Responsive Particles for Uniform Personal Care Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Personal care compositions face challenges in delivering uniform benefits to keratinous tissues with non-uniform chemical and physical properties, and in preventing undesirable accumulation on these tissues, especially with incompatible benefit agents.

Innovation Solution

The development of responsive particles with an interfacial surface, comprising polymers with contrasting properties attached to a particle core, which can adapt to environmental changes to ensure uniform deposition and removal, and the use of a dermatologically acceptable carrier for these particles in personal care compositions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional personal care compositions are applied to keratinous tissue with non-uniform properties, then the composition can be delivered, but the benefit delivery is non-uniform and inconsistent

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of benefit deliveryVSAvoidadaptability to non-uniform keratinous tissue properties
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The composition is segmented into discrete particles that can independently interact with different regions of the keratinous tissue surface. Each particle acts as an independent unit that can adapt to local variations in surface energy and properties, ensuring uniform overall benefit delivery despite tissue heterogeneity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The particles are designed with specific surface properties that allow them to locally adapt to different regions of the keratinous tissue. The particles exhibit different interactions with hydrophobic versus hydrophilic regions, enabling uniform benefit delivery across non-uniform tissue surfaces by matching local tissue properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If conditioning agents are applied repeatedly, then conditioning benefit is accumulated, but undesirable accumulation occurs on the tissue surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconditioning benefit consistencyVSAvoidundesirable accumulation on tissue
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The particles are designed to be easily removed from the tissue surface through routine washing, allowing the conditioning benefit to be recovered and redistributed with each application cycle. This prevents permanent accumulation while maintaining consistent conditioning effects across multiple uses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Adaptability or versatility

If hydrophobic benefit agents are formulated in water-based compositions, then the composition can be delivered, but the benefit agents are not compatible and stable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility of benefit agents with delivery vehicleVSAvoidstability of hydrophobic agents in water-based formulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The particles serve as intermediaries between the water-based delivery vehicle and hydrophobic benefit agents. The particles provide a stable platform that can incorporate hydrophobic agents while maintaining compatibility with the aqueous formulation, enabling stable delivery of incompatible agents through the preferred water-based vehicle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 responsive particles enable uniform benefits to keratinous tissues regardless of their non-uniform properties, prevent accumulation, and facilitate the delivery of incompatible benefit agents, improving cosmetic appearance and feel while maintaining stability and compatibility across various mediums.

Implementation Method 1

a first polymer having a first property, and a second polymer having a contrasting property. The first polymer and the second polymer are attached at different locations to the interfacial surface of the particle core

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentUS8865144B2Personal care compositions comprising responsive particles
Publication Date: 2014.10.21 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

Personal care compositions comprising responsive particles. In one aspect, the responsive particle comprises: (1) a particle core having an interfacial surface, (2) a first polymer having a first property, and (3) a second polymer having a contrasting property. The first polymer and the second polymer are attached at different locations to the interfacial surface of the particle core. In another aspect, the responsive particle comprises: (1) a particle core having an interfacial surface, (2) at least one block co-polymer comprising a first block and a second block, wherein said first block has a first property and said second block has a second property, and (3) optionally, at least one other polymer having a third property. The block co-polymer and the optional other polymer (if present) are attached to the interfacial surface of the particle core, and at least one of the properties contrasts. The personal care compositions also comprise a dermatologically acceptable carrier. Also disclosed are methods of making responsive particles.