JP2008184422A - Hair waviness ameliorating agent - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hair waviness ameliorating agent not temporarily but permanently ameliorating the hair waviness caused by aging. <P>SOLUTION: The invention relates to a hair waviness ameliorating agent containing an extract of a plant of the genus Eucalyptus as an active component and the use of the extract of a plant of the genus Eucalyptus as a hair waviness ameliorating agent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hair waviness improving agent that can improve hair waviness that increases with the progress of aging.

  As aging phenomenon of hair with aging, it is widely known that thin hair progresses or white hair increases due to a decrease in hair diameter or a reduction in raw hair density. However, as a result of examining the aging phenomenon of hair with aging in detail, the present inventors have found that the proportion of undulating hair (undulation hair) in addition to the above-mentioned progress of thinning hair and increase in gray hair with aging Found to increase. Furthermore, it has been found that in such wavy hair, there is a difference in the cell structure inside the hair compared to straight hair. If such waviness increases, it is considered that the hair mass deteriorates and at the same time the gloss of the hair decreases, leading to the hair problems of the aged.

  Conventionally, as a countermeasure against hair problems such as a decrease in hair diameter and a decrease in raw hair density, which is appealed by aging people, a process for reinforcing the firmness and stiffness of hair (for example, Patent Document 1) and a process for giving a sense of volume (for example, Patent Document) 2) etc. have been proposed, but these were only temporary countermeasures. In addition, straight hair treatment by treating the wavy hair with a straight perm has also been widely performed, but damage to the hair itself is unavoidable and not fully satisfactory.

JP-A-6-305942 JP 2000-38323 A

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a hair undulation improving agent capable of improving hair undulation accompanying aging not permanently but permanently.

  The present inventors have found that undulation of hair accompanying aging can be improved by continuously using an extract of Eucalyptus plant (hereinafter referred to as Eucalyptus extract) on the scalp.

  The present invention provides a hair swell improver comprising eucalyptus extract as an active ingredient, and the use of eucalyptus extract as a hair swell improver.

  The hair swell improving agent of the present invention can improve hair swell and reduce the worries associated with aging without any side effects by being used on the scalp.

  Hereinafter, in this specification, the term “hair swell” simply means swell that increases with the progress of aging.

<Eucalyptus extract>
Examples of the raw material of the eucalyptus extract that is an active ingredient of the hair swell improving agent of the present invention include Eucalyptus globulus, which is a plant belonging to the genus Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus plants are hardwood evergreen trees distributed in temperate regions around the world, and in recent years have been actively planted in Australia, New Zealand, etc. for the purpose of making pulp. Besides being used for pulp and medicinal purposes, it has a wide range of uses such as park trees, garden trees, building materials, and instrument materials.

  The eucalyptus extract which is an active ingredient of the hair swell improving agent of the present invention can be obtained, for example, from the leaves or branches of Eucalyptus plants by solvent extraction. The branches, leaves, etc. of the Eucalyptus plant can be used as they are or after dry pulverization for extraction with a solvent.

  The solvent for extraction is preferably a polar solvent, and examples thereof include water, lower alcohols, glycols, ketones, and esters. Examples of lower alcohols include alcohols having a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, specifically methanol, ethanol, propanol, etc .; examples of glycols include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, butylene glycol, propylene glycol, etc. Examples of the ketones include acetone and methyl ethyl ketone; Examples of the esters include ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, and ethyl formate. These solvents may be used alone or as an aqueous solution, or may be used as any two or three or more mixed solvents.

  A preferred eucalyptus extract is a polar solvent extract of Eucalyptus globulus leaves, and commercially available products can also be used as they are. Commercially available products include Falco Rex Eucalyptus B (Ichimaru Falcos), Eucalyptus Extract TH (Hasegawa Fragrance), Eucalyptus Extract BGF (Maruzen Pharmaceutical). All of them contain about 0.1 to 2% by weight of the solid content, about 40 to 90% by weight of butylene glycol (1,3-butanediol) and / or ethanol, and the residual water.

