GB2378650A

GB2378650A - Preventing skin wrinkles

Info

Publication number: GB2378650A
Application number: GB0211218A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vanessa Hodgkinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-05-17
Filing date: 2002-05-16
Publication date: 2003-02-19
Also published as: GB0211218D0; GB0112027D0

Abstract

Skin wrinkles are prevented or alleviated by applying to the skin in the region of the orbital margin of the eye a self adhesive plastics or paper based patch 1 which is left in position overnight. The patch may be transparent and supplied on a backing sheet; have rounded corners; be round or kidney shaped; and may include an active ingredient for delivery to the skin.

Description

Title-Cosmetic method and apparatus for use therein This invention relates to a cosmetic method, and in particular to a method for the prevention and/or treatment or alleviation of wrinkles in the skin, particularly surrounding the eye. The invention further relates to apparatus used in said method.

The emergence of wrinkles or crease marks in the skin, particularly as one grows older, is commonplace. These are considered by many people, particularly women, perhaps especially those in the age range 25 to 55 years or so, to be undesirable. A youthful appearance, free of the signs of premature ageing, is preferred and much time and effort is often expended on cosmetic attempts to disguise such wrinkles or to remove them. As one grows older, the incidence of such wrinkles may become increased, as a result of the skin losing elasticity.

One particular location at which crease lines or wrinkles are prone to occur is at the orbital margin, that is to say around the periphery, particularly the outer periphery, of the eye socket. Crease lines at the orbital margin are often prominent and unsightly, giving a person a tired and jaded appearance, and the elimination or avoidance of such wrinkles is commonly considered highly desirable.

Many cosmetic preparations have been proposed that are intended to alleviate or prevent premature ageing of the skin and the appearance of wrinkles. Such preparations typically contain ingredients such as moisturising agents or vitamins etc. However, none of these prior proposals has been found to be completely efficacious. Such products may also be relatively expensive, cumbersome or awkward to apply and also obtrusive, which means that they can only be used in private.

There has now been devised a method for the alleviation or prevention of wnnkles or crease marks around the orbital margin, which overcomes or substantially mitigates the above-mentioned and/or other disadvantages of the prior art According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for the prevention or alleviation of wrinkles or crease marks in the area of skin at or near the orbital margin, which method compnses applying to said area of skin a physical reinforcement adapted to prevent or inhibit creasing of said area of skin, and maintaining said physical reinforcement in place for a prolonged period of time.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a physical reinforcement for the area of skin at or near the orbital margin, which physical reinforcement is adapted for application to said area of skin and to prevent or inhibit creasing of said area of skin.

The method according to the invention, and the physical reinforcement utilised in that method, is advantageous in that it reduces significantly the occurrence of crease lines or wrinkles around the orbital margin. The method may be a preventative method, In that it may stop crease lines appearing, or It may be remedial method in which existing crease lines are made less prominent or are eliminated. The physical reinforcement may be easy to use, and unobtrusive and inexpensive to produce.

The physical reinforcement is preferably supplied with instructions for use. The instructions preferably include an instruction directing the user to apply the physical reinforcement to the area of skin at or near the orbital margin. The instructions preferably further include an instruction which directs the user to use the physical reinforcement whilst asleep and preferably to either peel or wash the physical reinforcement from the skin after use.

The physical reinforcement, and preferably a plurality of physical reinforcements, may be contained within a suitable package. Instructions may be printed on the package or on a separate suitable medium, preferably paper, supplied with the physical reinforcement.

Thus, according to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a pack containing a plurality of physical reinforcements as defined above, the pack further comprising instructions for use of the physical reinforcements in the prevention or alleviation of crease marks by application of the physical reinforcements to an area of skin at or near the orbital margin.

The physical reinforcement is preferably a tape or patch of suitable material which is formed so as to be suitable for application to the area of skin concerned. The physical reinforcement may take the form of a pre-formed and shaped patch, or a suitable piece of physical reinforcement may be cut or otherwise separated from a larger sheet or tape.

The physical reinforcement is preferably of a polymeric material. A wide range of such materials may be suitable, but particular polymeric materials that may be mentioned include polyethylene, polypropylene and unplasticised polyvinylchloride. Other materials that may be suitable for the physical reinforcement include paper and coated paper. The physical reinforcement may be of a single material or a mixture, or may be lamella in structure, comprising two or more layers of material bonded together. Most preferably, the physical reinforcement is of uniform composition and structure across its full extent.

The physical reinforcement may be of relatively small size, being applied not to the whole or a substantial part of the orbital margin area, but only to a relatively small area of skin. The physical reinforcement may be, for instance, circular, elliptical or kidney-shaped, or generally square or rectangular (preferably,

however, with rounded corners). Typically, area of skin to which the physical reinforcement is applied may be less than 2 cm2, and often less than 1cm2. The small size of such physical reinforcements means that they are relatively unobtrusive.

