EP2273967A1

EP2273967A1 - Hair styling composition

Info

Publication number: EP2273967A1
Application number: EP09745621A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Susan Pye Nee Brownbill; Paul Carpenter; Andrew Hopkinson; Prem Kumar Cheyalazhagan Paul
Original assignee: Unilever PLC; Unilever NV
Current assignee: Unilever PLC; Unilever NV
Priority date: 2008-05-12
Filing date: 2009-03-25
Publication date: 2011-01-19
Also published as: BRPI0908640A2; EA201071293A1; JP2011519965A; ZA201007879B; WO2009138288A1

Abstract

A method of treating hair comprising the step of applying to the hair a composition comprising: i) a group III or group IV metal salt or combination thereof; and ii) a sugar comprising 1 to 7 sugar units.

Description

Hair Styling Composition

The invention relates to hair styling compositions.

The styling market can be classified in various sub-sets based on the desired styling effect; one such sub-set is products for straightening the hair.

A problem with straightened hair is that once the straightening process has taken place the hair tends to increase in volume and appear fluffy, this is especially troublesome in humid conditions.

Sugars and sugar derivatives are one class of the countless number of compounds that have been added to hair care compositions. US 2001/0022967 discloses a hair styling composition comprising an active holding polymer and a sugar .

WO 2004/037217 describes heat activated durable styling compositions comprising saccharides and film forming agents.

US 5507970 discloses detergent composition comprising sugar based surfactants, fatty acid and mono or oligosaccharides. The compositions of this disclosure would not be suitable for styling hair.

The present invention relates to a method of straightening hair and so retaining this straightened style. A further advantage of the present invention is that of re- stylability .

The present invention relates to a method of treating hair comprising the step of applying to the hair a composition comprising : i) a group III or group IV metal salt or mixtures thereof; and ii) a sugar comprising 1 to 7 sugar units

This invention also relates to a method of styling hair comprising the step of applying to the hair a composition as described above.

Compositions of the invention comprise a group III or group IV metal salt, the metal salt is preferably an aluminium or zirconium salt.

Chloride salts are advantageous. It is particularly preferred if the metal salt is aluminium chloride.

The level of metal salt is preferably from 0.01 to 10 wt% of the total composition, more preferably from 0.1 to 5 wt%.

Compositions of the invention comprise sugars selected from the group consisting of reducing and non-reducing sugars, sugar acids and lactones. Preferred sugars are monosaccharides, more preferably di-saccharides . Particularly preferred are trehalose, gluconolactone and cellobiose.

Preferred mono-saccharides are glucose, xylose and mannose. Preferred disaccharides are sucrose, maltose, lactose, cellobiose, trehalose, lactulose, isomalt, lactitol, gluconolactone, maltitol and palatinose. Higher sugar oligomers can also be used preferably such oligomers have from 3 to 7 sugar units. Preferred sugar oligomers include raffinose, melezitose, lactosucrose, maltotriose, cellotriose, maltotetraose, cellotetraose, maltopentaose, maltohexaose and maltoseptaose . Syrups containing significant amounts of 3 and/or 4 residue sugars like G4, G4 H and Hallodex (Hayashibara) are also suitable.

The level of disaccharides present in the total composition is from 0.05 wt% to 49 wt%, more preferably from 0.2wt% to 5 wt%, most preferably from 0.5wt% to 4wt%.

The weight ratio of sugar to metal salt is preferably from 4:1 to 1:3, more preferably from 2:1 t 1:2.

In many aspects of this invention it is desirable if the composition comprises a styling aid.

Particularly useful as styling aids with this invention are hair styling polymers. Hair styling polymers are well known and many such polymers are available commercially which contain moieties which render the polymers cationic, anionic, amphoteric or nonionic in nature. The polymers may be synthetic or naturally derived.

