CN115003272A

CN115003272A - Composition for caring for keratin materials

Info

Publication number: CN115003272A
Application number: CN201980103353.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 章诗辰; A·贾亚斯瓦尔; 杨青
Original assignee: LOreal SA
Current assignee: LOreal SA
Priority date: 2019-12-31
Filing date: 2019-12-31
Publication date: 2022-09-02
Also published as: WO2021134460A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for caring for keratin materials, comprising a fatty acid-ester mixture of a plurality, for example at least 3, 4 or 5 medium-chain fatty acids and a plurality, for example at least 3, 4 or 5 monoesters; at least one anionic surfactant; at least one amphoteric surfactant; and at least one cationic polymer.

Description

Composition for caring for keratin materials

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a composition for caring for keratin materials, in particular the hair and the scalp. The invention also relates to a method for treating keratin materials, in particular the hair and the scalp, using the composition according to the invention.

Background

Keratin materials are widely found on human surfaces, such as skin, scalp and hair. Many people have long sought to soothe the body surface so that they feel comfortable in daily life and work. Among these, many people are particularly concerned with the perception of itching. Various factors may cause itching, for example, high dryness of the body surface, presence of certain bacteria on the body surface, allergies, external stimuli or even psychological sensations, etc. Accordingly, in order to solve the itching feeling, various products have been developed, many of which are used to relieve the itching feeling. In particular, taking into account various factors, relieving itching sensation is generally more feasible and meaningful than therapeutic treatment directed against these factors.

Among keratin materials on the body surface, the scalp is particularly susceptible to itching. Various formulations have been developed for itchy scalp, including those provided in separate forms, such as lotions, sprays, and the like, as well as those incorporated into conventional products for the hair and/or scalp, such as shampoos, leave-on and/or rinse-off conditioners.

Cleansing and treating keratin fibers, particularly hair, to improve their appearance, color, styling, and the like. The various cleansing and/or conditioning ingredients are therefore added directly to the shampoo. Because the scalp substantially overlaps the hair, scalp conditioning components can also be added to the shampoo, so that by shampooing, the scalp conditioning component is also applied to the scalp. Anti-dandruff components have been added to shampoo; however, due to the complex causes of itching feeling, there is still a need to add successful antipruritic components to shampoo.

In addition, in addition to cleaning and conditioning functions, several other properties are important to appeal to the consumer, such as a particular fragrance and good appearance. For example, some consumers prefer a transparent appearance.

On the other hand, for cosmetic use, natural ingredients, i.e. ingredients of natural origin, are of great interest to the consumer. Many compounds of natural origin are used for formulating care compositions for keratin materials. Efforts have been made to formulate compositions comprising natural ingredients.

Summary of The Invention

In medical science, it has been disclosed that medium-chain fatty acids and the respective corresponding monoglycerides have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity in vitro against enveloped viruses and various bacteria including, but not limited to, human pathogens such as herpes simplex virus, Candida albicans, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, helicobacter pylori and Staphylococcus aureus (Kabara, 1978; Shibasaki and Kato, 1978; Welsh et al 1979; Thormar et al 1987; Isaacs et al 1995). The inventors have now found that the use of fatty acid-ester mixtures of a plurality, for example at least 3, 4 or 5, of medium-chain fatty acids and of monoesters of the respective medium-chain fatty acids with lower polyols enables compositions to be obtained for caring for keratin materials, which can non-therapeutically relieve the itching sensation appearing on the keratin materials, in particular on the scalp.

A subject of the present invention is therefore a composition for caring for and/or cleansing keratin materials, comprising:

fatty acid-ester mixtures of a plurality, e.g. at least 3, 4 or 5 medium chain fatty acids and a plurality, e.g. at least 3, 4 or 5 monoesters; and

at least one anionic surfactant;

at least one amphoteric surfactant; and

at least one cationic polymer.

The composition according to the invention is particularly useful for shampoo products.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the fatty acid-ester mixture is a derivative of coconut oil known as Activated Virgin Coconut Oil (AVCO).

The present inventors have further surprisingly found that certain solubilisers, preferably non-ionic surfactants, may be beneficial for the compositions of the present invention in the form of shampoo products having a transparent appearance, in particular being transparent.

The invention also relates to a method for soothing itching sensations of keratin materials, in particular keratin materials on the body surface, especially the scalp, using an antipruritic composition according to the invention.

The invention therefore provides the use of a composition of the invention for soothing itching sensations of keratin materials.

The invention also provides the use of a fatty acid-ester mixture for soothing itching sensations of keratin materials on the body surface, in particular the scalp.

It is noteworthy that, as introduced above, although medium-chain fatty acids and their monoglycerides are known to have antimicrobial activity, various factors may cause itching sensation. The compositions of the present invention have been found and have also been experimentally demonstrated to successfully alleviate itching. Without being bound by any known theory, it is believed that the soothing of itching using the compositions of the present invention successfully contributes at least in part to the sensory relaxation of the keratin materials by the compositions of the present invention. Thus, the compositions of the present invention are limited to non-therapeutic use, although further properties and/or mechanisms for therapeutic use may be discovered in the future.

Embodiments of the invention

Throughout the specification, including the claims, the terms "comprising a" and "an" should be understood as being synonymous with "comprising at least one" unless otherwise noted. Further, the expression "at least one" used in the present specification is equivalent to the expression "one or more".

Throughout the specification, including the claims, embodiments defined by "comprising" and the like should be understood to encompass preferred embodiments defined by "consisting essentially of …" and preferred embodiments defined by "consisting of …".

Other than in the operating examples, or where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients and/or reaction conditions are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about", meaning within 10% of the number indicated (e.g., "about 10%" means 9% to 11%, and about "2%" means 1.8% to 2.2%).

Throughout the description, including the claims, a "keratin material" is according to the invention skin, hair, scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, body hair, nails, lips or mucous membranes. Preferably, the keratin material is according to the invention easily perceived to be a itching feeling site, such as the scalp or skin, and/or affected by a itching feeling site, such as the hair.

Throughout the description, including the claims, "treating" and the like, are to be understood according to the invention as including any means of maintaining, maintaining or improving the condition of keratin materials, including not only conventional means of treating keratin materials such as the skin or scalp, but also any means known to be useful for conditioning and/or cleansing keratin materials such as the hair or scalp.

In this application, unless explicitly stated otherwise, amounts, parts and percentages are by weight.

The present invention relates to a composition for caring for keratin materials, comprising:

(A) a fatty acid-ester mixture comprising:

(a-I) a fatty acid component comprising a plurality, e.g., at least 3, 4, or 5, medium chain fatty acids, and

(a-II) an ester component comprising a monoester of a plurality, e.g., at least 3, 4, or 5, medium chain fatty acids; and

(B) at least one anionic surfactant;

(C) at least one amphoteric surfactant; and

(D) at least one cationic polymer.

Preferably, the monoesters of the ester components (A-II) are obtained from esterification of medium chain fatty acids and lower polyols, respectively, used in component (A-I).

Preferably, the fatty acid-ester mixture is a derivative of coconut oil known as Activated Virgin Coconut Oil (AVCO).

The present invention therefore provides the use of a composition according to the invention for soothing itching sensations of keratin materials on the body surface, in particular the scalp.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following description and examples.

Fatty acid-ester mixture (A)

The compositions of the invention comprise fatty acid-ester mixtures (a) of a plurality, for example at least 3, 4 or 5, of medium-chain fatty acids and of monoesters of the respective medium-chain fatty acids with lower polyols.

Useful fatty acids which can be used as component (A-I) according to the invention are medium-chain fatty acids, for example monocarboxylic acids preferably having from 6 to 16 carbon atoms, more preferably from 8 to 12 carbon atoms. Accordingly, useful fatty acids may have formula (I):

R-C(O)-OH (I)

wherein:

r represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C ₅ -C ₁₉ Preferably C ₇ -C ₁₅ More preferably C ₇ -C ₁₁ Hydrocarbyl, preferably alkyl; preferably, R is a linear group; more preferably, R is a straight chain alkyl group.