The physical reinforcement is preferably also transparent or translucent, further enhancing its unobtrusiveness during use. The physical reinforcement may be so unobtrusive that it can be used not only in the privacy of the user's home, but may be used in a public place, at least in situations where the user may wish to sleep, eg in circumstances such as long-haul airline flights or the like, without undue feelings of self-consciousness.

The physical reinforcement is preferably self-adhesive, and is preferably supplied with a suitable mask, eg In the form of a release liner, which is removed by the user immediately prior to application of the physical reinforcement to the skin.

The adhesive should be such that the physical reinforcement may be securely attached to the user's skin, but can be readily removed, by peeling or washing for example, when it is desired to do so. The adhesive is advantageously a pressure-sensitive adhesive such as a polyvinyl ether adhesive or an acrylic adhesive. The adhesive will typically have a thickness of a few tens of microns and is preferably a continuous coating applied to the full extent of the physical reinforcement that is applied to the user's skin.

The material used for the physical reinforcement is most preferably in the form of a tape or sheet. The physical properties of the sheet are generally such that it is easily conformable to the contours of the skin to which it is applied, yet sufficiently inflexible as to inhibit or prevent creasing of the skin.

The physical reinforcement, and any adhesive coating applied to it, are preferably permeable to moisture vapour. Moisture vapour transmission rates can be measured by standard tests known per se, and are typically at least 300g/m2/24h.

The prolonged period for which the physical reinforcement is applied to the skin is preferably a period in excess of one hour, more preferably in excess of two hours or in excess of four hours.

It has been found that the formation of creases in the skin around the orbital margin, and the resultant formation of crease lines, is particularly likely to occur during the hours of sleep. This is particularly the case when one sleeps, as many people do, on one side or the other. Such a posture may lead to the flesh on one side of the face being compressed and folded upon itself, leading to creasing around the orbital margin. Since this posture may be maintained for hours at a time, such creasing leads to the formation of crease lines and these may persist for several hours and fade only slowly, or incompletely, during the following day.

In a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the physical reinforcement is applied to the skin throughout the hours of sleep, ie for a continuous period of typically six to nine hours.

The physical reinforcement, including its adhesive coating (if any) is preferably such as to minimise any allergic reaction on the part of the user, ie it is preferably hypo-allergenic.

It should be understood that the present invention owes nothing to the known methods of, for instance, administering medicaments through the use of dermal patches and the like. In those cases, the patch is used as a vehicle for the transmission of active ingredients to, or through, the skin. In the method of the present invention, the physical reinforcement is used simply to prevent folding or creasing of the skin to which it is applied. However, it will be appreciated that the

physical reinforcement could be impregnated or otherwise loaded with one or more active ingredients intended for delivery to the skin.

The method of the invention will now be described in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a physical reinforcement patch according to the invention applied to an area of skin at the user's orbital margin ; Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a physical reinforcement patch according to the invention applied to an area of skin at the user's orbital margin; and Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a physical reinforcement patch according to the invention applied to an area of skin at the user's orbital margin.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a human eye 10 and the surrounding area.

The part of the boundary of the eye socket, ie the orbital margin, which is particularly prone to the formation of wrinkles or crease lines is indicated by the broken line. Such crease marks are particularly prone to occur during the hours of sleep, especially if the natural sleeping position in on one side.

As shown in the drawing, a small reinforcing patch 1 is applied to the skin. The position of the patch 1 overlies the boundary of the eye socket.

The patch 1 is generally square, but with rounded corners, and has approximate dimensions of 1cm x 1cm. The patch 1 is of polymeric sheet material which is translucent and which is of sufficient rigidity to inhibit the creasing of the skin to which it is applied that would otherwise occur during sleep.

The patch 1 has a self-adhesive backing on the surface which is applied to the skin. The patch 1 is supplied with a release paper mask applied to the adhesive, the mask being removed by the user immediately prior to application of the patch 1 to the skin.

Typically, the patch 1 is applied to the skin by the user at night, shortly before going to bed, and is left in place throughout the hours of sleep, and then removed in the morning.

The patch 1 reinforces the skin to which is applied, and prevents that area of skin, and the surrounding skin, from becoming creased during sleep. This in turn inhibits the formation of crease lines or wrinkles around the orbital margin that would otherwise be visible the next day.

The second embodiment 2 shown in Figure 2 is identical to the first embodiment 1 save that it is of elliptical shape.

The third embodiment 3 shown in Figure 3 is identical to the first and second embodiments 1,2 save that it is kidney-shaped.

