WO2000061085A1

WO2000061085A1 - Conditioning hair rinse having a hair relaxing effect comprising a sulphite and/or bisulphite

Info

Publication number: WO2000061085A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/002476
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masahiro Kasai; Eriko Ohteki; Shin Sato
Original assignee: Unilever Plc; Unilever Nv; Hindustan Lever Limited
Priority date: 1999-04-08
Filing date: 2000-03-20
Publication date: 2000-10-19
Also published as: AU3963100A; GB9908062D0; WO2000061085A8

Abstract

The invention provides hair treatment compositions such as conditioning hair rinses, which have the effect of relaxing wavy hair, and which comprise a conditioning surfactant, a fatty alcohol material, a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant and a sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system. The compositions have a thick, creamy rheology and show improved resistance to phase separation.

Description

CONDITIONING HAIR RINSE HAVING A HAIR RELAXING EFFECT COMPRISING A SULPHITE AND/OR BISULPHITE

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to hair treatment compositions and more particularly to conditioning hair rinses, which have the effect of relaxing wavy hair.

People with wavy hair often have the problem that the wave causes the hair to spread out untidily and be fluffy. Also, long damaged hair can suffer from fluffmess arising from damaged ends protruding from the style. Conventional routes to overcome this problem have focussed on treatments, which deposit material onto the hair fibre surface to provide better mterfibre lubrication and to add actual mass to the hair fibre to weigh it down. While this approach is effective for straight hair it is less so for wavy hair.

In order to overcome the effect of the wave, one approach is to relax the hair, and thus partially straighten it, via treatment with a reducing agent.

One type of hair straightening agent which has had substantial commercial acceptance is a system containing sulphite and bisulphite salts as the reducing agent. These systems do not have the unpleasant odour and potential irritant effect associated with formulations such as those based on thioglycollic acid or cysteic acid and their derivatives. US 3,912,808 discloses a hair straightening composition, typically m lotion form, containing a bisulphite reducing system containing urea and a catiomc quaternary polymer as a hair conditioner.

US 5,338,540 refers to a hair waving or straightening composition comprising a sulphite and/or bisulphite reducing system, urea and a catiomc polyquaternary having specified conductivity for enhanced waving or straightening.

EP 0 395 332 Al discloses a hair conditioning shampoo composition for relaxation of African hair comprising a detergent active compound, a catiomc conditioning agent, and a reducing agent which is preferably sulphite and/or bisulphite.

US 4,038,995 describes a hair reducing lotion comprising an aqueous solution of a sulphite or bisulphite reducing agent and a mink oil fatty acid based quaternary ammonium salt as a conditioning agent.

A particular problem, however, is that any treatment of the hair with reducing agent, especially when on a frequent basis, may damage the hair, leaving it dry and brittle. In addition, hair is frequently exposed to other conditions such as sunlight, chlorinated water and harsh detergents, which tend to embrittle the hair and reduce softness and manageability. The lotion/shampoo compositions described above may not give sufficient conditioning benefits to counteract this effect. A need emerges for a hair relaxing product with superior conditioning properties. However, typical hair conditioning products such as conditioning hair rinses have a particular thick, creamy rheology that is desirable for such products. These products are based on the combination of a surfactant, which is generally a quaternary ammonium compound, and a fatty alcohol. This combination results in a gel-network structure which provides the composition with the desired thick, creamy rheology. Unfortunately, incorporation of bisulphite and/or sulphite into this type of composition has been found to lead to stability problems - in particular, breakdown into a separate, water-rich phase. Evaporation of this water-rich phase at the neck of the product container causes a build-up of solid residue which is undesirable both in terms of performance and product aesthetics.

The present inventors have now found that a sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing agent can be stably incorporated into a conditioning hair rinse comprising a gel -network structure formed from surfactant and fatty alcohol, to give a composition which imparts both a perceivable relaxing effect and superior sensory properties to the hair.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a hair treatment composition in the form of a conditioning hair rinse comprising, in an aqueous medium:

(a) a conditioning surfactant; (b) a fatty alcohol material ;

(c) a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant; and

(d) a sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Conditioning Surfactant

The composition according to the invention comprises one or more conditioning surfactants which are cosmetically acceptable and suitable for topical application to the hair.