Styling aids such as vinylic polymer are preferred, in particular block copolymers. The amount of the hair styling polymer may range from 0.1 to 10%, preferably 0.5 to 8 %, more preferably 0.75 to 6% by weight based on total weight of the composition. Examples of anionic hair styling polymers are:

copolymers of vinyl acetate and crotonic acid; terpolymers of vinyl acetate, crotonic acid and a vinyl ester of an alpha-branched saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid such as vinyl neodecanoate;

copolymers of methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride (molar ratio about 1:1) wherein such copolymers are 50% esterified with a saturated alcohol containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms such as ethanol or butanol;

acrylic copolymers containing acrylic acid or methacrylic acid as the anionic radical-containing moiety with other monomers such as: esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid with one or more saturated alcohols having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms (such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-butyl acrylate, t-butyl acrylate, t-butyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, n-octyl acrylate, lauryl methacrylate and behenyl acrylate) ;

glycols having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms (such as hydroxypropyl methacrylate and hydroxyethyl acrylate) ;

styrene; vinyl caprolactam; vinyl acetate; acrylamide; alkyl acrylamides and methacrylamides having 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl group (such as methacrylamide, t-butyl acrylamide and n-octyl acrylamide) ; and other compatible unsaturated monomers.

The polymer may also contain grafted silicone, such as polydimethylsiloxane .

Specific examples of suitable anionic hair styling polymers are :

RESYNa 28-2930 available from National Starch (vinyl acetate/crotonic acid/vinyl neodecanoate copolymer) ;

ULTRAHOLDa 8 available from BASF (CTFA designation Acrylates/acrylamide copolymer) ;

the GANTREZaES series available from ISP corporation

(esterified copolymers of methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride) .

Other suitable anionic hair styling polymers include carboxylated polyurethanes . Carboxylated polyurethane resins are linear, hydroxyl-terminated copolymers having pendant carboxyl groups. They may be ethoxylated and/or propoxylated at least at one terminal end. The carboxyl group can be a carboxylic acid group or an ester group, wherein the alkyl moiety of the ester group contains one to three carbon atoms. The carboxylated polyurethane resin can also be a copolymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone and a polyurethane, having a CTFA designation PVP/polycarbamyl polyglycol ester. Suitable carboxylated polyurethane resins are disclosed in EP-A-0619111 and US Patent No. 5,000,955. Other suitable hydrophilic polyurethanes are disclosed in US Patent Nos. 3, 822, 238; 4, 156, 066; 4, 156, 067; 4, 255, 550; and 4, 743, 673.

Amphoteric hair styling polymers which can contain cationic groups derived from monomers such as t-butyl aminoethyl methacrylate as well as carboxyl groups derived from monomers such as acrylic acid or methacrylic acid can also be used in the present invention. One specific example of an amphoteric hair styling polymer is Amphomera (Octylacrylamide/ acrylates/butylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer) sold by the National Starch and Chemical Corporation .

Examples of nonionic hair styling polymers are homopolymers of N- vinylpyrrolidone and copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone with compatible nonionic monomers such as vinyl acetate. Nonionic polymers containing N- vinylpyrrolidone in various weight average molecular weights are available commercially from ISP Corporation - specific examples of such materials are homopolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone having an average molecular weight of about 630,000 sold under the name PVP K-90 and are homopolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone having an average molecular weight of about 1,000,000 sold under the name of PVP K-120.

Other suitable nonionic hair styling polymers are cross- linked silicone resins or gums. Specific examples include rigid silicone polymers such as those described in EP-A-0240350 and cross-linked silicone gums such as those described in WO 96/31188. Examples of cationic hair styling polymers are copolymers of amino-functional acrylate monomers such as lower alkyl aminoalkyl acrylate, or methacrylate monomers such as dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, with compatible monomers such as N-vinylpyrrolidone, vinyl caprolactam, alkyl methacrylates (such as methyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate) and alkyl acrylates (such as ethyl acrylate and n-butyl acrylate) .

Specific examples of suitable cationic hair styling polymers are :

copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, available from ISP Corporation as Copolymer 845, Copolymer 937 and Copolymer 958;

copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone and dimethylaminopropylacrylamide or methacrylamide, available from ISP Corporation as Stylezea CClO; copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidine and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate;

copolymers of vinylcaprolactam, N-vinylpyrrolidone and dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate;

Polyquaternium-4 (a copolymer of diallyldimonium chloride and hydroxyethylcellulose) ;

Polyquaternium-11 (formed by the reaction of diethyl sulphate and a copolymer of vinyl pyrrolidone and dimethyl aminoethylmethacrylate) , available from ISP as Gafquata 734, 755 and 755N, and from BASF as Luviquata PQIl;

Polyquaternium-16 (formed from methylvinylimidazolium chloride and vinylpyrrolidone) , available from BASF as Luviquata FC 370, FC 550, FC 905 and HM-552;

Polyquaternium-46 (prepared by the reaction of vinylcaprolactam and vinylpyrrolidone with methylvinylimidazolium methosulphate) , available from BASF as LuviquataHold.

