Anhydrous Silicone Gel Cosmetic Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cosmetic bases, particularly water-based emulsions, are limited in their ability to incorporate moisture-sensitive materials and are prone to phase separation and loss of utility due to freeze-thaw cycles, requiring preservatives to extend shelf-life.
Innovation Solution
Development of an anhydrous gel composition comprising a silicone-based excipient, such as a silicone elastomer, combined with one or more carrier oils and other ingredients like volatile aliphatic hydrocarbons, liquid fatty esters, and essential oils, which does not contain water, thereby avoiding the limitations of water-based emulsions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If water-based emulsions are used as cosmetic bases, then they provide a familiar texture and good skin feel, but they are prone to phase separation during freeze-thaw cycles and require preservatives to prevent microbial contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes water from the cosmetic base formulation, extracting the problematic component that causes phase separation and microbial contamination. This creates an anhydrous system that eliminates freeze-thaw instability and preservative requirements while maintaining desirable sensory properties through alternative ingredient selection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite anhydrous system combining multiple oil phases and silicone-based materials to achieve both stability and skin feel. This composite approach allows the formulation to maintain emolliency and texture without relying on water-based emulsions that are susceptible to phase separation
2Ease of manufacture
If water-based emulsions are used as cosmetic bases, then they are easy to formulate with common ingredients, but they require inclusion of preservatives and microbicides to extend shelf-life and prevent contamination
Solution Approach 1:
By removing water from the formulation, the patent eliminates the need for preservatives and microbicides, thereby reducing formulation complexity despite maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized anhydrous base procedures
3Reliability
If anhydrous cosmetic bases are used, then they are compatible with moisture-sensitive materials and have longer shelf-life without preservatives, but they are more difficult to formulate and may have limited compatibility with water-soluble ingredients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of water content to zero, creating an anhydrous system that inherently prevents microbial growth and extends shelf-life without preservatives. This parameter change also enables compatibility with moisture-sensitive active ingredients
4Adaptability or versatility
If water-containing bases are used, then they can incorporate water-soluble ingredients, but they are prone to freeze-thaw cycles that destroy the emulsion resulting in phase separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts water from the formulation to eliminate the freeze-thaw vulnerability that causes phase separation. The resulting anhydrous system maintains ingredient compatibility through alternative solvation mechanisms using oils and silicones
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a composition such as an anhydrous gel, and its use for example as a cosmetic base, comprising a silicone-based excipient and one or more carrier oils, and methods of administering the composition to a subject.