FR2539988A1 - COSMETIC COMPOSITIONS FOR IMPROVING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF HUMAN NAILS AND METHOD OF TREATING NAILS USING THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to cosmetic compositions and a method of treating human nails using these compositions. The compositions according to the invention are characterized in that they contain as active material a plant extract chosen from extracts of quebracho and of mimosa, alone or as a mixture with one another. These compositions can be used for improving the mechanical properties of human nails, in particular their hardness and their resistance to impact and breakage.

Description

The present invention relates to cosmetic compositions for

  improve the mechanical properties

  human nails, particularly their hardness and resistance

  By "human nails" is meant in this text both the finger nails of the hand and the fingers of the feet of human beings. The present invention further relates to a method of

  nail treatment-in order to improve the properties of

mechanical tees.

  It is known that human nails are often fragile and therefore easily damaged 3

  as a result of shocks or excessive constraints This situation

  This is common in the case of people doing certain housework or some craft work or some gardening or DIY work. This often results in the deterioration of human nails.

  in particular breaks or superficial softening

  skies, often painful troublesome manually and unsightly. It is therefore generally desirable to improve the mechanical properties of human nails in order to be able to

  facing the situations described above.

  Various solutions have already been proposed for this purpose. Thus, it has already been proposed to treat human nails using formalin or formalin derivatives, such compounds having a crosslinking effect vis-à-vis the keratinous network of the fingernails. this kind of

  compounds is that they often have a

  and in some cases may result in

  allergy reactions, or even be toxic.

  It was also proposed to improve the resistance

  this mechanics of human nails by means of agents-with essentially nutritive function such as for example cystine or cholesterol, however this method has

  so far not given full satisfaction.

  Finally, it has been proposed, according to French Patent Application No. 2,442,262, to treat human nails by certain cationic polymers in order to strengthen fragile and brittle nails. This method also does not generally give complete satisfaction, in particular because to be fully effective, it would require

  repetitive applications at close intervals.

  The present invention proposes to remedy these disadvantages. A first object of the invention is to provide an improved composition and method for increasing the

  mechanical resistance of human nails.

  A second object of the invention is to provide a composition and a nail treatment method giving results that are both fast and durable over time and thus eliminating the need for treatments.

  repetitive at close intervals.

  Other objects of the invention will become apparent on reading

of the description below.

  As indicated above, the present invention relates on the one hand to cosmetic compositions and to the other

  part uzie method of treatment of human nails.

  The cosmetic compositions according to the invention are characterized in that they contain as active ingredient a plant extract chosen from the extract of quebracho (in particular of Schinopsis balansae and Schinopsis Lorentzii) and the extract of mimosa (Acacia mearnsii), alone

or in mixtures with each other.

  For the purposes of this text, the term "active ingredient" is understood to mean a compound capable of causing the improvement of the mechanical properties of human nails. In the case of the plant extracts mentioned above, this improvement in the mechanical properties is most likely carried out by a chemical combination. fast and durable with the

keratin nails.

  The extracts of quebracho and those of mimosa are

  commercially available products are constituted

  Complex mixtures of polymeric materials can be obtained by treating the plant species under consideration (quebracho and mimosa) with superheated steam, and then the aqueous portion is separated from the extract, which is generally obtained in pulverulent form. The content of active ingredient (extract of quebracho or mimosa, alone or in mixture) of the composition according to the invention is not critical. It is generally between 0.01% and 30% by weight and preferably

between about 0.5% and 10%.

  In addition to the active ingredient described above, these compositions according to the invention may contain various customary additives in cosmetology, in particular: one or more solvents capable of dissolving the active ingredient, generally water, or a lower alkanol such as ethanol or isopropanol or a mixture of water and lower alkanol, one or more bactericidal and fungicidal preservatives such as for example "bronopol", whose chemical name is bromo-2-nitro-2 propane-diol- 1,3, or the "cation-e, g"

  which consists of a mixture of isothiazolines

  killed, or other bactericidal and fungicidal preservatives, such as "POBPS", whose chemical name is soda-propyl para-oxybenzoate, and "POB S", whose chemical name is sodium para-oxybenzoate, these two compounds being generally used in mixtures with one another, one or more surface-active agents, ionic or nonionic such as, for example polycondensates of ethylene oxide with fatty alcohols or fatty acids, or salts of alkali metals of sulphonated fatty acids or of phenolsulphonic or naphthalenesulphonic acids, or

  of fatty amino acids, such as, for example, laurylsarcosine

  sodium nate, one or more thickening agents such as, for example, sodium polyacrylate, one or more acids or bases for adjusting the pH of the solution to a value generally between 6 and 8, and optionally, if necessary, other additives

usual such as perfumes.

