EP2787964A1 - Composition based on a powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) and on oil(s) and/or butter(s), and hair dyeing process using this composition - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a composition A, which is preferably compact and/or anhydrous, comprising at least 20% of powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) and at least one oil and/or one butter, and also to an aqueous composition B preferably in the form of a poultice, for dyeing keratin fibres, to the process for dyeing keratin fibres by treating said fibres with said composition, and to the use of the composition and of a poultice for dyeing keratin fibres. Compositions A and B according to the invention make it possible to dye keratin fibres with strong and chromatic dyeing results that are resistant to washing, perspiration, sebum and light, and that are moreover long-lasting, without impairing said fibres. Furthermore, the use of compositions A and B does not give off any raw material dust (dust-free). These compositions are easy to use, in total safety and with no risk of staining. In addition, composition A and the dyeing active agent remain stable on storage. The treated keratin fibres have a very pleasant aesthetic appearance and their integrity is respected.

Description

COMPOSITION BASED ON A POWDER OF INDIGO-YIELDING PLANT(S) AND ON OIL(S) AND/OR BUTTER(S), AND HAIR DYEING PROCESS USING THIS COMPOSITION

The invention relates to a composition A, which is preferably compact and/or anhydrous, comprising at least 20% of a powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) and at least one oil and/or at least one butter, and also to an aqueous composition B derived from A for dyeing keratin fibres, to the process for dyeing keratin fibres using composition A or B, and to the use of composition A or B for dyeing keratin fibres.

Two major methods for dyeing human keratin fibers, and in particular the hair, are known.

The first, known as oxidation dyeing or permanent dyeing, consists in using one or more oxidation dye precursors, more particularly one or more oxidation bases, optionally combined with one or more couplers.

Oxidation bases, are usually selected from ortho- or para-phenylenediamines, ortho- or para-aminophenols, and heterocyclic compounds. These oxidation bases are colourless or weakly coloured compounds, which, when combined with oxidizing products, can give rise via a process of oxidative condensation to coloured species, which remain trapped within the fibre.

The shades obtained with these oxidation bases are very often varied by combining them with one or more couplers, these couplers being chosen especially from aromatic meta- diamines, meta-aminophenols, meta-diphenols and certain heterocyclic compounds, such as indole compounds.

The variety of the molecules used as oxidation bases and couplers allows a rich palette of colours to be obtained.

The second dyeing method, known as direct dyeing or semi-permanent dyeing, comprises the application of direct dyes, which are coloured and colouring molecules that have an affinity for the fibres. Given the nature of the molecules used, they rather remain on the surface of the fibre and penetrate relatively little into the fibre, when compared with the small molecules of oxidation dye precursors. The main advantages of this type of dyeing are that it does not require any oxidizing agent, which limits the degradation of the fibres, and that it does not use any dyes that have a particular reactivity, resulting in limitation of the intolerance risks.

The first hair dyes were semi-permanent. One of the most widely known natural dyes is indigo (see Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, "Hair Preparations", point 5.2.3, 2006 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim; 10.1002/14356007.a12 571 .pub2). Indigo continues to be used for making women more attractive by dyeing the hair or colouring the nails, or for dyeing fabrics (jeans), leather, silk and wool, etc.. Indigo [482-89-3] is a natural dye, originating in particular from the indigo plant, which has the empirical formula: Ci6H₁₀N₂O2: it has the structure:

Indigo is derived from indican, which can be prepared from various "indigo-yielding" plants such as Indigofera tinctoria, Indigo suffraticosa, Isatis tinctoria etc. (see Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, updated on 17/04/2009, DOI: 10.1002/0471238961.0425051903150618.a01.pub2). The indigo-yielding plants are generally cut up and soaked in hot water, heated, fermented and air-oxidized so as to release the mauve-blue-coloured indigo (see Chem. Rev. , 201 1 , 111 , 2537-2561 , pp. 2537- 2561 ). Indigo is the result of the fermentation and then oxidation of indican (glycosylated precursor). Indigo as a molecule is water-insoluble.

The problem is that dyeing using indigo leaf is difficult because the uptake of the colour into keratin fibres is very weak. This dye provides a blue colouration on grey hair, and a "cold" colour of ashen to deep purple type on chestnut-brown hair. The dyeing process using indigo leaves is difficult to perform. A kind of "paste" (often referred to as a poultice) is first made from ground or powdered leaves of the indigo plant (or true indigo or dyers' indigo) or of dyers' pastel (or woad or Isatis tinctoria) which has to have been fermented, which is then diluted at the time of use with warm water, and said paste is then applied to the keratin fibres. However, this process using said paste has drawbacks. During the preparation and application of the composition to keratin fibres, it is not always possible to obtain satisfactory impregnation due to the poor consistency of the composition obtained using the coarsely ground powder. Furthermore, it is very difficult to hope to reproduce shades exactly, since the indigo content very often varies from one batch to another and between different ground materials.

Added to this are the risks of staining of clothing and the skin during the preparation of the "paste" and also during its application to the keratin fibres, since the consistency is very irregular.

In addition, the leave-on time is long. It may vary from several tens of minutes to several hours (overnight) depending on the desired intensity, with no ability to control the result. The result varies as a function of the fibres to be dyed and of the indigo raw material used.

While the colour obtained on chestnut-brown hair has a natural look, grey hair is dyed an unattractive and unnatural blue colour ("Hair Preparations", Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). Furthermore, the colourations obtained are not uniform between the root and the end or from one fibre to another (The Science of Hair Care, C. Bouillon and J. Wilkinson, 2nd Ed., CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group; Boca Raton, London, pp. 236-241 (2005)).

It is known practice to use metal salts to improve dyeing with indigo (Vat Dyes - see Chem. Rev., 201 1 , 111 , 2537-2561 , pp. 2537-2561 ). The use of these salts requires great know-how, multiplies the steps of the process, is not always friendly towards the integrity of the fibre (cosmetically unfriendly) and may disrupt subsequent cosmetic treatments.

Another solution is to use indigo powder, optionally in the presence of excipients, in fine-powder form (DE 195 48 291 ). Generally, these powders are packaged in sachets or blister packs (DE 101 31 385). If the packaging of the indigo powder happens to become broken, a large quantity of raw material is lost into the air and cannot be recovered. Added to the problem of the loss of raw material is additionally that linked to the fineness of the particles for users or clients. Indeed, in suspension, the particles in the atmosphere can cause respiratory problems or allergies such as rhinitis for the clients, sellers of extracts or natural dyeing professionals (Allergy, J. Scibilia, E. Galdi, G. Biscaldi and G. Moscato, 52, 231 -232, (1997)).

