Structured Cleansing Phase Polymer System for Personal Care Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal care compositions face challenges in achieving stability while allowing rapid micellization upon dilution, as high surfactant concentrations can be harsh and require excessive benefit agents, and balancing surfactant levels is difficult to maintain effective deposition and skin hydration.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a structuring system with both associative and non-associative polymers in the structured cleansing phase, specifically using acrylates/C10-C30 alkyl acrylate cross-polymer and xanthan gum, to enhance stability and reduce surfactant amounts, while utilizing sucrose polyesters as benefit agents for improved skin hydration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If high surfactant concentrations are used to maintain stability, then stability is improved, but skin harshness increases and excessive benefit agents are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of surfactants from high levels to reduced levels (e.g., anionic surfactant 0-10%, amphoteric surfactant 1-15%), and introduces polymers at optimized concentrations (associative polymer 0.01-1%, non-associative polymer 0.1-5%) to achieve stability without the harshness associated with high surfactant use
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system combining multiple surfactant types (anionic, amphoteric, or zwitterionic) with associative and non-associative polymers to form a structured cleansing phase that provides stability through synergistic interactions rather than relying on high surfactant concentrations alone
2Reliability
If high surfactant concentrations are used to ensure effective deposition, then deposition is improved, but the amount of benefit agents required increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes surfactant concentration parameters to reduced levels while adjusting polymer concentrations (associative 0.01-1%, non-associative 0.1-5%) to maintain effective deposition of benefit agents without requiring excessive amounts of beneficial ingredients
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces polymers as intermediary substances that facilitate the deposition of benefit agents onto the skin, allowing effective delivery with lower surfactant and benefit agent concentrations by providing a carrier mechanism
3Stability of the object's composition
If too much structure is provided in the personal care composition, then stability is improved, but cleansing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the concentration parameters of structuring agents (associative polymer 0.01-1%, non-associative polymer 0.1-5%) to provide sufficient structure for stability while preventing excessive structure that would hinder micellization and cleansing performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polymers with dynamic properties that allow the composition to maintain structure at rest for stability but rapidly become micellar upon dilution for effective cleansing, achieving both stability and performance
4Productivity
If not enough structure is provided in the personal care composition, then cleansing performance is maintained, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces polymers at specific concentration ranges (associative 0.01-1%, non-associative 0.1-5%) to provide the minimum necessary structure for stability while maintaining the ability to rapidly micellize upon dilution for effective cleansing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system combining surfactants with polymers to achieve enhanced stability through structural organization while preserving rapid micellization capability, balancing both stability and cleansing performance
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 solution significantly reduces viscosity change over time, enhances stability, and improves skin hydration, allowing for reduced surfactant use and effective benefit agent deposition, as demonstrated by viscosity measurements and corneometer readings.
Implementation Method 1
a structuring system comprising from 0.01% to 0.03%, by weight of the personal care composition, of an associative polymer and from 0.01% to 5%, by weight of the personal care composition, of a non-associative polymer; wherein the associative polymer comprises acrylates/C10-C30 alkyl acrylate cross-polymer
Implementation Method 2
i) from 5% to 20%, by weight of the personal care composition, of STnS where n is between 0.5 and 2.7; ii) an amphoteric surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, or a combination thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A personal care composition includes a structured cleansing phase and a benefit phase, the structured cleansing phase having a structuring system that includes an associative polymer and a non-associative polymer. Methods are also provided to increase stability and enhance the deposition of benefit agents.