  The hair swell improving agent of the present invention can be contained in scalp cosmetics or external medicines (hereinafter, both are simply referred to as scalp external preparations) using water, water / ethanol mixed solvent or the like as a medium. The content of the eucalyptus extract in the scalp external preparation is preferably 0.0001 to 0.5% by weight, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1% by weight, and still more preferably 0.001 to 0.05% by weight in terms of solid content.

<Solvent>
In addition to water, such a scalp external preparation includes, as a solvent or a penetration enhancer, an aliphatic alcohol such as ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, n-butanol; 2-phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, 2-phenyl Aromatic alcohols such as ethanol and 2-benzyloxyethanol; alcohols such as glycols such as triethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, hexylene glycol and diethylene glycol can be used.

  These alcohols can be used alone or in combination of two or more, and the content thereof is 0.05 to 60% by mass, further 1 to 50% by mass, particularly 5 to 40% by mass in the scalp external preparation. % Is preferred.

<Viscosity>
Furthermore, the viscosity of the external preparation for scalp is determined by the Brookfield viscometer from the viewpoint that a sufficient amount of hair swell improver can remain on the scalp, and that it can be applied uniformly on the scalp. The measured value is preferably in the range of 1 to 90,000 mPa · s, more preferably 2 to 50,000 mPa · s, particularly 3 to 10,000 mPa · s.

<Water-soluble polymer>
In order to bring the viscosity of the scalp external preparation into a desired range, a synthetic or natural water-soluble polymer can be used.

  Synthetic or natural water-soluble polymers include dimethyldiallylammonium chloride / acrylamide copolymer (for example, Nalco; Marcote 100, Marcote 550), vinylpyrrolidone / dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer (for example, ISP; copolymer) 845, copolymer 937, copolymer 958), acrylic acid / alkyl methacrylate copolymer (for example, Noveon; Pemlene TR-1, TR-2), o- [2-hydroxy-3- (lauryldimethylammonio) chloride Propyl] hydroxyethylcellulose (for example, The Dow Chemical Company; Polymer JR-125, JR-30M, JR-400, Lion; Leogard G), o- [2-hydroxy-3- (trimethylammonio) chloride ) Propyl] guar gum (eg, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma; Labor gum CG-M, Labor gum CG-6L, Labor gum CG-M7, Labor gum) CG-M8M, Rhodia; Jaguar C-13S, Jaguar C-14S, Jaguar C-17, Jaguar C-210, Jaguar C-162, HI-CARE1000), cationized dextran, methylcellulose (for example, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd .; Metroles) SM), ethyl cellulose (for example, Gattefosse; Brilliance 515), hydroxyethyl cellulose (for example, The Dow Chemical Company; cellosize QP4400H, QP52000H, Daicel Chemical Industries; SE-600, SE-850), hydroxypropylcellulose (For example, Nippon Soda Co., Ltd .; Nisso HPC-H, HPC-M), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (for example, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd .; Metroles 60SH series, Metroles 65SH series, Metroles 90SH series), pullulan (for example, Hayashibara; Pullulan PF -20, pullulan PI-20), pullulan fatty acid ester, xanthan gum (eg, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma) Echo Gum), hydroxypropyl xanthan gum (for example, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma; Labor Gum EX) and the like.

  These natural polymers and synthetic polymers can be used alone or in combination of two or more thereof, and the content thereof is 0.01 to 20% by mass, further 0.02 to 10% by mass in the scalp external preparation, Especially 0.05-5 mass% is preferable.

<Surfactant>
The scalp external preparation contains surfactants such as nonionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, cationic surfactants and anionic surfactants for the purpose of emulsifying, dispersing and solubilizing oily components and fragrances. be able to.