To remedy the problem of low dyeing efficiency of indigo, it is known practice to "dope" the dyeing by adding direct dyes generally used in direct dyeing, such as nitrobenzene, anthraquinone, nitropyridine, azo, methine, azomethine, xanthene, acridine, azine or triarylmethane direct dyes (EP 0 806 199). This option has the drawback for users of natural products, or proponents of "natural/bio", that the dyeing is partly carried out using synthetic dyes. International Patent Application WO 02/47634 describes a compact hair dyeing product based on henna and cocoa butter. The proposed compositions do not make it possible to obtain rapid or satisfactory colourations. Furthermore, the solid compositions do not always readily disintegrate in water. In addition, the poultices derived from the compositions of the prior art are not always creamy and/or easy to apply. They do not make it possible, moreover, to obtain a palette of colours in the ashen and deep purple range. There is thus a real need to develop dyeing processes which make it possible to obtain powerful colourations using indigo, while at the same time being friendly to the cosmetics of keratin fibres. In particular, there is a need to provide an indigo-based dyeing product that does not have the drawbacks mentioned above, especially a dust-free product, that is easy to store, that is readily miscible (rapid disintegration) in water, and that can especially produce colourations that are less aggressive to the hair and at the same time that are resistant to external agents (light, bad weather or shampooing), and that are fast and homogeneous, while remaining powerful and chromatic. Moreover the colour uptake on the keratin fibers, especially hair, treated with indigo and potentially henna must be satisfactory. This aim is achieved by the present invention, a subject of which is a composition, preferably in compact and/or anhydrous form, more preferentially in compact and anhydrous form, comprising:

i) at least 20% by weight, relative to the weight of the composition, of powder of indigo-yielding plant(s), preferably as fine particles, and

ii) at least one oil, preferably of plant origin, and/or at least one butter, preferably of plant origin. Another subject of the invention is the aqueous composition (composition B) derived from the mixture between the compact and/or anhydrous composition (composition A) with an aqueous composition and more preferentially water. In particular.this composition, which is usually in the form of a poultice, is prepared from composition A defined above and an aqueous composition C, preferentially water, in proportions ranging from 1 part by weight of composition A per 1 part by weight of an aqueous composition C and preferentially water (1/1 ) to 1 part by weight of composition A per 3 parts by weight of an aqueous composition C and preferentially water (1/3), preferentially 1 part by weight of composition per A 2 parts by weight of an aqueous composition C and preferentially water (1/2).

A subject of the invention is also a process for dyeing keratin fibres, the particular the hair, using compositions A or B, and the use of these compositions for dyeing keratin fibres, in particular the hair.

The composition and poultice according to the invention have the advantage of dyeing keratin fibres, in particular human keratin fibres, with strong and chromatic dyeing results that are resistant to washing, perspiration, sebum and light, and that are moreover long-lasting, without impairing said fibres. Furthermore, the colourations obtained using the composition or the poultice give uniform colours from the root to the end of a fibre (little colouration selectivity). Furthermore, the application of the composition or of the poultice does not give off any raw material dust (dust-free). The composition or the poultice is easy to use, in total safety and with no risk of staining. In addition, the composition and the active agent remain stable on storage. The treated keratin fibres have a very pleasant aesthetic appearance and their integrity is respected.

In addition, the composition of the invention, even in compact form, is very water- miscible even in cold water (especially between 10°C and ambient temperature, 25°C), and the poultice then formed is particularly creamy and/or shows excellent adhesion to the hair. Moreover, the time for and/or ease of disintegration of the composition when it is in compact and preferably anhydrous form is faster or easier, for an equivalent amount, than for the compact compositions on the market. /^') powder of indigo-yielding plant

The composition according to the invention comprises, as first ingredient, powder of an indigo-yielding plant.

As an indigo-yielding plant, mention may be made of numerous species derived from the genera:

- Indigofera such as Indigofera tinctoria, Indigo suffraticosa, Indigofera articulata, Indigofera arrecta, Indigofera gerardiana, Indigofera argenta, Indigofera indica, Indigofera longiracemosa;

- Isatis such as Isatis tinctoria;

- Polygonum or Persicaria such as Polygonum tinctorium (Persicaria tinctoria);

- Wrightia such as Wrightia tinctoria;

- Calanthe such as Calanthe veratrifolia; and

- Baphicacanthus such as Baphicacanthus cusia.

Preferably, the indigo-yielding plant is of the Indigofera genus and is more particularly Indigofera tinctoria.

All or part (in particular the leaves, especially for Indigofera tinctoria) of the indigo- yielding plant can be used.

The powder of an indigo-yielding plant may be screened to obtain particles with upper limit sizes corresponding to the orifices or mesh sizes of the screen, particularly between 35 and 80 mesh (US).

According to one particular mode of the invention, the size of particles the powder of an indigo-yielding plant is fine. According to the invention, a particle size of less than or equal to 500 μηη is more particularly intended. Preferentially, the powder consists of fine particles inclusively between 50 and 300 μηη in size and more particularly between 10 and 200 μηη in size.

It is intended that said particles of indigo-yielding plant(s) preferentially have a moisture content of between 0 and 10% by weight relative to the total weight of the powders.

Composition A according to the invention comprises powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) in an amount particularly inclusively between 20 % and 99 % by weight relative to the total weight of the composition, more particularly between 30 % and 95 % by weight, preferentially between 40% and 90% by weight, more preferentially between 50 % and 85 % by weight and even more preferentially between 60 % and 80 % by weight.

//^') oil and/or butter

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the composition of the invention comprises as second ingredient ii) one or more oils, which may be identical or different, free of butter(s). The term "o/T is intended to mean a "fatty substance" which is liquid at ambient temperature (25°C) and at atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg); the viscosity at 25°C is preferably less than 1200 cPs and better still less than 500 cPs (defined, for example, from the Newtonian plateau determined using an ARG2 rheometer from TA Instruments equipped with a spindle with cone-plate geometry, with a diameter of 60 mm and with an angle of 2 degrees, over a shear stress range of from 0.1 Pa to 100 Pa).

The term "fatty substance" is intended to mean an organic compound which is insoluble in water at ordinary temperature (25°C) and at atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg) (solubility of less than 5%, preferably of less than 1 % and more preferably still of less than 0.1 %). They exhibit, in their structure, at least one hydrocarbon-based chain comprising at least 6 carbon atoms or a sequence of at least two siloxane groups. In addition, fatty substances are generally soluble in organic solvents under the same temperature and pressure conditions, such as, for example, chloroform, dichloromethane, carbon tetrachloride, ethanol, benzene, toluene, tetrahydrofuran (THF), liquid petroleum jelly or decamethylcyclopentasiloxane.

The term "non-silicone o/T is intended to mean an oil not containing any silicon (Si) atoms and the term "silicone o/T is intended to mean an oil containing at least one silicon atom.

More particularly, the oils are chosen from non-silicone oils and in particular hydrocarbons which are C₆-Ci₆ hydrocarbons or which contain more than 16 carbon atoms and in particular alkanes; oils of animal origin; triglyceride oils of plant origin; essential oils; fluoro oils or glycerides of synthetic origin; fatty alcohols; fatty acid and/or fatty alcohol esters other than triglycerides; and silicone oils.

Preferably, the oils do not comprise any C₂-C₃ oxyalkylene units or any glycerol units. Preferably, the oils are not fatty acids which, in salified form, give water-soluble soaps. The oils that may be used as second ingredient ii) in the composition in accordance with the invention may be silicones.

The silicones may be volatile or non-volatile and cyclic, linear or branched silicones, which are unmodified or modified with organic groups, having a viscosity from 5x10^"6 to 2.5 m²/s at 25°C, and preferably from 1 *10^"5 to 1 m²/s.

Preferably, the silicone is chosen from polydialkylsiloxanes, especially polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMSs), and organomodified polysiloxanes comprising at least one functional group chosen from poly(oxyalkylene) groups, amino groups and alkoxy groups.

