wax, an emulsifier and water. The wax is preferably based on fatty acids and the fatty acids are predominately saturated. The fatty acid content of the overall composition is predominately saturated and included a minimum of 5 polyunsaturated acids. Particularly preferred emulsifying waxes are based on fatty acids and are 100% saturated fatty acids. A preferred emulsifying wax is composed of, but not limited to Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl alcohol. Other suitable emulsifying waxes include, but are not limited to Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate. 10 The viscosity of the composition when in a creamy or paste-like consistency is generally between around 75,000 to 2,000,000 cps. Viscosity is measured by standard techniques such as the use of a Brookfield Viscometer. Those skilled in the art will use the appropriate spindle and speed combination to cover the range of viscosity to be measured. For Jess viscous samples, Brookfield spindle #5, at 20 rpm and 20'C is 15 suitable. At high viscosities, a helipath attachment is used with for example, spindle T Eat 2.5 rpm and 20'C. For example, a preferred range of viscosity of about 500,000 to 2,000,000 cps is measured with a Brookfield viscometer using a helipath attachment with a T-E spindle at 2.5 rpm and about 20'C. Preferably sufficient water and emulsifier are added such that when the 20 composition is emulsified the composition has a cream or paste-like consistency. Preferably the water is included at between 10 to 60 wt%, and sufficient emulsifier is added to emulsify the water and oil substance. One or more emulsifiers can be used. In one embodiment the emulsifier has a relatively low HLB value preferably of not more than 8, and preferably in the range of about 3 to about 7. In other embodiments the 25 emulsifier has a relatively high HLB of preferably at least 8, and more preferably in the - 10 range of about 10 to about 19. "HLB" refers to the well known calculated Hydrophile Lipophile-Balance value assigned to emulsifiers, most commonly non ionic emulsifiers, relating to the water solubility of the emulsifier. Exemplary emulsifying agents include, without being limited thereto, 5 ethoxylated carboxylic acids, exthoxylated glycerides, glycol esters and derivatives thereof, monoglycerides, polyglyceryl esters, polyhydric alcohol esters and ethers, sorbitan/sorbitol esters, triesters of phosphoric acid, ethoxylated-fatty alcohols, propoxylated polyoxyethylene (POE) ethers and the like and mixtures thereof Particularly preferred are glyceryl stearate, PEG-700 stearate, sorbitan stearate, PEG-40 10 stearate, polysorhate-20, olysorbate 80, sucrose distearate, glyceryl oleate, and the like as well as mixtures thereof. In preferred embodiments the emulsifier is a waxy substance, which itself is composed of fatty acids. Preferably the fatty acids are predominately saturated fatty acids. 15 Generally, at least about 4wt% of the composition is emulsifier and up to around 10%. Some preferred embodiments utilise 4-5 wt% of emulsifier. The overall saturated fatty acid content of the formulation is higher than the saturation level of the tallow ingredient, which is itself is chosen to have a high saturated fatty acid level. This is because the other fatty acid ingredients have at least the same or 20 a greater level of fatty acid saturation than tallow. For example, bee's wax is predominantly composed of palmitic acid (saturated), cocoa butter is predominantly saturated 61% (mostly stearic acid), and the emulsifying wax is 100% saturated. Preparation of the composition The compositions of the invention can be prepared by any conventional 25 procedure. By way of example, a mixture of the oil substance and the wax is melted by - 11 heating it to a temperature of from 70'C to 85'C (but not higher than 85'C due to heat sensitivity of some of the fatty acid components), and an aqueous solution (heated at a temperature of from 70'C to 85'C), a preservative, and the like is added thereto. The resulting mixture is emulsified by homogenizing and then cooled to 50'C under 5 agitation. When its temperature reaches 50'C or below, a perfume, essential oils and plant preservatives are mixed therein to obtain a final product. Pigments can also be added at this stage. The consistency of the final product is similar to a stiff whipped edible cream, without the air. Additional components 10 Where the cosmetic composition is adapted for use as a massage cream, cleansing cream, skin cream, or the like, no pigment is needed. However, in some applications at least one pigment is preferably incorporated along with the above described ingredients. In this case, the pigment is used in an amount of not greater than 10 wt% and preferably from 0.5 to 10 wt% based on the total weight of the composition. 15 Specific examples of the pigment include titanium dioxide, kaolin, yellow iron oxide, tri-iron tetroxide and talc. If desired, the present compositions of the invention can further contain small amounts of cosmetically and pharmacologically active substances, perfumes, preservatives, colourants, wetting agents, stabilisers and the like. For example, 20 additional essential oils and plant extracts can be added to give varying scents and active properties to the base composition, e.g. a natural preservative such as Naticide@ and rosemary extract can be added. Other compounds can be added, such as germicides, fungicides, or ultra-violet screening compounds. Sodium borate is a particularly preferred additive. The borate assists in 25 emulsification of the bee's wax to obtain the desirable texture and skin feel. The skilled -12 person will appreciate what other compounds can be used as a supplement to or a replacement of sodium borate. Moreover, the compositions of the present invention can also contain anti oxidant agents, such as the propyl, octyl and dodecyl esters of gallic acid, butyl hydroxy 5 anisole, butyl hydroxy toluene and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, as well as perfumes, preservatives or thickening agents, such as cellulose derivatives, xanthene gums, guar gums, carob bean gums, alginates and carreghenates, silicate complexes and organically modified clays. The compositions of the invention provide at least one of the following 10 advantages: 1) They cause no irritation to the skin and are safe to use. 2) They have excellent emulsion stability and storage stability. 3) The have good chemical stability including high resistance to hydrolysis. 4) They present an attractive appearance from the viewpoints of texture and 15 gloss. 5) They have great affinity for the skin. 6) They are comprised of natural and minimally processed ingredients. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is contemplated that the skin surface lipid (SSL) composition in healthy human skin is rich in long-chain fatty acids, mainly 20 saturated or monounsaturated (with very minimal amounts of polyunsaturated lipids) and contains the squalene, which is a key biosynthetic precursor to cholesterol. Using tallow, and predominantly saturated ingredients, provides a moisturiser where the lipid composition reflects that which naturally occurs in healthy skin, and includes cholesterol which is also naturally occurring on healthy skin. The composition of SSL may also 25 affect the residential saprophytic microbial skin flora, which is understood to be a major - 13 factor in the resilience of healthy skin to external pollutant and irritants. Accordingly, the formulations and compositions according to the present invention reflect the natural SSL of healthy skin, which may assist in re-establishing healthy microbial populations. See the article by De Luca, C., et al ("Surface lipids as multifunctional mediators of skin 5 responses to environmental stimuli", Mediators of Inflammation, Volume 2010, Article ID 321494, 11 pages) for further information relating to the SSL composition in healthy human skin. The skilled addressee will understand that the invention comprises the embodiments and features disclosed herein as well as all combinations and/or 10 permutations of the disclosed embodiments and features. DEFINITIONS In describing and claiming the present invention, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of 15 the invention only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words 'comprise', 'comprising', and the like are to be construed in an 20 inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of 'including, but not limited to'. Other than in the operating examples, or where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients or reaction conditions used herein are to be understood as modified in all instances by the term 'about'. The examples are not 25 intended to limit the scope of the invention. In what follows, or where otherwise - 14 indicated, '%' will mean 'weight %', 'ratio' will mean 'weight ratio' and 'parts' will mean 'weight parts'. The terms 'predominantly' and 'substantially' as used herein shall mean comprising more than 50% by weight, unless otherwise indicated. 5 The recitation of a numerical range using endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g., I to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, 5, etc.). The terms 'preferred' and 'preferably' refer to embodiments of the invention that may afford certain benefits, under certain circumstances. However, other embodiments may also be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. Furthermore, the 10 recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described with reference to the following 15 examples that should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive. An exemplary composition according to the invention is given in the following table. Component Amount Percentage (g) (%) grass-fed beef suet dripping 100 42 bee's wax 60 25 cocoa butter 40 17 emulsifying wax (Ceteareth-20 and 30 13 Cetearyl alcohol) sodium borate 5 2 additional essential oils and plant extracts 2 1 water ** NOTE: ** proportion varies with texture, and preferably in the range of 350 to 500 ml.