  Nonionic surfactants include polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether, polyoxyalkylene alkenyl ether, higher fatty acid sucrose ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, higher fatty acid mono- or diethanolamide, polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid Examples thereof include esters, polyoxyethylene sorbite fatty acid esters, alkyl saccharide surfactants, alkyl amine oxides, and alkyl amido amine oxides. Of these, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether and polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil are preferable, and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether is particularly preferable. As polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, what is represented by the following general formula is preferable.

[Wherein, R ¹ represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms, and n represents a number of 1 to 25. ]

  Examples of amphoteric surfactants include imidazoline series, carbobetaine series, amide betaine series, sulfobetaine series, hydroxysulfobetaine series, and amide sulfobetaine series. In particular, betaine surfactants such as alkyldimethylaminoacetic acid betaine and fatty acid amidopropyl betaine are more preferred, and fatty acid amidopropyl betaine is particularly preferred. The fatty acid amidopropyl betaine is preferably one having an acyl group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms, particularly 10 to 16 carbon atoms, and in particular, lauric acid amidopropyl betaine, palm kernel oil fatty acid amidopropyl betaine, coconut oil fatty acid amidopropyl betaine and the like. preferable.

  The cationic surfactant is preferably a mono- or di-long alkyl quaternary ammonium salt having 16 or more carbon atoms, and specifically, stearyltrimethylammonium chloride, aralkyltrimethylammonium chloride, behenyltrimethylammonium chloride, alkylbenzalkolo chloride. In particular, stearyltrimethylammonium chloride and behenyltrimethylammonium chloride are preferable.

  Anionic surfactants include alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfates, alkyl or alkenyl sulfates, olefin sulfonates, alkane sulfonates, saturated or unsaturated fatty acid salts, alkyl or alkenyl ether carboxylates, Examples include α-sulfone fatty acid salts, N-acylamino acid type surfactants, phosphate mono- or diester type surfactants, and sulfosuccinate esters. Counter ions of anionic residues of these anionic surfactants include alkali metal ions such as sodium ions and potassium ions; alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium ions and magnesium ions; ammonium ions; Examples thereof include alkanolamines having 1 to 3 alkanol groups (for example, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, triisopropanolamine).

  These surfactants can be used alone or in combination of two or more, and the total content is preferably 0.01 to 20% by mass in the scalp external preparation from the viewpoint of good feel, and more preferably 0.05. -15% by mass, particularly 0.1-10% by mass is preferred.

<Hair-growth / hair-restoring ingredients>
It is preferable that the scalp external preparation further contains a hair growth / hair growth component. The effect of improving hair swell can be improved by adding a hair growth / hair nourishing ingredient. As such hair growth and hair nourishing ingredients, in addition to a blood circulation promoter that promotes blood circulation of the scalp and promotes hair growth, and a hair follicle activator that activates hair follicles and promotes hair growth, an anti-androgen agent And potassium ion channel opener.

Examples of the blood circulation promoter include carbon dioxide, acetylcholine, carpronium chloride, spironolactone, vitamin B ₆ hydrochloride, γ-oryzanol, cercretin, cromakalim, cephalanthin, nicorandil, vitamin E (DL-α-tocopherol, D-α-tocopherol, DL-α-tocopherol acetate, D-α-tocopherol acetate, etc.), nicotinic acid (nicotinic acid, DL-α-tocopherol nicotinate, nicotinamide, benzyl nicotinate, etc.), pinacidil, minoxidil, phthalides, diisopropylamine Dichloroacetate, carrot extract, assembly extract, iodized garlic extract, ginkgo biloba extract, kina extract, ginger root extract, sophora extract, spruce extract, medicinal extract, capsicum tincture, yuzu extract, cantalis tincture, ginger Uchinki, and the like. Of these, vitamin Es, nicotinic acids, diisopropylamine dichloroacetate, assembly extract, and chili tincture are preferable.