Organopolysiloxanes are defined in more detail in Walter Noll's "Chemistry and Technology of Silicones" (1968), Academic Press. They can be volatile or non-volatile.

When they are volatile, the silicones are more particularly chosen from those having a boiling point of between 60°C and 260°C, and more particularly still from: (i) (i) cyclic polydialkylsiloxanes comprising from 3 to 7 and preferably from 4 to 5 silicon atoms. They are, for example, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, sold in particular under the name Volatile Silicone^® 7207 by Union Carbide or Silbione^® 70045 V2 by Rhodia, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, sold under the name Volatile Silicone^® 7158 by Union Carbide and Silbione^® 70045 V5 by Rhodia, and their mixtures .

Mention may also be made of cyclocopolymers of the dimethylsiloxane/methylalkylsiloxane type, such as Volatile Silicone^® FZ 3109, sold by Union Carbide, of formula:

with D" : ^—†i - O— with D' : - Si - O—

CH₃ ^C8^H17

Mention may also be made of mixtures of cyclic polydialkylsiloxanes with organosilicon compounds, such as the mixture of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and tetratri methy Isi lyl pentaeryth ritol (50/50) and the mixture of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and oxy-1 ,1 '-(2,2,2',2',3,3'-hexatrimethylsilyloxy)bisneopentane;

(ii) linear volatile polydialkylsiloxanes containing from 2 to 9 silicon atoms and having a viscosity of less than or equal to 5x10^"6 m²/s at 25°C. An example is decamethyltetrasiloxane sold in particular under the name SH 200 by the company Toray Silicone. Silicones coming within this category are also described in the paper published in Cosmetics and Toiletries, Vol. 91 , Jan. 76, pp. 27-32, Todd & Byers, "Volatile Silicone Fluids for Cosmetics".

Use is preferably made of non-volatile polydialkylsiloxanes, polydialkylsiloxane gums and resins, polyorganosiloxanes modified with the above organofunctional groups, and mixtures thereof.

These silicones are more particularly chosen from polydialkylsiloxanes, among which mention may be made mainly of polydimethylsiloxanes having trimethylsilyl end groups. The viscosity of the silicones is measured at 25°C according to Standard

ASTM 445 Appendix C.

Mention may be made, among these polydialkylsiloxanes, without implied limitation, of the following commercial products:

- the Silbione^® oils of the 47 and 70 047 series or the Mirasil^® oils sold by Rhodia, such as, for example, the oil 70 047 V 500 000;

- the oils of the Mirasil^® series sold by Rhodia;

- the oils of the 200 series from Dow Corning, such as DC200 having a viscosity of 60 000 mm²/s;

- the Viscasil^® oils from General Electric and certain oils of the SF series (SF 96, SF 18) from General Electric.

Mention may also be made of polydimethylsiloxanes possessing dimethylsilanol end groups known under the name of dimethiconol (CTFA), such as oils of the 48 series from Rhodia.

The alcohols and esters that may be used as second ingredient ii) in the composition in accordance with the invention are in the form of oils.

It is recalled that, for the purpose of the invention, the fatty alcohols, esters and acids more particularly have at least one linear or branched and saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon-based group comprising 6 to 30 carbon atoms, which is optionally substituted, in particular with one or more hydroxyl groups (in particular 1 to 4). If they are unsaturated, these compounds can comprise from one to three conjugated or non-conjugated carbon- carbon double bonds.

As regards the C₆-Ci₆ alkanes, they are linear, branched or possibly cyclic. Mention may be made, by way of example, of hexane, dodecane or isoparaffins, such as isohexadecane or isodecane. The linear or branched hydrocarbons containing more than 16 carbon atoms may be chosen from liquid paraffins, petroleum jelly, liquid petroleum jelly, polydecenes and hydrogenated polyisobutene such as Parleam®.

Among the animal oils, mention may be made of perhydrosqualene.

Among the triglycerides of plant or synthetic origin, mention may be made of liquid fatty acid triglycerides containing from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, for instance heptanoic or octanoic acid triglycerides, or alternatively, for example, sunflower oil, maize oil, soybean oil, marrow oil, grapeseed oil, sesame seed oil, hazelnut oil, apricot oil, macadamia oil, arara oil, castor oil, avocado oil, caprylic/capric acid triglycerides, for instance those sold by the company Stearineries Dubois or those sold under the names Miglyol^® 810, 812 and 818 by the company Dynamit Nobel, jojoba oil or shea butter oil.

Among the fluoro oils, mention may be made of perfluoromethylcyclopentane and perfluoro-1 ,3-dimethylcyclohexane, sold under the names Flutec^® PC1 and Flutec^® PC3 by the company BNFL Fluorochemicals; perfluoro-1 ,2-dimethylcyclobutane; perfluoroalkanes such as dodecafluoropentane and tetradecafluorohexane, sold under the names PF 5050^® and PF 5060^® by the company 3M, or bromoperfluorooctyl sold under the name Foralkyl^® by the company Atochem; nonafluoromethoxybutane and nonafluoroethoxyisobutane; perfluoromorpholine derivatives such as 4-(trifluoromethyl) perfluoromorpholine sold under the name PF 5052^® by the company 3M. Among the essential oils contained in the composition of the invention, mention may be made of those mentioned in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry ("Flavors and Fragrances", Karl-Georg Fahlbusch et al., Published Online: 15 JAN 2003, DOI: 10.1002/14356007.a1 1_141 ). According to one preferred variant of the invention, the oil(s) is (are) chosen from C₆-Ci₆ alkanes, polydecenes, liquid esters of a fatty acid and/or of a fatty alcohol, liquid fatty alcohols or mixtures thereof.

Better still, the fatty substance is chosen from liquid petroleum jelly, C₆-Ci₆ alkanes or polydecenes.

In this preferred variant, the oil(s) is (are) chosen from mineral oils such as liquid petroleum jelly.

According to another most particularly preferred mode of the invention, the oils are chosen from oils of natural origin, more particularly oils of plant origin, preferentially jojoba oil, babassu oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, coconut oil, Brazil nut oil, marula oil, maize oil, argan oil, soybean oil, marrow oil, grapeseed oil, linseed oil, sesame oil, hazelnut oil, apricot oil, macadamia oil, arara oil, coriander oil, castor oil, avocado oil, shea butter oil and also rapeseed oil and copra oil (=coconut oil).

More particularly, the oils of plant origin are chosen from avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, copra oil, argan oil and sunflower oil.

Composition A according to the invention may comprise one or more oils in an amount particularly inclusively between 1 % and 80% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition, more particularly between 2% and 50% by weight, preferentially between 3% and 40% by weight and more preferentially between 5% and 25% by weight.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the composition of the invention comprises as second ingredient ii) one or more butters, which may be identical or different, free of oil(s).

For the purpose of the present invention, the term "butter" (also referred to as "pasty fatty substance") is intended to mean a lipophilic fatty compound with a reversible solid/liquid change of state, comprising, at a temperature of 25°C and at atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg), a liquid fraction and a solid fraction.

In other words, the starting melting point of the pasty compound can be less than 25°C. The liquid fraction of the pasty compound measured at 25°C can represent from 9% to 97% by weight of the compound. This fraction that is liquid at 25°C preferably represents between 15% and 85% and more preferably between 40% and 85% by weight.

