US3705102A - Composition and method of defoaming bubble baths - Google Patents

Abstract

A BATH COMPOSITION COMPRISING A HIGH-FOAMING DETERGENT AND AN ENCAPSULATED COMBINATION OF AN EMOLLIENT, A FATTY POLYOXYETHYLENE MATERIAL HAVING A HYDROPHILICLIPOPHILIC BALANCE (HLB) OF 10-12 AND A METHYLPOLYSILOXANE DEFOAMING AGENT IS DISCLOSED. IN USE, THE DETERGENT PROVIDES COPIOUS FOAM AND, AFTER A DELAY IN TIME, THE ENCAPSULATED MATERIALS ARE RELEASED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY BREAK THE FOAM PRODUCED BY THE DETERGENT AND PROVIDE AN EMOLLIENT FOR THE SKIN OF THE USER.

Description

United States Patent 3,705,102 COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF DEFOAMING BUBBLE BATHS Rolf Mast, Park Forest, 11]., assignor to Armour-Dial,

' Inc., Chicago, Ill. No Drawing. Filed Jan. 18, 1971, Ser. No. 107,556

Int. Cl. Clld 1/12 U.S. Cl. 252--89 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bath composition comprising a high-foaming detergent and an encapsulated combination of an emollient, a fatty polyoxyethylene material having a hydrophiliclipohilic balance (HLB) of 10-12 and 'a methylpolysiloxane defoaming agent is disclosed. In use, the detergent provides copious foam and, after a delay in time, the encapsulated materials are released to simultaneously break the foam produced by the detergent and provide an emollient for the skin of the user.

Bubble bath preparations have been popular for many years; and it is apparent that their popularity has been increasing. Such preparations generally consist of a highly scented foaming detergent, either in granular or liquid form. One of the primary desirable product characteristics of a bubble bath preparation is that a stable copious foam be readily produced when relatively small amounts of the product are added to the bath. This characteristic is essential for enhancing the appeal of the product. The foam produced by a bubble bath is generally stable within rather wide limits of temperature, in hard as well as soft Water, and in the presence of soil. However, such stable copious foam bubble bath preparations have overlooked the problem of dispersing or collapsing the foam at the end of the bath. It is sometimes necessary at the end of the bath period, particularly if one wants to augment the bubble bath with the use of a bath oil, to drain, rinse and refill the bath tub.

The use of emollient bath oils has also been increasing but the use of such oils requires their separate addition to the bath water. Thus a second step is added to the bathing process. Further if an oil is added to a bath containing copious detergent foam, the oil may become entrained in the foam, tending to negate its emollient effects on the skin as well as tending to deposit a soapy or detergent film upon the skin, and hindering the uniform and rapid dispersing of the foam and forming of a uniform continuous bath oil layer on the bath water.

Therefore it is an important object of this invention to provide a bath preparation which will initially provide a copious foam and after a delay in time will simultaneously collapse the foam and cause the release of an emollient oil without the need for draining and refilling the bath.

It is also an object and advantage of this invention to provide a method for providing a highly copious foam bath followed by an instant foam break and application of an emollient bath oil.

Another object is to provide a composition that is a combined bubble bath and bath oil product.

A further object and advantage of this invention is to provide a bath composition comprising a high foaming detergent and a water soluble capsule containing an emollient, a methylpolysiloxane defoaming agent and a polyoxyethylene derivative of a fatty material having an HLB of about 10 to about 12.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

We have now discovered that a bath composition may ice be formulated containing a high-foaming anionic detergent and an encapsulated combination of an emollient, a polyoxyethylene derivative of a fatty acid, a fatty ester or a fatty alcohol, the polyoxyethylene derivative having an HLB of about 10 to 12, and a polysiloxane defoaming agent. In use the detergent provides the copious foam of a bubble bath and, after a time delay, the encapsulated materials are released to simultaneously break the foam of the bubble bath and provide the emollient oil for the skin of the user. Thus it is now possible to combine a bubble bath and a bath oil into one product.

