EP4637680A1

EP4637680A1 - Conditioning composition

Info

Publication number: EP4637680A1
Application number: EP23821240.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jana GUELZOW; Raquel GUTIERREZ-ABAD; Alexander Marc Laurin HELL; Sinead Elizabeth HITCHEN; William James NEWLAND
Original assignee: Unilever Global IP Ltd; Unilever IP Holdings BV
Current assignee: Unilever Global IP Ltd; Unilever IP Holdings BV
Priority date: 2022-12-19
Filing date: 2023-12-07
Publication date: 2025-10-29
Also published as: CN120344224A; JP2025539952A; AR131355A1; MX2025007050A; WO2024132560A1

Abstract

A hair conditioning composition comprising (1) a conditioning gel phase comprising: (a) 0.01 to 10 wt % of a cationic surfactant; and (b) 0.1 to 10 wt % of a fatty alcohol; (2) an emulsion of oil comprising: (c) from 0.1 to 5 wt % bof a blend of triglyceride oils comprising: i) at least one first oil having an average chain length distribution of C8-C14; and ii) at least one second oil having an average chain length distribution of C16-C22; (d) a cationic emulsifier; and (e) water, wherein the composition is free from silicone.

Description

CONDITIONING COMPOSITION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to conditioning compositions comprising oils. The invention has particular application in the field of hair care.

Background of the Invention

WO 01/95866 (Unilever) discloses a hair oil comprising mineral oil and coconut oil. This disclosure demonstrates that adding mineral oil to coconut oil reduces greasiness and increases penetration of total oil in hair.

WO 2012/022516 (Unilever) discloses a combination of oil and silicone that leads to less weigh down of hair and more smooth hair ends compared to using silicone alone.

EP3160439 B1 relates to a method of reduction of frizz using a composition comprising a durable silicone. A leave on treatment spray formulation comprising silicone emulsion and a Moringa oil emulsion is exemplified.

D3 US2020/360266 discloses a hair care composition for reducing hair breakage, and delivering hair repair, lubrication, strengthening and smoothness benefit. The benefits are delivered through a composition a hair care composition comprising: (i) silk fibroin derived from silkworm Bombyx mori; (ii) cationic compound selected from oligo chitosan or an amino acid; and, (iii) a cosmetically acceptable vehicle. Compositions comprising 10 wt % palm oil are exemplified.

Definition of the Invention

In a first aspect the present invention provides a hair conditioning composition comprising

(1) a conditioning gel phase comprising:

(a) a cationic surfactant; and

(b) a fatty alcohol;

(2) an emulsion of oil comprising: (c) from 0.1 to 5 wt % of a blend of triglyceride oils comprising: i) at least one first oil having an average chain length distribution of C8 to C14; and ii) at least one second oil having an average chain length distribution of C16 to C22;

(d) a cationic emulsifier; and

(e) water, wherein the composition is free from silicone.

A second aspect of the invention provides a method of conditioning hair comprising the step of applying a composition of the first aspect to the hair, preferably wet hair. Preferably the method further comprises a step of rinsing the composition from the hair.

A use of the composition of the first aspect to condition hair is provided in a third aspect.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The conditioning gel phase

The composition of the invention comprises a conditioning gel phase. The gel phase comprises (a) a cationic surfactant; and (b) a fatty alcohol.

Preferably, the cationic surfactants have the formula N⁺(R¹)(R²)(R³)(R⁴), wherein R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ are independently (Ci to C30) alkyl or benzyl.

Preferably, one, two or three of R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ are independently (C4 to C30) alkyl and the other R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ group or groups are (Ci-Ce) alkyl or benzyl.

