Personal Cleansing Composition Solubilizing Hydrocarbon Oil
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Solution Overview
Problem
Incorporating higher levels of mineral oil into personal cleansing products like shampoos is limited due to viscosity issues and phase separation, which affects skin and hair conditioning benefits.
Innovation Solution
A personal cleansing composition with an aqueous continuous phase that solubilizes hydrocarbon oil in wormlike micelles using inorganic electrolytes and linker molecules, maintaining a balanced viscosity and oil level for effective conditioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If higher levels of mineral oil are incorporated into the cleansing product, then skin and hair conditioning benefits are improved, but viscosity decreases and phase separation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces specific surfactants and co-surfactants as intermediary substances that mediate between the hydrocarbon oil and the aqueous phase. These intermediaries form micellar structures that solubilize the oil within the aqueous continuous phase, preventing phase separation while maintaining conditioning benefits. The surfactants act as molecular bridges that enable stable incorporation of higher oil levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical and physical parameters of the system by selecting surfactants with specific HLB values, chain lengths, and molecular structures. By changing these parameters, the system can accommodate higher oil concentrations while maintaining viscosity and stability. The specific parameter ranges for surfactants and co-surfactants are optimized to resolve the contradiction.
2Reliability
If higher levels of mineral oil are incorporated into the cleansing product, then skin and hair conditioning benefits are improved, but viscosity is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite system combining surfactants, co-surfactants, hydrocarbon oil, and aqueous phase in specific proportions. This composite formulation allows the system to achieve both high oil content for conditioning benefits and maintained viscosity through the synergistic interaction of components. The composite structure prevents the viscosity loss that would normally occur with high oil incorporation.
3Reliability
If higher levels of oil are incorporated into the product, then conditioning benefits are enhanced, but product microstructure is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the oil phase into micellar structures dispersed within the aqueous continuous phase. Instead of having a bulk oil phase that would disrupt the microstructure, the oil is segmented into small micellar units formed by surfactant aggregates. This segmentation allows high oil content without disrupting the overall product microstructure, as the micelles are uniformly distributed and stabilized.
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 solution allows for enhanced skin and hair conditioning while maintaining product stability and viscosity, ensuring effective deposition of conditioning agents without phase separation.
Implementation Method 1
the hydrocarbon oil is solubilised in wormlike micelles in the aqueous continuous phase via the incorporation of at least one inorganic electrolyte and at least one linker molecule
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a personal cleansing composition having an aqueous continuous phase including cleansing surfactant and a solubilised hydrocarbon oil having a kinematic viscosity of 1 to 35 cSt at 40° C. and a specific gravity of 0.76 to 0.87 at 25° C.; in which the hydrocarbon oil is solubilised in wormlike micelles in the aqueous continuous phase by means of a linker molecule and an inorganic electrolyte; in which the linker molecule is selected from one or more compounds of formula: R(X)n, in which R is a C6 to C14 mono-, di- or trivalent saturated aliphatic or an aromatic hydrocarbyl group, n is 1 to 3 and each X is independently selected from —OH and —COOH; and in which the level of hydrocarbon oil in the composition ranges from 0.8 to 1.5% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.