WO2013150044A2

WO2013150044A2 - Cosmetic composition comprising a specific essential oil and an ester of an amino acid and of a fatty alcohol

Info

Publication number: WO2013150044A2
Application number: PCT/EP2013/056972
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olga Biganska; Céline VALENTIN-GOMARD
Original assignee: L'oreal
Priority date: 2012-04-05
Filing date: 2013-04-03
Publication date: 2013-10-10
Also published as: FR2988999A1; WO2013150044A3; FR2988999B1

Abstract

A subject-matter of the present invention is a cosmetic composition in the emulsion form comprising one or more cationic emulsifiers chosen from esters of a neutral amino acid, the amine functional group of which is partially or completely neutralized, and of a C₈-C₅₀ fatty alcohol, and one or more essential oils chosen from sweet orange essential oil, lemongrass essential oil (citronella), lemon balm essential oil, clove essential oil, coriander essential oil, fennel essential oil, geranium essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, cedar essential oil, camomile essential oil, oregano essential oil, catnip essential oil, savory essential oil, thyme essential oil and their mixtures. A further subject-matter of the invention is a method for the treatment of keratinous substances and a cosmetic use of the composition.

Description

Cosmetic composition comprising a specific essential oil and an ester of an amino acid and of a fatty alcohol

The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition in the emulsion form comprising one or more specific essential oils and one or more esters of an amino acid and of a fatty alcoho l.

The present invention also relates to a method for the cosmetic treatment of keratinous substances using such a composition and to a cosmetic use of the said composition.

A recurring problem in the field of cosmetics consists in caring for keratinous substances, in particular keratinous fibres, subj ected to various external assaults. These fibres may be subj ected to assaults o f various origins, such as mechanical assaults, for example linked to disentangling or blow-drying, or also chemical assaults, for example subsequent to dyeing or permanent-waving.

These assaults have repercussions on the qualities o f the keratinous fibre. They can result in difficult disentangling during the washing of the hair, on and/wet hair, and also damage to the surface properties of the fibres.

Care products exist which can limit these phenomena. These products generally comprise one or more agents for conditioning keratinous fibres, such as po lymers, cationic surfactants or silicones .

However, these compounds cannot be used in natural products. For this reason, the performance of natural products is often judged by consumers to be poorer than that of conventional non-natural products .

There thus exists a need to have available natural cosmetic compositions based on natural compounds or compounds of natural origin which make it possible to satisfactorily condition keratinous substances, in particular keratinous fibres, and especially to confer on them good properties in terms of disentangling, smoothing, sheen, body, coating, suppleness and feel.

The term "natural compound" is understood to mean a compound which is obtained directly from the earth or the soil, or from plants or animals, via, if appropriate, one or more physical processes, such as, for example, a milling, a refining, a distillation, a purification or a filtration.

The term "compounds of natural origin" is understood to mean a natural compound which has been subjected to one or more additional chemical or industrial treatments, giving rise to modifications which do not affect the essential qualities of this compound, and/or a compound predominantly comprising natural constituents which have or have not been subjected to transformations as indicated above.

Mention may be made, as non-limiting example of additional chemical or industrial treatment giving rise to modifications which do not affect the essential qualities of a natural compound, of those allowed by the controlling bodies, such as Ecocert (Reference system for biological and ecological cosmetic products, January 2003), or defined in recognized handbooks in the field, such as Cosmetics and Toiletries Magazine, 2005, Vol. 120, 9:10.

The Applicant has now discovered, surprisingly, that the combination of a specific essential oil and of an ester of a neutral amino acid, the amine functional group of which is partially or completely neutralized, and of a Cs-Cso fatty alcohol makes it possible to achieve the objectives set out above.

A subject-matter of the present invention is thus a cosmetic composition in the emulsion form comprising one or more cationic emulsifiers chosen from esters of a neutral amino acid, the amine functional group of which is partially or completely neutralized, and of a C8-C50 fatty alcohol, and one or more essential oils chosen from sweet orange essential oil, lemongrass essential oil (citronella), lemon balm essential oil, clove essential oil, coriander essential oil, fennel essential oil, geranium essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, cedar essential oil, camomile essential oil, oregano essential oil, catnip essential oil, savory essential oil, thyme essential oil and their mixtures. This specific combination has proven to be particularly appropriate for washing and/or caring for the hair and has made it possible to obtain good cosmetic properties .

This is because the use of this composition provides goo d conditioning o f the hair, for example in terms of disentangling, smoothing, bo dy, sheen, suppleness and coating .

A further subj ect-matter o f the present invention is a metho d for the treatment of keratinous substances , in particular human keratinous fibres, such as the hair, in which a cosmetic compositio n according to the invention is applied to the said keratinous substances .

