GB2051161A

GB2051161A - Hair Conditioning Waving and Straightening Compositions

Info

Publication number: GB2051161A
Application number: GB7918586A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Johnson Products Co Inc
Current assignee: Wella Corp
Priority date: 1979-05-29
Filing date: 1979-05-29
Publication date: 1981-01-14
Also published as: GB2051161B

Abstract

A hair conditioner composition for use under highly alkaline conditions is disclosed comprising an aqueous dispersion containing from 1 to 20 weight percent of mineral oil, from 1 to 20 weight percent of a fatty alcohol having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, from 1 to 15 weight percent of a non-ionic emulsifier, and from 0.05 to 20 weight percent of a quaternary polymer having recurring units of the formula <IMAGE> Compositions and methods for waving or straightening hair employing these hair conditioning compositions and a hair waving or straightening solution containing sufficient sodium hydroxide to provide a pH of 12 to 13 are also disclosed.

Description

SPECIFICATION Hair Conditioning Waving and Straightening Compositions This invention relates to hair conditioning compositions and more specifically relates to hair conditioning compositions for use with highly alkaline hair waving or straightening compositions and to methods of waving or straightening hair under highly alkaline conditions while improving the condition of the hair.

In recent years, hair straightening has become increasingly popular in view of the hair styles which require relatively or perfectly straight hair. There are several types of hair relaxers available. One type is based on the reducing agents such as sulphites or thioglycolates which react with the disulphide bond of hair keratin to form sulphydryl or reduced hair. While the majority of home straightening kits are based on the sulphite or thioglycolate straighteners, there are several disadvantages inherent in their use. The major disadvantage is the offensive odour of the thioglycolate solutions themselves and of the reduced hair produced by either the sulphite or the thioglycolate solutions. The second disadvantage is that they require the use of an oxidizing neutralizer, such as hydrogen peroxide, to re-establish the disulphide linkages and stop the straightening process.The neutralizer must then be removed and the entire straightening process is then followed by shampooing.

Sodium hydroxide-based hair straightening or relaxer kits became available in 1958, and today, essentially all of the chemical hair straighteners used in professional shops are based on sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide-based relaxer was introduced to the retail market in 1 971 and has gained popularity in home use since that time. Sodium hydroxide based relaxers generally contained petrolatum and/or mineral oil to reduce their caustic effect and contain anionic surfactant and sometimes a non-ionic surfactant for improved wettability of the composition.

Fatty alcohols, lanolin, ethoxylated fatty alcohols, ethoxylated lanolin, stearic acid, and protein hydrolyzates have also been used in aqueous sodium hydroxide-based hair relaxers, in addition to colour and fragrance additives.

Aside from their causticity, the principal disadvantage of sodium hydroxide based relaxers is that they leave the hair in a brittle state and harsh to the touch.

Despite the disadvantages of the sodium hydroxide relaxers, they have several advantages over the sulphite or thioglycolate relaxing agents and would be far superior for home and beauty shop use if the problem of harshness to the hair could be overcome. The sodium hydroxide relaxers do not have a highly objectionable odour or cause such an odour by reducing the hair, and, as sodium hydroxide straightened hair is already cross-linked by a lanthionine linkage, the only step required following the straightening process is to shampoo the hair with an acidic shampoo to remove the excess alkaline solution.

There is also a growing demand for hair products which protect and condition the har, leaving the hair soft and manageable as well as straightening or waving it, and a number of hair conditioning agents and compositions have been developed and marketed. Sokol, U.S. Patent No. 3,912,808, discloses the use of certain water soluble quaternary, cationic polymers which modify the surface characteristics of hair and improve its condition, and further discloses the incorporation of the polymers in hair waving and straightening compositions based on the reducing agents capable of reducing the disulphide linkages in hair keratin, such as the odiferous thioglycolates or odour causing sulphites.

However, the Sokol patent teaches that the cationic polymers may only be effectively employed in aqueous solutions of pH 1.5 to 1 1.5 (column 3, lines 3 to 4). We have surprisingly found that some of the polymers disclosed in the Sokol patent may be effectively employed with highly alkaline solutions of pH 12 to 1 3. This is unexpected as a solution of pH 12 is three times as alkaline as a solution of pH 1 1.5 and one would expect the cationic polymer to be adversely affected by a three-fold or more increase in alkalinity.

We have also found that sodium hydroxide-based relaxing or waving solutions can be adapted for safe and effective use by incorporating therein materials which protect the users' hair.

Thus, the present invention provides a solution to a long standing need by providing improved compositions and methods employing highly alkaline straightening or waving agents.

According to one aspect of the invention a hair conditioning composition for use under highly alkaline condition comprises an aqueous dispersion containing from 1 to 20 weight percent of mineral oil, from 1 to 20 weight percent of a fatty alcohol having 1 2 to 1 8 carbon atoms, from 1 to 1 5 weight percent of a non-ionic emulsifier, and from 0.05 to 20 weight percent of a quaternary polymer having recurring units of the formula:

The term "highly alkaline", as used herein, refers to pH 12.0 to 13.0.

