Structured Surfactant Composition for Mild Personal Care
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current personal care compositions, such as body washes, face challenges with high surfactant concentrations leading to harshness, stability issues, and compatibility problems, while also requiring high amounts of surfactants to maintain efficacy, which can be environmentally detrimental.
Innovation Solution
A personal care composition comprising an aqueous structured surfactant phase with sodium trideceth-n sulfate (STnS) at 5-20% weight, combined with an amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant, a structuring system including a non-ionic emulsifier and associative polymer, and a benefit phase with various oils and agents, achieving improved stability, mildness, and lather formation at lower surfactant levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If high amounts of sodium trideceth-3 sulfate (ST3S) are used to stabilize the composition, then the composition stability is improved, but the mildness and skin compatibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the ethoxylate number parameter of sodium trideceth sulfate from the conventional ST3S (n=3) to STnS with n=1.8-2.2, creating a new surfactant variant that provides adequate structure at lower concentrations, thereby maintaining stability while reducing harshness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines STnS with complementary surfactants (amphoteric, zwitterionic, or non-ionic) and structuring agents (associative polymers, gelators) to create a composite surfactant system that achieves both stability and mildness through synergistic effects
2Stability of the object's composition
If high surfactant concentrations are used to maintain composition stability, then the composition stability is improved, but the compatibility with benefit agents deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the surfactant type to STnS with specific ethoxylate numbers (1.8-2.2) and using lower concentrations (5-20% vs. conventional higher amounts), the patent improves compatibility with benefit agents while maintaining stability through optimized surfactant-benefit agent interactions
3Productivity
If high surfactant concentrations are used to ensure cleaning efficacy, then the cleaning performance is improved, but the environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surfactant molecular structure by using STnS with lower ethoxylate numbers (1.8-2.2), which provides higher structural efficiency and allows achieving equivalent cleaning performance at lower concentrations, thereby reducing environmental impact
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a new surfactant variant (STnS) that copies the effective cleaning properties of conventional ST3S but with improved efficiency, allowing reduced surfactant usage while maintaining cleaning efficacy
4Stability of the object's composition
If the composition is highly structured to maintain physical integrity, then the composition stability is improved, but the lather formation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses surfactants and structuring agents that provide dynamic structure - the composition maintains physical integrity at rest but transitions to a more fluid, lather-friendly state upon dilution and agitation, balancing structure and lather formation
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 composition provides superior cleaning with reduced surfactant amounts, enhancing compatibility and mildness, while maintaining stability and lather performance even at higher dilution levels, thus addressing the limitations of existing formulations.
Implementation Method 1
Structured surfactant compositions are useful commercially in order to suspend or stabilize dispersions... the surfactant serves the dual functions of providing stability to the composition, and providing the lathering, cleansing
Implementation Method 2
a structuring system comprising: i. optionally, a non-ionic emulsifier; ii. from about 0.05% to about 0.5%, by weight of said personal care composition, of an associative polymer
Data Source
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AI summary
A personal care composition comprising: at least a first phase and a second phase wherein said first phase comprises a) an aqueous structured surfactant phase comprising STnS where n is between about 0 and about 2.5; b); c) a structuring system comprising i. optionally, a non-ionic emulsifier; ii. optionally, from about 0.05% to about 5%, by weight of said personal care composition, of an associative polymer; iii. an electrolyte; and said second phase comprises a) a benefit phase comprising from 1% to about 50%, by weight of said personal care composition, of a hydrophobic benefit agent.