Personal Care Composition With Synergistic Viscosity Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing personal care compositions face challenges in achieving high viscosity levels while maintaining mildness to the skin and providing emolliency, as traditional thickening agents like sodium chloride can be costly and corrosive.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating glyceryl oleate as a viscosity adjusting agent in combination with Glucamate LT, which synergistically enhances thickening effects and provides emolliency, allowing for higher maximum viscosities without the use of inorganic salts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If traditional thickening agents like sodium chloride are used to achieve high viscosity levels, then the desired viscosity is improved, but the formulation becomes corrosive and harmful to skin

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveviscosityVSAvoidcorrosiveness to skin
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the thickening system by replacing inorganic salts with organic compounds (glyceryl oleate and Glucamate LT). This parameter change maintains the desired viscosity function while eliminating the corrosive harmful effects associated with traditional thickeners like sodium chloride

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a composite thickening system combining glyceryl oleate and Glucamate LT together. This composite approach achieves synergistic thickening effects where the combination provides higher viscosity levels than either component alone, while maintaining skin compatibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If single thickening agents are used to achieve desired viscosity, then the formulation simplicity is improved, but the maximum viscosity level is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveviscosity levelVSAvoidformulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges two thickening agents (glyceryl oleate and Glucamate LT) into a single viscosity adjusting system. This combination enables the formulation to achieve higher maximum viscosity levels that would be impossible with either agent alone, while the agents work synergistically to provide enhanced thickening performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If multiple thickening agents are combined to achieve higher viscosity, then the viscosity level is improved, but the formulation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaximum viscosityVSAvoidformulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent selects glyceryl oleate which serves multiple functions: it acts as a thickening agent, provides emolliency to the formulation, and ensures skin compatibility. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate ingredients, thereby limiting the increase in formulation complexity despite using multiple thickening agents

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 combination of glyceryl oleate and Glucamate LT achieves higher viscosity levels while ensuring the formulation remains mild and non-corrosive, providing enhanced skin feel and conditioning effects.

Implementation Method 1

glyceryl oleate, which is a known emollient and emulsifier, can also act as a thickening or viscosity adjusting agent, and enhance the thickening effects of other thickening agents

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSynergistic thickening effect:

Implementation Method 2

The use of glyceryl oleate as a thickening agent, in particular in combination with another thickening agent, can achieve viscosity levels that would otherwise not be possible by either agent alone

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscosity adjustment:

Data Source

PatentEP3402574B1Personal care compositions
Publication Date: 2026.02.04 COLGATE PALMOLIVE CO

AI summary

The present disclosure provides personal care compositions comprising a surfactant system that includes an anionic surfactant, a zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant and optionally a non-ionic surfactant; a preservative system; a pH modifier; optionally a moisturizer or a skin conditioner or both a moisturizer and a skin conditioner; and a viscosity adjusting system, wherein the viscosity adjusting system comprises glyceryl oleate and at least one additional viscosity adjusting agent. Use of the viscosity adjusting system can achieve viscosity levels that would otherwise not be possible by either agent alone, and allows for higher maximum viscosity levels while at the same time providing an emolliency to the formulation.