In a highly preferred specific embodiment, a gelatin capsule is filled with a combination comprising about 40% by weight of a heavy emollient oil, about 30% of polyethylene glycol 300 dilaurate having an HLB of 11 and about 10% by weight of methylpoylsiloxane defoaming agent, such as a dimethylpolysiloxane fluid thickened with silica aerogel. If desired, up to about 20'% by weight of the capsule ingredients may be a perfume to scent the product. The capsule is then packaged in combination with an anionic detergent.

The capsule material may be any of the materials which are soluble, and preferably slowly soluble, in water such as gelatin, poly-vinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, carboxymethylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose. Different times for release of the encapsulated materials may be achieved by the use of encapsulating materials having different thickness or varying the bloom of the gelatin. It is preferred that the capsule have a wall thickness of about 0.1-1 mm. and preferably 0.2-0.7 mm. and that the capsule have a volume of about 5 cc. when the capsule is made of gelatin.

The emollient ingredient may be any of those commonly employed for the purpose, such as mink oil. The emollient material may also be a mineral oil, isopropylmyristate, liquid lanolin esters, dipropylene glycol or polypropylene oxide materials and the like as are well known. It is particularly preferred that the oil be heavy enough to cause the capsule to sink in the bath water, such as an oleyl ether phosphate based on a ten mole ethylene oxide ether derived from oleyl alcohol.

The polyoxyethylene derivative should have a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of about 10 to about 12. and is preferably a polyoxyethylene derivative of a fatty acid, a fatty ester or a fatty alcohol. Fatty is used in the generic sense of long chain aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals containing from 8 to 22 carbon atoms whether derived from natural or synthetic sources. Exemplary of the above derivatives are polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty acids such as polyoxyethylene (15 moles) lauric acid (having an HLB of 10.6), polyoxyethylene (10 moles) oleic acid (HLB of 12) and polyoxyethylene (10 moles) tall oil acid having low rosin acid content (HLB of 11.8); polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty esters such as polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 300) dilaurate (HLB 11), polyethylene glycol 600 distearate (HLB 10.6), polyethylene glycol 400 mono-oleate (HLB 11.4), and polyethylene glycol 400 mono-stearate (HLB 11.6); and polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty alcohols such as polyoxyethylene isostearyl alcohol having polyoxyethylene derivatives having an HLB of about 11, such as polyethylene glycol 300 dilaurate and polyoxyethylene isostearyl alcohol, are particularly preferred.

The defoaming agent is any suitable polysiloxane such as those disclosed in U.S. Pats. 2,595,928; 2,632,736 and 2,894,913. A preferred agent is a dimethylpolysiloxane fluid thickened with about 5% silica areogel, such as that available from Dow Corning, Midland, Mich., under the trademark Antifoam A.

The detergent ingredient may be any high-sudsing or high-foaming detergent; and for this reason the anionic synthetic detergents are preferred. Suitable anionic synthetic detergents can be described as those detergents having pronounced cleansing power and including in their molecular structure an alkyl radical containing from 6 to 18 carbon atoms and a sulfonic acid or sulfuric acid ester radical. Organic base, ammonium, amine, or alkali metal salts of such anionic detergents can be used. The main types of detergents falling within this class are the alkylaryl sulfonates such as sodium or potassium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, and sodium or potassium octyl naphthalene sulfonate; the alkyl sulfates such as the sodium or potassium salts of dodecyl, lauryl, hexadecyl, myristyl and octadecyl sulfates and ether sulfates; the sulfonated fatty acid amides such as sodium or potassium salts of the oleic acid amide of methyltaurine; and the sulfonated mono-glycerides such as the mono-coconut oil fatty acid ester of 1,2-hydroxypropane-3-s0dium sulfonate. The amount of foam will vary among the specific detergents, and the higher foaming ones are preferred such as the alkyl sulfates. The detergent can be used in any suitable form but aqueous solutions are not preferred unless the capsule shell is not water-soluble. The detergent may be in the form of a powder, flakes, anhydrous solution or slurry. A solution of triethanolamine lauryl iulfate in a propylene glycol is preferred, as is a powdered orm.