According to one embodiment of the invention, R preferably has an odd number, for example 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 or 19 carbon atoms. More preferably, R has 7, 9, 11, 13, or 15 carbon atoms; or preferably, R has 7, 9 or 11 carbon atoms.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the medium-chain fatty acids may be used alone or as a combination of two or more fatty acids. Preferably, medium chain fatty acids are used as a combination of at least 3, 4 or 5 fatty acids.

The fatty acids useful according to the present invention may preferably be at least partially esterified with a polyol.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the monoester useful as component (A-II) is a monoester of formula (II):

R-C(O)-OR’ (II)

wherein:

r is as defined in formula (I).

R' represents a residue from a polyol. Useful polyols contain in particular 2 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 2 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms, such as glycerol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, pentylene glycol, hexylene glycol, dipropylene glycol or diethylene glycol.

Preferably, the fatty acid according to formula (I) comprises caprylic acid (C8, also known as caprylic acid), capric acid (C10), lauric acid (C12), myristic acid (C14), palmitic acid (C16), stearic acid (C18) or arachidic acid (C20).

More preferably, in formula (II), R and R' are different from each other, wherein R represents a linear chain C ₇ -C ₁₅ Alkyl and R' represents a residue from a linear polyol containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the fatty acid according to formula (I) is preferably used in combination with the monoester according to formula (II) to form the fatty acid-ester mixture (a). Preferably, the fatty acids and monoesters used in mixture (a) relate to the same fatty acid moiety, i.e. the fatty acid of formula (I) and monoester of formula (II) have corresponding R groups. That is, if the fatty acid of formula (I) having octyl as R, i.e. caprylic acid, is used, the monoester of formula (II) having octyl as R, i.e. caprylic acid monoester, is used to form fatty acid-ester mixture (a). Furthermore, if two or more fatty acids are used simultaneously in the mixture (a), the corresponding two or more monoesters each having the same fatty acid moiety are used. In other words, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) may be regarded as a mixture of two or more fatty acids of formula (I) and a partially esterified monoester of each fatty acid.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) comprises a plurality, for example at least 3, 4 or 5, of fatty acids of formula (I) and monoesters of formula (II) having the same respective R groups as the fatty acids of formula (I), respectively. The monoester formation is preferably carried out using the same polyol, corresponding to the fatty acid moiety. That is, for two or more monoesters of formula (II) used in the fatty acid-ester mixture (a), they have the same R' group. Among these, glycerin is particularly used to form glycerides with the various corresponding fatty acids mentioned above.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, for example, the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) comprises at least 3 fatty acids selected from caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid, to be used as the component (a-I). Meanwhile, the corresponding monoester of each fatty acid in the component (A-I) is used as the component (A-II). Preferably, the monoesters of components (A-II) are each a glyceride.

Preferably, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the fatty acid component (a-I) comprises caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid. Meanwhile, the corresponding components (a-II) comprise glyceryl caprylate (also known as monocaprylin), glyceryl caprate (also known as monocaprrin), and glyceryl laurate (also known as monolaurate).

According to one embodiment of the invention, for example, with regard to the fatty acid-ester mixture (a), the total amount of fatty acids of component (a-I) and the total amount of monoesters, e.g. glycerides, of component (a-II) are present in a ratio of 4:1 to 1:1, preferably 3:1 to 1:1, more preferably 2.5:1 to 1.5: 1.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, for example, the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) may be obtained by direct partial esterification of the fatty acid component (a-I) with a polyol to form a monoester, thereby obtaining a mixture of the fatty acid and the corresponding monoester as the ester component (a-II). When polyols are used, it is well known that polyesters, such as diesters, triesters, and the like, may eventually be formed. Accordingly, fatty acid-ester mixtures (a) comprising at least 3 fatty acids, monoesters corresponding to said at least 3 fatty acids and polyesters corresponding to said at least 3 medium-chain fatty acids can still be used in the present invention, provided that the main objective, in particular the antipruritic effect, is not significantly impaired.

For the purposes of the present invention, the term "polyester" refers to an ester formed by esterification of a polyol, wherein more than one hydroxyl group of the polyol molecule is esterified. Accordingly, "diester" and "triester" according to the present invention mean the esterification of two and three hydroxyl groups, respectively, of a polyol molecule.

For example, when the fatty acid components (a-I) are esterified using glycerol, useful fatty acid-ester mixtures (a) may comprise at least 3 fatty acids, monoesters, diesters, and triesters corresponding to the at least 3 fatty acids. For example, useful fatty acid-ester mixtures (a) may comprise caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid as component (a-I); glyceryl monocaprylate, glyceryl monocaprate and glyceryl monolaurate as components (A-II); and diglycerides and triglycerides of caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid.

When the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) further comprises a polyester, the content of the polyester is not particularly limited as long as the main purpose of the mixture (a), particularly the antipruritic effect, is not significantly impaired. For example, polyesters may be used in mixture (a) in an amount of up to 90% by weight, preferably 80% by weight or less, or preferably 70% by weight or less, or preferably 65% by weight or less.

AVCO

According to one embodiment of the invention, for example, the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) may be of natural origin. Of these, coconut oil is well known to contain mixtures of various C8-C20 fatty acids, especially those having an even number of carbon atoms. Accordingly, it is desirable that the present invention use a derivative of coconut oil, for example, an esterified product of coconut oil, as the fatty acid-ester mixture (a).

Among the coconut oil derivatives that can be used are those known as Activated Virgin Coconut Oil (AVCO). Preferably, the coconut oil is esterified with glycerin. The AVCO useful according to the present invention may comprise caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid as components (a-I); glyceryl monocaprylate, glyceryl monocaprate and glyceryl monolaurate as components (A-II).

According to one embodiment of the invention, for example, as usable AVCO, the total amount of fatty acids of component (a-I) and the total amount of monoglycerides of component (a-II) are present in a ratio of from 4:1 to 1:1, preferably from 3:1 to 1:1, more preferably from 2.5:1 to 1.5: 1. More specifically, for example, in exemplary embodiment 1 of the AVCO, a useful AVCO may comprise: fatty acid component (a-I): octanoic acid in an amount of 5 to 20 wt.%, preferably 7 to 15 wt.% or preferably 8 to 10 wt.%; capric acid in an amount of 1-10 wt%, preferably 2-8 wt% or preferably 4-7 wt%; and lauric acid in an amount of 20 to 70 wt.%, preferably 30 to 60 wt.% or preferably 40 to 55 wt.%; and a monoester component (A-II): glyceryl monocaprylate in an amount of 0.5-15 wt%, preferably 1-10 wt% or preferably 4-7 wt%; glyceryl monocaprate in an amount of 0.1 to 10 wt.%, preferably 1 to 8 wt.% or preferably 3 to 5 wt.%; and glycerol monolaurate in an amount of 10-40 wt.%, preferably 15-35 wt.% or preferably 20-30 wt.%; each relative to the total amount of the fatty acid component (A-I) and the monoester component (A-II).

The AVCO obtained from esterification of coconut oil may further comprise diglycerides and triglycerides in addition to the above fatty acid component (a-I) and monoester component (a-II). According to one embodiment of the present invention, for example, useful AVCO may comprise caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid as components (a-I); glyceryl monocaprylate, glyceryl monocaprate and glyceryl monolaurate as components (A-II); and optionally, diglycerides and triglycerides of caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid.

When the AVCO further comprises a polyester selected from the group consisting of diglycerides and triglycerides, the content of the polyester is not particularly limited, for example, an amount of at most 90% by weight, preferably 80% by weight or less, or preferably 70% by weight or less, or preferably 65% by weight or less.