Finally, a subj ect-matter o f the present invention is a use o f a cosmetic composition according to the invention in the treatment of keratinous substances, in particular in the conditioning o f keratinous fibres , in particular the hair.

Other subj ect-matters, characteristics, aspects and advantages o f the invention will become even more clearly apparent on reading the description and examples which fo llow.

In that which fo llows and unless otherwise indicated, the limit s o f a range of values are included within this range , in particular in the expressions "b etween" and "ranging from . . . to

According to the invention, the composition comprises one or more essential o ils chosen from sweet orange essential oil, lemongrass essential o il (citronella), lemon balm essential o il, clove essential o il, coriander essential o il, fennel essential oil, geranium essential o il, cinnamon essential oil, cedar essential oil, camomile essential o il, oregano essential o il, catnip essential o il, savory essential o il, thyme essential o il and their mixtures, and one or more cationic emulsifiers chosen from esters o f a neutral amino acid, the amine functional group o f which is partially or completely neutralized, and of a Cs -Cso fatty alcoho l.

The specific cationic emulsifiers present in the compositio ns according to the invention are neutralized amino acid ester cationic emulsifiers which are preferably of natural origin, given that they are not derived from petrochemicals , and can also be produced from non- animal-derived and non-GMO reactants, and be prepared by processes which use the princip les of green chemistry. Due to the cationic structure of the ester, it is well suited to personal care applications , in particular to compositions used in the conditioning o f the hair and skin.

Furthermore , it has b een discovered that these neutralized amino acid esters exhibit a reduced impact on the environment in terms o f ecotoxicity.

The neutralized amino acid ester of use in the context o f the invention is derived from the esterification o f (i) a neutral amino acid with (ii) a fatty alcoho l comprising a long Cs -Cso chain, the amine functional group of the amino acid being partially or completely neutralized. In particular, suitable amino acid esters are derived fro m the esterification o f a neutral amino acid having a hydro carbon side chain with a fatty alco ho l comprising a long Cs - Cso chain.

The cationic emulsifier or emulsifiers of use in the context o f the invention can be defined by the structure of fo llowing formula (I) , in which the amine functional group is completely or partially neutralized with an acid :

in which :

Ri represents a linear or branched alkyl group having from one to ten carbon atoms , preferably from two to six carbon atoms ;

R₂ represents a saturated or unsaturated and linear or branched hydro carbon chain comprising from 8 to 50 carbon atoms, preferab ly from 1 0 to 24 carbon atoms and more preferably still from 1 6 to 24 carbon atoms . The amino acids for the formation of the ester comprise any acid from those which are neutral. In one embodiment, L-alanine, L- valine, L-leucine and L-isoleucine can be selected. Preference is in particular given, in some embodiments of the invention, to L- isoleucine.

It is preferable for the neutral amino acid selected not to be derived from animal sources or GMO sources. In one embodiment, it may be preferable for the amino acid(s) to be synthetic and/or derived from plants, algae or other non-animal organisms. They can be obtained, for example, from plant matter by a fermentation process.

In order to obtain the ester of use in the context of the invention, the amine group of the amino acid is neutralized with an acid and reacted with a fatty alcohol comprising a long Cs-Cso chain.

The fatty alcohol or alcohols used in the synthesis of the ester or esters constituting the cationic emulsifier or emulsifiers present in the composition according to the invention can be linear or branched and can in addition be saturated or unsaturated. The fatty alcohol comprises from 8 to 50 carbon atoms. In one embodiment, the linear or branched fatty alcohol or alcohols comprising from 8 to 24 carbon atoms may be preferred.

Examples of suitable fatty alcohols comprise lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, palmityl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, arachidyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol and mixtures or combinations of these. It is recommended for the fatty alcohols to be derived from non-petrochemical sources.

The amine group of the amino acid ester can be completely or partially neutralized by an acid, in order to facilitate its cationic behaviour. Any acid can be used, including organic and inorganic acids. Suitable inorganic (or mineral) acids comprise, without limitation, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, boric acid and nitric acid. Suitable organic acids can be citric acid, ethanesulphonic acid, acetic acid, formic acid and oxalic acid. Mention may also be made, among organic acids, of amino acids, for example glutamic acid and aspartic acid. In one embodiment, preference may be given to an ethanesulphonic acid which is derived from non-GMO ethano l.

An example of preferred neutralized amino acid ester can be brassicyl-L-iso leucine esylate (BLIE) or leucine isostearyl ester esylate (LIEE) . The brassicyl-L-iso leucine esylate (BLIE) can be derived from the esterification o f brassica alcoho l with L-iso leucine esylate. The L-iso leucine esylate can be prepared by reaction o f the amine group on the isoleucine with ethanesulphonic acid. Brassica alcoho l is a fatty alcoho l which is derived from the separation o f rapeseed oil rich in erucic acid obtained from the Brassica genus o f plants, fo llowed by a hydrogenation. Brassica alcoho l is composed mainly of stearyl (C _{1 8}), arachidyl (C₂₀) and behenyl (C₂₂) alcoho ls with minor amounts of alcoho ls comprising a shorter and longer alkyl chain length.