Examples of suitable naturally-derived hair styling polymers include shellac, alginates, gelatins, pectins, cellulose derivatives and chitosan or salts and derivatives thereof. Commercially available examples include Kytamera (ex Amerchol) and Amazea (ex National Starch) .

Also suitable for use as optional components in the compositions of the invention are the ionic copolymers described in WO 93/03703, the polysiloxane-grafted polymers disclosed in WO 93/23446, the silicone-containing polycarboxylic acid copolymers described in WO 95/00106 or WO 95/32703, the thermoplastic elastomeric copolymers described in WO 95/01383, WO 95/06078, WO 95/06079 and WO 95/01384, the silicone grafted adhesive polymers disclosed in WO 95/04518 or WO 95/05800, the silicone macro- grafted copolymers taught in WO 96/21417, the silicone macromers of WO 96/32918, the adhesive polymers of WO 98/48770 or WO 98/48771 or WO 98/48772 or WO 98/48776, the graft polymers of WO 98/51261 and the grafted copolymers described in WO 98/51755.

With certain of the above-described polymers it may be necessary to neutralise some acidic groups to promote solubility/dispersibility . Examples of suitable neutralising agents include 2-amino-2- methyl- 1, 3- propanediol (AMPD); 2-amino-2-ethyl-l, 3-propanediol (AEPD); 2-amino-2-methyl-l-propanol (AMP) ; 2-amino-l-butanol (AB) ; monoethanolamine (MEA) ; diethanolamine (DEA) ; triethanolamine (TEA) ; monoisopropanolamine (MIPA) ; diisopropanol-amine (DIPA) ; triisopropanolamine (TIPA) ; and dimethyl stearamine (DMS) . A long chain amine neutralising agent such as stearamidopropyl dimethylamine or lauramidopropyl dimethylamine may be employed, as is described in US 4,874,604. Also suitable are inorganic neutralisers, examples of which include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and borax. Mixtures of any of the above neutralising agents may be used. Amounts of the neutralising agents will range from about 0.001 to about 10% by weight of the total composition.

Compositions of the present invention are formulated into hair care compositions with hair styling claims. The compositions are preferably used to non-permanently style human hair and, more preferably, they are packaged and labeled as such. The term non-permanently mean that during the styling process the inter cystine-disulphide bonds are not broken. This means that there are no reductive agents in the hair care composition. It is preferred if the products are left on hair after application and not immediately washed off (within 10 minutes of application) . Such products are known as leave in compositions. Leave in styling compositions are particularly preferred.

Preferred product forms are leave on formulations such as mousses, gels, waxes, sprays and aerosols. Particularly preferred are creams.

Hair styling waxes, creams or gels also typically contain a structurant or thickener, typically in an amount of from 0.01% to 10% by weight.

Examples of suitable structurants or thickeners are polymeric thickeners such as carboxyvinyl polymers. A carboxyvinyl polymer is an interpolymer of a monomeric mixture comprising a monomeric olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of the total monomers of a polyether of a polyhydric alcohol. Carboxyvinyl polymers are substantially insoluble in liquid, volatile organic hydrocarbons and are dimensionally stable on exposure to air. Suitably the molecular weight of the carboxyvinyl polymer is at least

750,000, preferably at least 1,250,000, most preferably at least 3,000,000. Preferred carboxyvinyl polymers are copolymers of acrylic acid cross-linked with allylsucrose or allylpentaerythritol as described in US Patent 2,798,053. These polymers are provided by B. F. Goodrich Company as, for example, CARBOPOL 934, 940, 941 and 980. Other materials that can also be used as structurants or thickeners include those that can impart a gel-like viscosity to the composition, such as water soluble or colloidally water soluble polymers like cellulose ethers (e.g. methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and carboxymethylcellulose) , guar gum, sodium alginate, gum arabic, xanthan gum, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, hydroxypropyl guar gum, starch and starch derivatives, and other thickeners, viscosity modifiers, gelling agents, etc. It is also possible to use inorganic thickeners such as bentonite or laponite clays.

Such styling products frequently include a carrier and further additional components. The carriers and additional components required to formulate such products vary with product type and can be routinely chosen by one skilled in the art. The following is a description of some of these carriers and additional components.