Suitable conditioning surfactants are selected from catiomc surfactants, used singly or m admixture.

Catiomc surfactants useful m compositions of the invention contain ammo or quaternary ammonium hydrophilic moieties which are positively charged when dissolved the aqueous composition of the present invention.

Examples of suitable catiomc surfactants are those corresponding to the general formula:

[N(R₂) (R₂) (R₃) (R₄)]⁺ (X)

m which R_x, R₂, R₃, and R₄ are independently selected from (a) an aliphatic group of from 1 to 22 carbon atoms, or (b) an aromatic, alkoxy, polyoxyalkylene, alkylamido, hydroxyalkyl , aryl or alkylaryl group having up to 22 carbon atoms; and X is a salt-forming amon such as those selected from halogen, (e.g. chloride, bromide), acetate, citrate, lactate, glycolate, phosphate nitrate, sulphate, and alkylsulphate radicals.

The aliphatic groups can contain, addition to carbon and hydrogen atoms, ether linkages, and other groups such as ammo groups. The longer chain aliphatic groups, e.g., those of about 12 carbons, or higher, can be saturated or unsaturated.

Preferred are catiomc surfactants containing two long alkyl chains and two short alkyl chains or especially those containing one long alkyl chain and three short alkyl chains. The long alkyl chains such compounds generally have from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably from 16 to 22 carbon atoms, and the corresponding short alkyl chains generally have from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 2 carbon atoms.

The most preferred catiomc surfactants for compositions of the present invention are those selected from cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, stearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, behenyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, and mixtures thereof.

Further examples of suitable catiomc surfactants include the materials having the following CTFA designations: Quatermum- 5, Quaternιum-8 , Quatermum-18 , Quaternιum-24 , Quatermum-26 , Quatermum-27 , Quatermum-30 , Quatermum-31 , Quatermum-33 , Quatermum-43 , Quaternιum-52 , Quatermum-53 , Quatermum-56, Quatermum-60 , Quaternιum-62 , Quatermum-70 , Quaternιum-72 , Quaternium-75 , Quaternium-77 , Quaternium-78 , Quaternium-79, Quaternium-80, Quaternium-81, Quaternium-82 , Quaternium-83 , Quaternium-84, and mixtures thereof.

Salts of primary, secondary and tertiary fatty amines are also suitable cationic surfactants. The alkyl groups of such amines preferably have from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and can be substituted or unsubstituted.

Preferred are acid-neutralised amidoamine compounds, wherein the amidoamine compound has the general formula:

R₅ - C (O) - NH - R₆ - N( R₇) ( R₈)

wherein R₅ is a fatty acid chain containing from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, R_e is an alkylene group containing from one to four carbon atoms, and R₇ and R₈ are, independently, an alkyl group having from one to four carbon atoms .

Examples of suitable amidoamine compounds of the above general formula include stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, stearamidopropyl diethylamine, stearamidoethyl dimethylamine, stearamidoethyl diethylamine, palmitamidopropyl dimethylamine, behenamidopropyl dimethylamine, myristamidopropyl dimethylamine, oleamidopropyl dimethylamine, ricinoleamidopropyl dimethylamine, and combinations thereof.

The acid used to neutralise the amidoamine compound can be essentially any organic acid or mineral acid of sufficient acid strength to neutralise a free amine nitrogen. Such acids include hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, gluconic acid, glycolic acid and propionic acid, or combinations thereof. Lactic acid is a preferred neutraliser since it can provide superior composition stability.

Mixtures of any of the foregoing cationic surfactants may also be suitable.

In compositions of the invention, the level of conditioning surfactant is preferably from 0.01 to 10%, more preferably 0.05 to 5%, most preferably 0.1 to 3% by weight based on total weight of the composition.

Fatty alcohol material

Compositions of the invention advantageously incorporate a fatty alcohol material .

By "fatty alcohol material" is meant a fatty alcohol, an alkoxylated fatty alcohol, or a mixture thereof.