Mention may be made, as examples o f an ester of a neutral amino acid, the amine functional group of which is partially or completely neutralized, and of a Cs-Cso fatty alcoho l, of the fo llowing compounds, so ld by Ino lex :

Emulsense, which is a mixture o f 65 % Brassicyl Iso leucinate Esylate and 35 % Brassica Alcohol;

Emulsense SC , which is a mixture of 50%> Brassica Alcohol, 25 % Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate and 25 % Brassica Glycerides;

Emulsense HC, which is a mixture of 76% Brassica Alcoho l and 24% Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate.

The neutralized amino acid ester of the invention can be synthesized by processes well-known in the art.

The amount of cationic emulsifier(s) in the composition according to the invention is generally between 1 % and 20% by weight, preferably between 2% and 10% by weight, of the total weight of the composition.

As explained above, the composition according to the invention comprises one or more essential oils chosen from sweet orange essential oil, lemongrass essential oil (citronella), lemon balm essential oil, clove essential oil, coriander essential oil, fennel essential oil, geranium essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, cedar essential oil, camomile essential oil, oregano essential oil, catnip essential oil, savory essential oil, thyme essential oil and their mixtures.

Preferably, the composition according to the invention comprises at least one sweet orange essential oil, alone or as a mixture with one or more of the other essential oils listed.

Preferably, the composition according to the invention comprises at least one sweet orange essential oil and one lemongrass essential oil.

The composition can, in addition, optionally comprise one or more other additional essential oils, such as rosemary essential oil.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the composition according to the invention comprises at least one sweet orange essential oil, one lemongrass essential oil and one rosemary essential oil.

Essential oils are o ften used for their odour but also for their many other pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic activities, which have been known from a very early date (see in particular Aromatherapie by J. Valnet, published by Maloine, 1984) . Essential oils differ from vegetable oils in that they cannot be decomposed by saponification into glycerol and fatty acid soap . Moreover, they are vo latile.

According to the definition given in International Standard ISO 9235 and adopted by the Commission o f the European Pharmacopoeia, an essential oil is a product, generally of complex composition, obtained from a botanically defined plant starting material, either by steam distillation, or by dry distillation, or by extraction using liquid or gaseous solvents, or via an appropriate mechanical process without heating (co ld expression) . The essential oil is generally separated from the aqueous phase via a physical process which does not result in any significant change in the composition. These essential oils can also be prepared by synthesis.

The essential oil used according to the invention can be obtained from any plant material resulting from the whole plant or from any part of the said plant, such as, for example, the leaves, stems, flowers, petals, seeds, fruits, buds, roots, branches of plants and/or whole plants .

The essential oil in accordance with the invention can be prepared according to the abovementioned techniques and will preferably be obtained according to the conventional technique o f steam distillation or of co ld expression o f the peel and/or of the whole fruit (in the case o f citrus fruits in particular).

Mention may be made, as orange essential oil, of Citrus aurantium dulcis peel oil, so ld by Elixens under the reference Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil.

The essential oil or oils are generally present in proportions o f 0.01 % to 20% by weight, preferably of 0.05 % to 1 5 % by weight, better still o f 0. 1 % to 10% by weight, even better still o f 0.2% to 5 % by weight and better still of 0.5 %> to 3 %> by weight, with respect to the total weight of the composition.

The composition according to the invention can also comprise one or more additional surfactants chosen from anionic, non-ionic or amphoteric surfactants, in particular non-ionic surfactants, but only in so far as the presence of these surfactants does not affect the comfort (harmlessness) of the composition.

The additional surfactants which can be used in the composition according to the invention are preferably surfactants o f natural origin, in which the compounds which may be present in nature and which are reproduced by chemical synthesis are included; they can in particular be chosen from esters of a sugar and of a fatty acid, soaps (salts o f fatty acids), soybean oil derivatives, lactic acid derivatives, amino acids, acylamino acids, their salts, alkyl polyglucosides (APG), hydrophobized gums and their mixtures.

The composition in accordance with the invention is provided in the emulsion form. According to a specific embodiment, the composition in accordance with the invention is provided in the oil-in- water emulsion form.

The composition according to the invention comprises an aqueous phase comprising water and/or water-soluble solvents.