According to one embodiment of the invention, for example, a useful AVCO may comprise: a fatty acid component (a-I) comprising caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid in an amount of 5-40 wt.%, preferably 10-30 wt.% or preferably 20-25 wt.%; a monoester component (a-II) comprising glycerol monocaprylate, glycerol monocaprate and glycerol monolaurate in an amount of 1-30 wt%, preferably 5-20 wt% or preferably 10-15 wt%; 10-50 wt.%, preferably 20-45 wt.% or preferably 30-40 wt.% of the total amount of caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid diglycerides; and 10 to 70 wt.%, preferably 15 to 50 wt.% or preferably 20 to 30 wt.% of triglycerides of caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid in total; each relative to the total amount of AVCO.

Useful AVCOs may preferably be AVCOs prepared according to the teachings of EP 1973415, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Accordingly, an exemplary AVCO may comprise: 24.63 mg/g caprylic acid (C8), 17.81 mg/g capric acid (C10), 133.70 mg/g lauric acid (C12) and 11.82 mg/g glyceryl monocaprylate, 8.29 mg/g glyceryl monocaprate and 57.16 mg/g glyceryl monolaurate; or 23.10 mg/g caprylic acid (C8), 16.08 mg/g capric acid (C10), 116.81 mg/g lauric acid (C12) and 16.04 mg/g glyceryl monocaprylate, 10.35 mg/g glyceryl monocaprate and 75.54 mg/g glyceryl monolaurate; each relative to the total weight of the AVCO; preferably, the AVCO is derived from catalyzing coconut oil with a 1, 3-specific lipase and subjecting it to glycerolysis.

The fatty acid-ester mixture (a) may be present in the composition according to the invention in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 10% by weight, preferably from 0.1% to 5% by weight, or preferably from 0.3% to 1.5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition.

Anionic surfactant (B)

According to one embodiment of the invention, the non-therapeutic composition according to the invention comprises at least one anionic surfactant (B).

The term "anionic surfactant" is understood to mean an amphiphilic compound having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion, wherein the hydrophilic portion carries only anionic groups as ionic or ionizable groups, with cationic counterions, typically of metals (alkali metals, such as Na or K) or ammonium, which are capable of dissociating in aqueous solution to produce anions.

More particularly, the anionic group of the anionic surfactant is selected from: c (O) OH, -C (O) O ^- 、-SO ₃ H、-S(O) ₂ O ^- 、-OS(O) ₂ OH、-OS(O) ₂ O ^- 、-P(O)OH ₂ 、-P(O) ₂ O ^- 、-P(O)O ₂ ^- 、-P(OH) ₂ 、=P(O)OH、-P(OH)O ^- 、=P(O)O ^- 、=POH、=PO ^- The cationic counter-ion is generally selected from alkali metal, such as sodium, or alkaline earth metal, such as magnesium, or organic cationic counter-ions, such as ammonium salts, amine salts or aminoalcohol salts. Surfactants may also be present in their acid form.

As anionic surfactants, mention may be made of surfactants comprising carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate, sulfoacetate, sulfosuccinate, phosphate, isethionate, sarcosinate, glutamate, lactyllactate or taurate anionic groups, fatty acid salts, salts of galacturonic acid (galactiduronic acids), ether carboxylate surfactants and mixtures thereof.

More particularly, the anionic surfactant according to the invention is selected from:

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl sulfates, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl ether sulfates, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl amido ether sulfates, alkyl aryl polyether sulfates, or monoglyceride sulfates; for this type of anionic surfactant, it is preferred to use (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl aryl polyether sulfates or mixtures. Mention may be made of the sulfates of ethers of lauryl alcohol and of alkylene oxides containing from 1 to 50 alkylene oxide groups.

More preferably, the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of lauryl alcohols containing from 1 to 4 alkyleneoxy groups, especially ethyleneoxy groups, and sulfates of ethers of alkylene oxides. For example, the company Cognis (BASF) is known as Texapon ^® AOS 225 UP is named, Rhodia is Rhodapex ^® esb-70/fla3 as the name, Clariant in Genapol ^® LRO L' O is sold under the name sodium laureth sulfate containing an average of 2.2 ethylene oxide groups, and the company Zhejiang Zanyu Technology is sold under the name SLES (N1 EO) as sodium laureth sulfate containing an average of 1 ethylene oxide group.

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkylsulfonic acid salts, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl amide sulfonate, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl aryl sulfonates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, paraffin sulfonates;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) An alkyl phosphate;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl sulfosuccinate salts, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl ether sulfosuccinate salts or (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl amido sulfosuccinate salts;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) An alkyl sulfoacetate;

·(C ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl sarcosinates;

·(C ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl glutamate;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl polyglycoside carboxylic acid ethers;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl polyglycoside sulfosuccinates;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl sulfosuccinamates;

·(C ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl isethionates, such as sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate, sodium cocoyl isethionate; mention may be made of the Innospec Active Chemicals company under the name ISELUX ^® Sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate sold by LQ-CLR-SB;

·N-[(C ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl radical]Taurate salts;

salts of fatty acids;

·(C ₈ -C ₂₀ ) Acyl lactyl lactate;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Salts of alkyl-D-galacturonic acid;

·(C ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Salts of alkyl polyoxyalkylene ether carboxylic acids, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Salts of alkylaryl polyoxyalkylene ether carboxylic acids or (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Salts of alkylamido polyoxyalkylene ether carboxylic acids;

and mixtures thereof.

The alkyl or acyl groups of these various anionic surfactants preferably contain from 12 to 20 carbon atoms.

Furthermore, the oxyalkylenated or polyoxyalkylenated anionic surfactants preferably contain 1 to 50 alkyleneoxy groups, more preferably 1 to 4 alkyleneoxy groups, especially ethyleneoxy groups.

Advantageously, according to one embodiment, the invention comprises a compound chosen from (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl sulfates, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl ether sulfates, (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl amido ether sulfate, alkylAryl polyether sulfate, monoglyceride sulfate, (C) ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl isethionate or mixtures thereof.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the anionic surfactant is preferably selected from sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate, sodium cocoyl isethionate or mixtures thereof.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the anionic surfactant is sodium laureth sulfate containing an average of 2.2 ethyleneoxy groups.

According to a particular exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the composition may be free of any sulfate salt used as an anionic surfactant.

The at least one anionic surfactant (B) may be present in the composition according to the invention in an amount ranging from 1% to 30%, such as from 5% to 20%, or from 10% to 15%, relative to the total weight of the composition, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

Amphoteric surfactant (C)

According to one embodiment of the invention, the non-therapeutic composition according to the invention comprises at least one amphoteric surfactant (C), which may also be referred to as zwitterionic surfactant.

The amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant or surfactants useful herein can be quaternized aliphatic secondary or tertiary amine derivatives containing at least one anionic group, such as carboxylate, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate, or phosphonate, and wherein the aliphatic group or at least one aliphatic group is a straight or branched chain containing from 8 to 22 carbon atoms.

Among the optionally quaternized aliphatic secondary or tertiary amine derivatives which can be used as defined above, mention may also be made of the compounds of the respective structures (III) and (IV) as follows:

in formula (III):

·R ₄ represents a derivative derived from the acid R preferably present in hydrolysed coconut oil ₄ C of-C (O) -OH ₁₀ -C ₃₀ Alkyl or alkenyl, or heptyl, nonyl or undecyl;

·R ₅ represents beta-hydroxyethyl; and

·R ₆ represents a carboxymethyl group;

and

wherein:

a represents-CH ₂ CH ₂ OX'；

A' represents- (CH) ₂ ) z-Y', wherein z = 1 or 2;

x' represents a group-CH ₂ -C(O)-OH、-CH ₂ -C(O)-OZ’、-CH ₂ CH ₂ -C(O)-OH、-CH ₂ -CH ₂ -c (o) -OZ', or a hydrogen atom;

y 'represents-C (O) -OH, -C (O) -OZ' or a group-CH ₂ -CH(OH)-SO ₃ H or-CH ₂ -CH(OH)-SO ₃ Z’；

Z' represents an ion derived from an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, such as sodium, potassium or magnesium; ammonium ions; or from organic amines, in particular from aminoalcohols such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine or triisopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1, 3-propanediol and tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane,

·R ₇ represents the acid R preferably present in coconut oil or hydrolysed linseed oil ₇ C of C (O) -OH ₁₀ -C ₃₀ Alkyl or alkenyl, alkyl, especially C ₁₇ Radicals and their isotypes, or unsaturated C ₁₇ A group.