Preferably, the butter(s) has (have) an end melting point of less than 60°C.

Preferably, the butter(s) has (have) a hardness of less than or equal to 6 MPa.

Preferably, the butters or pasty fatty substances have, in the solid state, an anisotropic crystal organization, which is visible by X-ray observation.

For the purpose of the invention, the melting point corresponds to the temperature of the most endothermic peak observed on thermal analysis (DSC) as described in Standard ISO 1 1357-3; 1999. The melting point of a paste or of a wax may be measured using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), for example the calorimeter sold under the name DSC Q2000 by the company TA Instruments. As regards the measurement of the melting point and the determination of the end melting point, the sample preparation and measurement protocols are as follows:

A sample of 5 mg of pasty fatty substance, preheated to 80°C and withdrawn with magnetic stirring using a spatula that is also heated, is placed in a hermetic aluminium capsule, or crucible. Two tests are performed to ensure the reproducibility of the results.

The measurements are performed on the abovementioned calorimeter. The oven is flushed with nitrogen. Cooling is provided by an RCS 90 heat exchanger. The sample is then subjected to the following protocol: it is first of all placed at a temperature of 20°C, and then subjected to a first temperature rise passing from 20°C to 80°C, at a heating rate of 5°C/minute, then is cooled from 80°C to -80°C at a cooling rate of 5°C/minute and finally subjected to a second temperature rise passing from -80°C to 80°C at a heating rate of 5°C/minute. During the second temperature rise, the variation in the difference in power absorbed by the empty crucible and by the crucible containing the sample of butter is measured as a function of the temperature. The melting point of the compound is the value of the temperature corresponding to the top of the peak of the curve representing the variation in the difference in power absorbed as a function of the temperature.

The end melting point corresponds to the temperature at which 95% of the sample has melted.

The liquid fraction by weight of the butter at 25°C is equal to the ratio of the heat of fusion consumed at 25°C to the heat of fusion of the butter.

The heat of fusion of the pasty compound is the heat consumed by the compound in order to pass from the solid state to the liquid state. The butter is said to be in the solid state when all of its mass is in crystalline solid form. The butter is said to be in the liquid state when all of its mass is in liquid form.

The heat of fusion of the butter is equal to the integral of the entire melting curve obtained using the abovementioned calorimeter, with a temperature rise of 5 or 10°C/rminute, according to Standard ISO 1 1357-3:1999. The heat of fusion of the butter is the amount of energy required to make the compound change from the solid state to the liquid state. It is expressed in J/g.

The heat of fusion consumed at 25°C is the amount of energy absorbed by the sample to change from the solid state to the state that it has at 25°C, consisting of a liquid fraction and a solid fraction.

The liquid fraction of the butter measured at 32°C preferably represents from 30% to 100% by weight of the compound, preferably from 50% to 100%, more preferably from 60% to 100% by weight of the compound. When the liquid fraction of the butter measured at 32°C is equal to 100%, the temperature of the end of the melting range of the pasty compound is less than or equal to 32°C.

The liquid fraction of the butter measured at 32°C is equal to the ratio of the heat of fusion consumed at 32°C to the heat of fusion of the pasty compound. The heat of fusion consumed at 32°C is calculated in the same way as the heat of fusion consumed at 23°C.

As regards the measurement of the hardness, the sample preparation and measurement protocols are as follows:

The composition according to the invention or the butter is placed in a mould 75 mm in diameter, which is filled to about 75% of its height. In order to overcome the thermal history and to control the crystallization, the mould is placed in a Votsch VC0018 programmable oven, where it is first of all placed at a temperature of 80°C for 60 minutes, then cooled from 80°C to 0°C at a cooling rate of 5°C/minute, then left at the stabilized temperature of 0°C for 60 minutes, and then subjected to a temperature rise passing from 0°C to 20°C, at a heating rate of 5°C/minute, and then left at the stabilized temperature of 20°C for 180 minutes.

The compressive force measurement is taken using a TA/TX2i texturometer from Swantech. The spindle used is chosen according to the texture:

- cylindrical steel spindle 2 mm in diameter for very rigid starting materials;

- cylindrical steel spindle 12 mm in diameter for relatively non-rigid starting materials.

The measurement comprises three steps:

- a first step after automatic detection of the surface of the sample, where the spindle moves at a measuring speed of 0.1 mm/second, and penetrates into the composition according to the invention or the butter to a penetration depth of 0.3 mm, and the software notes the maximum force value reached;

- a second step, known as relaxation, where the spindle remains in this position for one second and where the force is noted after 1 second of relaxation; and finally

- a third step, known as withdrawal, where the spindle returns to its original position at a speed of 1 mm/second, and the withdrawal energy of the probe (negative force) is noted.

The hardness value measured during the first step corresponds to the maximum compressive force measured in newtons divided by the area of the texturometer cylinder expressed in mm² in contact with the butter or the composition according to the invention. The hardness value obtained is expressed in megapascals or MPa.

According to one preferred mode of the invention, the particular butter(s) is (are) of plant origin, such as those described in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry ("Fats and Fatty Oils", A. Thomas, Published Online: 15 JUN 2000, DOI: 10.1002/14356007.a10_173, point 13.2.2.2. Shea Butter, Borneo Tallow, and Related Fats (Vegetable Butters)).

Mention may be made more particularly of shea butter, Nilotica shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii), galam butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Borneo butter or fat or tengkawang tallow (Shorea stenoptera), shorea butter, illipe butter, madhuca butter or (Bassia) Madhuca longifolia butter, mowrah butter (Madhuca latifolia), katiau butter (Madhuca mottleyana), phulwara butter (M. butyracea), mango butter (Mangifera indica), murumuru butter (Astrocaryum murumuru), kokum butter (Garcinia indica), ucuuba butter (Virola sebifera), tucuma butter, painya (kpangnan) butter (Pentadesma butyracea), coffee butter (Coffea arabica), apricot butter (Prunus armeniaca), macadamia butter (Macadamia ternifolia), grapeseed butter (Vitis vinifera), avocado butter (Persea gratissima), olive butter (O/ea europaea), sweet almond butter (Prunus amygdalus dulcis), cocoa butter (Theobroma cacao) and sunflower butter.

According to one preferred mode of the invention, the weight content of Ci₆ fatty acids of the triglycerides, in the butter(s) according to the invention, expressed relative to the total content of fatty acids of the triglycerides, is less than 23%.

According to one embodiment of the invention the composition does not contain any cacao butter.

Preferentially, the butter(s) according to the invention is (are) chosen from murumuru butter, ucuuba butter, shorea butter, illipe butter, shea butter and cupuacu butter, and even more preferentially from murumuru butter and ucuuba butter.

In one preferred variant of the invention, the weight content of Ci₆ fatty acids of the triglycerides, expressed relative to the total content of fatty acids of the triglycerides, ranges from 0 to 22%, better still from 0 to 15% and even better still from 2% to 12%.

Composition A according to the invention comprises one or more butters in an amount particularly inclusively between 1 % and 80% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition, more particularly inclusively between 2% and 50% by weight, preferentially inclusively between 3% and 40% by weight and more preferentially inclusively between 5% and 25% by weight.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the composition of the invention comprises as second ingredient ii) one or more oils, which may be identical or different, as defined previously, and one or more butters, which may be identical or different, as defined previously.