The water optionally used in the composition of the invention can be demineralized pure water but also mineral water and/or thermal water and/or seawater and/or floral waters (hydrolates), that is to say that the water of the composition can be partially or completely composed o f a water chosen from mineral waters, thermal waters, seawaters, floral waters (hydrolates) and their mixtures . In general, a mineral water is suitable for consumption, which is not always the case with a thermal water. Each of these waters comprises, inter alia , trace elements and/or dissolved minerals. These waters are known to be emp loyed for specific treatment purposes according to the particular trace elements and minerals which they contain, such as the moisturization and desensitization of the skin or the treatment of certain dermatoses. The terms "mineral waters" and "thermal waters" will denote not only natural mineral or thermal waters but also natural mineral or thermal waters enriched in additional mineral constituents and/or trace elements, and also aqueous mineral solutions and/or aqueous so lutions containing trace elements prepared from purified water (demineralized or distilled water) .

A natural thermal water or mineral water optionally used according to the invention can, for example, be chosen from water from Vittel, water from the Vichy basin, water from Uriage, water from La Roche-Posay, water from La Bourboule, water from Enghien- les-Bains, water from Saint Gervais-les-Bains, water from Neris- les- Bains, water from Allevard-les-Bains, water from Digne, water from Maizieres, water from Neyrac-les-Bains, water from Lons-le-Saunier, water from Eaux-Bonnes, water from Rochefort, water from Saint Christau, water from Les Fumades, water from Tercis-les-Bains and water from Avene.

As explained above, the aqueous phase of the composition o f the invention can comprise a water-so luble organic solvent chosen, for example, from lower monoalcoho ls comprising from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and in particular from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, such as ethanol, isopropanol, propanol or butanol, polyols, such as, for example, glycerol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, polyethylene glycols, such as PEG-8, or dipropylene glycol, and their mixtures.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the polyol is glycerol, which gives better comfort on application. Other polyols can be added to the glycerol, in so far as the qualities of the composition are maintained.

The amount of water in the aqueous phase is advantageously between 40% and 95% by weight, in particular 50% and 90% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the aqueous phase.

The amount of polyol(s) in the aqueous phase can range, for example, from 0% to 15% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 10% by weight, better still from 1% to 10% by weight, even better still from 2%> to 10%) by weight and even better still from 2% to 8% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the aqueous phase.

Advantageously, the glycerol represents from 0% to 10% by weight of the total weight of the aqueous phase.

The composition according to the invention also comprises a fatty phase.

The fatty phase of the composition according to the invention comprises all of the fat-soluble or fat-dispersible compounds present in the composition, including, preferably, the fatty substances which are liquid at ambient temperature (25°C) and ambient pressure or oils (which form the oily phase), fatty substances which are solid at ambient temperature, such as waxes, or also pasty compounds, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, and esters of an unsaturated C₆-Ci₆ acid, in particular Cs-Ci4 acid, and of a C₆-Cio alcohol, in particular C₆-C8 alcohol, other than the neutral amino acid esters defined above.

Mention may be made, as oils which can be used in the composition of the invention, for example, of:

- hydrocarbon oils of vegetable origin, such as squalane, liquid triglycerides of fatty acids comprising from 4 to 30 carbon atoms, such as heptanoic or octanoic acid triglycerides, or alternatively, for example, jojoba oil, babassu oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, coconut oil, Brazil nut oil, marula oil, maize oil, soybean oil, pumpkinseed oil, grape seed oil, linseed oil, sesame seed oil, hazelnut oil, apricot oil, macadamia oil, arara oil, coriander oil, castor oil, avocado oil, rapeseed oil, caprylic/capric acid triglycerides, such as those sold by Stearineries Dubois or those sold under the names Miglyol 8 1 0, 8 12 and 8 1 8 by Dynamit Nobel, or shea butter oil;

- synthetic esters and ethers, in particular of fatty acids, such as the oils o f formulae R' COOR² and R' OR² in which R¹ represents the residue of a fatty acid or of a fatty alcohol comprising from 8 to 29 carbon atoms and R² represents a branched or unbranched hydrocarbon chain comprising from 3 to 30 carbon atoms, such as, for example, purcellin oil, 2-octyldodecyl stearate, 2-octyldodecyl erucate or isostearyl isostearate; hydroxylated esters, such as isostearyl lactate, octyl hydroxystearate, octyldodecyl hydroxystearate, diisostearyl malate, triisocetyl citrate, and fatty alcohol heptanoates, octanoates and decanoates; polyo l esters, such as propylene glyco l dio ctanoate, neopentyl glyco l diheptanoate and diethylene glycol diisononanoate; and pentaerythrito l esters, such as pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate;

- their mixtures .