More preferably, one or two of R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ are independently (C₆ to C30) alkyl and the other R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ groups are (Ci-Ce) alkyl or benzyl groups. Optionally, the alkyl groups may comprise one or more ester (-OCO- or -COO-) and/or ether (-O-) linkages within the alkyl chain. Alkyl groups may optionally be substituted with one or more hydroxyl groups. Alkyl groups may be straight chain or branched and, for alkyl groups having 3 or more carbon atoms, cyclic. The alkyl groups may be saturated or may contain one or more carbon-carbon double bonds (e.g., oleyl). Alkyl groups are optionally ethoxylated on the alkyl chain with one or more ethyleneoxy groups. Suitable cationic surfactants for use in conditioner compositions according to the invention include cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, behenyltrimethylammonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, tetramethylammonium chloride, tetraethylammonium chloride, octyltrimethylammonium chloride, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, octyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, decyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, didodecyldimethylammonium chloride, dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride, tallowtrimethylammonium chloride, dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride (e.g., Arquad 2HT/75 from Akzo Nobel), cocotrimethylammonium chloride, PEG-2-oleammonium chloride and the corresponding hydroxides thereof. Further suitable cationic surfactants include those materials having the CTFA designations Quaternium-5, Quaternium-31 and Quaternium- 18. Mixtures of any of the foregoing materials may also be suitable. A particularly useful cationic surfactant for use in conditioners according to the invention is cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, available commercially, for example as GENAMIN CTAC, ex Hoechst Celanese. Another particularly useful cationic surfactant for use in conditioners according to the invention is behenyltrimethylammonium chloride, available commercially, for example as GENAMIN KDMP, ex Clariant. Preferably, the cationic surfactant is selected from cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, behenyltrimethylammonium chloride and mixtures thereof.

Another example of a class of suitable cationic conditioning surfactants for use in the invention, either alone or in admixture with one or more other cationic conditioning surfactants, is a combination of (i) and (ii) below:

(i) an amidoamine corresponding to the general formula (I): in which R¹ is a hydrocarbyl chain having 10 or more carbon atoms,

R² and R³ are independently selected from hydrocarbyl chains of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and m is an integer from 1 to about 10; and (ii) an acid.

As used herein, the term hydrocarbyl chain means an alkyl or alkenyl chain.

Preferred amidoamine compounds are those corresponding to formula (I) in which

R¹ is a hydrocarbyl residue having from about 11 to about 24 carbon atoms, R² and R³ are each independently hydrocarbyl residues, preferably alkyl groups, having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, and m is an integer from 1 to about 4.

Preferably, R² and R³ are methyl or ethyl groups.

Preferably, m is 2 or 3, i.e. an ethylene or propylene group.

Preferred amidoamines useful herein include stearamido-propyldimethylamine, stearamidopropyldiethylamine, stearamidoethyldiethylamine, stearamidoethyldimethylamine, palmitamidopropyldimethylamine, palmitamidopropyldiethylamine, palmitamidoethyldiethylamine, palmitamidoethyldimethylamine, behenamidopropyldimethylamine, behenamidopropyldiethylmine, behenamidoethyldiethylamine, behenamidoethyldimethylamine, arachidamidopropyldimethylamine, arachidamidopropyldiethylamine, arachid- amidoethyldiethylamine, arachidamidoethyldimethylamine, and mixtures thereof.

Particularly preferred amidoamines useful herein are stearamidopropyldimethylamine, stearamidoethyldiethylamine, and mixtures thereof.

Commercially available amidoamines useful herein include: stearamidopropyldimethylamine with tradenames LEXAMINE S-13 available from Index (Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA) and AMIDOAMINE MSP available from Nikko (Tokyo, Japan), stearamidoethyldiethylamine with a tradename AMIDOAMINE S available from Nikko, behenamidopropyldimethylamine with a tradename INCROMINE BB available from Croda (North Humberside, England), and various amidoamines with tradenames SCHERCODINE series available from Scher (Clifton New Jersey, USA).

Acid (ii) may be any organic or mineral acid which is capable of protonating the amidoamine in the hair treatment composition. Suitable acids useful herein include hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, succinic acid, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, tartaric acid, hydrochloric acid, fumaric acid, and mixtures thereof.

The primary role of the acid is to protonate the amidoamine in the hair treatment composition thus forming a tertiary amine salt (TAS) in situ in the hair treatment composition. The TAS in effect is a non-permanent quaternary ammonium or pseudo-quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant.

Suitably, the acid is included in a sufficient amount to protonate all the amidoamine present, i.e. at a level which is at least equimolar to the amount of amidoamine present in the composition.

In conditioners for use in the invention, the level of cationic conditioning surfactant will generally range from 0.01 to 10%, more preferably 0.05 to 7.5%, most preferably 0.1 to 5% by total weight of cationic conditioning surfactant based on the total weight of the composition.

Conditioners for use in the invention also incorporate a fatty alcohol. The combined use of fatty alcohols and cationic surfactants in conditioning compositions is believed to be especially advantageous, because this leads to the formation of a lamellar phase, in which the cationic surfactant is dispersed.

