Low Irritancy Surfactant System for Baby Care
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional shampoo formulations containing polyoxyethylene-alkyl sulphate surfactants often cause skin and eye irritation, limiting their use in low-irritancy products like baby shampoos, and ethoxylated surfactants may contain carcinogenic impurities like 1,4-dioxane.
Innovation Solution
A low irritancy cleansing composition comprising an anionic surfactant compound of formula (I) and an amphoteric surfactant, with a specific molar ratio and minimal polyethoxylated non-ionic species, reducing the presence of ethoxylated surfactants and their impurities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If polyoxyethylene-alkyl sulphate surfactants are used in traditional shampoo formulations, then good cleansing performance is achieved, but skin and eye irritation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the surfactant system by replacing polyoxyethylene-alkyl sulphate surfactants with alkyl sulphosuccinate surfactants (specifically disodium lauryl sulphosuccinate). This parameter change maintains effective cleansing performance while reducing skin and eye irritation, thus resolving the technical contradiction between cleansing efficacy and irritancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful polyoxyethylene-alkyl sulphate surfactant component from the formulation and replaces it with a safer alternative. By taking out the irritant substance while maintaining the functional surfactant system, the invention achieves low irritation without sacrificing cleansing performance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If ethoxylated surfactants are used to reduce irritation, then mildness is improved, but carcinogenic impurities like 1,4-dioxane are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates ethoxylated surfactants from the formulation to remove the source of 1,4-dioxane contamination. By using non-ethoxylated alkyl sulphosuccinate surfactants, the invention achieves low ocular irritation without introducing carcinogenic impurities, thus resolving this technical contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent selects surfactant components that are inherently free from problematic impurities. By choosing alkyl sulphosuccinate surfactants that do not require ethoxylation, the invention avoids the generation of 1,4-dioxane, providing a safer product without needing additional purification steps.
3Adaptability or versatility
If polyoxyethylene-alkyl sulphate surfactants are used as major ingredients, then effective cleansing is achieved, but the formulation becomes unsuitable for baby care and sensitive skin applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surfactant type parameter from polyoxyethylene-alkyl sulphate to alkyl sulphosuccinate (specifically disodium lauryl sulphosuccinate). This parameter change makes the formulation suitable for baby care and sensitive skin applications while maintaining effective cleansing performance, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A low irritancy cleansing composition comprises: (a) an anionic surfactant compound of formula (I): wherein R1 represents a C4-36 substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl group; each of R2, R3, R4 and R5 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-4 alkyl group and wherein at least one of R2, R3, R4 and R5 is not hydrogen and M+ represents a cation; and (b) an amphoteric surfactant; wherein the molar ratio of component (a) to component (b) is from 0.25:1 to 4:1 and wherein the composition comprises less than 3 wt % polyethoxylated non-ionic species.