Composition A according to the invention may comprise one or more oils and one or more butters, the [oil(s) + butter(s)] amount of which is inclusively between 1 % and 80% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition, particularly between 2% and 50% by weight, preferentially between 3% and 40% by weight and more preferentially between 5% and 25% by weight.

/^'/ ) Optionally at least one fatty substance other than oils and butters: waxes or resins

The composition of the invention may also comprise one or more fatty substances other than the oil(s) as defined previously and other than the butter(s) as defined previously.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the composition comprises as third constituent one or more waxes, preferably of plant origin.

The waxes may be fatty alcohols or fatty esters that are solid at ambient temperature and at atmospheric pressure.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the composition comprises as third constituent one or more solid fatty alcohols, preferably of plant origin.

The fatty alcohols that are suitable for use in the invention are more particularly chosen from saturated linear alcohols comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms and preferably from 8 to 30 carbon atoms. Mention may be made, for example, of cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and their mixture (cetearyl alcohol).

As regards the solid fatty esters of fatty acids and/or fatty alcohols, mention may preferably be made of esters of saturated linear fatty acids and of saturated linear fatty alcohols, such as cetyl palmitate, stearyl stearate or cetyl stearate.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the composition comprises as third constituent one or more waxes, other than the fatty alcohols and fatty esters mentioned above, preferably of plant origin.

The (non-silicone) wax(es) is (are) chosen in particular from carnauba wax, candelilla wax, esparto wax, paraffin wax, ozokerite, plant waxes, such as olive tree wax, rice wax, hydrogenated jojoba wax or absolute flower waxes, such as the blackcurrant blossom essential wax sold by Bertin (France), or animal waxes, such as beeswaxes or modified beeswaxes (cerabellina); other waxes or waxy starting materials that can be used according to the invention are in particular marine waxes, such as that sold by Sophim under the reference M82, polyethylene waxes or polyolefin waxes in general.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the composition comprises one or more silicone waxes, resins or gums.

In the category of polydialkylsiloxanes, mention may be made of the waxes sold under the names Abil Wax^® 9800 and 9801 by the company Goldschmidt, which are polydi(Cr C₂o)alkylsiloxanes.

The silicone gums that may be used in accordance with the invention are especially polydialkylsiloxanes and preferably polydimethylsiloxanes with high number-average molecular weights of between 200 000 and 1 000 000, used alone or as a mixture in a solvent. This solvent can be chosen from volatile silicones, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) oils, polyphenylmethylsiloxane (PPMS) oils, isoparaffins, polyisobutylenes, methylene chloride, pentane, dodecane, tridecane or their mixtures.

Products which can be used more particularly in accordance with the invention are mixtures, such as:

- the mixtures formed from a polydimethylsiloxane hydroxylated at the chain end, or dimethiconol (CTFA), and from a cyclic polydimethylsiloxane, also known as cyclomethicone (CTFA), such as the product Q2 1401 sold by Dow Corning;

- the mixtures of a polydimethylsiloxane gum and of a cyclic silicone, such as the product SF 1214 Silicone Fluid from General Electric; this product is an SF 30 gum corresponding to a dimethicone, having a number-average molecular weight of 500 000, dissolved in the oil SF 1202 Silicone Fluid corresponding to decamethylcyclopentasiloxane;

- the mixtures of two PDMSs with different viscosities, and more particularly of a PDMS gum and a PDMS oil, such as the product SF 1236 from General Electric. The product SF 1236 is the mixture of a gum SE 30 defined above having a viscosity of 20 m²/s and of an oil SF 96 with a viscosity of 5x10^"6 m²/s. This product preferably comprises 15% of gum SE 30 and 85% of an oil SF 96.

The organopolysiloxane resins which can be used in accordance with the invention are crosslinked siloxane systems including the following units:

R₂Si0₂/₂, R3S1O1/2, RS1O3/2 and Si0₄/₂

in which R represents an alkyl having from 1 to 16 carbon atoms. Among these products, those which are particularly preferred are those in which R denotes a lower d-C₄ alkyl group, more particularly methyl.

Mention may be made, among these resins, of the product sold under the name Dow Corning 593 or those sold under the names Silicone Fluid SS 4230 and SS 4267 by General Electric, which are silicones of dimethyl/trimethylsiloxane structure.

Mention may also be made of the resins of the trimethylsiloxysilicate type, sold in particular under the names X22-4914, X21 -5034 and X21 -5037 by Shin-Etsu.

Preferably, the fatty substance(s) does (do) not comprise any C₂-C₃ oxyalkylene units or any glycerol units.

Composition A according to the invention preferably comprises a content of fatty substances other than the oil(s) and butter(s) as defined previously ranging from 0.5% to 50% by weight, better still from 1 % to 30% by weight and even better still from 1 % to 20% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

The compositions

Composition A of the invention is cosmetic, i.e. it is cosmetically acceptable and therefore suitable for use for application to keratin fibres.

Preferentially, the composition of the invention does not contain any "mordants", i.e. metal salts conventionally used in "mordanting" (see for example Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry ("Textile Dyeing", Herbert Leube et al., DOI: 10.1002/14356007.a26_351 , and in particular point 4.8.2, p. 72 ; ibid, "Metal-complex dyes", Klaus Gryschtol et al., DOI: 10.1002/14356007.a16_299).

The composition may comprise water or a mixture of water and of one or more organic solvents or a mixture of organic solvents. Composition A according to the invention preferably comprises less than 3% by weight and preferably less than 2% by weight of water relative to the total weight of the composition, or even is free of water. Preferably, the composition according to the invention does not comprise any water other than the water associated with the starting materials included in its composition. It is then referred to as an anhydrous composition. Composition A according to the invention is preferentially in compact form. As emerges from the foregoing, the compact composition according to the invention is "solid".

- the term "solid" means the state of the composition at ambient temperature (25°C) and at atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg), i.e. a composition of high consistency, which retains its form during storage. In contrast to "fluid" compositions, it does not flow under its own weight. It is advantageously characterized by a hardness as defined below.

- the term "compact composition" means that the composition consists of a mixture of products whose cohesion is at least partly provided by compacting or pressing during manufacture. In particular, by carrying out a measurement using a TA.XT.plus Texture Analyser sold by Stable Micro Systems, the compact powder according to the invention can advantageously exhibit a resistance to pressure of between 0.2 and 2.5 kg and in particular between 0.8 and 1 .5 kg, with respect to the surface area of the spindle used (in the case in point, 7.07 mm²). The measurement of this resistance is performed by moving an SMS P/3 flat-ended cylindrical spindle in contact with the powder over a distance of 1 .5 mm and at a speed of 0.5 mm/second.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, composition A is in compact form and in different forms as a function of the desired compacting, especially in the form of pebbles, in the form of discs, in the form of soaps, in the form of pyramids, in the form of bricks or in the form of platelets.

More preferentially, when the composition comprises one or more oils, it is in compact form.

The cosmetic composition A of the invention may also be in non-compact galenical forms, such as a lotion, a mousse, a cream or a gel, or in any other form that is suitable for dyeing keratin fibres. It may also be packaged in a propel lant-free pump-dispenser bottle or under pressure in an aerosol container in the presence of a propellant and can form a foam.