Representative fatty alcohols comprise from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably 16 to 22. Fatty alcohols are typically compounds containing straight chain alkyl groups. Examples of suitable fatty alcohols include cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and mixtures thereof. The use of these materials is also advantageous in that they contribute to the overall conditioning properties of compositions for use in the invention.

The level of fatty alcohol in conditioners for use in the invention will generally range from 0.01 to 10%, preferably from 0.1 to 8%, more preferably from 0.2 to 7%, most preferably from 0.3 to 6% by weight of the composition. The weight ratio of cationic surfactant to fatty alcohol is suitably from 1:1 to 1:10, preferably from 1:1.5 to 1:8, optimally from 1 :2 to 1 :5. If the weight ratio of cationic surfactant to fatty alcohol is too high, this can lead to eye irritancy from the composition. If it is too low, it can make the hair feel squeaky for some consumers. The emulsion of oil

The composition of the invention comprises an emulsion of oil comprising (c) a blend of triglyceride oils, (d) a cationic emulsifier and (e) water.

The emulsion of oil sits within the overall gel phase emulsion, i.e. it the emulsion of oil and the gel phase are separate emulsions.

(c) The blend of triglyceride oils

The composition of the invention comprises a blend of triglyceride oils.

Suitable triglyceride oils are fatty esters characterised by having at least 8 carbon atoms and include esters with hydrocarbyl chains derived from fatty acids or alcohols. Monocarboxylic acid esters include esters of alcohols and/or acids of the formula R'COOR in which R' and R independently denote alkyl or alkenyl radicals. Di- and trialkyl and alkenyl esters of carboxylic acids can also be used. Particularly preferred fatty esters are mono-, di- and triglycerides, more specifically the mono-, di-, and tri-esters of glycerol and long chain carboxylic acids.

The blend of triglyceride oils is present in an amount of 0.1 to 5 wt %, preferably from 0.5 to 4 %, more preferably from 1 to 3 wt %, by weight of the total composition.

The blend of triglyceride oils comprises i) at least one first oil having an average chain length distribution of C8-C14; and ii) at least one second oil having an average chain length distribution of C16-C22.

Preferred first oils are selected from palm kernel oil, macauba almond oil and coconut oil, most preferably coconut oil.

Preferred second oils may be selected from macauba pulp oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil and moringa oil, most preferably moringa oil.

The blend of oils preferably comprises from 2 to 10 oils, more preferably from 2 to 5 oils, most preferably 2 oils.

Preferably, the blend of triglyceride oils comprises only 2 oils, preferably coconut oil and moringa oil. The ratio of the first oil to the second oil is preferably from 1:1 to 12:1 , preferably 3:1 to 10:1, more preferably 5:1 to 10:1 and most preferably is 8:1 to 10:1.

(b) The cationic emulsifier

The cationic emulsifier be any suitable cationic emulsifier.

Preferably, the cationic emulsifier is a cationic surfactant. Where the cationic emulsifier is a cationic surfactant, it may be the same as, or different from the cationic surfactant (a) in the conditioning gel phase (as described hereinabove). Preferably, it is the same.

The cationic emulsifier may be protonated or non-protonated. A preferred example of a protonated cationic emulsifier is an amidoamine.

A preferred example of a non-protonated cationic emulsifier is a quaternary amine salt comprising from 12 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably from 16 to 22 carbon atoms. Preferred quaternary ammonium salts are selected from behenyltrimethylammonium chloride (BTAC), behentrimonium methosulphate, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, and mixtures thereof, most preferably behenyltrimethylammonium chloride (BTAC).

The compositions of the invention are free from silicone. In the context of the invention, by free from is meant having less than 0.4 weight %, more preferably less than 0.25, more preferably less than 0.1 weight %, even more preferably less than 0.05 weight %, still more preferably less than 0.001 weight %, yet preferably less than 0.0001 weight %, and most preferably 0 weight % of silicone by weight of the total composition.

Preferably, the compositions of the invention are also free from silanes.

Further Ingredients

The composition according to the invention may comprise any of a number of ingredients which are common to hair compositions.

