Cationic Polymer Mixture for Benefit Agent Deposition in Cleansing Compositions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing personal cleansing compositions face challenges in maximizing the deposition of encapsulated benefit agents onto hair or skin without compromising rheology, sensory, and conditioning performance.

Innovation Solution

A personal cleansing composition comprising anionic cleansing surfactants, emulsified silicone droplets, microcapsules with a polymeric shell, and a combination of cationic polymers, including cationic polygalactomannan and acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride/acrylamide copolymer, to enhance the delivery of benefit agents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If encapsulated benefit agents are included in personal cleansing compositions, then benefit delivery is improved, but deposition onto hair or skin is reduced because the composition carries away particulates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebenefit deliveryVSAvoidencapsulated benefit agent deposition
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

A polymer mixture comprising a cationic polymer and a polygalactomannan polymer is introduced as an intermediary substance. The cationic polymer has a high charge density (1-3 meq/g) while the polygalactomannan has lower charge density (0.2-2 meq/g), creating a balanced system that promotes encapsulate deposition without excessive charge interactions that would compromise rheology or sensory properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The charge density parameters of the polymers are specifically optimized: the cationic polymer has charge density of 1-3 meq/g and polygalactomannan has 0.2-2 meq/g. This parameter optimization enables effective encapsulate deposition while maintaining acceptable rheological and sensory characteristics of the cleansing composition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If high levels of encapsulated benefit agents are used to compensate for wash-off, then benefit delivery is improved, but product complexity and formulation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebenefit deliveryVSAvoidformulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The polymer mixture acts as a mediator that enables low levels of encapsulated benefit agents (0.1-5% wt) to achieve effective deposition. This intermediary system simplifies formulation by eliminating the need to use high concentrations of encapsulates, thereby reducing formulation complexity while maintaining benefit delivery reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If cationic polymers are used to enhance encapsulate deposition, then deposition is improved, but rheology and sensory performance may be compromised due to excessive charge density

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencapsulated benefit agent depositionVSAvoidrheology and sensory performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

A composite polymer system is created by combining two polymers with different charge densities: a cationic polymer (1-3 meq/g) for deposition enhancement and a polygalactomannan (0.2-2 meq/g) for rheological balance. This composite material approach allows the system to achieve effective encapsulate deposition while maintaining acceptable rheology and sensory properties, resolving the contradiction between deposition efficiency and composition stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 composition achieves effective deposition of both silicone and encapsulated benefit agents on hair, improving product performance while maintaining other attributes like rheology and sensory experience.

Implementation Method 1

from 0.1 to 0.5% by weight of a combination of cationic polymers comprising: (a) at least one cationic polygalactomannan having a mean charge density at pH7 from 0.2 to 2 meq per gram; and (b) at least one acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride/acrylamide copolymer having a mean charge density at pH7 from 1 to 3 meq per gram

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic attraction: Electrostatics

Implementation Method 2

from 5 to 30% by weight of one or more anionic cleansing surfactants

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurfactant action: Surfactant

Data Source

PatentUS10688025B2Personal cleansing compositions comprising a cationic polymer mixture
Publication Date: 2020.06.23 CONOPCO INC

AI summary

The invention provides a personal cleansing composition comprising, in an aqueous continuous phase: (i) from 5 to 30% by weight of one or more anionic cleansing surfactants; (ii) from 0.1 to 10% by weight of discrete, dispersed droplets of emulsified silicone with a mean diameter (D3,2) of 4 micrometres or less; (iii) from 0.1 to 5% by weight of microcapsules in which a core comprising benefit agent is encapsulated in a polymeric shell, and (iv) from 0.1 to 0.5% by weight of a combination of cationic polymers comprising: (a) at least one cationic polygalactomannan derivative having a mean charge density at pH 7 from 0.2 to 2 meq per gram; and (b) at least one acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride/acrylamide copolymer having a mean charge density at pH 7 from 1 to 3 meq per gram.