Foamable Skin Washing Agent Surfactant System Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional skin washing agents with high detergency often cause skin roughness, pulling sensations, and moisture loss due to soap scum formation, and existing solutions fail to balance foaming speed, creaminess, and skin moisture retention effectively.
Innovation Solution
A foamable skin washing agent comprising a fatty acid salt, a cationated polymer, a polyglyceryl monoalkyl ether, and an acylmethyltaurine or hydroxy ether carboxylate salt, which enhances foaming speed and creaminess while preventing skin pulling and maintaining skin moisture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a surfactant with high detergency is incorporated in the base of a skin washing agent, then the detergency is improved, but the skin is roughened excessively and may give a skin-tightness or skin pulling feeling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the surfactant system by specifying particular surfactants with defined HLB values (13-18 for anionic, 3-13 for nonionic) and their specific ratios (anionic:nonionic = 95:5 to 50:50). This parameter optimization allows high detergency while reducing skin roughness and pulling feelings through balanced surfactant properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite surfactant system combining multiple types of surfactants (anionic, nonionic, and optionally cationic or amphoteric) in specific ratios. This composite approach synergistically improves detergency while the different surfactant types counterbalance each other's harsh effects on skin, preventing excessive roughness and pulling feelings.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a polyglycerin monoalkyl ether is incorporated to improve foam elasticity, then the foam quality is improved, but the foaming speed decreases and the creaminess feeling is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the polyglycerin monoalkyl ether parameters by specifying the polyglycerin degree (3-20, preferably 4-10) and alkyl group carbon atoms (8-22, preferably 12-16). These parameter adjustments balance foam elasticity with rapid foaming speed and creamy texture, resolving the contradiction between foam stability and foaming speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different surfactant types with specific HLB value ranges for different functional roles: anionic surfactants (HLB 13-18) for detergency, nonionic surfactants (HLB 3-13) for foam stabilization, and polyglycerin monoalkyl ethers for creaminess. This localized functional assignment optimizes both foam elasticity and foaming speed.
3Reliability
If soap is used as the main ingredient for detergency, then the cleaning ability is improved, but soap scum forms which adheres to skin and reduces moisture content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes from traditional soap (fatty acid salts) to modern synthetic surfactants with optimized HLB values and molecular structures. The anionic surfactant (HLB 13-18) provides strong detergency while the nonionic surfactant (HLB 3-13) and polyglycerin monoalkyl ether prevent moisture loss by forming a protective film on skin, eliminating the scum formation problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The nonionic surfactant and polyglycerin monoalkyl ether act as intermediaries between the anionic surfactant and skin. They moderate the interaction by providing a protective layer that prevents direct harsh contact between high-detergency anionic surfactants and skin, thereby preventing moisture loss without compromising cleaning ability.
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 agent achieves rapid foaming, creamy lather, and a moist skin feel without skin pulling, while maintaining skin moisture levels, outperforming conventional agents in these aspects.
Implementation Method 1
a polyglyceryl monoalkyl ether... having a foaming speed of 3.5 seconds or more in a washing test and having a foam half-life period of 5 minutes or more
Implementation Method 2
one or more polymers selected from a homopolymer, a dipolymer and a terpolymer derived from a cationated monomer
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a skin washing agent which is excellent in the foaming speed and the foam creaminess in washing therewith, and which, after washing therewith, is excellent in the moist feeling and the absence of pulling feeling of the skin and does not change the moisture content of skin. A foamable skin washing agent comprising (a) a fatty acid salt, (b) one or more selected from a homopolymer, a dipolymer and a terpolymer derived from a specific cationated monomer (e.g., dimethyldiallylammonium chloride), (c) a polyglyceryl monoalkyl ether, and (d) one or more selected from an acylmethyltaurine salt and a hydroxy ether carboxylate salt.