  Examples of hair follicle activators include flavonols (such as trans-3,4'-dimethylflavanol), pantothenic acids (such as pantothenic acid, pantothenic acid ester, panthenol, pantothenyl ethyl ether), N-acylamino acids, pentadecane Acid glycerides, 6-benzylaminopurine, procyanidins, adenosines (adenosine, adenosine 5'-phosphate, adenosine 5'-phosphate salts, etc.), potassium aspartate, photosensitizer 301, biotin, sodium mononitroguaiacol, N -Acetyl-L-methionine, Japanese cypress rafuji extract, carrot extract (Chixet carrot extract, Panax ginseng extract, etc.), grape extract, apple extract, yeast extract, garlic component, pearl protein extract, placenta extract, peanut extract, royal jelly, etc. Is mentioned. Of these, flavonols, pantothenic acids, N-acylamino acids, pentadecanoic acid glycerides, 6-benzylaminopurine, procyanidins, biotin, mononitroguaiacol sodium, Japanese cypress raft extract, placenta extract and royal jelly are preferred, and flavonols , Pantothenic acids, N-acylamino acids, pentadecanoic acid glycerides, 6-benzylaminopurine and procyanidins are preferred, and flavonanols are particularly preferred.

  Anti-androgen agents include cyproterone acetate, 11α-hydroxyprogesterone, flutamide, 3-deoxyadenosine, chlormadinone acetate, ethinyl estradiol, spironolactone, epitesterone, finasteride, aloe, salamander, clove extract, quacharalate extract, ginseng Etc.

  Examples of the potassium ion channel opener include minoxidil, cromakalim, diazoxide and derivatives thereof, and pinacidil.

  The content of the hair-growth / hair-growth component blended in the scalp external preparation is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, particularly 0.01 to 5% by mass in the scalp external preparation from the viewpoint of sufficient hair-growth effect and suppression of irritation.

<Medicinal ingredient>
The scalp external preparation can contain various medicinal ingredients in addition to the above-described hair growth and hair nourishing ingredients. Examples of medicinal ingredients include antibacterial agents, anti-inflammatory agents, moisturizers, keratolytic agents, antiseborrheic agents, local stimulants, antioxidants, vitamins and the like.

  Examples of the antibacterial agent include isopropylmethylphenol, benzalkonium chloride, octopirox, photosensitive dye 101, photosensitive dye 201, chlorhexidine, salicylic acid, zinc pyrithione, potassium sorbate, hinokitiol, phenol and the like. Of these, isopropylmethylphenol, benzalkonium chloride, piroctone auramine, zinc pyrithione and hinokitiol are preferable.

  Anti-inflammatory agents include licorice extract, glycyrrhizic acid and its derivatives, glycyrrhetinic acid and its derivatives, fat-soluble glycyrrhetinic acids, antihistamines such as azulene, guaiazulene and diphenhydramine, hydrocortisone acetate, prednisolone, ougon extract, chamomile extract, columbum extract, birch extract Examples include extract, mallow extract, peach leaf extract, yarrow extract, fennel extract, loquat leaf extract, bodaiju extract and the like. Of these, licorice extract, glycyrrhizic acid and its derivatives, glycyrrhetinic acid and its derivatives, azulene, guaiazulene, urgonum extract, chamomile extract, columbum extract, birch extract, mallow extract, peach leaf extract, and yarrow extract are preferred.

  As moisturizers, hypericum extract, oat extract, bellflower extract, soluble collagen, glycerin, chondroitin sulfate, tuberose polysaccharide, propylene glycol, cordyceps extract, life-extension grass extract, barley extract, orange extract, grape extract, seaweed extract , Button pi extract, diau extract, duke extract, maikai flower extract, button pi extract, yokuinin extract and the like. Among these, hypericum extract, oat extract, glycerin, tuberose polysaccharide, cordyceps extract, life-extending grass extract, barley extract, grape extract, propylene glycol, bellflower extract, and yokuinin extract are preferred.

  Examples of keratolytic agents include aspirin.

  Anti-seborrheic agents include sulfur, lecithin, cachet extract, thioxolone and the like.