The hair conditioner may be used with highly alkaline hair waving or straightening compositions based on for example, sodium hydroxide. According to a further aspect of the invention a composition for waving or straightening hair comprises an aqueous dispersion containing from 1 to 20 weight percent of mineral oil from 1 to 20 weight percent of a fatty alcohol having 12 to 1 8 carbon atoms, from 1 to 1 5 weight percent of a non-ionic emulsifier, from 0.05 to 20 weight percent of a quaternary polymer having recurring units of the formula:

from 10 to 30 weight percent of petrolatum, from 1 to 10 weight percent of a normally liquid polyhydroxy compound, and from 1 to 3 weight percent of a water-soluble alkaline caustic material, the composition having a pH between 12 and 13.

The conditioner of the first aspect of the invention can be combined with the waving or straightening formulation prior to use i.e. as the composition of the second aspect of the invention, or can be applied separately to the hair either before or after application of the relaxer or waving composition, these methods of application of the hair comprising further aspects of the invention.

The hair conditioning composition of the first aspect of the invention preferably comprises an aqueous dispersion containing from 1 to 20 weight percent, such as from 3 to 7 weight percent ot mineral oil, 1 to 20 weight percent such as from 8 to 12 weight percent of a fatty alcohol having 12 to 1 8 carbon atoms, from 1 to 1 5 weight percent such as from 2 to about 10 weight percent of a nonionic emulsifier, and from 0.05 to 10 weight percent, such as from 3 to 5 weight percent of a quaternary polymer having recurring units of the formula::

The aqueous conditioning hair relaxer or straightener composition of the second aspect of the present invention should contain sufficient sodium hydroxide to provide an aqueous solution having a pH of between 12 to 1 3, generally from 1 to 3 weight percent, with from 10 to 30 weight percent of petrolatum, from 1 to 15 weight percent of mineral oil, from 0.1 to 5 weight percent of polyethylene, from 1 to 15 percent by weight of a non-ionic emulsifier, from 1 to 10 weight percent of propylene glycol, from 0.5 to 5 weight percent of polyoxythylene lanolin ether, from 1 to 20 weight percent of a fatty alcohol having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms and from 0.05 to 10 weight percent of the quaternary polymer.

The quaternary polymer can be either a homopolymer wherein substantially all of the groups are substantially as shown above, or a copolymer wherein at least about 50% of the recurring groups are of the structure shown above when the remaining groups may be moieties of vinyl monomers, such as acrylamide. The preferred quaternary polymers have recurring units of diallyldimethylammonium salts.

The preferred polymer is a polydimethyldiallylammonium salt, such as polydimethyldiailylam- monium chloride.

The homopolymers and copolymers can be prepared by polymerizing diallyldimethylammonium chloride or bromide, or other suitable diallylmonomeric ammonium salts, using a free radical generating polymerization catalyst, such as a peroxide, then employing a suitable anion exchange resin, if desired, according to the methods described in United States Patent Nos. 3,288,770 and 3,412,091.

The fatty alcohols employed in the composition of this invention contain from 12 to 18 carbon atoms and include cetyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, pentadecanol and octadecanol.

The non-ionic emulsifier employed in the hair conditioning compositions of this invention is preferably Emulsifying Wax N.F. comprising cetostearyl alcohol and containing a polyoxythylene derivative of a fatty acid ester sorbitan. The Emulsifying Wax is a creamy white, wax-like solid which is freely soluble in ether, chloroform, alcohol and most hydrocarbon solvents, but insoluble in water. It melts at a temperature between 48" and 520C, has a hydroxyl value between 178 and 192, an iodine value not more than 3.5, a saponification value not more than 14, and a pH (in a dispersion of 3 parts in 100 parts of water) between 5.5 and 7.0.

Other suitable non ionic emulsifiers include polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids, polyoxyethylene ethers of fatty alcohols, polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide condensates, and polyoxyethylene lanolin ether.

As indicated above, the hair conditioning composition disclosed herein can be applied to the hair prior to the application of the relaxer, can be premixed with the relaxer and applied at the same time, or can be applied after application of the relaxer to the hair. The conditioner is preferably left on the user's head for at least 1 2 minutes, preferably from 12 to 20 minutes, and the relaxer for from 12 to 20 minutes.

After the conditioning and straightening or waving process has been completed, an acidic shampoo is employed to remove the excess alkaline solution.

The following examples further illustrate the various aspects of the present invention.