Mention may be made, for example, of the N-cocoamidocarboxymethylglycine salt of an alkali metal such as sodium, or, for example, under the name Miranol from the company Rhodia ^® Cocoamphodiacetate sold by C2M concentrate.

In particular canMention is made of betaine surfactants, e.g. (C) ₈ -C ₂₀ ) Alkyl betaines, sulfobetaines, (C) ₈ -C ₂₀ Alkyl) amido (C) ₂ -C ₈ Alkyl) betaines and (C) ₈ –C ₂₀ Alkyl) amido (C) ₂ -C ₈ Alkyl) sulfobetaine.

Of all the amphoteric surfactants mentioned above, preference is given to using cocoamidopropyl betaine, cocoyl betaine and the N-cocoamidocarboxymethylglycine salt of an alkali metal such as sodium.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the amphoteric surfactant mentioned above is cocamidopropyl betaine or cocoyl betaine.

The at least one amphoteric surfactant may be present in the composition according to the present invention in an amount ranging from 1% to 20%, such as from 2% to 15%, or from 3% to 10%, including all ranges and subranges therebetween, relative to the total weight of the composition.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the surfactant preferably comprises a combination of an anionic surfactant and an amphoteric surfactant. More preferably, the surfactants of the present invention comprise a combination of a sulfate anionic surfactant and a betaine surfactant, such as a combination of sodium laureth sulfate and cocamidopropyl betaine. Without being bound by any known theory, it is believed that such a combination may be particularly beneficial to the cleansing power of the shampoo, especially when the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) is incorporated for anti-itching effect.

Cationic Polymer (D)

The composition of the present invention may further comprise optionally at least one cationic polymer.

The term "cationic polymer" means any polymer comprising cationic groups and/or groups which can be ionized into cationic groups. Preferably, the cationic polymer is hydrophilic or amphiphilic. Preferred cationic polymers are selected from those containing units comprising primary, secondary, tertiary and/or quaternary amine groups, which may form part of the polymer backbone or may be carried by pendant substituents directly attached thereto.

Among the cationic polymers, mention may be made more particularly of:

(1) a homopolymer or copolymer derived from an acrylate or methacrylate or amide and comprising at least one unit of the formula:

wherein:

- R’ ₃ which may be the same or different, are hydrogen atoms or CH ₃ A group;

-a, which may be identical or different, represents a linear or branched divalent alkyl radical having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably 2 or 3 carbon atoms, or a hydroxyalkyl radical having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

- R’ ₄ 、R’ ₅ and R' ₆ Which may be identical or different, represent an alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms or a benzyl group, preferably an alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

- R’ ₁ and R' ₂ Which may be identical or different, represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably a methyl or ethyl radical;

-X refers to an anion derived from an inorganic or organic acid, such as a methylsulfate anion or a halide ion, such as chloride or bromide.

The copolymers of group (1) may also contain one or more monomers derived from monomers which may be chosen from acrylamide, methacrylamide, diacetoneacrylamide, substituted by C on the nitrogen ₁ -C ₄ Units of comonomers of alkyl-substituted acrylamides and methacrylamides, acrylic or methacrylic acid or esters thereof, vinyllactams such as vinylpyrrolidone or vinylcaprolactam and vinyl esters.

(2) Cationic polysaccharides, in particular cationic cellulose and cationic galactomannan gums. Among the cationic polysaccharides, mention may be made more particularly of cellulose ether derivatives comprising quaternary ammonium groups, cationic cellulose copolymers or cellulose derivatives grafted with water-soluble quaternary ammonium monomers and cationic galactomannan gums.

Cellulose ether derivatives containing quaternary ammonium groups are described in particular in French patent 1492597, and mention may be made of the polymers sold under the name Ucare Polymer JR (JR 400 LT, JR 125 and JR 30M) or LR (LR 400 or LR 30M) by the company Amerchol. These polymers are also defined in the CTFA dictionary as quaternary amines of hydroxyethyl cellulose that have been reacted with epoxides substituted with trimethylammonium groups.

Cationic cellulose copolymers or cellulose derivatives grafted with water-soluble quaternary ammonium monomers are described in particular in U.S. Pat. No. 4131576, and mention may be made of hydroxyalkylcelluloses grafted in particular with methacryloylethyltrimethylammonium, methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium, dimethyldiallylammonium or hydroxypropyltrialkylammonium salts, for example 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride, for example hydroxymethyl, hydroxyethyl or hydroxypropyl cellulose. A commercial product corresponding to this definition is more particularly Celquat, a product of National Starch ^® L200 and Celquat ^® H100 is a product sold under the name of Polyquta, or hydroxyethyl cellulose-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride ether (INCI name: Polyquaternium-10), such as that sold by KCI company ^® 400KC is sold under the name of a product.

Cationic galactomannan gums are more particularly described in us patent 3589578 and 4031307 and mention may be made of guar gums containing cationic trialkylammonium groups, such as guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride. Guar modified, for example, with 2, 3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium salts (e.g., chloride) is used. Such products are sold by Rhodia, inter alia, under the names Jaguar C13S, Jaguar C15, Jaguar C17 and Jaguar C162.

(3) Polymers consisting of piperazinyl units and of divalent alkylene or hydroxyalkylene groups containing linear or branched chains optionally interrupted by oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen atoms or by aromatic or heterocyclic rings, and the oxidation and/or quaternization products of these polymers.

(4) Water-soluble polyaminoamides, in particular prepared by polycondensation of acidic compounds with polyamines; these polyaminoamides may be crosslinked with epihalohydrins, diepoxides, dianhydrides, unsaturated dianhydrides, diunsaturated derivatives, bishalohydrin, bis-azetidinium, bis-haloacyldiamines or alkyl dihalides, or with oligomers resulting from the reaction of difunctional compounds that may be reacted with bishalohydrin, bis-azetidinium, bis-haloacyldiamines, alkyl dihalides, epihalohydrins, diepoxides or diunsaturated derivatives; the crosslinking agent is used in a proportion of 0.025 to 0.35 mol per amine group of the polyaminoamide; these polyaminoamides may be alkylated or, if they contain one or more tertiary amine functions, they may be quaternized.

(5) Polyaminoamide derivatives resulting from the condensation of polyalkylene polyamines with polycarboxylic acids and subsequent alkylation with difunctional agents. Mention may be made, for example, of adipic acid/dialkylaminoalkylenedialkylenetriamine polymers in which the alkyl radical comprises from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and preferably denotes methyl, ethyl or propyl. Among these derivatives, mention may be made more particularly of Cartaretine from the company Sandoz ^® F. F4 or F8 are adipic acid/dimethylaminopropyl/diethylenetriamine polymers sold under the name adipic acid/dimethylaminopropyl/diethylenetriamine.

(6) A polymer obtained by the reaction of a polyalkylene polyamine comprising two primary amine groups and at least one secondary amine group with a dicarboxylic acid selected from diglycolic acid and saturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acids having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms; the molar ratio of polyalkylene polyamine to dicarboxylic acid is preferably 0.8:1 to 1.4: 1; the polyaminoamide thus produced is reacted with epichlorohydrin in a molar ratio epichlorohydrin/secondary amine groups of polyaminoamide of preferably 0.5:1 to 1.8: 1. Polymers of this type are sold in particular by the company Hercules inc. under the name Hercosett 57 or, in the case of adipic acid/glycidyl/diethylenetriamine copolymers, by the company Hercules under the name PD 170 or Delsette 101.

