Ammonium Buffer System for Hair Color Alteration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hair lightening and coloring processes require lengthy processing times, leading to hair damage and scalp irritation due to high alkalinity, necessitating the development of compositions and methods that can lift or deposit color efficiently with reduced processing times while minimizing damage.
Innovation Solution
The use of a buffer system comprising ammonium hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, and optionally monoethanolamine in hair color bases and compositions, which reduces processing times to 5-20 minutes, allowing for effective color lift and deposition with minimal damage and irritation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional hair lightening and coloring processes are used, then color alteration is achieved, but processing time is lengthy (30-45 minutes or more) causing hair damage and scalp irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the composition by incorporating a buffer system (ammonium hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, and/or monoethanolamine) that maintains optimal pH levels. This parameter change enables the hair coloring process to proceed effectively at lower alkalinity, reducing processing time to 5-20 minutes while minimizing hair damage and scalp irritation associated with conventional high-alkalinity formulations
2Manufacturing precision
If processing time is increased to achieve lighter hair and more intense color, then color lift and deposition are improved, but hair damage and scalp irritation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer system maintains optimal pH parameters that accelerate the coloring reaction, enabling high-quality color lift and deposition to be achieved in 5-20 minutes rather than requiring extended processing times. This parameter optimization delivers manufacturing precision in color application while avoiding the cumulative damage that results from prolonged exposure to alkaline formulations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of high alkalinity into a benefit by using a buffer system that provides controlled, sustained alkalinity. This allows the composition to achieve effective color alteration without the excessive damage and irritation caused by conventional high-alkalinity formulations, turning the challenge of maintaining reaction efficiency into an advantage for reducing processing time and damage
3Reliability
If alkalizing agents are used to enable dye penetration and color alteration, then color deposition is effective, but scalp irritation and hair damage increase due to high alkalinity
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer system changes the pH parameter profile of the composition, maintaining it within an optimized range (pH 8.5-10.5) that ensures reliable color deposition while minimizing irritation. The combination of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, and/or monoethanolamine provides sustained buffering that keeps alkalinity at effective but not excessive levels throughout the 5-20 minute processing period
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer system acts as an intermediary between the alkalizing agents and the hair/scalp. It mediates the alkalinity, providing enough base to enable cuticle swelling and dye penetration for effective color deposition, while simultaneously limiting excessive alkalinity that would cause irritation and damage. The buffer system translates high alkalinity into controlled, sustained alkalinity that achieves the desired effect with minimal harm
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The buffer system enables efficient hair color alteration with reduced processing times, achieving comparable or superior color results to traditional methods while minimizing hair damage and scalp irritation.
Implementation Method 1
comprising a buffer system that comprises from about 0.1% to about 10% ammonium hydroxide; from about 0.1% to about 5% ammonium bicarbonate; and from about 0.01% to about 5% monoethanolamine
Implementation Method 2
Hair lightening processes, or lifting the color of hair, generally require the use of compositions that comprise at least one oxidizing agent to lighten the color of dark hair to lighter shades
Implementation Method 3
The alkalizing agent causes the hair shaft to swell, thus allowing small oxidative dye molecules to penetrate the cuticle and cortex before the oxidation condensation process is completed
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to buffer systems having ammonium hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, and optionally monoethanolamine, hair color bases, hair color altering compositions, and kits and methods for altering the color of hair. Hair color bases and hair color altering compositions comprise a buffer system having ammonium hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, and optionally monoethanolamine.