The pH of the formulation is preferably from 2.5 to 6 at 25⁰C. More preferably from 3 to 5.

Hair care compositions of the present invention can comprise a carrier, or a mixture of such carriers, which are suitable for application to the hair. The carriers are present at from about 0.5% to about 99.5%, preferably from about 5.0% to about 99.5%, more preferably from about 10.0% to about 98.0%, of the composition. As used herein, the phrase "suitable for application to hair" means that the carrier does not damage or negatively affect the aesthetics of hair or cause irritation to the underlying skin. Compositions according to the invention comprise a buffer or pH adjuster. Preferred buffers or pH adjusters include weak acids and bases such glycine/sodium hydroxide, citric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, acetic salt and salts thereof. Frequently a mixture of buffering system is used such as sodium citrate and citric acid.

Carriers suitable for use with hair care compositions of the present invention include, for example, those used in the formulation of hair sprays, mousses, tonics, waters, creams gels, shampoos, conditioners, and rinses. The choice of appropriate carrier will depend on the particular product to be formulated. The carriers used herein can include a wide range of components conventionally used in hair care compositions. The carriers can contain a solvent to dissolve or disperse the styling compound being used, with water, the Ci-Cε alcohols, lower alkyl acetate and mixtures thereof being preferred. The carriers can also contain a wide variety of additional materials such as acetone, hydrocarbons (such as isobutane, hexane, decene) , halogenated hydrocarbons (such as Freons) and volatile silicones such as cyclomethicone .

When the hair care composition is a hair spray, tonic, gel, or mousse the preferred solvents include water, ethanol, volatile silicone derivatives, and mixtures thereof. The solvents used in such mixtures may be miscible or immiscible with each other. Mousses and aerosol hair sprays can also utilise any of the conventional propellants to deliver the material as a foam (in the case of a mousse) or as a fine, uniform spray (in the case of an aerosol hair spray) . Examples of suitable propellants include materials such as trichlorofluoromethane, dichlorodifluoromethane, difluoroethane, dimethylether, propane, n-butane or isobutane. A tonic or hair spray product having a low viscosity may also utilise an emulsifying agent. Examples of suitable emulsifying agents include nonionic, cationic, anionic surfactants, or mixtures thereof. If such an emulsifying agent is used, it is preferably present at a level of from about 0.01% to about 7.5% by weight based on total weight of the composition. The level of propellant can be adjusted as desired but is generally from about 3% to about 30% by weight based on total weight for mousse compositions and from about 15% to about 50% by weight based on total weight for aerosol hair spray compositions.

Suitable spray containers are well known in the art and include conventional, non-aerosol pump sprays i.e., "atomisers", aerosol containers or cans having propellant, as described above, and also pump aerosol containers utilising compressed air as the propellant.

The formulation may include conditioning materials such as surfactants, cationic conditioners suitable for hair, quaternary silicone polymers, silicone based conditioners and their emulsions, and amino functional silicones and their emulsions.

Suitable silicones include polydiorganosiloxanes, in particular polydimethylsiloxanes which have the CTFA designation dimethicone. Also suitable for use compositions of the invention (particularly shampoos and conditioners) are polydimethyl siloxanes having hydroxyl end groups, which have the CTFA designation dimethiconol . Also suitable for use in compositions of the invention are silicone gums having a slight degree of cross-linking, as are described for example in WO 96/31188.

The viscosity of the emulsified silicone itself (not the emulsion or the final hair conditioning composition) is typically at least 10,000 cst. The viscosity of the silicone itself is preferably at least 60,000 cst, most preferably at least 500,000 cst, ideally at least 1,000,000 cst. Preferably the viscosity does not exceed 10⁹ cst for ease of formulation . Emulsified silicones for use the invention will typically have an average silicone particle size in the composition of less than 30, preferably less than 20, more preferably less than 10 microns. Most preferably the average silicone particle size of the emulsified silicone in the composition is less than 2 microns, ideally it ranges from 0.01 to 1 micron. Silicone emulsions having an average silicone particle size of ≤ 0.15 microns are generally termed microemulsions .

Particle size may be measured by means of a laser light scattering technique, using a 2600D Particle Sizer from Malvern Instruments.