  Examples of the local stimulant include camphor, nonylic acid vanillylamide, Dutch pepper, salamander extract, peppermint oil, l-menthol, horseradish radish extract and the like. Of these, camphor is preferred.

  Examples of the antioxidant include black tea extract, tea extract, age extract, jaundice extract, vitamin C and its derivatives, erythorbic acid, propyl gallate, dibutylhydroxytoluene and the like.

  The total content of these medicinal ingredients is preferably 0.001 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 8% by mass in the scalp external preparation.

<Conditioning ingredients>
The scalp external preparation can contain a conditioning component suitable for application to the hair. The conditioning component is usually a polymer or oil that can be dissolved or dispersed in the scalp external preparation. When using a conditioning component, the content is 0.01-30 mass% in a scalp external preparation, Preferably it is 0.1-20 mass%, More preferably, it is 0.1-10 mass%.

  Suitable conditioning components blended into the scalp external preparation include cationic polymers, silicones, organic conditioning oils, and combinations thereof. Furthermore, the conditioning agent which forms a dispersion liquid particle in aqueous | water-based surfactant other than these is mentioned.

Cationic polymer The cationic polymer refers to a polymer having a cationic group or a group that can be ionized into a cationic group, including an amphoteric polymer that becomes cationic as a whole, and further includes a cation used as the aforementioned thickener. Also includes a functional polymer. That is, as the cationic polymer, an aqueous solution containing an amino group or an ammonium group in the side chain of the polymer chain or containing a diallyl quaternary ammonium salt as a structural unit, such as a cationized cellulose derivative, a cationic starch, a cationization Examples include guar gum derivatives, diallyl quaternary ammonium salt polymers or copolymers, and quaternized polyvinylpyrrolidone derivatives. Among these, diallyl quaternary ammonium salts are particularly advantageous in terms of softness, smoothness and ease of fingering when using an external preparation for scalp, ease of grouping and moisture retention during drying, and stability of the external preparation for scalp. , A quaternized polyvinylpyrrolidone derivative and a cationized cellulose derivative are preferred, and a diallyl quaternary ammonium salt polymer or copolymer, and a cationized cellulose derivative are more preferred.

  Specific examples of the polymer or copolymer of diallyl quaternary ammonium salt include dimethyldiallylammonium chloride polymer (polyquaternium-6, such as Marquat 100; Nalco), dimethyldiallylammonium chloride / acrylic acid copolymer (polyquaternium- 22, for example, Marquat 280, 295; Nalco), dimethyldiallylammonium chloride / acrylic acid amide copolymer (polyquaternium-7, for example, Marquat 550; Nalco), and the like.

  Specific examples of the quaternized polyvinyl pyrrolidone derivative include a quaternary ammonium salt obtained from a copolymer of vinyl pyrrolidone (VP) and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and diethyl sulfate [polyquaternium-11, such as Guffcoat 734, 755, 755N (above, IS Japan Co., Ltd.)].

  Specific examples of the cationized cellulose derivative include polymers of quaternary ammonium salts obtained by adding glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride to hydroxyethyl cellulose [Polyquaternium-10, such as Leogard G, GP (above, Lion), polymer JR -125, same JR-400, same JR-30M, same LR-400, same LR-30M (above, Amerchol)], hydroxyethylcellulose / dimethyldiallylammonium chloride copolymer [polyquaternium-4, for example, cell coat H-100 , L-200 (National Starch and Chemical Co., Ltd.)] and the like.

-Silicones Examples of silicones include those shown below.
(1) Dimethylpolysiloxane R ² (CH ₃ ) ₂ SiO — [(CH ₃ ) ₂ SiO] _m —Si (CH ₃ ) ₂ R ²
[Wherein, R ¹ represents a methyl group or a hydroxy group, and m represents a number of 1 to 20,000. ]

  The average particle diameter of the dispersed particles of dimethylpolysiloxane is preferably less than 100 μm, more preferably 50 μm or less, particularly 4 μm or less, and particularly preferably 2 μm or less. In addition, the average particle size is preferably 0.1 μm or more from the viewpoint of usability and conditioning effect.