Representative fatty alcohols comprise from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably 16 to 20. Examples of suitable fatty alcohols include cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and mixtures thereof. The use of these materials is also advantageous in that they contribute to the overall conditioning properties of compositions of the invention. Alkoxylated, (e.g. ethoxylated or propoxylated) fatty alcohols having from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain can be used in place of, or in addition to, the fatty alcohols themselves. Suitable examples include ethylene glycol cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene (2) stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene (24) cetyl ether, and mixtures thereof .

The level of fatty alcohol material in compositions of the invention is suitably from 0.01 to 15%, preferably from 0.1 to 10% by weight based on total weight of the composition.

The weight ratio of conditioning surfactant to fatty alcohol material is suitably from 10:1 to 1:10, preferably from 4:1 to 1:8, optimally from 1:1 to 1:7.

Sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system

By "sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system" is meant a hair reducing agent consisting of sulphite and/or bisulphite salts (e.g. ammonium or alkali metal, such as sodium, salts) .

Examples of suitable bisulphite salts are ammonium bisulphite (NHHS0₃) , sodium bisulphite (NaHS0₃) , sodium metabisulphite (Na₂S₂0₅) , potassium metabisulphite (K₂S₂0₅) , potassium bisulphite (KHS0₃) , and mixtures thereof. These may be used together with or substitued by a sulphite salt, such as ammonium sulphite ((NH₄)₂ S0₃) , sodium sulphite (Na₂S0₃) or potassium sulphite (K₂S0₃) , or mixtures thereof, as alternate sources of sulphure dioxide to help produce the desired straightening effect.

The total amount of bisulphite salt present in compositions of the invention, either alone or in combination with sulphite salt, may suitably range from 0.5 to 5%, preferably 0.5 to 2%, most preferably from 1 to 2%, by weight based on total weight of the composition.

The total amount of sulphite salt present in compositions of the invention, either alone or in combination with bisulphite salt, may suitably range from 2 to 10%, preferably 3 to 5%, most preferably around 4%, by weight based on total weight of the composition.

It is preferred to use a combination of sulphite and bisulphite salt. This enables an overall optimised balance of hair straightening efficacy and safety, and also provides a buffering action which helps maintain composition pH.

Most preferred is a combination of sodium bisulphite and sodium sulphite, each in the ranges specified above, and most preferably around 2% sodium bisulphite and around 4% sodium sulphite, each by weight based on total weight of the composition.

Hydrophilic nonionic surfactant

The hydrophilic nonionic surfactants usable in the present invention are preferably those having an HLB value of 10 or more. HLB (or hydrophile-lipophile balance) is a conventional term, first described by . C. Griffin of the Atlas Powder Company ("Surface Active Agents", Wilmington, Del., 1948, pp. 26-27) as a means for comparing the hydrophilic and lipophilic properties of different surfactants. Under this convention, a more hydrophilic surfactant is indicated by a larger HLB value and vice versa. A method of calculating HLB values is shown in Schick, Nonionic Surfactants, Vol. I, pp. 607-608 (1967) .

Suitable examples of hydrophilic nonionic surfactants include polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene derivatives of glycerine fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene derivatives of propylene glycol fatty acid esters, polyethylene glycol fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, and polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers, all having an HLB of 10 or more .

Preferred examples are:

polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, especially those in which the fatty acids have a branched or straight chain alkyl group of 12-18 carbon atoms, and in which there are 15- 80, more preferably 15-40, ethoxy moieties per molecule;

polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers having a branched or straight chain alkyl group of 12-22 carbon atoms, and preferably also having 20-30 ethoxy moieties per molecule, and polyoxyethylene derivatives of glycerine fatty acid esters, especially polyethoxylated tnglycerides made from coconut oil, or hydrogenated castor oil. Preferably, the polyethoxylated tnglycerides have 40-80 ethoxy moieties per molecule.

The most preferred hydrophilic nonionic surfactant in compositions of the invention is polyoxyethylene (40) hydrogenated castor oil .

The level of hydrophilic nonionic surfactant in compositions of the invention is suitably from 0.1 to 5%, preferably from 0.2 to 2.0% by weight based on total weight of the composition.

Optional Ingredients

Compositions of this invention may contain any other ingredient normally used hair treatment formulations. These other ingredients may include viscosity modifiers, preservatives, colouring agents, polyols such as glycerine and polypropylene glycol, chelatmg agents such as EDTA, antioxidants, fragrances, and sunscreens. Each of these ingredients will be present in an amount effective to accomplish its purpose. Generally these optional ingredients are included individually at a level of up to about 5% by weight of the total composition.