Mention may also be made o f the fo llowing oils :

- esters resulting from the reaction o f at least one fatty acid comprising at least 6 carbon atoms, preferably from 6 to 26 carbon atoms, better still from 6 to 20 carbon atoms and even better still from 6 to 16 carbon atoms and of at least one alcohol comprising from 1 to 17 carbon atoms and better still from 3 to 1 5 carbon atoms; mention may in particular be made o f isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, 2-ethylhexyl caprate/caprylate (or octyl caprate/caprylate), 2- ethylhexyl palmitate, isostearyl neopentanoate, isononyl isononanoate, hexyl laurate, lauryl laurate, esters of lactic acid and of fatty alcoho ls comprising 12 or 1 3 carbon atoms, or dicaprylyl carbonate, such as the product which is so ld under the name Cetiol CC by Cognis,

- ethers o f a fatty acid comprising from 6 to 20 carbon atoms, such as dicaprylyl ether (Cetio l OE from Cognis), - glycerol ethers comprising from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, such as the 2-ethylhexyl ether of glycerol (INCI name: ethylhexylglycerin), such as Sensiva SC 50 from Schulke & Mayr GmbH,

- octyldodecanol,

- volatile linear alkanes, advantageously of vegetable origin, comprising from 7 to 17 carbon atoms, in particular from 9 to 15 carbon atoms and more particularly from 11 to 13 carbon atoms.

Mention may be made, as examples of volatile linear alkanes suitable for the invention, of those described in the patent application of Cognis WO 2007/068371 or WO 2008/155059 (mixtures of distinct alkanes differing by at least one carbon). These alkanes are obtained from fatty alcohols, themselves obtained from coconut oil or palm oil.

Mention may be made, as examples of volatile linear alkanes suitable for the invention, of n-nonane (C9), n-decane (C₁₀), n- undecane (Cn), n-dodecane (C₁₂), n-tridecane (C₁₃), n-tetradecane (C14), n-pentadecane (C₁₅), n-hexadecane (C₁₆) and n-heptadecane (C₁₇), and their mixtures. According to a preferred form, mention may be made of the mixtures of n-undecane (Cn) and n-tridecane (C₁₃) obtained in Examples 1 and 2 of Patent Application WO 2008/155059 from Cognis. Mention may also be made of n-dodecane (C₁₂) and n- tetradecane (C₁₄), such as those sold by Sasol under the references Parafol 12-97 and Parafol 14-97 respectively, and also of their mixtures,

- the polyesters obtained by condensation of an unsaturated fatty acid dimer and/or trimer and of a diol, such as the polyesters of dilinoleic acid and of a diol sold by Biosynthis under the name Viscoplast and in particular the polymer carrying the INCI name dilinoleic acid/propanediol copolymer,

and their mixtures.

Preferably, the oil is chosen from vegetable oils, such as mentioned above.

Within the meaning of the present invention, the term "pasty compound" is understood to mean a lipophilic fatty compound with a reversible solid/liquid change in state and comprising, at a temperature of 23°C, a liquid fraction and a solid fraction.

A pasty compound is, at a temperature of 23°C, in the form of a liquid fraction and of a solid fraction. In other words, the starting melting point of the pasty compound is less than 23°C. The liquid fraction of the pasty compound, measured at 23°C, represents from

20% to 97%) by weight of the pasty compound. This liquid fraction at

23°C more preferably represents from 25% to 85% and better still from

30%) to 60%) by weight of the pasty compound.

The liquid fraction by weight of the pasty compound at 23°C is equal to the ratio of the enthalpy of fusion consumed at 23°C to the enthalpy of fusion of the pasty compound.

The enthalpy of fusion consumed at 23°C is the amount of energy absorbed by the sample to change from the solid state to the state which it exhibits at 23°C, consisting of a liquid fraction and a solid fraction.

The enthalpy of fusion of the pasty compound is the enthalpy consumed by the compound in order to change from the solid state to the liquid state. The pasty compound is said to be in the solid state when all of its mass is in the solid form. The pasty compound is said to be in the liquid state when all of its mass is in the liquid form.

The enthalpy of fusion of the pasty compound is equal to the area under the curve of the thermogram obtained using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), such as the calorimeter sold under the name MDSC 2920 by TA Instruments, with a temperature rise of 5°C or 10°C per minute, according to Standard ISO 11357-3:1999. The enthalpy of fusion of the pasty compound is the amount of energy necessary to make the compound change from the solid state to the liquid state. It is expressed in J/g.

The liquid fraction of the pasty compound, measured at 32°C, preferably represents from 40% to 100% by weight of the pasty compound, better still from 50%> to 100% by weight of the pasty compound. When the liquid fraction of the pasty compound, measured at 32°C, is equal to 100%, the temperature of the end o f the melting range of the pasty compound is less than or equal to 32°C .

The liquid fraction of the pasty compound, measured at 32°C, is equal to the ratio of the enthalpy of fusion consumed at 32°C to the enthalpy o f fusion o f the pasty compound. The enthalpy of fusion consumed at 32°C is calculated in the same way as the enthalpy o f fusion consumed at 23 ° C .