  Examples of such dimethylpolysiloxane include “Silicone CF2450” manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Co., Ltd., which contains 60% by mass of dimethylpolysiloxane oil of general formula (10) having an m of 300 to 6,500 and an average particle diameter of 0.8 μm. Or “Silicon CF2460” manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Co., which contains 50% by mass of dimethylpolysiloxane oil having an m of 300 to 6,500 and an average particle size of 50 μm, can be used.

(2) Amino-modified silicones Various amino-modified silicones can be used, but are described in the third edition of the CTFA Dictionary (US, Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary) under the name of Amodimethicone, particularly with an average molecular weight of about 3,000-100,000. Is preferred. Commercially available products include SM 8704C (Toray Dow Corning), DC 929 (Dow Corning), KT 1989 (GE Toshiba Silicone), 8500 Conditioning Agent, DOW CORNING TORAY SS-3588, DOW CORNING TORAY SILSTYLE 104 ( Toray Dow Corning).

(3) Other silicones Other than the above, polyether-modified silicone, methylphenylpolysiloxane, fatty acid-modified silicone, alcohol-modified silicone, alkoxy-modified silicone, epoxy-modified silicone, fluorine-modified silicone, cyclic silicone, alkyl-modified silicone, etc. It is done.

Organic conditioning oil Examples of the organic conditioning oil include hydrocarbon oil, polyolefin, and fatty acid ester.

  Examples of hydrocarbon oils include hydrocarbon oils having 10 or more carbon atoms, such as cyclic hydrocarbons, straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbons (saturated or unsaturated), and branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbons (saturated or unsaturated). These polymers and mixtures are also included. The linear hydrocarbon oil preferably has 12 to 19 carbon atoms. Branched chain hydrocarbon oils contain hydrocarbon polymers and usually have more than 19 carbon atoms.

As the polyolefin, liquid polyolefin, further liquid poly-α-olefin, particularly hydrogenated liquid poly-α-olefin is preferable. The polyolefin used here is prepared by polymerizing C _{4 to} C ₁₄ , preferably C _{6 to} C ₁₂ olefin monomers.

  Examples of the aliphatic ester include esters having a hydrocarbon chain derived from a fatty acid and an alcohol (for example, monoester, polyhydric alcohol ester, di- and tricarboxylic acid ester). The hydrocarbon group of these aliphatic esters may further have other compatible functional parts such as an amide group, an alkoxy group, a polyoxyalkylene group, and may be covalently bonded to them. Specific examples of preferred aliphatic esters include isopropyl myristate, octyldodecyl myristate, and the like.

<Polar oil agent>
In addition to the conditioning ingredients described above, the scalp external preparation can be added with a polar oil that solubilizes the active ingredient to promote penetration into the scalp and improves the feel and stability. Examples of polar oils include higher alcohols and fatty acid glycerides. Examples of the higher alcohol include lauryl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, cetostearyl alcohol and the like. Examples of fatty acid glycerides include monoglycerides, diglycerides and triglycerides of fatty acids having 8 to 18 carbon atoms. Of these, those that are liquid at 20 ° C and less than 100 mPa · s, especially less than 50 mPa · s, from the viewpoint of preventing the crystallization of active ingredients, dissolving the oil film consisting of lipids on the scalp, and promoting skin penetration Is preferred.

  The content of the polar oil agent is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass, particularly 0.1 to 2% by mass in the scalp external preparation, from the viewpoint of promoting penetration of the active ingredient and improving touch.

<Antioxidant>
The scalp external preparation can further contain an antioxidant. Examples of the antioxidant include vitamin C and its derivatives, erythorbic acid, propyl gallate, BHT (di-n-butylhydroxytoluene), BHA (butylhydroxyanisole) and the like. These are effective in improving the storage stability of the scalp external preparation, and are particularly effective in improving the storage stability at high temperatures (for example, 50 ° C.). The content of the antioxidant is preferably 0.01 to 0.5% by weight, particularly 0.05 to 0.3% by weight in the scalp external preparation.

