Cooling Active Deposition via Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Copolymer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cooling actives like menthol are difficult to formulate at high concentrations in personal care products due to safety and environmental constraints, and existing deposition polymers are not efficient in delivering a noticeable cooling effect.

Innovation Solution

A personal care composition comprising a copolymer of acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride, which enhances the deposition of cooling actives, even when present in relatively low amounts, improving the delivery and duration of the cooling sensation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If cooling actives are formulated at high concentrations, then the cooling effect is enhanced, but safety and environmental constraints are violated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconcentration of cooling activeVSAvoidsafety and environmental constraints
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a copolymer comprising acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride as an intermediary deposition enhancer that facilitates the transfer of cooling actives from the formulation to the skin. This mediator allows effective cooling delivery at lower cooling active concentrations, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving sufficient cooling effect and adhering to safety/environmental concentration limits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If conventional deposition polymers are used, then deposition of cooling actives is achieved, but the cooling effect is not noticeable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeposition of cooling activeVSAvoidnoticeable cooling effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the deposition polymer by specifically selecting a copolymer comprising acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride with particular molecular weight and charge density characteristics. This parameter optimization enables significantly enhanced cooling active deposition and noticeable cooling effect, resolving the insufficiency of conventional polymers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If large amounts of copolymer are used to improve deposition, then deposition efficiency is enhanced, but formulation complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeposition efficiency of cooling activeVSAvoidformulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent demonstrates that only small amounts of the optimized copolymer (0.01-5% w/w) are needed to achieve significant deposition enhancement. This partial action approach provides sufficient cooling effect improvement without introducing excessive formulation complexity or cost, resolving the contradiction between deposition efficiency and formulation simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 enhances the deposition and longevity of cooling actives on the skin, providing a noticeable cooling effect while minimizing the need for high concentrations of the copolymer, thus overcoming the limitations of conventional deposition polymers.

Implementation Method 1

copolymers can enhance deposition of cooling actives. In particular, the present inventors have found that copolymers comprising acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride are especially efficacious. One such copolymer is the acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride/acrylamide copolymer commercially available from Ashland as N-Hance SP-100®, wherein the same has been described for use in delivering actives such as silicone, emollients and antimicrobial agents such as zinc and selenium onto hair and skin by forming coacervates with anionic surfactants.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCoacervate formation: Coacervate

Data Source

PatentUS10463597B2Personal care composition
Publication Date: 2019.11.05 CONOPCO INC

AI summary

Disclosed is a personal care composition comprising cooling active and copolymer comprising acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride, wherein the weight ratio of the amount of the cooling active to the amount of the copolymer is in the range from 1:5 to 100:1. The copolymer improves deposition of the cooling active during topical application of the product to skin.