- 15 In other compositions of the invention, the water content may be less than 350 mL or greater than 500 mL, and will be formulated to suit the particular application. Compositions which contain 100, 150, 200, 205 and 300 mL will have a thicker consistency and will be suitable for example for a lip balm application, and those with 5 more than 550, 600, 650, 700, 800 or 900 mL will have a more watery consistency and will be more suitable for a conditioner application. Grass fed beef Tallow was processed in-house from locally sourced edible grade suet. It is processed by mincing and then dry rendering. The rendered product is then washed by simmering each batch over water for a minimum of 1 hour, to remove any 10 water-soluble impurities. The process is repeated three times for each individual batch of tallow. The tallow is then frozen in block form until required for use in the manufacturing process. Alternatively, grass-fed suet dripping can be purchased in from local manufacturers (York Foods Pty Ltd) and then washed and frozen prior to use. Bee's wax, organic cocoa butter, emulsifying waxes, sodium borate, plant 15 extracts and essential oils are purchased in bulk from Sydney Essential Oil Co.TM Other potential suppliers for bulk ingredients include, but are not limited to, Essentials of Australia Pty Ltd and New Directions Australia Pty Ltd. The compositions as described in the table above was trialled on a number of examiners, many of whom have severe skin issues including eczema, and have not been 20 able to use any other products currently on the market. Many examiners have been using samples for a continual period longer than 6 months. In all cases, at the end of the assessment period feedback has been that the composition has not caused any additional skin inflammation, and in most cases has resulted in significant improvement in dryness and eczema symptoms. The texture of composition was assessed as 'very good' (where 25 the sample felt very smooth, very non-greasy, and moisturising, and no skin irritation - 16 occurred with short or long term application). Comments from the examiners indicated that the composition also moisturised their skin significantly better than any purchased products that they had previously trialled, without leaving any sticky residue. In one particular case, the cream was used after skin cancer treatment, and the subject's medical 5 practitioner noted that the skin recovery was more rapid that conventional compositions. Field trials were also carried out on select livestock and pets to assess the suitability of the composition for treatment of insect-mediated skin irritations and wounds. All cases had excellent outcomes. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it 10 will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. In particular features of any one of the various described examples may be provided in any combination in any of the other described examples.