<Other optional ingredients and dosage forms>
In addition to the above-described components, components for use in normal cosmetics can be added to the scalp external preparation according to the purpose. Examples of such optional components include inorganic alkalis, fats and oils, amino acid derivatives, protein derivatives, chelating agents, preservatives, ultraviolet absorbers, pH adjusters, plant extracts other than the aforementioned plant extracts, and fragrances.

  The scalp external preparation is preferably a dosage form that is effectively applied to the scalp. Usually, it is mainly composed of a liquid agent, and lotions and hair tonics are typical, and it can be used as an aerosol together with a propellant. Moreover, it can also be used in dosage forms such as creams, gels, waxes, non-washing hair treatments, hair foams, hair sprays and the like.

<How to use>
The swell improver of the present invention penetrates into the scalp and acts on the completed root of the hair root (supervised by Toshiaki Yasuda, Takeo Sudo and Kiyoshi Seta, Hair Science Illustrated 1978 P.13). Alleviates the undulation of the growing hair. Therefore, as a method of using the scalp external preparation containing the swell improving agent of the present invention, it is necessary to leave it without being washed off after being applied to the scalp.

  In order to obtain a sufficient swell mitigating effect, it is preferable that the external preparation for scalp is applied to the scalp and then left unwashed for at least 3 hours, more preferably 6 hours or more, particularly 8 hours or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of keeping the scalp clean, the standing time after applying the scalp external preparation to the scalp is preferably 72 hours or less, more preferably 48 hours or less, and particularly preferably 24 hours or less.

  The scalp external preparation containing the hair swell improving agent of the present invention is preferably applied to the scalp immediately after washing. Since the scalp immediately after shampooing is in a moist state, the scalp external preparation easily penetrates into the scalp as compared with the dry scalp before shampooing, and as a result, the effect of improving hair swell is improved.

  Since the scalp gradually returns to a dry state as time passes after washing, it is more effective to apply the scalp external preparation to the scalp as soon as possible after washing the hair. Specifically, it is desirable to apply the scalp external preparation to the scalp within 1 hour, more preferably within 30 minutes, and even more preferably within 15 minutes after washing the hair.

  In the present invention, the hair swell improving effect can be further improved by applying the scalp external preparation to the scalp immediately after towel drying after washing the hair. When the hair gets wet with water in the form of a bundle, it retains an amount of water that exceeds the weight of the hair itself. Therefore, if the scalp external preparation is applied to the scalp before washing with towel after washing the hair, the concentration of the scalp external preparation will be diluted with excess water held in the hair bundle, and the amount of the scalp external preparation remaining on the scalp will be reduced. descend. By drying the towel after washing the hair, excess water held in the hair bundle is removed, so that the external preparation for scalp applied to the scalp remains on the scalp without diluting, and the effect of improving hair swell is improved.

  From the above viewpoint, it is preferable to perform towel drying after washing the hair, but from the viewpoint of penetration of the scalp external preparation into the scalp, apply the scalp external preparation to the scalp while the scalp is wet as soon as possible after washing the hair. It is desirable to do. Therefore, it is desirable to apply the scalp external preparation to the scalp within 1 hour, more preferably within 30 minutes, and even more preferably within 15 minutes after washing and towel drying.

  The scalp external preparation containing the hair swell improving agent of the present invention can improve the hair swell improving effect by massaging the scalp after application to the scalp.

  After applying the scalp external preparation to the scalp, the scalp is physically massaged so that the applied scalp externally spreads evenly on the scalp and the scalp is physically stimulated to the scalp of the external scalp preparation. Penetration is also promoted. As a result, the hair swell improvement effect is improved.