(7) Cyclized polymers of alkyldiallylamines or dialkyldiallylammonium, such as homopolymers or copolymers comprising as main component of the chain units corresponding to the formulae (PI) or (PII):

wherein:

-k and t equal 0 or 1, the sum k + t equal 1;

- R ₁₂ refers to a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;

- R ₁₀ and R ₁₁ Independently of one another, alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl in which the alkyl has 1 to 5 carbon atoms, C ₁ -C ₄ An acylaminoalkyl group; or R ₁₀ And R ₁₁ May together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached represent a heterocyclic group such as piperidinyl or morpholinyl; r ₁₀ And R ₁₁ Independently of one another, preferably means alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

- Y ^- is an anion such as bromide, chloride, acetate, borate, citrate, tartrate, bisulfate, bisulfite, sulfate, or phosphate.

(8) A quaternary diammonium polymer comprising repeating units of the formula:

wherein:

- R ₁₃ 、R ₁₄ 、R ₁₅ and R ₁₆ Which may be identical or different, represent an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or araliphatic radical comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or C _1-4 A hydroxyalkyl aliphatic group, or R ₁₃ 、R ₁₄ 、R ₁₅ And R ₁₆ Together or separately, form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a heterocyclic ring optionally containing a second heteroatom other than nitrogen, or R ₁₃ 、R ₁₄ 、R ₁₅ And R ₁₆ Representing nitriles, esters, acyl, amides or-CO-O-R ₁₇ -D or-CO-NH-R ₁₇ Straight or branched chain C substituted with a group D ₁ -C ₆ Alkyl radical, wherein R ₁₇ Is alkylene and D is a quaternary ammonium group;

- A ₁ and B ₁ Represents a compound containing 2 to 20 carbon atomsA divalent polymethylene group which may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, and may contain one or more aromatic rings or one or more oxygen or sulfur atoms or sulfoxide, sulfone, disulfide, amino, alkylamino, hydroxyl, quaternary ammonium, ureido, amide or ester groups attached to or incorporated in the backbone, and

- X ^- refers to anions derived from inorganic or organic acids;

it is to be understood that A ₁ 、R ₁₃ And R ₁₅ May form a piperazine ring together with the two nitrogen atoms to which they are attached.

Furthermore, if A ₁ Meaning a saturated or unsaturated and linear or branched alkylene or hydroxyalkylene group, B ₁ May also mean (CH) ₂ ) _n -CO-D-OC-(CH ₂ ) _n -a group, wherein D means:

a) a diol residue of formula-O-Z-O-, wherein Z denotes a straight or branched hydrocarbon group or a group corresponding to one of the formulae: - (CH) ₂ -CH ₂ -O) _x -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -and- [ CH ₂ -CH(CH ₃ )-O] _y -CH ₂ -CH(CH ₃ ) -wherein x and y refer to integers from 1 to 4 representing a specified and single degree of polymerisation, or any number from 1 to 4 representing an average degree of polymerisation;

b) a bis-secondary diamine residue, such as a piperazine derivative;

c) formula (II): a bis-primary diamine residue of-NH-Y-NH-, wherein Y denotes a linear or branched hydrocarbon group or a divalent group-CH ₂ -CH ₂ -S-S-CH ₂ -CH ₂ -；

d) A ureylene group of the formula-NH-CO-NH-.

(9) A polyquaternary polymer comprising units of formula (PV):

wherein:

- R ₁₈ 、R ₁₉ 、R ₂₀ and R ₂₁ Which may be the same or different, represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl, ethyl, or,Propyl, beta-hydroxyethyl, beta-hydroxypropyl or-CH ₂ CH ₂ (OCH ₂ CH ₂ ) _p An OH group, wherein p is equal to 0 or an integer from 1 to 6, with the proviso that R ₁₈ 、R ₁₉ 、R ₂₀ And R ₂₁ Not simultaneously represent a hydrogen atom,

-r and s, which may be identical or different, are integers from 1 to 6,

q is equal to 0 or an integer from 1 to 34,

- X ^- refers to the presence of anions, such as halide ions,

-A is a dihalogen group or preferably represents-CH ₂ -CH ₂ -O-CH ₂ -CH ₂ -。

Examples which may be mentioned include the products sold by Miranol A15, Miranol AD1, Miranol AZ1 and Miranol 175.

(10) Quaternary polymers of vinylpyrrolidone and vinylimidazole, for example the products sold by BASF corporation under the name Luviquat FC 905, FC 550 and FC 370.

(11) Polyamines, such as Polyquart H sold by Cognis, which are named polyethylene glycol (15) tallow polyamine in the CTFA dictionary.

(12) A polymer comprising in its structure:

(a) one or more units corresponding to the following formula (A):

(b) optionally one or more units corresponding to the following formula (B):

in other words, these polymers may be chosen in particular from homopolymers or copolymers comprising one or more units derived from vinylamine and optionally one or more units derived from vinylformamide.

These cationic polymers are preferably chosen from polymers comprising in their structure from 5 to 100 mol% of units corresponding to formula (a) and from 0 to 95 mol% of units corresponding to formula (B), preferably from 10 to 100 mol% of units corresponding to formula (a) and from 0 to 90 mol% of units corresponding to formula (B).

These polymers can be obtained, for example, by partial hydrolysis of polyvinylformamide. This hydrolysis can be carried out in an acidic or basic medium.

The cationic charge density of these polymers may be from 2 to 20 meq/g, preferably from 2.5 to 15 meq/g, more particularly from 3.5 to 10 meq/g.

Polymers comprising units of formula (a) and optionally units of formula (B) are sold in particular by the company BASF under the name Lupamin, for example, without limitation, products sold under the names Lupamin 9095, Lupamin 5095, Lupamin 1095, Lupamin 9030 (or Luviquat 9030) and Lupamin 9010.

Other cationic polymers which may be used in the present invention are cationic proteins or cationic protein hydrolysates, polyalkyleneimines, in particular polyethyleneimine, polymers comprising vinylpyridine or vinylpyridinium units, condensates of polyamines and epichlorohydrin, quaternary polyhydrylenes and chitin derivatives.

Preferably, the cationic polymer is selected from those of the above-mentioned category (2). Cationic polymers useful in the compositions of the present invention may comprise quaternized hydroxyalkyl celluloses, such as quaternized hydroxyethyl cellulose. Useful polymers may be those having INCI names polyquaternium-10, polyquaternium-37, and the like.

The cationic polymer may be present in the composition according to the invention in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition, of one or more cationic polymers, preferably from 0.2 to 2.5% by weight, or preferably from 0.3 to 1% by weight.

Solvent(s)

The compositions according to the invention may advantageously comprise one or more solvents, for example water and/or organic solvents, in the adjuvant (B).

Water (I)

The composition according to the invention may advantageously comprise various amounts of water. For example, water is used in a content of greater than or equal to 40% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition. The water content in the low viscosity composition according to the invention is preferably from 40 to 90 wt.%, more preferably from 50 to 85 wt.%, or from 60 to 80 wt.%, relative to the total weight of the composition.

Organic solvent

The composition according to the invention may also comprise one or more organic solvents, preferably water-soluble organic solvents (water solubility greater than or equal to 5% at 25 ℃ and at atmospheric pressure).

Examples of organic solvents which may be mentioned include linear or branched and preferably saturated monoalcohols or diols containing from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, such as ethanol, isopropanol, hexanediol (2-methyl-2, 4-pentanediol), neopentyl glycol and 3-methyl-1, 5-pentanediol, butanediol, dipropylene glycol and propylene glycol; aromatic alcohols such as phenethyl alcohol; polyols containing more than two hydroxyl functions, such as glycerol; polyol ethers such as ethylene glycol monomethyl, monoethyl and monobutyl ethers, propylene glycol or ethers thereof, such as propylene glycol monomethyl ether; and diethylene glycol alkyl ethers, especially C ₁ -C ₄ Alkyl ethers, such as diethylene glycol monoethyl ether or monobutyl ether, alone or as a mixture.

When present, the organic solvent may constitute from 0 wt% to 20 wt%, preferably from 0.1 wt% to 15 wt%, or from 0.3 wt% to 5 wt%, relative to the total weight of the composition according to the invention. According to one embodiment of the invention, no alcohol, in particular no polyol, is intentionally added as an organic solvent to the composition of the invention. For example, the composition according to the invention may be free of any polyols. As another example, it is possible to add a polyol in order to act as a wetting agent, but it may also act as a solvent, wherein the polyol is not intentionally added as a solvent anyway.

