Cationic Dextran Polymer for Oil Deposition in Hair Shampoo
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hair care formulations struggle to efficiently deposit oils onto hair during cleaning, leading to dry and damaged hair due to excessive removal of natural oils by surfactants.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cationic dextran polymer as a deposition aid, functionalized with quaternary ammonium groups, into hair care formulations to enhance oil deposition onto hair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surfactants are used for hair cleaning, then cleaning efficacy is improved, but natural oils are excessively removed causing dry and damaged hair
Solution Approach 1:
A cationic dextran polymer is introduced as an intermediary substance between the surfactant and hair. The polymer has dual functionality: it allows surfactants to effectively clean the hair while simultaneously depositing natural oils onto the hair surface, thereby mediating the harmful interaction between surfactants and hair oils
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the formulation by incorporating a cationic polymer with specific molecular weight (50,000 to 3,000,000 Daltons) and specific quaternary ammonium group configurations. These parameter changes enable the polymer to interact with both surfactants and hair oils, modifying the overall system behavior to protect hair while maintaining cleaning efficacy
2Object-affected harmful factors
If deposition aids are incorporated to replace removed oils, then hair moisture protection is improved, but foam quality and cost are detrimentally affected
Solution Approach 1:
The cationic dextran polymer is formulated with specific molecular weight parameters (50,000 to 3,000,000 Daltons) and controlled degrees of substitution for quaternary ammonium groups. These precise parameter changes enable the polymer to provide effective oil deposition while maintaining acceptable foam characteristics, resolving the contradiction between protection and foam quality
3Object-affected harmful factors
If high levels of oil are incorporated into formulations to compensate for removal, then hair conditioning is improved, but foam quality and formulation cost are detrimentally affected
Solution Approach 1:
The cationic dextran polymer acts as a mediator that enables effective oil deposition onto hair at lower oil concentrations. The polymer's cationic groups interact with the anionic surfactant and facilitate oil transfer to hair, achieving good conditioning without the high oil levels that would compromise foam quality
Solution Approach 2:
By controlling the molecular weight and quaternary ammonium substitution parameters of the dextran polymer, the formulation achieves efficient oil deposition at optimized oil levels, maintaining both foam quality and conditioning benefits
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 cationic dextran polymer significantly improves the deposition of dermatologically acceptable oils from hair care formulations, reducing the risk of dry and damaged hair while maintaining the cleaning efficacy of surfactants.
Implementation Method 1
the deposition aid polymer is a cationic dextran polymer, comprising a dextran base polymer functionalized with quaternary ammonium groups
Implementation Method 2
the quaternary ammonium groups include (i) a quaternary ammonium group of formula (II) bound to a pendent oxygen on the dextran base polymer and (ii) a quaternary ammonium group of formula (III) bound to a pendent oxygen on the dextran base polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A hair care formulation is provided, comprising: a dermatologically acceptable vehicle; a surfactant; a dermatologically acceptable oil; and a deposition aid polymer, wherein the deposition aid polymer is a cationic dextran polymer, comprising a dextran base polymer functionalized with quaternary ammonium groups; wherein the dextran base polymer has a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 to 3,000,000 Daltons; wherein the quaternary ammonium groups include a group of formula (II) (II); and a group of formula (III) (III); wherein is a pendent oxygen on the dextran base polymer; wherein X is a divalent linking group; wherein each R2 is independently selected from a C1-4 alkyl group; wherein each R3 is independently selected from a C1-4 alkyl group; and wherein each R4 is independently selected from a linear or branched C12 alkyl group; wherein the deposition aid polymer has a degree of substitution, DS(II), of formula (II) moieties of 0.01 to 0.2 and a degree of substitution, DS(III), of formula (III) moieties of >0 to <0.02.