Aqueous composition B

As mentioned previously, another subject of the invention is composition B derived from the mixture between composition A, which is preferably compact and/or anhydrous, and an aqueous composition C and preferably water (only water). It is thus possible to use, in this composition B, the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) i) as defined previously and optionally other natural dyes as defined below, combined with the oil(s) and/or with the butter(s) ii) as defined previously and optionally iii) one or more fatty substances other than the oil(s) or the butters ii).

Preferably, composition B is in the form of a poultice.

To do this, composition A according to the invention, preferably in compact and/or anhydrous form, comprising the ingredients i), ii) and optionally iii) as defined previously is mixed with an aqueous composition, and preferentially mixed with water, to obtain a poultice in order to obtain a creamy and pleasant consistency. When the composition is compact, it is crumbled into the aqueous composition C and the compact composition is preferentially crumbled into water. The ratios of composition A according to the invention and an aqueous composition C and preferentially water preferably range from 1 part by weight of composition A per 1 part by weight of aqueous composition C and preferentially water (1/1 ) to 1 part by weight of composition A per 3 parts by weight of aqueous composition and preferentially water (1 /3), more preferentially 1 part by weight of composition A per 2 parts of aqueous composition C and preferentially water (1 /2).

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, composition B comprises only ingredients of natural origin.

During the preparation of the poultice, one or more identical or different clays, as defined below, may be added.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, composition B has a neutral pH close to 7 (preferably ranging from 6 to 8 and better still from 6.5 to 7.5).

Organic solvents:

Composition A or B or C may comprise one or more organic solvents. Examples of organic solvents that may be mentioned include lower Ci-C₄ alkanols, such as ethanol and isopropanol; polyols and polyol ethers such as 2-butoxyethanol, propylene glycol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether and monomethyl ether, hexylene glycol, and also aromatic alcohols, for instance benzyl alcohol or phenoxyethanol.

The organic solvents are present in proportions preferably of between 0.1 % and 20% by weight approximately and even more preferentially between 0.5% and 10% by weight approximately relative to the total weight of the composition under consideration.

Adjuvants:

Compositions A and/or B and/or C of the invention may also contain various adjuvants conventionally used in hair dyeing compositions, such as anionic, cationic, non- ionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants or mixtures thereof, anionic, cationic, non-ionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic polymers or mixtures thereof, mineral or organic thickeners, and in particular anionic, cationic, non-ionic and amphoteric polymeric associative thickeners, antioxidants, penetrants, sequestrants, fragrances, buffers, dispersants, conditioning agents other than the butters of the invention, for instance ceramides, film-forming agents, preserving agents, opacifiers and mineral or organic thickeners such as clays. Preferably, compositions A and/or B are not in emulsion form. Preferably, compositions A and/or B do not contain any surfactants.

The above adjuvants are generally present in an amount for each of them of between 0.01 % and 40% by weight relative to the weight of the composition, and preferably between 0.1 % and 20% by weight relative to the weight of the composition under consideration.

Needless to say, a person skilled in the art will take care to select this or these optional additional compound(s) such that the advantageous properties intrinsically associated with the composition or the poultice that are useful in the dyeing process in accordance with the invention are not, or are not substantially, adversely affected by the envisaged addition(s).

Additional dyes: Compositions A and/or B and/or C of the invention comprising the ingredients i) and ii) and optionally iii) as defined previously may also contain iv) one or more additional direct dyes other than the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) i).

These direct dyes are chosen, for example, from those conventionally used in direct dyeing, and among which mention may be made of any commonly used aromatic and/or non-aromatic dye such as neutral, acidic or cationic nitrobenzene direct dyes, neutral, acidic or cationic azo direct dyes, natural direct dyes, neutral, acidic or cationic quinone and in particular anthraquinone direct dyes, azine, triarylmethane, indoamine, methine, styryl, porphyrin, metalloporphyrin, phthalocyanine or methine cyanine direct dyes, and fluorescent dyes.

Preferentially, compositions A and/or B and/or C of the invention comprise one or more natural dyes other than indigo i) as defined previously. Among the natural direct dyes, mention may be made of juglone, lawsone, isatin, curcumin, spinulosin, apigenidin, orceins and pure indigo. These natural dyes (other than pure indigo) can be added in the form of defined compounds, from extracts or from plant parts. Said defined compounds from extracts or from plant parts are preferably in the form of powders, in particular fine powders, the particles of which have sizes identical to that of the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) as defined previously.

Red henna powder

According to one embodiment of the invention, the compositions A and/or B and/or C comprise also a red henna in powder form. Preferably composition A contains red henna.

The henna powder may be screened to obtain particles with upper limit sizes corresponding to the orifices or mesh sizes of the screen particularly between 35 and 80 mesh (US).

According to one particular mode of the invention, the size of the henna powder particles is fine. According to the invention, a particle size of less than or equal to 500 μηη is more particularly intended. Preferentially, the powder consists of fine particles with sizes inclusively between 50 and 300 μηη and more particularly between 10 and 200 μηη.

It is understood that the said henna particles preferentially have a moisture content of between 0 and 10% by weight relative to the total weight of the powders.

According to one embodiment of the invention the red henna is the same amount in weight than of the indigo-yielding plant amount.

Composition A, B or C according to the invention comprises red henna powder in an amount particularly comprised inclusively between 0.001 % to 70 % by weight of the total weight of the composition and more particularly from 0,05 % to 50 % by weight, more particularly from 0.5% to 40% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition under consideration.

The natural or non-natural direct dye(s), other than the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) i) and red henna, of the composition according to the invention particularly represent(s) from 0.001 % to 10% by weight of the total weight of the composition and even more preferentially from 0.05% to 5% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition under consideration.

Preferably, the composition of the invention does not contain any synthetic direct dyes, i.e. dyes that do not occur in nature. Compositions A and/or B comprising the ingredients i) and ii) as defined previously, and also composition C according to the invention, may also comprise one or more oxidation bases and/or one or more couplers conventionally used for the dyeing of keratin fibres.

Among the oxidation bases, mention may be made of para-phenylenediamines, bis(phenyl)alkylenediamines, para-aminophenols, bis-para-aminophenols, ortho- aminophenols and heterocyclic bases, and the addition salts thereof.

Preferentially, composition A and/or B and/or C of the invention does not contain any para-phenylenediamine(s).

Mention may in particular be made, among these couplers, of meta- phenylenediamines, meta-aminophenols, meta-diphenols, naphthalene couplers, heterocyclic couplers and their addition salts.

The oxidation base(s) present in the composition(s) are each generally present in an amount of between 0.001 % and 10% by weight of the total weight of the dyeing composition(s).

Preferably, compositions A and/or B and/or C do not contain any oxidation dyes.

According to one particularly advantageous mode of the invention, composition A and/or composition B and/or composition C comprise iv) one or more additional direct dyes other than the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) i), chosen from red henna; preferentially, composition A, B and/or C also comprise(s) iv) red henna, preferably in powder form, in particular in the form of fine particles, it being understood that the particle size of the powder is as defined previously for the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s)

Preferably, composition A, B and/or C contain(s) a content of red henna which is equivalent to that of the indigo, which particularly represents from 0.001 % to 70% by weight of the total weight of the composition and more particularly from 0,05% to 50% by weight, more particularly from 0.5% to 40% by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition under consideration. pH of compositions B and C

According to one particular mode of the invention, the pH of aqueous composition B containing the ingredients i), ii) and optionally iii) and also the pH of aqueous composition C are neutral, i.e. they have a pH of about 7 (preferably ranging from 6 to 8 and better still from 6.5 to 7.5).

