Sulfate-Free Personal Care Composition Balancing Micelles and Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal care compositions relying on sodium trideceth-2 sulfate surfactants face challenges in achieving the right balance between structure and micellar formation, leading to inferior performance or instability, while also posing skin irritation and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A sulfate-free personal care composition utilizing an alaninate surfactant, zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant, and a structuring system with glyceryl esters and non-ionic emulsifiers to provide improved rheology, viscosity, and lather properties, while stabilizing benefit agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sodium trideceth-2 sulfate surfactants are used, then cleansing efficiency is improved, but skin irritation and environmental harm increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the surfactant system by replacing sodium trideceth-2 sulfate with a specific combination of alaninate surfactant, zwitterionic surfactant, and amphoteric surfactant. This parameter change maintains cleansing efficiency while eliminating skin irritation and environmental harm associated with conventional sulfates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite surfactant system comprising multiple types of surfactants (alaninate, zwitterionic, and amphoteric) working synergistically. This composite approach achieves the desired cleansing performance while maintaining skin compatibility and environmental safety, overcoming the limitations of single-surfactant systems.
2Stability of the object's composition
If excessive structuring agents are added to maintain physical integrity, then composition stability is improved, but micellar formation and lather properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of structuring agents (associative polymers) to achieve the right balance. By carefully controlling the amount of structuring agent added, the system maintains composition stability while preserving micellar formation and lather properties, avoiding the negative effects of excessive structuring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies structuring agents locally and selectively rather than uniformly throughout the entire composition. This localized approach allows different regions of the composition to have different degrees of structure, maintaining stability where needed while preserving lather-forming capabilities in other regions.
3Productivity
If insufficient structuring agents are used, then micellar formation is improved, but composition stability and physical integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the parameter of structuring agent concentration to achieve optimal balance. The specific range of associative polymer addition is determined to provide sufficient structure for stability while allowing adequate micellar formation, avoiding both deficiency and excess.
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 achieves effective skin cleansing, reduces skin irritation, and enhances lather and deposition of benefit agents, offering a luxurious sensory experience with improved texture and foam generation.
Implementation Method 1
The ability to provide structure is crucial for the overall performance of personal care compositions. However, striking the right balance between structure and micellar formation upon dilution is a challenging task.
Implementation Method 2
The cleansing phase comprises: an alaninate surfactant; a zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant; and a structuring system.
Implementation Method 3
The structuring system comprises from about 0.5% to about 5% of an emulsifying agent by weight of the composition. The emulsifying agent is a glyceryl ester and/or a non-ionic emulsifier having an HLB of from 3.4 to 13.0.
Implementation Method 4
The structuring system also comprises from about 0.01% to about 10% of a rheology modifier by weight of the composition.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal care composition having at least a cleansing phase and a benefit phase. The composition is substantially free of alkyl sulfate and alkyl ether sulfate type of surfactants. The cleansing phase includes: an alaninate surfactant; a zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant; and a structuring system. The structuring system has from 0.5% to 5% of an emulsifying agent by weight of the composition. The emulsifying agent is a glyceryl ester and/or a non-ionic emulsifier having an HLB of from 3.4 to 13.0. The glyceryl ester is selected from glyceryl laurate, glyceryl caprate, glyceryl caprylate, glyceryl caprylate/caprate, glyceryl stearate, and a mixture thereof. The non-ionic emulsifier having an HLB of from 3.4 to 13.0 includes trideceth-3 or trideceth-4. The structuring system also includes from 0.01% to 10% of a rheology modifier by weight of the composition. The benefit phase includes from 0.1% to 50% of a benefit agent by weight of the composition. The personal care composition has a pH that is from 4.0 to 5.5.