Solubilizing agent/nonionic surfactant

The composition according to the invention may preferably have a transparent appearance. Accordingly, it is preferred to incorporate the fatty acid-ester mixture (a), in particular AVCO, in the oil phase of the oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsion. Accordingly, the solubilizer is preferably contained in the aqueous phase. For good suspension of the oil phase, the solubilizer is preferably a nonionic surfactant or a mixture thereof, more preferably a complex of solubilizers. As solubilizers, in particular for oil-in-water microemulsions, water-soluble organic solvents mentioned above, for example alcohols, such as ethanol, propanol, etc., can be used as solubilizers, in particular for the complexes.

Among the nonionic surfactants which can be used according to the invention, mention may be made, alone or as a mixture, of fatty alcohols, α -diols and alkylphenols, the three types of compounds being oxyalkylated, such as polyethoxylated and/or polypropoxylated and/or polyglycerolated, and containing fatty chains comprising, for example, from 6 to 40 carbon atoms, the number of alkylene oxides, such as ethylene oxide or propylene oxide groups, possibly being in particular from 2 to 50, and/or the number of glycerol groups possibly being in particular from 2 to 30. Mention may also be made of copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, condensates of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide with fatty alcohols; polyethoxylated fatty amides having preferably from 2 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide, polyglycerolated fatty amides having on average from 1 to 5, in particular from 1.5 to 4, glycerol groups, sorbitan esters of ethoxylated fatty acids having from 2 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide, fatty acid esters of sucrose, fatty acid esters of polyethylene glycol, alkylpolyglycosides, N-alkylglucamine derivatives, amine oxides, such as (C10-C14) alkylamine oxides or N-acylaminopropyl morpholine oxide.

The nonionic surfactant is preferably selected from:

(poly) ethoxylated fatty alcohol;

glycerinated fatty alcohols;

alkyl polyglycosides.

Wherein "fatty chain" means a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbyl chain containing from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably from 8 to 30 carbon atoms.

With regard to the alkyl polyglycosides or APGs, these compounds are well known to the person skilled in the art.

These compounds are more particularly represented by the following general formula:

in formula (XI):

Ø R ₁ represents a saturated or unsaturated, linear and branched alkyl and/or alkenyl group containing from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, or an alkylphenyl group, wherein the linear or branched alkyl group thereof contains from 8 to 24 carbon atoms;

Ø R ₂ represents an alkylene group containing about 2 to 4 carbon atoms;

in-process G represents a saccharide unit comprising from 5 to 6 carbon atoms;

the axial direction a means a value of 0 to 10, preferably 0 to 4, and

the axial direction b means a value of 1 to 15.

Preferred alkyl polyglycosides useful in the compositions of the invention are those wherein R is ₁ More particularly a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched alkyl radical comprising from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, a represents a value from 0 to 3, more particularly equal to 0, and G may represent glucose, fructose or galactose, preferably glucose.

The degree of polymerization, i.e. the value of b in formula (I), may be from 1 to 15, preferably from 1 to 4. The average degree of polymerization is more particularly 1 to 2, still more preferably 1.1 to 1.5.

The glycosidic linkages between the saccharide units are of the 1-6 or 1-4 type, preferably 1-4 type.

Representative of the compounds of formula (I) are especially Cognis in Plantaren ^® (600 CS/U, 1200 and 2000) or Plantacare ^® (818, 1200, and 2000) are products sold under the name. Seppic can also be used for Triton CG 110 (or Oramix CG 110) and Triton CG 312 (or Oramix CG 110) ^® NS 10) is sold under the name octyl/decyl glucoside, under the name Lutensol GD 70 by BASF, or under the name AG10 LK by Chem Y.

It is also possible to use, for example, Cognis in plantare ^® 818 UP is sold as C as a 53% aqueous solution ₈ -C ₁₆ Alkyl 1, 4-polyglucosides.

As regards mono-or polyglycerolated surfactants, they preferably comprise on average from 1 to 30 glycerol groups, more particularly from 1 to 10 glycerol groups, in particular from 1.5 to 5.

The mono-or polyglycerolated surfactant is preferably selected from compounds of the formula:

R’’O[CH ₂ CH(CH ₂ OH)O] _m H,

R’’O[CH ₂ CH(OH)CH ₂ O] _m h or

R’’O[CH(CH ₂ OH)CH ₂ O] _m H；

In these formulae:

r '' represents a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon radical comprising from 8 to 40 carbon atoms, preferably from 10 to 30 carbon atoms; m is an integer from 1 to 30, preferably from 1 to 10, more particularly from 1.5 to 6; r "may optionally comprise heteroatoms, such as oxygen and nitrogen. In particular, R "may optionally comprise one or more hydroxyl and/or ether and/or amide groups. R' preferably represents a monohydroxylated or polyhydroxylated C ₁₀ -C ₂₀ Alkyl and/or alkenyl.

For example, Chimex and Chimexane can be used ^® NF is the polyglycerolated (3.5 mol) hydroxy lauryl ether sold under the name NF.

The (poly) ethoxylated fatty alcohols suitable for carrying out the present invention are more particularly chosen from alcohols containing from 8 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably from 12 to 22 carbon atoms.

The (poly) ethoxylated fatty alcohol more particularly contains one or more linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups comprising from 8 to 30 carbon atoms, which are optionally substituted, in particular by one or more (in particular from 1 to 4) hydroxyl groups. If they are unsaturated, these compounds may contain from 1 to 3 conjugated or unconjugated carbon-carbon double bonds.

The one or more (poly) ethoxylated fatty alcohols preferably have the following formula (XII):

wherein

- R ₃ Represents a straight or branched chain C ₈ -C ₄₀ Alkyl or alkenyl, preferably C ₈ -C ₃₀ Alkyl or alkenyl, optionally substituted with one or more hydroxyl groups, and

c is an integer from 1 to 200 (including 1 and 200), preferably from 2 to 50, more particularly from 8 to 30, such as 20.

(poly) ethoxylated fatty alcohols, more particularly fatty alcohols containing 8 to 22 carbon atoms, are oxyethylenated with 1 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide (1 to 30 OE). Among these, mention may be made more particularly of lauryl alcohol 2 OE, lauryl alcohol 3 OE, decanol 5 OE and oleyl alcohol 20 OE.

Mixtures of these (poly) oxyethylenated fatty alcohols may also be used.

Among the nonionic surfactants, C is preferably used ₆ -C ₂₄ Alkyl polyglucosides and (poly) ethoxylated fatty alcohols, more particularly using C ₆ -C ₁₆ An alkyl polyglucoside.

According to the invention, the composition may comprise at least one fatty acid ester of glycerol and/or of polyglycerol for use as a nonionic surfactant, which is different from the esters which can be used for the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) according to the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment, the one or more fatty acid esters of polyglycerol are chosen from esters resulting from the reaction of a polyglycerol comprising 2 to 12 glycerol units, preferably 3 to 10 glycerol units, and at least one fatty acid containing 8 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 22 carbon atoms, better 10 to 20 carbon atoms, better 10 to 18 carbon atoms. The fatty acids containing from 8 to 24 carbon atoms may be straight or branched, and saturated or unsaturated.

The fatty acid may be selected from oleic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid, myristic acid, linoleic acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, or mixtures thereof.

The fatty acid esters of polyglycerol may be selected from monoesters, diesters, triesters and tetraesters, polyesters and mixtures thereof. It is preferred to use esters with a low degree of esterification, such as fatty acid mono-, di-or triesters of polyglycerol, or mixtures. The fatty acid ester of polyglycerol may be in the form of a mixture of esters having a low degree of esterification, for example a mixture of mono-and diesters or a mixture of mono-, di-and triesters.

According to one embodiment, the fatty acid ester of polyglycerol is selected from esters resulting from the reaction of polyglycerol comprising 3 to 10 glycerol units and at least one fatty acid containing 8 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 10 to 18 carbon atoms, such as oleic or linoleic acid.

