Cleansing Compositions Using Divalent Salts for Viscosity and Hydration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleansing compositions face challenges in achieving a balance between foaming, cleansing ability, viscosity, and skin/hair hydration, often compromising one desired property for another.
Innovation Solution
The use of a unique combination of divalent salts, nonionic emulsifiers with low Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB), and non-hydrophobically modified anionic polymers creates a cleansing composition with a pleasant creamy texture, providing high foam, gentleness, and hydration, while maintaining stability and viscosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nonionic surfactants are increased to provide cleansing and solubilizing properties, then cleansing ability is improved, but viscosity decreases making the composition thinner and runnier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines nonionic surfactants with hydrophobically modified anionic polymers to create a composite cleansing system. The polymer provides viscosity enhancement and structural stability while the surfactant delivers cleansing action, resolving the contradiction between cleansing ability and viscosity maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the anionic polymer by introducing hydrophobic groups at controlled levels, changing its physical-chemical parameters to enable both viscosity enhancement and compatibility with nonionic surfactants, thereby maintaining composition thickness while improving cleansing performance.
2Reliability
If anionic surfactants are included to provide foaming, then foaming ability is improved, but irritation to skin and hair increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges anionic and nonionic surfactants in a synergistic combination where the nonionic component mitigates the irritation caused by anionic surfactants while the anionic component provides foaming. The hydrophobically modified polymer further enhances this effect by creating a milder microenvironment at the skin interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The formulation creates a composite surfactant system combining different charge types and molecular structures, where the interaction between anionic and nonionic components reduces overall irritation while preserving foaming benefits.
3Stability of the object's composition
If higher viscosity is achieved for better handling and aesthetics, then product handling and aesthetic appeal are improved, but rinsing away from the body becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrophobically modified anionic polymer provides shear-thinning behavior where the composition maintains high viscosity at rest for aesthetic appeal and handling, but becomes less viscous under the mechanical stress of rinsing, allowing easy removal from skin and hair.
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 effectively cleanses the skin and hair, preserving artificial color, providing shine, smoothness, and hydration while maintaining a desirable rheology and aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
divalent cations in combination with non-hydrophobically modified anionic polymers imparts viscosity, stability, and hydrating properties to cleansing composition
Implementation Method 2
The main functional ingredients in cleansing compositions are surfactants. Surfactants interact with water, thereby allowing it to 'wet' surfaces more efficiently. The surfactant-water combination is then able to surround the specks of dirt and carry them away with rinsing.
Implementation Method 3
one or more nonionic emulsifiers having a Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB) of about 6 or less
Implementation Method 4
nonionic emulsifiers having a Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB) of about 6 or less
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is drawn to cleansing compositions. The cleansing compositions include: (a) one or more anionic surfactants; (b) one or more nonionic emulsifiers having a Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB) of about 6 or less; (c) one or more salts providing divalent cations having a charge density of about 40 to about 200 C/mm3 and a water solubility of at least 400 g/L; (d) one or more anionic polymers; (e) one or more water soluble solvents; and (f) water. The cleansing compositions have a unique lamellar liquid crystal structure and are useful in methods for cleansing the body, including the skin and hair.