  Preferably, the compositions according to the invention generally comprise, in addition to the active ingredient (or mixture of active ingredients as mentioned above), on the one hand a solvent or mixture of solvents, chosen from

  water or lower alkanols and, on the other hand,

  bactericidal and fungicidal agent. Of course, these composi-

  preferences may contain one or more

  various ingredients mentioned above.

  Advantageously, preferred compositions according to the invention contain, by weight, from 0.01% to 0.2% of

  bactericidal and fungicidal preservative.

  The present invention also relates to a nail treatment method to improve the mechanical properties This method is characterized in that it consists in applying to the surface of the nail a composition as described above This application on the nails of the composition according to the invention may be carried out by any appropriate means such as cotton swab, or brush or various applicators, in particular of the pen-felt type (or marker according to another denomination)

  in which the composition according to the invention is introduced.

  The present invention is illustrated by the examples

  ples hereinafter described by way of illustration without any

limiting character.

Example 1

  A composition is prepared by mixing the -

  ingredients hereafter mimosa extract 5 g quebracho extract 45 g sodium laurylsarcosinate (surfactant) 16 g sodium polyacrylate (thickening agent) 10 g bronopol (bactericidal and fungicidal preservative) 1 g sodium hydroxide (qsp This composition is applied regularly to the nails of the hand by means of a brush. A few minutes after the application, a marked improvement in the mechanical properties of the nails is already observed. and this improvement is amplified in the hours that follow. The composition being absorbed and rapidly fixed by the keratinous material of the nails, it is possible to wash the hands only a few minutes after the application of this composition without in any way impairing its effect Finally it is observed that the effect of the treatment by means of this composition is durable because it persists for more than fifteen days after the application. allergic reaction has not been observed in this test or any of the other tests performed with

according to the invention.

Example 2

  By following the procedure of Example 1, a composition comprising the following ingredients is prepared. Quebracho extract 50 g bronopol o 1 g ethanol (alcohol 700) qs 100O g This composition is applied to the nails according to the method described in US Pat. example 1 and we observe the

  same results as in this example 1.

Claims (10)

  1) Cosmetic composition for improving the properties   mechanical elements of human nails characterized in that it contains as active ingredient a plant extract selected from the extract of quebracho and the extract of   mimosa alone or mixed together.   2) Composition according to claim 1) characterized in that, in addition to the active material, it contains one or more solvents selected from water and lower alkanols and one or more bactericidal preservatives and fungicides.   3) Composition according to claim 2) characterized in that it further contains one or more of the following ingredients: ionic or nonionic surfactants, thickening agents, acids or bases to adjust the p H.   4) Composition according to one of claims 2 to 3) carac-   contained in that it contains as fungi-   2-bromo-2-nitro-propane-1,3-diol.   Composition according to claim 4, characterized in that   that the solvent is chosen between water and ethanol -   6) Composition according to claim 5) characterized in that, in addition to the active ingredient, the preservative and the solvent, it contains sodium laurylsarcosinate, as surfactant and a sodium polyacrylate, as a thickening agent -   7) Composition according to one of claims 1 to 6) carac-   in that it contains, by weight, from 0.01% to 30% active ingredient.   8) Composition according to one of claims 2 to 7) carac-   in that it contains, by weight, from 0,01% to   0.2% bactericidal and fungicidal preservative.   9) Method for the treatment of the nails with a view to improving the mechanical properties, characterized in that it consists in applying to the surface of the nails   a composition according to one of claims 1 to 8).   10) Method according to claim 9) characterized in that the composition is applied by means of a buffer of cotton or brush.   11) Method according to claim 9) characterized in that the composition is applied by means of a felt-tip pen   in which the composition is introduced beforehand.