Mention may in particular be made of polyglycerol-2 distearate, in particular sold under the name Emalex PGSA by NIHON EMULSION; polyglycerol-10 decastearate, particularly sold under the name Sunsoft Q-1810S by TAIYO KAGAKU; glyceryl oleate, particularly sold by COGNIS under the name Monomuls 90-O18; glyceryl stearate, in particular sold by COGNIS under the name Cutina GMS V; polyglycerol-5 hexastearate, particularly sold under the name Sunsoft a-186E by TAIYO KAGAKU; polyglycerol-10 pentaoleate sold specifically by TAIYO KAGAKU under the name Sunsoft Q-175S; polyglycerol-10 pentastearate, particularly sold under the name Sunsoft Q-185S by TAIYO KAGAKU; polyglycerol-4 isostearate, in particular sold under the name Isolan GI 34 by EVONIK GOLDSCHMIDT; diisostearoyl polyglycerol-3 dimer dilinoleate, particularly sold under the name Isolan PDI by EVONIK GOLDSCHMIDT; polyglycerol-2 oleate sold especially by TAIYO KAGAKU under the name Sunsoft Q-17B; polyglycerol-5 trimyristate, in particular sold under the name Sunsoft a-143E by TAIYO KAGAKU; polyglyceryl-2 caprylate, sold especially under the name Sunsoft Q-81B by TAIYO KAGAKU; polyglycerol-2 laurate, particularly sold under the name Sunsoft Q-12D by TAIYO KAGAKU.

According to a particular embodiment, the fatty acid suitable for reacting with one or more esters of polyglycerol comprises at least one hydroxyl group. This is the case for ricinoleic acid. Mention may in particular be made of polyglycerol-3 ricinoleate (and) sorbitan isostearate, in particular sold under the name Arlacel 1690 by CRODA, and polyglycerol-3 ricinoleate, in particular sold under the name Akoline PGPR by aarhuskarl shamn.

According to another embodiment, the fatty acid suitable for reaction with the one or more esters of polyglycerol is a polyacid comprising at least one hydroxyl group.

Examples of useful nonionic surfactants may thus comprise a polyol and a lipid having a saturated or unsaturated chain containing, for example, from 18 to 24 carbon atomsEsters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof, i.e. derivatives containing oxyethylenated and/or oxypropylenated units, e.g. C ₈ -C ₂₄ Glycerol esters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Sorbitol esters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; sorbitan esters of fatty acids (C) ₈ -C ₂₄ Fatty acid esters), and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Sugar (sucrose, glucose or alkyl glucose) esters of fatty acids, and their oxyalkylenated derivatives; a fatty alcohol ether; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Sugar ethers of fatty alcohols and mixtures thereof.

The at least one nonionic surfactant may be present in the compositions according to the present invention in an amount ranging from 0.2% to 20%, such as from 1% to 15%, or from 2% to 10% relative to the total weight of the composition, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the complex of solubilizers is used to improve the oil suspension in the micelles and to enhance the transparency of the shampoo product. Complexes of at least one of the above nonionic surfactants with the above alcohols useful as organic solvents are preferred. For example, an effective solubilizer complex may comprise 0.1-8% octyl/decyl glucoside and 0.1-3.5% alcohol in a clear shampoo containing sulfate surfactant, while an effective solubilizer complex may comprise 3-6% sorbitan polyoxyethylene (20) ether laurate and 2-4.5% alcohol in a clear shampoo free of sulfate surfactant, relative to the total weight of the composition.

Additive

According to various embodiments, the composition of the invention is intended to be applied to keratin materials, such as the skin, the scalp or the hair. According to these embodiments, the compositions of the invention may comprise various ingredients conventionally usable in care compositions for keratin materials, such as active ingredients, moisturizers, additional fatty substances, antidandruff agents, antiseborrheic agents, agents for preventing hair loss and/or promoting hair regrowth, vitamins and provitamins, including panthenol, sunscreens, chelating agents, plasticizers, acidulants, opacifying agents, pearlizing agents (pearlescers or nacreous agents), antioxidants, hydroxy acids, fragrances and preservatives.

A non-exhaustive list of these ingredients can be found in U.S. patent application publication 2004/0170586, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further examples of such additional components can be found inInternational Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook(9 th edition 2002).

The person skilled in the art will take care to select the optional additional additives and/or the amounts thereof such that the advantageous properties of the composition according to the invention are not or substantially not adversely affected by the addition in question.

These additives can be variously selected by those skilled in the art to prepare compositions having desired properties, such as consistency or texture. In particular, the additives (if used) and their amounts are determined inter alia on the basis of the specific product/its application, e.g. lotions, leave-on conditioners, shampoos, creams, rinse-off conditioners, emulsions, etc.

These additives may be present in the composition in an amount of from 0.01% to 90%, further for example from 0.1% to 50% (if present), relative to the total weight of the composition, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

Method and use

The compositions according to the invention can generally be prepared according to the general knowledge of a person skilled in the art. Nevertheless, it will be understood that the person skilled in the art may select a preparation method on the basis of his general knowledge, taking into account the properties of the ingredients used, such as their solubility in the carrier and the application envisaged for the composition or kit.

According to one embodiment, the composition according to the invention can be used for caring for keratin materials, in particular the hair together with the scalp. Such use may be represented by a method for caring for keratin materials, in particular the hair, comprising the step of applying the composition of the invention to said keratin materials.

The composition according to the invention is preferably useful for producing shampoo products. From the above detailed discussion, it is to be understood that shampoo products according to the invention can advantageously have a transparent appearance. Also in light of the above detailed discussion, it is to be understood that the compositions according to the present invention, and thus shampoo products, may be free of silicone oil and/or free of sulfate.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples, which illustrate particularly advantageous embodiments.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective measurements. The following examples are intended to illustrate the invention without thereby limiting its scope.

Examples

The amounts/concentrations of the ingredients in the compositions/formulations described below are expressed in weight% relative to the total weight of each composition/formulation.

Materials:

COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL Activated Virgin COCONUT (AVCO), available from BIOTROPICS

Other materials not described herein are each commercially available.

Example 1

Compositions a and B and comparative compositions C and D as in tables 1 and 2, respectively, were formulated:

TABLE 1

INCI	Composition A	Comparative composition C
			Sodium laureth sulfate (from Lianshu)I XINYUAN BIOLOGY AE 2S-70)	13	13
Cocoamidopropyl betaine (AMPHOSOL CG-50-X from STEPAN)	2.5	2.5
			Octyl/decyl glucoside (ORAMIX CG 110 from SEPPIC)	2.5	2.5
Glyceryl oleate (MONOMULS 90-O18 from BASF)	0.23	0.23
			Salicylic acid	0.2	0.2
Sodium benzoate	0.5	0.5
			Ethanol	3.9	3.9
Polyquaternium-10 (CELQUAT SC240C from AKZO NOBEL (NOURYON))	0.3	0.3
			Hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride (JAGUAR C162 SGI from RHODIA (SOLVAY))	0.3	0.3
AVCO (activated virgin coconut oil from BIOTROPICS)	0.9	-
			Citric acid	3	3
Ammonium hydroxide	1	1
			Sodium chloride	0.5	0.5
Hexanediol	0.5	0.5
			Perfume	1.1	1.1
Water (W)	QS to 100	QS to 100

TABLE 2

INCI US	Composition B	Comparative composition D
			Sodium lauroyl sarcosine (SP Crodasinic LS30SNT MBAL-LQ- (RB) from Croda)	6	6
Sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate (HOSTAPON SCI 85C from CLARIANT)	3	3
			Cocoamylbetaine (AMPHITOL 24B-2 from KAO)	3.6	3.6
Sorbitan polyoxyethylene (20) ether laurate (ERCASORB 2020 FD from ERCA)	5.5	5.5
			Polyoxyethylene (120) methyl glucose ether dioleate (glucarate DOE-120 THICKENER from LUBRIZOL)	2	2
Oleic acid glyceride	0.23	0.23
			Salicylic acid	0.2	0.2
Sodium benzoate	0.5	0.5
			Hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride	0.2	0.2
Ethanol	2.2	2.2
			AVCO	0.9	-
Citric acid	0.1	0.1
			Perfume	0.7	0.7
Water (W)	QS to 100	QS to 100

The above-listed compositions A-D were prepared according to manufacturing methods known in the art.