The pasty compound preferably has a hardness at 20°C ranging from 0.001 to 0.5 MPa and preferably from 0.002 to 0.4 MPa.

The hardness is measured according to a method of penetration of a probe into a compound sample, in particular using a texture analyser (for example the ΤΑ-ΧΤ2Ϊ from Rheo) equipped with a stainless steel cylinder with a diameter of 2 mm. The hardness measurement is carried out at 20°C at the centre of 5 samp les. The cylinder is introduced into each sample, the depth of penetration being 0.3 mm. The value recorded for the hardness is that of the maximum peak.

The pasty compound is chosen from compounds o f vegetable origin. A pasty compound can be obtained by synthesis from starting materials o f vegetable origin.

The pasty compound can be chosen in particular from isomerized jojoba oil, such as trans-isomerized partially hydrogenated jojoba oil manufactured or marketed by Desert Whale under the commercial reference Iso-Jojoba-50®, orange wax, such as, for example, that which is so ld under the reference Orange Peel Wax by Koster Keunen, cupuacu butter (Rain Forest RF34 10 from Beraca Sahara), murumuru butter (Rain Forest RF3710 from Beraca Sahara), shea butter, partially hydrogenated olive oil, such as, for example, the compound so ld under the reference Beurrolive by Soliance, cocoa butter, kokum butter, mango oil, such as, for example, Lipex 203 from AarhusKarlshamn, and their mixtures.

Within the meaning o f the present invention, the term "wax" is understood to mean a lipophilic compound which is solid at ambient temperature (25 °C), which exhibits a reversible solid/liquid change in state and which has a melting point o f greater than or equal to 30°C and which can range up to 120°C . In particular, the waxes exhibit a melting point o f greater than 30°C and better still of greater than 45 °C .

Within the meaning of the invention, the melting point corresponds to the temperature of the most endothermic peak observed in thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry or DSC), as described in Standard ISO 1 1 357-3 ; 1999. The melting point of the wax can be measured using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), for example the calorimeter sold under the name MDSC 2920 by TA Instruments .

The measurement protocol is as fo llows :

A sample of 5 mg of wax placed in a crucible is subj ected to a first temperature rise ranging from -20°C to 1 00°C, at a heating rate of 10°C/minute, it is then cooled from 100°C to -20°C at a cooling rate of 10°C/minute and it is finally subj ected to a second temperature rise ranging from -20°C to 100°C at a heating rate of 5 °C/minute. During the second temperature rise, the variation in the difference in power absorbed by the empty crucible and by the crucible containing the sample o f wax is measured as a function of the temperature. The melting point o f the compound is the value of the temperature corresponding to the tip of the peak of the curve representing the variation in the difference in power absorbed as a function o f the temperature.

The term "hard wax" is understood to mean, within the meaning of the present invention, a wax exhibiting, at 20°C, a hardness o f greater than 5 MPa, in particular ranging from 5 to 30 MPa, preferably of greater than 6 MPa, better still ranging from 6 to 25 MPa.

The hardness of the wax is determined by measuring the compressive force, measured at 20°C using the texture analyser sold under the name TA-XT2 by Rheo, equipped with a stainless steel cylinder with a diameter of 2 mm, moving at a measurement rate of 0. 1 mm/s and penetrating the wax to a penetration depth of 0.3 mm. The measurement protocol is as fo llows : the wax is melted at a temperature equal to the melting point of the wax + 10°C . The mo lten wax is poured into a container with a diameter of 25 mm and a depth of 20 mm. The wax is recrystallized at ambient temperature (25 °C) for 24 hours, so that the surface of the wax is flat and smooth, and then the wax is stored at 20°C for at least 1 hour before measuring the hardness or the tack.

The spindle o f the texture analyser is moved at the rate of 0. 1 mm/s and then penetrates the wax down to a penetration depth of 0.3 mm. When the spindle has penetrated the wax to the depth of 0.3 mm, the spindle is kept stationary for 1 second (corresponding to the relaxation time) and is then withdrawn at the rate of 0.5 mm/s .

The value o f the hardness is the maximum compressive force measured divided by the surface area of the cylinder of the texture analyser in contact with the wax.

Use may advantageously be made, as wax, of waxes o f vegetable origin, such as carnauba wax, candelilla wax, hydrogenated jojoba wax, mimoza wax, sumac wax, the waxes obtained by hydrogenation o f o live oil esterified with fatty alcoho ls comprising C i 2 to C i 8 chains so ld by Sophim in the Phytowax range ( 12L44, 14L48 , 16L55 and 1 8L57), rice bran wax, cetyl, stearyl and behenyl alcoho ls, laurel wax or ouricury wax.