In a preferred form of packaging, the suitable detergent is placed in a plastic or foil pouch, the capsule containing the emollient, the polyoxyethylene derivative and defoamer is added to the pouch, and the pouch is sealed into a packet. Another form of package is to place the detergent and the above capsule into a larger capsule which larger capsule may or may not be water-soluble. In this latter form of packaging, the large capsule is added to the water to dissolve or is broken up by the user and the contents dumped into the bath water, whereupon the small capsule slowly dissolves to provide a time release of the emollient, polyoxyethylene derivative.

The following table lists the various components of the preferred bath composition, as to the general range in percent of each component in the end product, an optimum range and also a specific preferred formulation.

TABLE A Amount, Component General optimum Specific (General/specie): Anionic detergent triethanolamlne lauryl sulfate dlssolved in propylene glycol (60% ac- Sheets of gelatin were made and passed through a capsule making machine according to usual procedures to result in a shell wall of about 0.2-0.7 millimeter thickness and inside volume of five cubic centimeters. The capsules were filled with the specific components and weights set forth in Table A. In order to get the capsule completely filled, the ingredients were inserted into the closed capsule using a hypodermic syringe and the needle holes sealed with glue. The capsule and the specific anionic detergent solution set forth in Table A were added to film pouches and the pouches were sealed. In use, the pouch was torn open and the contents dumped into the bath water. Copious suds immediately resulted, while the gelatin capsule sank to the bottom of the tubs.

After an elapsed time of about 10-12 minutes the encapsulated ingredients were released and the foam was immediately dissipated to result in a foamless surface layer of emollient oil that imparted a pleasing emolliency to the skin of the user and gave off a pleasing perfume scent.

EXAMPLE II A number of polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty acids, alcohols and esters were substituted for the polyethylene glycol 300 diluarate in the specific formulation of the table. Those derivatives having an HLB above or below about 10 to about 12 were slow in breaking the foam and dispersing the emollient oil, while those having an HLB in the above range rapidly broke the foam and dispensed the emollient oil. When either the polysiloxane or the polyoxyethylene derivatives having an HLB in the range of 10'12 were left out of the formulation, a slow foam break and oil dispersion resulted, but when they were combined, a rapid and thorough defoaming and oil dispersion occurred.

What is claimed is:

1. A bath composition consisting essentially of a high sudsing anionic synthetic detergent in combination with a water soluble capsule, said capsule containing (1) 35- 45% by weight of an emollient suitable for bath use; (2) 815 by weight of a polysiloxane defoaming agent; (3) 20-40% by weight of a material selected from the group consisting of a polyoxyethylene derivative of a fatty acid, a polyoxyethylene derivative of a fatty ester and a polyoxyethylene derivative of a fatty alcohol wherein said fatty portion of said derivative consists of long chain aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals containing 8 to 22 carbon atoms, said derivative having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of about 10 to about 12; said capsule being formed from a material selected from the group consisting of gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, carboxymethylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein said polysiloxane is a dimethylpolysiloxane containing about 5% by Weight of silica aerogel.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein said dimethylpolysiloxane is present in an amount of about 10 percent by weight based on the weight of the encapsulated materials.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyoxyethylene derivative has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of about 11.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyoxyethylene derivative is polyoxyethylene isostearyl alcohol having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of about 11.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyoxyethylene derivative is polyethylene glycol 300 diluarate having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of about 11.

7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyoxyethylene derivative is present in an amount of about 30% byyl eight based on the weight of the encapsulated materra s.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,516,937 6/1970 Story et a1. 252316 3,520,971 7/ 1970 Benford 252522 3,314,857 4/1967 Fainer 2523 16 2,894,913 7/ 1959 Sullivan et al. 252321 2,826,551 3/1958 Geen 25289 2,954,325 9/1960 Baumann 252522 3,011,950 12/ 196-1 Nehaffey 25290 3,528,925 9/1970 Chabuis 25290 LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner W. E. SOH ULZ, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 25 23 16; 424-37