Compositions a-D were obtained as shampoo products according to the invention. In particular, all compositions A-D were obtained with a transparent appearance.

Example 2

The soothing feel of composition B was evaluated. 5 volunteers 25 to 45 years old applied composition B on hair and scalp daily for 3 weeks, followed by 2 weeks without composition B. Itching (soothing) was assessed over a total of 5 weeks. The score for itching before application of composition B was given as baseline and the score for itching after application of composition B was given daily.

The scores are given and calculated as follows:

in the first 3 weeks, each volunteer was shampooed with composition B every night, using the usual usage of each volunteer. In the next 2 weeks, each volunteer was also shampooed every night with a standard shampoo without AVCO, with the normal usage of each volunteer still being used.

Volunteers gave scores for itching sensation, where:

0 means unchanged;

-1 means moderate improvement;

-2 means a significant improvement; and

-3 means essentially no itching sensation.

The average score of 5 volunteers was counted daily and the weekly average was calculated. The average score for a total of 5 weeks is provided in table 3 below.

TABLE 3

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
						Composition A	-0.5	-1.0	-1.7	-1.3	-1.1
Composition B	-0.7	-0.9	-1.5	-1.3	-1.1

Referring to table 3, the lower the score, the less itching. It was observed that compositions a and B showed very good and long-lasting scratchproofing properties even 2 weeks after the last application of composition B.

Claims

1. A composition for the care of keratin materials comprising:

(A) a fatty acid-ester mixture comprising:

(a-I) a fatty acid component comprising at least 3 medium chain fatty acids, and

(a-II) an ester component comprising at least 3 monoesters of medium chain fatty acids and polyols; and

(B) at least one anionic surfactant;

(C) at least one amphoteric surfactant; and

(D) at least one cationic polymer,

wherein the medium chain fatty acid refers to a monocarboxylic acid having 6 to 20 carbon atoms.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) comprises at least 3 fatty acids selected from caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid, for use as component (a-I); and the corresponding glyceride of each fatty acid in component (A-I) is used as component (A-II);

preferably, the fatty acid component (a-I) comprises caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid; and the corresponding components (A-II) comprise glycerol monocaprylate, glycerol monocaprate and glycerol monolaurate; and

wherein the total amount of fatty acids of component (A-I) and the total amount of monoesters of component (A-II) are present in a ratio of 4:1 to 1:1, preferably 3:1 to 1:1, more preferably 2.5:1 to 1.5: 1.

3. A composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) is activated virgin coconut oil comprising:

-fatty acid components (a-I):

octanoic acid in an amount of 5 to 20 wt.%, preferably 7 to 15 wt.% or preferably 8 to 10 wt.%;

capric acid in an amount of 1-10 wt%, preferably 2-8 wt% or preferably 4-7 wt%; and

lauric acid in an amount of 20-70 wt.%, preferably 30-60 wt.% or preferably 40-55 wt.%;

and

monoester component (a-II):

glyceryl monocaprylate in an amount of 0.5-15 wt%, preferably 1-10 wt% or preferably 4-7 wt%;

glyceryl monocaprate in an amount of 0.1 to 10 wt.%, preferably 1 to 8 wt.% or preferably 3 to 5 wt.%; and

glycerol monolaurate in an amount of 10-40 wt.%, preferably 15-35 wt.% or preferably 20-30 wt.%;

each relative to the total amount of the fatty acid component (A-I) and the monoester component (A-II).

4. A composition according to claim 3, wherein the activated virgin coconut oil comprises:

-a fatty acid component (a-I) comprising caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid in an amount of 5-40 wt.%, preferably 10-30 wt.% or preferably 20-25 wt.%;

-a monoester component (a-II) comprising glycerol monocaprylate, glycerol monocaprate and glycerol monolaurate in an amount of 1-30% by weight, preferably 5-20% by weight or preferably 10-15% by weight;

-10-50 wt.%, preferably 20-45 wt.% or preferably 30-40 wt.% of the total amount of caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid diglycerides; and

-triglycerides of caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid in a total amount of 10-70 wt.%, preferably 15-50 wt.% or preferably 20-30 wt.%;

each relative to the total amount of activated virgin coconut oil.

5. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the anionic surfactant (B) is chosen from the alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts of: carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate, sulfoacetate, sulfosuccinate salt, phosphate, isethionate, sarcosinate, glutamate, lactylate, or taurate;

the following salts are preferred: (C) ₆ -C ₃₀ ) Alkyl sulfates, (C) ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl sarcosinate or (C) ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl (methyl) isethionate; or

The following salts are preferred: (C) ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl sarcosinate or (C) ₆ -C ₂₄ ) Acyl (methyl) isethionates.

6. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the anionic surfactant (B) is present in the composition in an amount of from 1% to 30%, such as from 5% to 20%, or from 10% to 15%, including all ranges and subranges therebetween, relative to the total weight of the composition.

7. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the amphoteric surfactant (C) is chosen from (C) ₈ -C ₂₀ ) Alkyl betaines, sulfobetaines, (C) ₈ -C ₂₀ Alkyl) amido (C) ₂ -C ₈ Alkyl) betaines and (C) ₈ –C ₂₀ Alkyl) amido (C) ₂ -C ₈ Alkyl) sulfobetaine surfactants; preference is given to cocamidopropyl betaine or cocoyl betaine.

8. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the amphoteric surfactant (C) is present in the composition in an amount ranging from 1% to 20%, such as from 2% to 15%, or from 3% to 10%, including all ranges and subranges therebetween, relative to the total weight of the composition.

9. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the composition comprises a combination of anionic surfactant in the form of a sulphate and betaine surfactant, such as a combination of sodium laureth sulphate and cocamidopropyl betaine.

10. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the cationic polymer (D) is chosen from cationic celluloses and cationic galactomannan gums, for example quaternized hydroxyalkyl celluloses or guars comprising cationic trialkylammonium groups, such as quaternized hydroxyethyl cellulose or guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride.

11. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cationic polymer (D) is present in the composition in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 5% by weight of one or more cationic polymers, preferably ranging from 0.2 to 2.5% by weight, or preferably ranging from 0.3 to 1% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition.

12. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one nonionic surfactant acting as a solubilizer selected from C ₁₈ -C ₂₄ Glycerol esters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Sorbitol esters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Sorbitan esters of fatty acidsEsters, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Sugar esters of fatty acids, and oxyalkylenated derivatives thereof; a fatty alcohol ether; c ₈ -C ₂₄ Sugar ethers of fatty alcohols and mixtures thereof.

13. The composition according to claim 12, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is present in the composition in an amount ranging from 0.2% to 20%, such as from 1% to 15%, or from 2% to 10%, including all ranges and subranges therebetween, relative to the total weight of the composition.

14. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims 12 to 13, comprising a complex of solubilizers containing from 0.1 to 8% of octyl/decyl glucoside and from 0.1 to 3.5% of alcohol, or a complex of solubilizers containing from 3 to 6% of polyoxyethylene sorbitan (20) ether laurate and from 2 to 4.5% of alcohol, relative to the total weight of the composition.

15. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims 12 to 14, in the form of a transparent microemulsion, wherein the fatty acid-ester mixture (a) is contained in an oil phase and the non-ionic surfactant is contained in an aqueous phase.

16. A shampoo product comprising a composition according to any preceding claim.

17. A shampoo product according to claim 16, having a transparent appearance.

18. Method for soothing itching sensations of keratin materials, in particular the scalp, comprising the step of applying a composition according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 15 on keratin materials.

19. Use of a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 15 for soothing itching sensations of keratin materials.