Use may also be made o f at least one ester of behenic acid and of glycerol and in particular o f a mixture of esters o f behenic acid and of glycerol, such as, for examp le, the glyceryl dibehenate, tribehenin and glyceryl behenate mixture sold by Gattefosse under the reference Comprito l 888 CG ATO .

The fatty alcoho ls which can be used in the composition according to the invention are saturated or unsaturated and linear or branched and comprise from 6 to 30 carbon atoms and more particularly from 8 to 30 carbon atoms . Mention may be made, for example, of cetyl alcoho l, stearyl alcoho l and their mixture (cetearyl alcoho l), octyldodecanol, 2-butyloctanol, 2-hexyldecanol, 2- undecylpentadecanol, oleyl alcoho l or linoleyl alcoho l. The fatty acids capable of being used in the composition can be saturated or unsaturated and comprise from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, in particular from 9 to 30 carbon atoms. They are more particularly chosen from myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and isostearic acid.

As explained above, the composition according to the invention can also comprise one or more esters of an unsaturated C₆-Ci6 acid, in particular Cs-Ci4 acid, and of a C₆-Cio alcohol, in particular C₆-C8 alcohol, other than the neutral amino acid esters defined above. Mention may in particular be made of heptyl undecylenate. This compound is sold by Inolex under the commercial reference Lexfeel Natural.

The ester or esters of an unsaturated C₆-Ci6 acid and of a C₆- Cio alcohol other than the neutral amino acid esters defined above can represent from 0.1% to 10% by weight, preferably from 0.5%> to 6% by weight and better still from 1% to 5% by weight of the total weight of the composition.

The amount of fatty phase in the composition of the invention can range from 1% to 60% by weight, preferably from 1.5% to 30% by weight and indeed even from 2% to 15% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the composition.

The cosmetic compositions of the invention can additionally comprise adjuvants normal in the cosmetics field, such as pH agents, for example citric acid or arginine, antioxidants, preservatives, for example a benzyl alcohol/dehydroacetic acid mixture (sold under the reference Geogard 221 by Lonza), fragrances, peptizing agents for fragrances, colouring materials, fillers, or hydrophilic or lipophilic active agents. The nature of the adjuvants and their amounts must be such that they do not modify the properties of the composition according to the invention. The amounts of these adjuvants are those conventionally used in the cosmetics field, for example from 0.001% to 10% of the total weight of the composition.

Mention may be made, as active agents which can be used in the composition of the invention, for example, of soothing agents, such as allantoin and bisabo lo l; floral waters, such as linden tree water or cornflower water; glycyrrhetinic acid and its salts; antibacterial agents, such as octopirox, triclo san and triclocarban; essential oils; vitamins, such as, for example, retino l (vitamin A), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol (vitamin E), niacinamide (vitamin PP or B3), pantheno l (vitamin B5) and their derivatives, such as, for example, esters of these vitamins (palmitate, acetate, propionate), magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, glycosylated vitamin C or glucopyranosyl- ascorbic acid (ascorbyl glucoside); coenzymes, such as coenzyme Q 10 or ubiquinone and coenzyme R or biotin; protein hydro lysates; plant extracts and in particular plankton extracts; and their mixtures .

Mention may be made, as fillers, of mineral fillers, such as talc or magnesium silicate (particle size : 5 microns), so ld under the name Luzenac 15 MOO® by Luzenac, or kaolin or aluminium silicate, such as, for example, the product sold under the name Kaolin Supreme® by Imerys, or of organic fillers, such as starch, such as, for example, the product sold under the name Amidon de Mai^'s B® by Roquette, Nylon microspheres, such as those sold under the name Orgasol 2002 UD NAT COS® by Atochem, or expanded isobutane-comprising microspheres based on vinylidene chloride/acrylonitrile/methacrylonitrile copolymer, such as the products sold under the name Expancel 55 1 DE® by Expancel. Fibres, such as, for example, nylon fibres (Polyamide 0.9 Dtex 0.3 MM, sold by Etablissements Paul Bonte), or cellulo se or "Rayon" fibres (Rayon Flo ck RCISE N0003 M04®, sold by Claremont Flock Corporation), can also be added to the composition o f the invention.

Of course, a person skilled in the art will take care to choose the optional additive or additives to be added to the composition according to the invention so that the advantageous properties intrinsically attached to the composition in accordance with the invention are not, or not substantially, detrimentally affected by the envisaged addition.

The compositions according to the invention are intended to be applied to keratinous substances, such as the skin (body, face, eyes, scalp) and/or keratinous fibres, and can constitute in particular care, make-up, make-up-removing or cleansing products for keratinous substances, or hair products.

Another subject-matter of the invention is a method for the cosmetic treatment of keratinous substances, in particular human keratinous fibres, such as the hair, in which a cosmetic composition as defined above is applied to the said keratinous substances.