Suitable silicone emulsions for use in the invention are also commercially available in a pre-emulsified form. Examples of suitable pre-formed emulsions include emulsions DC2-1766, DC2-1784, and microemulsions DC2-1865 and DC2- 1870, all available from Dow Corning. These are all emulsions/microemulsions of dimethiconol . Cross-linked silicone gums are also available in a pre-emulsified form, which is advantageous for ease of formulation. A preferred example is the material available from Dow Corning as DC X2- 1787, which is an emulsion of cross-linked dimethiconol gum. A further preferred example is the material available from Dow Corning as DC X2-1391, which is a microemulsion of cross-linked dimethiconol gum.

A further preferred class of silicones for inclusion in the invention are amino functional silicones. By "amino functional silicone" is meant a silicone containing at least one primary, secondary or tertiary amine group, or a quaternary ammonium group.

Examples of suitable amino functional silicones include:

(i) polysiloxanes having the CTFA designation "amodimethicone", and the general formula:

HO- [ S i ( CH₃ ) ₂-O- ] _χ- [ S i ( OH) ( CH₂CH₂CH₂ -NH- CH₂CH₂NH₂ ) -O- ] -H

in which x and y are numbers depending on the molecular weight of the polymer, generally such that the molecular weight is between about 5,000 and 500,000.

(ii) polysiloxanes having the general formula: R^' _aG₃-a- S i ( OS iG₂ ) _n- ( OS iG_bR^' ₂-b) _m-O- S iG₃-_a-R^' a

in which :

G is selected from H, phenyl, OH or Ci-8 alkyl, e.g. methyl; a is 0 or an integer from 1 to 3, preferably 0; b is 0 or 1, preferably 1; m and n are numbers such that (m + n) can range from 1 to 2000, preferably from 50 to 150; m is a number from 1 to 2000, preferably from 1 to 10; n is a number from 0 to 1999, preferably from 49 to 149, and

R is a monovalent radical of formula -C_qH2_qL in which q is a number from 2 to 8 and L is an aminofunctional group selected from the following:

-NR^"-CH₂-CH₂-N (R^" ) ₂ -N(R^")₂

-N⁺(R^")₃A^"

-N⁺H(R^")₂ A^"

-N⁺H₂ (R^") A^"

-N(R^") -CH₂-CH₂-N⁺H₂ (R^") A^"

in which R^" is selected from H, phenyl, benzyl, or a saturated monovalent hydrocarbon radical, e.g. Ci-20 alkyl, and;

A is a halide ion, e.g. chloride or bromide. Suitable amino functional silicones corresponding to the above formula include those polysiloxanes termed "trimethylsilylamodimethicone" as depicted below, and which are sufficiently water insoluble so as to be useful in compositions of the invention:

Si(CH₃)₃ - 0 - [Si(CH₃)₂ - 0 - ]_x - [Si (CH₃) (R - NH - CH₂CH₂ NH₂) - 0 -]_y - Si (CH₃) ₃

wherein x + y is a number from about 50 to about 500, and wherein R is an alkylene group having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms. Preferably, the number x + y is in the range of from about 100 to about 300.

(iϋ) quaternary silicone polymers having the general formula :

{ (R¹) (R²) (R³) N⁺ CH₂CH(OH)CH₂O(CH₂)S[Si (R⁴) (R⁵) -CH]_n-Si (R⁶) (R⁷) - (CH₂)₃-O-CH₂CH(OH)CH₂N⁺(R⁸) (R⁹) (R¹⁰) } (X^") 2

wherein R¹ and R¹⁰ may be the same or different and may be independently selected from H, saturated or unsaturated long or short chain alk(en)yl, branched chain alk(en)yl and C₅-Cs cyclic ring systems;

R² thru' R⁹ may be the same or different and may be independently selected from H, straight or branched chain lower alk(en)yl, and C₅-Cs cyclic ring systems; n is a number within the range of about 60 to about 120, preferably about 80, and - I i

X is preferably acetate, but may instead be for example halide, organic carboxylate, organic sulphonate or the like. Suitable quaternary silicone polymers of this class are described in EP-A-O 530 974.

Amino functional silicones suitable for use in the invention will typically have a mole % amine functionality in the range of from about 0.1 to about 8.0 mole %, preferably from about 0.1 to about 5.0 mole %, most preferably from about 0.1 to about 2.0 mole %. In general the amine concentration should not exceed about 8.0 mole % since we have found that too high an amine concentration can be detrimental to total silicone deposition and therefore conditioning performance.