Claims (25)

1. A skin care composition, comprising: an oil substance comprising fatty acids; a wax; 5 an emulsifier and water, both in a sufficient quantity such that the resultant emulsified composition has a creamy or pasty consistency, wherein the composition is formulated such that the fatty acid content of said composition is predominately saturated fatty acids.

2. A skin care composition according to claim 1 wherein said composition is more 10 stable over time and is less irritating to the skin compared to prior art compositions having relatively lower overall saturated fatty acid content.

3. A skin care composition according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said composition is less sticky to the touch and leaves minimal residue after application compared to prior art compositions having relatively lower overall saturated fatty acid content. 15

4. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said oil substance is selected from fresh grass-fed beef suet, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil.

5. A skin care composition according to claim 4 wherein said oil substance is fresh grass-fed beef suet and comprises a fatty acid profile comprising: saturated fatty 20 acid (52 %), monounsaturated fatty acid (40 %) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (3

6. A skin care composition according to claim 5 wherein the oil substance is a mixture of cocoa butter and grass-fed beef suet dripping, and the overall fatty acid content of said composition is more than 55% saturated. - 18

7. A skin care composition according to claim 6 wherein the ratio of cocoa butter-to tallow is between about 1:1 to 1:4

8. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the composition comprises an additional quantity of a saturated fatty acid such that the 5 fatty acid content of the overall composition is predominately saturated.

9. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said composition is predominately composed of saturated fatty acids and comprises an overall saturated fatty acid content greater than 60, 65, 70, 75 or 80 wt%.

10. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the 10 oil substance comprises a maximum poly-unsaturated fatty acid content of 5 wt%.

11. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said composition is formulated as a sunscreen, nappy cream, hair treatment or conditioner, deodorant, or a lip balm.

12. A skin care composition according to any one of claims 1-10 wherein said 15 composition is formulated to be a soothing insecticidal cream for animals or a natural insect repellent cream for humans or animals.

13. A skin care composition according to any one of claims 1-10 wherein said composition is formulated to treat rain scald, greasy heal, and general insect mediated inflammation. 20

14. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the oil substance is included in the composition between 40 and 80 wt%.

15. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the wax material is included in the composition between 15 to 40 wt%.

16. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the 25 wax material is beeswax. - 19

17. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the emulsifier is selected from one or more of the following: ethoxylated carboxylic acids, exthoxylated glycerides, glycol esters and derivatives thereof, monoglycerides, polyglyceryl esters, polyhydric alcohol esters and ethers, 5 sorbitan/sorbitol esters, triesters of phosphoric acid, ethoxylated-fatty alcohols, propoxylated polyoxyethylene (POE) ethers and the like and mixtures thereof.

18. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the emulsifier is included at between 4 to 10 wt%,

19. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the 10 water is included at between 10 to 60 wt%,

20. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one pigment selected from titanium dioxide, kaolin, yellow iron oxide, tri-iron tetroxide and talc and included at between 0.5 to 10 wt%.

21. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims further 15 comprising cosmetically and/or pharmacologically active substances, selected from: perfumes, preservatives, colourants, wetting agents, stabilisers, germicides, fungicides, and ultra-violet screening compounds.

22. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising essential oils and plant extracts such as Naticide@ and rosemary 20 extract.

23. A skin care composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising sodium borate.

24. A skin care composition comprising: grass-fed beef suet dripping (42 wt%); bee's wax (25 wt%); cocoa butter (17 wt%); emulsifying wax (13 wt%); sodium borate - 20 (2 wt%); additional essential oils and plant extracts (1 wt%), and between 350 to 500 mL of water.

25. A method of treating a mammal, the method comprising the step of applying the composition according to any one of the preceding claims to said mammal for a 5 predetermined period of time.