Example I A hair conditioning composition was prepared having the following composition: Ingredient Weight Percent Cetyl alcohol 10.0 Emulsifying wax 7.0 Mineral oil 5.0 Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride 4.0 Water to 100.0 Example II A hair relaxer or straightening preparation was formulated having the following composition: Ingredient Weight Percent Sodium hydroxide 2.2 Petrolatum 26.0 Mineral oil 9.5 Polyethylene (1500 M.W.) 1.0 Emulsifying wax 10.0 Propylene glycol 5.5 Polyoxyethylene lanolin ether 1.0 Water to 100.0 Example Ill A conditioning hair relaxer was prepared having the following composition:: Ingredient Weight Percent Petrolatum 26.0 Mineral oil 9.5 Polyethylene (1500 M.W.) 1.0 Emulsifying wax 10.0 Propylene glycol 5.5 Sodium hydroxide 2.2 Polyoxyethylene lanolin ether 1.0 Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride 0.25 Water to 100.0 Example IV A conditioning hair relaxer was prepared having the following composition: Ingredient Weight Percent Petrolatum 26.0 Mineral oil 9.5 Polyethylene (1500 M.W.) 1.0 Emulsifying wax 10.0 Propylene glycol 5.5 Sodium hydroxide 2.2 Polyoxyethylene lanolin ether 1.0 Diallyldimethylammonium chloride- 0.5 acrylamide copolymer Water to 100.0 Example V 200 grams of the hair relaxer of Example II was mixed with 1 5 grams of the hair conditioner of Example I and applied to one-half of 38 heads of hair.After 12 to 1 8 minutes from the time of initial application, the hair was shampooed three times with an acidic shampoo. The hair relaxer only was applied to the other side of the test heads.

After shampooing, the sides straightened with the conditioning relaxer exhibited less tangling, were easier to comb when both wet and dry and were softer, silkier and smoother than the control sides (relaxer only). Good straightening was observed on both sides.

Example VI 1 5 grams of the hair conditioner of Example I was applied to one-half of four models' heads and distributed throughout the hair on the test side. 100 grams of the hair relaxer of Example II was then added to each side of the heads and smoothed through the hair. After 1 2 to 1 8 minutes after the initial application of the relaxer, the hair was shampooed three times with an acidic shampoo. The hair on the sides treated with conditioner and relaxer exhibited less tangling, was easier to comb and was softer, silkier and smoother than the control sides treated with relaxer alone.

Example VII The conditioning hair relaxing composition of Example Ill was applied to the hair, smoothed through and washed off 1 8 minutes after the initial application time with an acidic shampoo. The same conditioning advantages observed in Examples V and VI were observed.

Claims

1. A hair conditioning composition for use under alkaline conditions comprising an aqueous dispersion containing from 1 to 20 weight percent of mineral oil, from 1 to 20 weight percent of a fatty alcohol having 12 to 1 8 carbon atoms, from 1 to 1 5 weight percent of a non-ionic emulsifier, and from 0.05 to 20 weight percent of a quaternary polymer having recurring units of the formula;

2. A hair conditioning composition as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the quaternary polymer is a homopolymer wherein substantially all of the groups are substantially as shown.

3. A hair conditioning composition as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the quaternary polymer is a copolymer wherein at least about 50% of the groups are substantially as shown, the remainder being acrylamide moieties.

4. A hair conditioning composition as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the quaternary polymer is polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride.

5. A hair conditioning composition of Claim 1 wherein the mineral oil is present in an amount from 3 to 7 weight percent, the fatty alcohol is cetyl alcohol and is present in an amount from 8 to 1 2 weight percent and the non-ionic emulsifier is Emulsifying Wax N.F. and is present in an amount from 5 to 10 weight percent.

6. A hair conditioning composition for use under highly alkaline conditions comprising an aqueous dispersion containing from about 5 weight percent of mineral oil, about 10 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, about 7 weight percent of Emulsifying Wax N.F., and about 4 weight percent of polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride.

7. A hair conditioning composition substantially as described in any of Examples I to IV.

8. A composition for waving or straightening hair comprising an aqueous dispersion containing from 1 to 20 weight percent of mineral oil, from 1 to 20 weight percent of a fatty alcohol having 1 2 to 1 8 carbon atoms, from 1 to 1 5 weight percent of a non-ionic emulsifier, from 0.05 to 20 weight percent of a quaternary polymer having recurring units of the formula:

from 10 to 30 weight percent of petrolatum, from 1 to 10 weight percent of a normally liquid polyhydroxy compound, and from 1 to 3 weight percent of a water-soluble alkaline caustic material, the composition having a pH between 1 2 and 1 3.

9. A composition for waving or straightening hair substantially as described in any of Examples II to IV.

10. A method of waving or straightening hair which comprises applying to the hair a composition as claimed in Claim 1 before or after applying to the hair an aqueous dispersion containing petrolatum and a sufficient concentration of sodium hydroxide to provide in the aqueous dispersion a pH between 12 and 13, placing the hair in a desired configuration and thereafter shampooing the hair with an acidic shampoo composition to neutralize excessive alkalinity.

11. A method as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the quaternary polymer of the composition of Claim 1 is polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride.

12. A method of waving or straightening hair which compnsen applying to the hair a composition as claimed in Claim 8, placing the hair in a desired configuration and thereafter shampooing the hair with an acidic shampoo to neutralize excessive alkalinity.

13. A method of waving or straightening hair substantially as described in any of E;lampBse B to VII.