Shampoo Gel Network Phase for Conditioning Without Greasiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shampoos often leave hair feeling greasy, unmanageable, and with increased static after use, failing to provide long-lasting moisturization and smoothness while maintaining cleansing efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A shampoo composition with a dispersed gel network phase comprising fatty alcohols and secondary surfactants, having a melt transition temperature of 40 to 60 °C, which provides improved wet and dry conditioning benefits without interfering with cleansing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shampoos are used for cleansing, then hair is cleaned of soil and sebum, but hair feels greasy, unmanageable, and coated with reduced luster
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of conditioning agents from dissolved/ dispersed liquid form to solid crystalline gel network phase. This parameter change allows the conditioning agents to remain on hair surface as a structured network that provides conditioning benefits without the greasy feel associated with conventional liquid conditioning agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by forming a gel network phase that combines conditioning agents (fatty alcohols, waxes, oils) within a three-dimensional network architecture. This composite material structure allows simultaneous delivery of multiple functions: cleansing from the surfactant system and conditioning from the gel network, without the negative effects of either component alone.
2Ease of operation
If conditioning actives are added to shampoo to provide dry hair conditioning benefits, then hair smoothness and moisturization improve, but cleansing efficacy is interfered with and hair feels coated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shampoo system into distinct functional phases: a continuous liquid phase containing detersive surfactants for cleansing, and a dispersed solid crystalline gel network phase containing conditioning agents. This segmentation allows each phase to perform its designated function independently - cleansing without interference and conditioning without greasiness - while both contribute to the overall shampoo performance.
3Reliability
If fatty alcohol gel network phase with melt transition temperature of 40-60°C is used, then storage stability and dry conditioning benefits are improved, but formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition property of fatty alcohols and waxes, specifically their melt transition temperature, to create a temperature-responsive gel network structure. By selecting ingredients with melt transition temperatures of 40-60°C, the formulation remains stable during storage (below melt temperature) and provides optimal conditioning performance when applied to hair (at body temperature, above melt temperature), automatically adapting to different conditions through phase transition.
Data Source
AI summary
Shampoo compositions comprise (a) from about 5 % to about 50 % of one or more detersive surfactants, by weight of the shampoo composition; (b) a dispersed gel network phase comprising, by weight of the shampoo composition, (i) at least about 0.05 % of one or more fatty alcohols; (ii) at least about 0.01 % of one or more secondary surfactants; and (iii) water; and (c) at least about 20 % of an aqueous carrier, by weight of the shampoo composition; and, wherein the dispersed gel network phase has a melt transition temperature of at least about 38 °C. A process for preparing a shampoo composition comprises the steps of: (a) combining a fatty alcohol, a secondary surfactant, and water at a temperature sufficient to allow partitioning of the secondary surfactant and the water into the fatty alcohol to form a pre-mix; (b) cooling the pre-mix below the chain melt temperature of the fatty alcohol to form a gel network; (c) adding the gel network to one or more detersive surfactants and an aqueous carrier to form a shampoo composition which comprises a dispersed gel network phase having a melt transition temperature of at least about 38 °C.