  Specific methods of scalp massage include stroking, rubbing and tapping the scalp using tools such as combs and brushes that do not damage the scalp. In addition, there are methods such as stroking, rubbing, tapping, and mumming the scalp directly with fingers or using gloves for efficient massage.

  The scalp external preparation containing the hair swell improving agent of the present invention stays on the scalp and further penetrates into the scalp, thereby exhibiting a hair swell improving effect. Since the scalp external preparation on the scalp is washed away by sebum and sweat in addition to permeating the scalp, the amount of the scalp external preparation remaining on the scalp decreases with time. Therefore, the continuous hair waviness improvement effect can be improved by increasing the use frequency of the scalp external preparation.

  Specifically, it is desirable to apply the scalp external preparation to the scalp at least once every two days, more preferably at least once a day, and even more preferably twice a day.

  Furthermore, the scalp external preparation containing the hair swell improving agent of the present invention has a hair swell improving agent that permeates into the scalp and acts on the completed root of the hair root, so that the swell shape of the hair that grows after application of the scalp external preparation is relaxed. , Hair undulation improvement effect is expressed. Therefore, the hair undulation improving effect is gradually recognized as the hair grows. Specifically, when hair of at least 2 to 3 cm grows, the effect of improving hair swell starts to be recognized. Since the hair growth rate is about 0.4 mm / day, it is possible to improve the ease of recognizing the effect of improving hair swell by continuous treatment for 2 months or more.

(Test sample)
Eucalyptus extract BGF (Maruzen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) was mixed with water so as to be 3% by mass, and used as a test sample.

(Hair treatment and sampling)
Ten healthy women aged 41 to 56 years applied 3 g of the test sample to the entire scalp twice a day. At the start and 6 months later, the hair was cut from the root around the top of the head. The sampled hairs are all the hairs in the scalp area in the range of 7 mm long x 7 mm wide, 40 to 120 hairs per person, and an average of around 70 hairs.

(Shape measurement method)
The hair was washed with a plain shampoo containing no conditioning agent, sampled after being dried naturally. To measure the shape of the curl, place a transparent film with concentric circles (radius 1 mm to 200 mm, 1 mm interval) with different radii by 1 mm on the hair, and 4 cm, 3 cm, 2 cm, and 1 cm from the root, The radius of curvature was read and its reciprocal (curvature) was determined. However, when the curvature was smaller than 0.05 (unit: cm ⁻¹ ) (straighter than an arc corresponding to a circle with a radius of 20 cm), the curvature was approximated to 0.05. For each hair, the average value of curvature in the above four parts was determined, and the reciprocal thereof was taken as the curl radius of the hair. The curvature of the above portion was measured for all hairs cut from a 7 mm × 7 mm portion, the average value was obtained, and the reciprocal of the average value was taken as the average curl radius.
Based on the following formula, the ratio of the average curl radius after 6 months and at the start was expressed as “swell improvement”.

  Further, hair having a hair curl radius of less than 4 cm was defined as waviness, and the ratio of the number of waviness to the total number of sampled hairs (ratio of waviness) (unit:%) was examined. The difference in the waviness ratio after 6 months and at the start was expressed as “waviness reduction ratio”.

  The results are as shown in Table 1. All subjects showed an increase in average curl radius, that is, improvement in undulation. Moreover, a positive waviness reduction rate, that is, a reduction in waviness was observed in all the subjects.

Comparative example

As a test sample, a water-only agent containing no eucalyptus extract was used, and 10 healthy women aged 41 to 56 different from the examples were tested in the same manner as in the examples.
The results are as shown in Table 2, and the change rate of the average curl radius was within a range of ± 10% in all the subjects, and no change in swell was observed. In all the subjects, the waviness reduction rate was in the range of ± 5%, and no change in the proportion of waviness was observed.

Claims (2)

  An agent for improving hair swell, comprising an extract of Eucalyptus plants as an active ingredient.   Use of an extract of Eucalyptus plant as an agent for improving hair swell.