According to one particular mode of the invention, composition B of the invention and/or composition C is acidic and preferably has a pH ranging from 3 to 6.5.

The pH of composition B and/or C may be adjusted to the desired value by means of acidifying or basifying agents usually used in the dyeing of keratin fibres or alternatively with the aid of standard buffer systems, or of clays as defined previously present in composition A or in the aqueous composition mixed with composition A to give composition B and/or in composition C.

Among the acidifying agents for the compositions used in the invention, examples that may be mentioned include inorganic or organic acids, for instance hydrochloric acid, orthophosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, carboxylic acids, for instance acetic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid or lactic acid, or sulfonic acids; the acid is preferably an organic acid such as citric acid.

One advantageous variant involves adding a basifying agent to composition A or to the poultice, or to composition C according to the invention. More particularly, this alkaline agent is chosen from aqueous ammonia, alkali metal carbonates, alkanolamines such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine or triethanolamine, and also derivatives thereof, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and the compounds of formula (I) below:

^R.\ N W - N

%

in which formula (I) W is a propylene residue optionally substituted with a hydroxyl group or a C1-C4 alkyl radical; R_a, R_b, R_c and R_d, which may be identical or different, represent a hydrogen atom or a C1-C4 alkyl or C1-C4 hydroxyalkyl radical.

One variant of the invention concerns composition A, B and/or C of the invention that is at a neutral pH.

Process for preparing the composition of the invention

The composition of the invention may be obtained in the following manner: The ingredients i), ii) and optionally iii) as defined are mixed by hand or with a standard mixer and/or an extruder.

Dyeing process using the composition of the invention

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the dyeing process is performed in several steps:

- the first step consists in preparing composition B of the invention, in particular in the form of a creamy poultice, as defined previously, using composition A of the invention;

- in the second step, composition B is applied to the keratin fibres and is left on said fibres preferably for a minimum time of 30 minutes, preferentially a time ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours and better still ranging from 1 hour to 12 hours;

- in the third step, the keratin fibres are rinsed with water until the poultice has disappeared, preferably without shampooing;

- the keratin fibres may then be dried or left to dry naturally, without a hairdryer.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the dyeing process is performed in several steps:

- the first step consists in preparing composition B of the invention as described previously;

- in the second step, composition B is left to stand for several hours, preferably 24 hours, and composition B is then applied and left on said fibres preferably for a minimum time of 30 minutes (preferably ranging from minutes to 24 hours and better still from 1 hour to 12 hours);

- in the third step, the keratin fibres are rinsed with water until the poultice has disappeared, preferably without shampooing;

- the keratin fibres may then be dried or left to dry naturally, without a hairdryer.

The aqueous composition mixed with composition A, preferably water, used in the first step may be at ambient temperature or at a higher temperature, in particular at a temperature ranging from 40°C to 98°C.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the composition is mixed with or crumbled into an aqueous composition, preferably water, at a temperature below 40°C, in particular between 10°C and 40°C.

Preferably, the ratio amount by weight of composition of the invention/amount by weight of aqueous composition and preferably water ranges from 1/1 to 1/3 and is preferably 1/2.

According to a particularly advantageous process, after the third step, the keratin fibres are: a) either mechanically wiped with a towel or absorbent paper,

b) or heat-dried with a heat source (convection, conduction or radiation) by passing over, for example, a stream of a warm gas such as air necessary to evaporate off the solvent(s); heat sources that may be mentioned include a hairdryer, hairdrying hoods, a hair-straightening iron, an infrared ray dispenser and other standard heating appliances. Irrespective of the application mode, the application temperature for composition B ranges from ambient temperature (15 to 25°C) to 80°C and more particularly from 15 to 45°C. Thus, after application of the poultice according to the invention, the head of hair may advantageously be subjected to a heat treatment by heating to a temperature ranging from 30 to 60°C. In practice, this operation may be performed using a styling hood, a hairdryer, an infrared ray dispenser or other standard heating appliances.

Use may be made, both as means for heating and straightening the head of hair, of a heating iron at a temperature ranging from 60°C to 220°C and preferably from 120°C to 200°C.

One particular mode of the invention relates to a dyeing process which is carried out at ambient temperature (25°C).

I) EXAMPLES OF DYEING

The following compositions (A) to (C) were prepared:

The percentages are given by weight relative to 100 g of composition.

Composition (A)

Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) leaf powder 78 g%

Refined copra oil 22 g%

Composition (B)

Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) leaf powder 75 g%

Refined murumuru butter 10 g%

Refined copra oil 15 g%

Composition (C)

Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) leaf powder 75 g%

Refined copra oil 12 g%

Refined sunflower oil 13 g%

Composition (Α')

Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) leaf powder 70 g%

Cocoa butter 30 g%

Composition (Β')

Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) leaf powder 75 g%

Cocoa butter 20 g%

Refined copra oil 5 g%

Composition (C)

Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) leaf powder 78 g%

Biological ucuuba (Virola surinamensis) butter 10 g%

Refined sunflower oil 13 g%

Composition (A")

Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria) leaf powder 65 g%

Refined copra oil 35 g% Composition (B")

Compositions (A), (Α'), (A"), (B), (Β'), (B"), (C), and (C) were conventionally compacted. The compositions of the invention, even compacted, are easy to split by hand, while not being pulverulent.

1 part of one of the 9 compositions (A), (Α'), (A"), (B), (Β'), (B"), (C), or (C) is mixed with 2 parts of water at 10°C or 37°C in a bowl.

The mixing is performed easily, and the compositions, even compacted, disintegrate rapidly in water. The poultice obtained is very creamy and is easy to apply to the keratin fibres, totally impregnating the keratin fibres from the root to the end.

The poultice is applied to dry natural grey hair containing 90% white hairs, with a leave-on time of 60 minutes.

The hair is rinsed carefully.

The hair is dried.

Visual results:

An attractive vivid violet colouration is obtained for compositions (A), (Α'), (A"), (B), (Β'), (C) and (C), with good homogeneity from the root to the end or from one fibre to the other. The hair is soft and smooth to the touch.

The colouration is very persistent with regard to washing operations and light.

Colorimetric results : The colouration of the hair is evaluated visually and read on a Minolta spectrocolorimeter (CM3600d, illuminant D65, angle 10°, SCI values) for the L^*, a^*, b^* colorimetric measurements.

In this L^* a^* b^* system, L^* represents the intensity of the colour, a^* indicates the green/red colour axis and b^* indicates the blue/yellow colour axis. The lower the value of L, the darker or more vivid the colour. The higher the value of a^*, the redder the shade and, the higher the value of b^*, the yellower the shade.

The variation in colouration between the dyed locks of natural white hair that is untreated (control) and after treatment are defined by (ΔΕ^*) corresponding to the colour uptake in the fiber, according to the following equation:

ΔΕ* = Λ](Σ * -L₀ *)² + (a* -a₀ *)² + (b* -b₀ *)² In this equation, L^*, a^* and b^* represent the values measured after dyeing natural hair containing 90% white hairs, and L₀ ^*, a₀ ^* and b₀ ^* represent the values measured for untreated natural/permanent-waved hair containing 90% white hairs.