Claims

Claims 1 A method for the prevention or alleviation of wnnkles or crease marks in the area of skin at or near the orbital margin, which method comprises applying to said area of skin a physical reinforcement adapted to prevent or inhibit creasing of said area of skin, and maintaining said physical reinforcement in place for a prolonged period of time.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the physical reinforcement takes the form of a pre-formed and shaped patch.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the physical reinforcement is a tape.
4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement is cut or otherwise separated from a larger sheet or tape.
5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement is of a polymeric material.
6. A method as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the physical reinforcement is of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and unplasticised polyvinylchloride.
7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement is of a single material.
8. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the physical reinforcement is lamella in structure, comprising two or more layers of material bonded together

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9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement is elliptical.
10. A method as claimed in any on of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the physical reinforcement is kidney-shaped.
11. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the area of the physical reinforcement that is applied to the skin is less than 2 cm2.
12. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement is transparent or translucent.
13. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement is self-adhesive.
14. A method as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the physical reinforcement is supplied with a suitable mask, eg in the form of a release liner, which is removed by the user immediately prior to application of the physical reinforcement to the skin.
15. A method as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the adhesive is such that the physical reinforcement can be securely attached to the user's skin, but can be readily removed.
16. A method as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the adhesive is such that the physical reinforcement can be readily removed by peeling or washing.
17. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 16, wherein the adhesive is a polyvinyl ether adhesive or an acrylic adhesive.

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18. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 17, wherein the adhesive is a continuous coating applied to the full extent of the physical reinforcement that is applied to the user's skin
19 A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement, and any adhesive coating applied to It, are permeable to moisture vapour
20. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the physical reinforcement is impregnated or otherwise loaded with one or more active ingredients intended for delivery to the skin
21. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the prolonged period for which the physical reinforcement is applied to the skin is in excess of one hour.
22. A method as claimed In Claim 21, wherein the prolonged period for which the physical reinforcement is applied to the skin is In excess of four hours.
23. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the prolonged period for which the physical reinforcement is applied to the skin is throughout the hours of sleep.
24. A physical reinforcement for the area of skin at or near the orbital margin, which physical reinforcement is adapted for application to said area of skin and to prevent or inhibit creasing of said area of skin.
25. A physical reinforcement as claimed in Claim 24, wherein the physical reinforcement takes the form of a pre-formed and shaped patch.

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26. A physical reinforcement as claimed in Claim 24, wherein the physical reinforcement is a tape.
27. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 26, wherein the physical reinforcement is cut or otherwise separated from a larger sheet or tape.
28. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 27, wherein the physical reinforcement is of a polymeric material.
29. A physical reinforcement as claimed in Claim 28, wherein the physical reinforcement is of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and unplasticised polyvinylchloride.
30. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 29, wherein the physical reinforcement is of a single material.
31. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 29, wherein the physical reinforcement is lamella in structure, comprising two or more layers of matenal bonded together.
32. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 31, wherein the physical reinforcement is elliptical.
33. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 31, wherein the physical reinforcement is kidney-shaped.
34. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 33, wherein the area of the physical reinforcement that is applied to the skin is less than 2 cm2.

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35. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 34, wherein the physical reinforcement is transparent or translucent.
36 A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 35, wherein the physical reinforcement is self-adhesive.
37 A physical reinforcement as claimed in Claim 36, wherein the physical reinforcement is supplied with a suitable mask, eg in the form of a release liner, which is removed by the user immediately prior to application of the physical reinforcement to the skin.
38. A physical reinforcement as claimed in Claim 37, wherein the adhesive is such that the physical reinforcement can be securely attached to the user's skin, but can be readily removed.
39. A physical reinforcement as claimed in Claim 38, wherein the adhesive is such that the physical reinforcement can be readily removed by peeling or washing.
40. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 36 to 39, wherein the adhesive is a polyvinyl ether adhesive or an acrylic adhesive.
41. A physical reinforcement as claimed in any one of Claims 36 to 40, wherein the adhesive is a continuous coating applied to the full extent of the physical reinforcement that is applied to the user's skin.
42. A physical reinforcement as claimed In any one of Claims 24 to 41, wherein the physical reinforcement, and any adhesive coating applied to it, are permeable to moisture vapour.

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43. A physical reinforcement as claimed In anyone of Claims 24 to 42, wherein the physical reinforcement is impregnated or otherwise loaded with one or more active ingredients intended for delivery to the skin.
44. A pack containing a plurality of physical reinforcements as claimed in any one of Claims 24 to 43, the pack further comprising instructions for use of the physical reinforcements in the prevention or alleviation of crease marks by application of the physical reinforcements to an area of skin at or near the orbital margin.
45 A pack as claimed in Claim 44, wherein the instructions include an instruction directing the user to use the physical reinforcement whilst asleep.
46. A pack as claimed in Claim 44 or Claim 45, wherein the instructions include an instruction directing the user to either peel or wash the physical reinforcement from the skin after use.
47. A pack as claimed in any one of Claims 44 to 46, wherein the instructions are printed on the package or on a separate suitable medium supplied with the pack.
48. A method for the prevention or alleviation of wrinkles or crease marks in the area of skin at or near the orbital margin substantially as hereinbefore described.