Another subject-matter of the invention is the use o f a cosmetic composition as defined above in the treatment of keratinous substances, in particular in the conditioning o f keratinous fibres, in particular the hair.

The fo llowing examp les are given by way of illustration o f the invention and do not have a limiting nature. All the amounts are given as percentage by weight, with respect to the total weight of the composition. The names of the compounds are shown as chemical names .

Examples

Example 1

Care compositions for the hair were prepared; their compositions are given in Table 1 . The amounts are expressed as percentage by weight, with respect to the total weight of the composition.

Table 1

1 (invention) 2

Arginine 0. 12 0. 12

Benzyl alcoho l 0.8 0.8

Cetearyl alcoho l 7 7

Heptyl 3 3

undecylenate Citrus aurantium 2 0

dulcis peel oil

Glycero l 5 5

Water 77.08 79.08

Brassicyl 5 5

iso leucinate

esylate ( 1 )

( 1 ) Emulsense HC, sold by Ino lex

The conditioning properties on hair o f a composition according to the invention (composition 1 ) were compared in comparison with a composition not comprising an essential oil (composition 2).

Each composition was applied to 3 bleached blonde locks (SA 20), after a prior shampooing, in a proportion of 1 g of composition per lock of 2.7 g.

Each lock was evaluated by 2 evaluators. The results on dried lo cks were evaluated. The grades are given in Table 2.

Table 2

The best results on lo cks are obtained for composition 1 according to the invention.

Example 2

An examp le o f a care composition for the hair according to the invention is given in Table 3. The amounts are expressed as percentage by weight, with respect to the total weight of the composition. Table 3

(1) Emulsense HC, sold by Inolex

Claims

1 . Cosmetic composition in the emulsion form comprising one or more cationic emulsifiers chosen from esters of a neutral amino acid, the amine functional group of which is partially or completely neutralized, and of a Cs-Cso fatty alcoho l, and one or more essential oils chosen from sweet orange essential oil, lemongrass essential oil (citronella), lemon balm essential oil, clove essential oil, coriander essential oil, fennel essential oil, geranium essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, cedar essential oil, camomile essential oil, oregano essential oil, catnip essential oil, savory essential oil, thyme essential oil and their mixtures.

2. Composition according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the cationic emulsifier or emulsifiers are defined by the following formula (I), in which the amine functional group is completely or partially neutralized with an acid:

(I) in which:

Ri represents a linear or branched alkyl group having from one to ten carbon atoms, preferably from two to six carbon atoms;

R₂ represents a saturated or unsaturated and linear or branched hydrocarbon chain comprising from 8 to 50 carbon atoms, preferably from 10 to 24 carbon atoms and more preferably still from 16 to 24 carbon atoms.

3 . Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amino acid or acids of the cationic emulsifier or emulsifiers are chosen from L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucine and L- isoleucine, preferably L-isoleucine.

4. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fatty alcohol or alcohols of the cationic emulsifier or emulsifiers are chosen from lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, palmityl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, arachidyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol and their mixtures.

5. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cationic emulsifier or emulsifiers are chosen from brassicyl-L-isoleucine esylate (BLIE) or leucine isostearyl ester esylate (LIEE).

6. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amount of cationic emulsifier(s) is between 1% and 20% by weight, preferably between 2% and 10%> by weight, of the total weight of the composition.

7. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one sweet orange essential oil, alone or as a mixture with one or more of the said other essential oils.

8. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the essential oil or oils are present in proportions of 0.01% to 20% by weight, preferably of 0.05% to 15% by weight, better still of 0.1% to 10% by weight, even better still of 0.2% to 5% by weight and even better still of 0.5%> to 3% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the composition.

9. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises one or more esters of an unsaturated C₆-Ci6 acid, in particular Cs-Ci4 acid, and of a C₆-Cio alcohol, in particular C₆-C8 alcohol, other than the said neutral amino acid esters.

10. Composition according to Claim 9, characterized in that the ester of an unsaturated C₆-Ci6 acid and of a C₆-Cio alcohol is heptyl undecylenate.

11. Composition according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the ester or esters of an unsaturated C₆-Ci6 acid and of a C₆-Cio alcoho l other than the said neutral amino acid esters defined represent from 0. 1 % to 10% by weight, preferably from 0.5 %> to 6%> by weight and better still from 1 % to 5 % by weight of the total weight of the composition.

12. Composition according to any one o f the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition is an oil-in-water emulsion.

13. Method for the treatment of keratinous substances, in particular human keratinous fibres, such as the hair, in which a cosmetic composition as defined in any one o f the preceding claims is applied to the said keratinous substances .

14. Use of a cosmetic composition as defined in any one o f Claims 1 to 12 in the treatment of keratinous substances, in particular in the conditioning of keratinous fibres, in particular the hair.