A preferred optional ingredient compositions of the invention is a viscosity enhancer. Examples of viscosity enhancers include:

cellulose derivatives such as methylcellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose;

water-soluble salts of cellulose ethers such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and sodium carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose;

natural gums such as carrageenan, xanthan gum, gum arable, gum tragacanth and guar gum and derivatives thereof such as hydroxypropyl guar and guar hydroxypropyl tπmomum chloride;

inorganic thickeners such as colloidal magnesium aluminium silicate (Veegum) , finely divided silica, natural clays such as bentomte and synthetic clays such as the synthetic hectoπte available as Lapomte (ex Laporte Industries Ltd) ;

vmyl-type polymeric thickeners such as polyv ylpyrrolidone, polyv yl alcohol, sodium acrylate/v yl alcohol copolymers and carboxyv yl polymers, such as those polymers of acrylic acid crossl ked with about 0.75% to 2.0% of polyallylsucrose or polyallylpentaerythπtol , obtainable under the Carbopol trademark from B . F. Goodrich.

As the viscosity enhancer, cellulose derivatives are particularly preferred, especially hydroxyethyl cellulose. Also preferred as an optional ingredient in compositions of the invention is an oxidation inhibitor for the sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system. By this is meant any agent which prevents or reduces the reaction of sulphite and/or bisulphite ions with oxygen to form sulphate ions and water. Suitable oxidation inhibitors include EDTA, sodium sulphate, n-methyl pyrrolidone, n-dodecyl pyrrolidone, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.

The reaction with oxygen described above can also be minimised by packaging the composition a delammation bottle. This is a bag m a bottle which enables the composition to be squeezed out during use without drawing air at the same time. In this way the amount of oxygen available to react with the sulphite and/or bisulphite ions is minimised.

It is also preferred to maintain the composition pH the range of 7 to 8, ideally 7 to 7.5, since this also mimimses the reaction with oxygen, can be between though the range can be between pH 6 to 9. At pH below 5.5 there is significant bisulphite breakdown resulting m a S0₂ odour generation. Any or a combination of alkali metal, ammonium or am e salts (such as phosphate, hydroxide, acetate, lactate) can be used as a pH adjuster to help maintain the pH of the composition within the specifed pH range. Potassium hydroxide is a preferred pH adjuster. Also advantageous m this respect is the usage of a combination of sulphite and bisulphite salt as the hair reducing system, since this combination has a buffering action which helps maintain composition pH. The invention will now be further illustrated by the following, non-limiting Examples:

EXAMPLES

The formulations were stored for 12 weeks. Examples 1 and 2 (according to the invention) were stable, as was the control (a conditioner formulation with no bisulphite or sulphite reducing agent) . Comparative Example A, however, showed instability since it developed a separate water-rich layer.

Claims

1. A hair treatment composition in the form of a conditioning hair rinse comprising, in an aqueous medium:

(a) a conditioning surfactant;

(b) a fatty alcohol material;

(c) a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant; and

(d) a sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system.

2. A composition according to claim 1, in which the conditioning surfactant is selected from cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, stearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, behenyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, and mixtures thereof.

3. A composition according to claim 1 or 2 , in which the fatty alcohol material is a fatty alcohol selected from cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and mixtures thereof.

4. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , in which the weight ratio of conditioning surfactant to fatty alcohol material is from 1:1 to 1:4 7.

5. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , in which the sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system is a combination of sulphite and bisulphite salt.

6. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the hydrophilic nonionic surfactant has an HLB value of 10 or more.

7. A composition according to claim 6, in which the hydrophilic nonionic surfactant is selected from polyoxyethylene derivatives of glycerine fatty acid esters.

8. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which further comprises a viscosity enhancer selected from cellulose derivatives.

9. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which further comprises an oxidation inhibitor for the sulphite and/or bisulphite hair reducing system selected from EDTA, sodium sulphate, n-methyl pyrrolidone, n-dodecyl pyrrolidone, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.

10. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which has a composition pH in the range of 7 to 7.5.