The viscosity of the amino functional silicone can suitably range from about 100 to about 500,000 cst.

Specific examples of amino functional silicones suitable for use in the invention are the aminosilicone oils DC2-8220, DC2-8166, DC2-8466, and DC2-8950-114 (all ex Dow Corning), and GE 1149-75, (ex General Electric Silicones) .

Also suitable are emulsions of amino functional silicone oils with non ionic and/or cationic surfactant.

Suitably such pre-formed emulsions will have an average amino functional silicone particle size in the shampoo composition of less than 30, preferably less than 20, more preferably less than 10 microns. Most preferably the average amino functional silicone particle size in the composition is less than 2 microns, ideally it ranges from 0.01 to 1 micron. Silicone emulsions having an average silicone particle size of ≤ 0.15 microns are generally termed microemulsions .

Pre-formed emulsions of amino functional silicone are also available from suppliers of silicone oils such as Dow Corning and General Electric. Specific examples include DC929 Cationic Emulsion, DC939 Cationic Emulsion, and the non-ionic emulsions DC2-7224, DC2-8467, DC2-8177 and DC2- 8154 (all ex Dow Corning) .

An example of a quaternary silicone polymer useful in the present invention is the material K3474, ex Goldschmidt.

The total amount of silicone incorporated into compositions of the invention depends on the level of conditioning desired and the material used. A preferred amount is from 0.01 to about 10% by weight of the total composition.

We have found that a total amount of silicone of from 0.3 to 5%, preferably 2 to 8%, by weight of the total composition is a suitable level.

Further general ingredients suitable for all product forms include, sun-screening agents, anti-dandruff actives, carboxylic acid polymer thickeners for hair shampoo and conditioner compositions and emulsifiers for emulsifying the various carrier components of the compositions of the invention . The compositions of the present invention may also contain adjuncts suitable for hair care. Generally such ingredients are included individually at a level of up to 2, preferably up to 1 wt% of the total composition. Suitable hair care adjuncts, include amino acids, sugars and ceramides.

The method of the invention comprises applying compositions of the invention preferably followed by a heating step to a temperature above 50⁰C, more preferably above 100⁰C, more preferably above 180°C.

The following non-limiting Examples further illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention. All percentages referred to in the examples and throughout this specification are by weight based on total weight unless otherwise indicated. Examples

Hair switches used were dark brown European wavy Hair (waviness number 6) .

Experiment 1 :

Experiment 1: Dark brown European wavy switches of length 26 cm long and weight 2gms, were soaked in 2% aqueous solutions described below and styled straight when wet using a comb (The pH of the solutions that included AICI3 were adjusted by NaOH pH 4) . They were left to dry at 20⁰C and 50%RH. When dry the switches were combed 10 times and pictures taken. The volume of the switches shows the straightening benefit of aluminium chloride with and without sugars. All the numbers are an average between 2 and 6 experiments .

Straight styling benefit is evidenced by the decrease in volume compared to control.

Experiment 2 :

The cream according to the invention gave the best straightening benefit.

Experiment 3 :

Restyability : dark brown wavy switches treated as in experiment 1 were further wetted with a fine water mist spray after leaving overnight. They were then dried, combed and pictures taken. The table below shows the restyling benefits of AICI3 with sugars compared to AICI3 alone.

Claims

1. A method of treating hair comprising the step of applying to the hair a composition comprising: i) a group III or group IV metal salt or combination thereof; and ii) a sugar comprising 1 to 7 sugar units.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the metal salt is an aluminium or zirconium salt.

3. A method according to any preceding claim in which the metal salt is a chloride.

4. A method according to any preceding claim in which the metal salt is aluminium chloride.

5. A method according to any preceding claim in which the sugar is selected from the group consisting of a disaccharide .

6. A method according to claim 5 in which the disaccharide is selected from the group consisting of sucrose, maltose, lactose, cellobiose, trehalose, lactulose, lactitol, gluconolactone, maltitol and palatinose.

7. A method according to any preceding claim in which the level of sugar is from 0.1 to 5 wt% of the total composition .

8. A method according to any preceding claim in which the level of metal salt is from 0.1 to 5 wt% of the total composition .

9. A method according to any preceding claim in which the weight ratio of sugar to metal salt is from 4:1 to 1:3.

10. A method according to any preceding claim in which the composition further comprises a silicone.

11. A method according to any preceding claim in which the composition is a leave in styling composition.