Other ingredients may include deposition polymers, preservatives, colouring agents, polyols such as glycerine and polypropylene glycol, chelating agents such as EDTA, antioxidants such as vitamin E acetate, fragrances, antimicrobials and pH adjusters for example acids, preferably organic acids. Each of these ingredients will be present in an amount effective to accomplish its purpose.

Preferably, the further ingredients include perfumes, preservatives and antimicrobials.

Mixtures of any of the above active ingredients may also be used.

Generally, such ingredients are included individually at a level of up to 5 wt %, preferably 2%, most preferably up to 1%, by weight of the total composition.

Embodiments of the invention are given in the following examples, in which all percentages are quoted by weight based on total weight unless otherwise stated.

Examples

Example 1 : Compositions 1-3 in accordance with the invention and comparative compositions A and B

Five hair conditioner formulations were prepared. The compositions are given in Table 1.

Table 1 : Compositions of Conditioners 1- 3 in accordance with the invention and comparative compositions A and B Formulations were made by adding the cationic surfactant to the fatty alcohol and stirring at 85°C. Gradually this mixture was added to water, typically at 55°C, such that the mixture temperature was 60°C. This temperature was maintained for 30 minutes with stirring. The mixture was then cooled towards ambient by adding more water. The remaining ingredients, added (the oils were emulsified with the emulsifier and water), using external cooling if required, and stirring.

Example 2: Treatment of hair with compositions 1-3 and comparative compositions A and B

The hair used was dark brown European hair, in switches of 0.25 g weight and 5 cm length.

The hair was treated with each composition as follows:-

Hair was first treated with a cleansing shampoo using the following method:-

The hair fibres were wetted, shampoo applied at a dose of 0.1 ml of shampoo per 1g of hair and rubbed into the hair for 30 seconds. The hair was rinsed for 30 seconds and the shampoo stage repeated. The hair was rinsed for 30 seconds.

The wet hair was then treated with Conditioner 1-3, A or B using the following method:-

Conditioner was applied to the wet hair at a dose of 0.2g of conditioner per 1g of hair and massaged into the hair for 1 minute. The hair was rinsed for 1 minute and excess water removed. Hair was dried overnight at room temperature.

5 replicates hair switches were prepared for each conditioner.

Example 3: Conditioninq properties of hair treated with compositions 1-3 and comparative compositions A and B

The level of friction of hair may be used as an indication of the level of lubricity imparted by a conditioning treatment.

A Texture Analyser (Stable Microsystems Texture Analyser XT Plus from Stable Micro Systems Ltd., Godaiming, Surrey, UK) was used to measure the friction of the dry hair tresses. Experiments were performed under controlled temperature and humidity (20°C and 50% relative humidity).

The results are given in Table 2.

Table 2: Coefficient of friction of hair treated with compositions 1-3 and comparative compositions A and B (ave of 5)

It can be seen that the compositions in accordance with the invention provide low friction to hair.

Claims

1. A hair conditioning composition comprising

(1) a conditioning gel phase comprising:

(a) 0.01 to 10 wt % of a cationic surfactant; and

(b) 0.1 to 10 wt % of a fatty alcohol;

(2) an emulsion of oil comprising:

(c) from 0.1 to 5 wt % of a blend of triglyceride oils comprising: i) at least one first oil having an average chain length distribution of C8-C14; and ii) at least one second oil having an average chain length distribution of C16- C22;

(d) a cationic emulsifier; and

(e) water, wherein the composition is free from silicone.

2. A composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cationic surfactant is selected from cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, behenyltrimethylammonium chloride and mixtures thereof.

3. A composition as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fatty alcohol selected from cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and mixtures thereof.

4. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the blend of oils comprises from 2 to 10 oils, preferably from 2 to 5 oils, most preferably 2 oils.

5. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first triglyceride oil is selected from palm kernel oil, macauba almond oil and coconut oil.

6. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second triglyceride oil is selected from macauba pulp oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil and moringa oil.

7. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the ratio of the first oil to the second oil is from 1 :1 to 12:1 , preferably 3:1 to 10:1, more preferably 5:1 to 10:1 and most preferably is 8:1 to 10:1.

8. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cationic emulsifier is a cationic surfactant.

9. A composition as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cationic surfactant is the same as the cationic surfactant (a) in the gel phase.

10. A method of conditioning hair comprising the step of applying a composition as defined in any of claims 1 to 9 to the hair.

11. A use of the composition as defined in any of claims 1 to 9 to condition hair.