pH-Tuneable Gellant for Personal Care Viscosity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing universal personal care compositions that are compatible with a broad range of ingredients is challenging due to limitations in structurant selection, particularly with reactive materials and pH-dependent efficacy, which affects skin feel and viscosity.
Innovation Solution
A pH-tuneable gellant with a specific molecular structure that adjusts viscosity based on pH, allowing for the selection of pH-sensitive groups to tailor the gelling behavior, enabling compatibility with various personal care compositions and improving skin aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional structurants are used to achieve desired viscosity, then the composition can be structured, but the structurant may be incompatible with reactive materials such as anionic species or may be limited by pH conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple different structurants (polymer, wax, fatty acid, fatty alcohol) within the same composition, each contributing to structuring under different conditions. This multi-functionality approach ensures that at least one structurant remains effective across varying pH levels and ingredient combinations, resolving the contradiction between versatility and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structuring system by combining materials with different chemical properties and mechanisms of action. The polymer provides baseline structuring, while waxes and fatty compounds provide pH-independent structuring support, creating a composite material system that maintains reliability across diverse ingredient compatibility scenarios.
2Ease of operation
If sufficient amount of structurant is added to achieve consumer desirable viscosity, then the composition can be properly structured, but the skin feel becomes greasy or tacky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of multiple structurants to achieve the desired viscosity threshold while maintaining acceptable skin feel. By carefully controlling the amount of each structurant type rather than using a single high-concentration structurant, the composition achieves proper structure without excessive greasiness or tackiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The structuring function is segmented across multiple different materials rather than relying on a single structurant at high concentration. This segmentation allows the viscosity to be built through cumulative effects of multiple components at lower individual concentrations, thereby avoiding the greasy or tacky skin feel associated with high levels of any single structurant.
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 pH-tuneable gellant provides a viscosity profile that can be controlled by pH, enhancing the compatibility and aesthetics of personal care compositions, addressing the limitations of existing structurants and improving consumer acceptance.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of L1, R1 or R2 comprises a pH-sensitive group
Implementation Method 2
The pH tuneable gellant has a formula of: [molecular structure with gelling components]
Data Source
AI summary
A personal care composition is disclosed comprising a pH tuneable gellant. The pH tuneable gellant has a formula of:wherein R1 and R2 are aminofunctional end-groups; L1 is a backbone moiety having molecular weight from 14 to 500 g/mol; and at least one of L1, R1 or R2 comprises a pH-sensitive group;wherein R5 is an aminofunctional moiety; L2 is a backbone moiety having molecular weight from 14 to 500 g/mol; and at least one of L2 or R5 comprises a pH-sensitive group; and mixtures of [I] and [II]. The personal care composition may take a variety of forms such as a leave-on composition or an emulsion or may comprise one or more actives or agents.