The higher the value of ΔΕ, the greater the difference in colour between the control locks and the dyed locks, the greater colour uptake is.

The chromaticity in the CIE L^*, a^*, b^* system is calculated according to the following equation:

The higher the value of C^*, the more chromatic the colouration obtained.

Hair treated with: L* a* b* C* (chromaticity) ΔΕ (uptake)

Natural white hair (control) 65.56 0.67 13.82 13.84 -

Composition (A") 32.53 7.18 -9.3 1 1.75 30.68

Composition (B") 43.16 8.36 13.77 16.1 1 22.4

Claims

1 . Cosmetic composition A comprising:

i) at least 20% by weight, relative to the weight of the composition, of powder of indigo-yielding plant(s), preferably as fine particles, and

ii) at least one oil and/or at least one butter.

2. Composition according to the preceding claim, in compact and/or anhydrous form.

3. Composition according to either one of Claims 1 and 2, which, when it comprises at least one oil, is then in compact form.

4. Composition according to one of the preceding claims, in which the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) consists of fine particles less than or equal to 500 μηη in size; preferentially, the powder consists of fine particles inclusively between 50 and 300 μηη in size and more particularly between 10 and 200 μηη in size.

5. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the indigo-yielding plant is chosen from species of the genera:

- Indigofera such as Indigofera tinctoria, Indigo suffraticosa, Indigofera articulata, Indigofera arrecta, Indigofera gerardiana, Indigofera argenta, Indigofera indica or Indigofera longiracemosa;

- Isatis such as Isatis tinctoria;

- Polygonum or Persicaria such as Polygonum tinctorium or Persicaria tinctoria;

- Wrightia such as Wrightia tinctoria;

- Calanthe such as Calanthe veratrifolia; and

- Baphicacanthus such as Baphicacanthus cusia.

6. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the indigo-yielding plant is of the Indigofera genus and is more particularly Indigofera tinctoria.

7. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which ingredient ii) is chosen from oils, preferentially non-silicone oils and in particular hydrocarbons which are C₆-Ci₆ hydrocarbons or which contain more than 16 carbon atoms and in particular alkanes; oils of animal origin; triglyceride oils of plant origin; essential oils; fluoro oils or glycerides of synthetic origin; fatty alcohols; fatty acid and/or fatty alcohol esters other than triglycerides; and silicone oils.

8. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which ingredient ii) is chosen from oils of natural origin, particularly oils of plant origin and essential oils, preferentially oils of plant origin such as jojoba oil, babassu oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, coconut oil, Brazil nut oil, marula oil, maize oil, argan oil, soybean oil, marrow oil, grapeseed oil, linseed oil, sesame oil, hazelnut oil, apricot oil, macadamia oil, arara oil, coriander oil, castor oil, avocado oil, shea butter oil and also rapeseed oil and copra oil.

9. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which ingredient ii) is chosen from butters of natural origin, and is more particularly chosen from shea butter, Nilotica shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii), galam butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Borneo butter or fat or tengkawang tallow (Shorea stenoptera), shorea butter, illipe butter, madhuca butter or (Bassia) Madhuca longifolia butter, mowrah butter (Madhuca latifolia), katiau butter (Madhuca mottleyana), phulwara butter (M. butyracea), mango butter (Mangifera indica), murumuru butter (Astrocaryum murumuru), kokum butter (Garcinia indica), ucuuba butter (Virola sebifera), tucuma butter, painya (kpangnan) butter (Pentadesma butyracea), coffee butter (Coffea arabica), apricot butter (Prunus armeniaca), macadamia butter (Macadamia ternifolia), grapeseed butter (Vitis vinifera), avocado butter (Persea gratissima), olive butter (Olea europaea), sweet almond butter (Prunus amygdalus dulcis), cocoa butter (Theobroma cacao) and sunflower butter.

10. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which ingredient ii) comprises one or more butters, the weight content of Ci₆ fatty acids of the triglycerides of which, expressed relative to the total content of fatty acids of the triglycerides, is less than 23%.

11. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which ingredient ii) comprises at least one butter chosen from murumuru butter, ucuuba butter, shorea butter, illipe butter and shea butter, and even more preferentially from murumuru butter and ucuuba butter.

12. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the powder of indigo-yielding plant(s) is in an amount inclusively between 20% and 99% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition, particularly between 30% and 95% relative to the total weight of the composition, more particularly between 40% and 90% relative to the total weight of the composition, preferentially between 50% and 85% and more preferentially between 60% and 80% relative to the total weight of the composition.

13. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, which also comprises iii) one or more fatty substances other than the oil(s) and the butter(s), preferably in a total content ranging from 0.5% to 50% by weight, better still from 1 % to 30% by weight and even better still from 1 % to 20% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

14. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which ingredient ii) is in an amount inclusively between 1 % and 80% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition, particularly between 2% and 50% relative to the total weight of the composition, preferentially between 3% and 40% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition and more preferentially between 5% and 25% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

15. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, which also comprises iv) red henna, preferably in powder form, in particular in the form of fine particles, it being understood that the size of the red henna particles is as defined in Claim 4.

16. Composition according to the preceding claim, in which the red henna is in a content which is equivalent to that of the indigo, which particularly represents from 0.001 % to 70 % by weight of the total weight of the composition and more particularly from 0,05 % to 50 % by weight, more particularly from 0.5 % to 40 % by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition under consideration.

17. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the composition consists only of ingredients of natural origin.

18. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, which is in the form of pebbles, in the form of discs, in the form of soaps, in the form of pyramids, in the form of bricks or in the form of platelets.

19. Aqueous composition B prepared from a mixture of a composition according to any one of the preceding claims and of an aqueous composition C and preferably of water, in proportions ranging from 1 part by weight of composition according to any one of the preceding claims per 1 part by weight of an aqueous composition C and preferably water (1/1 ) to 1 part by weight of composition according to any one of the preceding claims per 3 parts by weight of an aqueous composition C and preferably water (1/3), more preferentially 1 part by weight of composition according to any one of the preceding claims per 2 parts by weight of an aqueous composition C and preferably water by weight (1/2); composition B is particularly in the form of a poultice.

20. Composition B according to the preceding claim, which has a neutral pH.

21. Process for dyeing keratin fibres using the following steps:

- in the first step, the preparation of a composition B according to Claim 19 or Claim 20;

- in the second step, composition B is:

a) either immediately applied to the keratin fibres, and is left on the fibres for a minimum time of 30 minutes, preferentially ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours and better still from 1 hour to 12 hours,

b) or left to stand for several hours, preferably 24 hours, and then applied and left on the fibres for a minimum time of 30 minutes, preferably ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours and better still from 1 hour to 12 hours;

- in the third step, the keratin fibres are rinsed with water until the poultice has disappeared, preferably without shampooing;

- the keratin fibres may then be dried with a source of heat or left to dry naturally at ambient temperature.

22. Use of composition A according to any one of Claims 1 to 18 or of composition B according to Claim 19 or Claim 20 for dyeing keratin fibres, such as the hair.