Sultaine Surfactant Cleansing Composition with Polyether Thickener
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cosmetic cleansing compositions, despite their washing power, often cause damage to keratinous materials like hair and skin due to their aggressive nature, and incorporating high amounts of vegetable oils to provide conditioning benefits can compromise foaming properties, viscosity, and transparency.
Innovation Solution
A cosmetic composition combining sultaine surfactants, a specific non-ionic thickener, and a mono- or poly-alkyl or alkenyl ester of an alkoxylated fatty acid solubilizer, which allows for high amounts of vegetable oils while maintaining satisfactory viscosity, foaming properties, and transparency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high amounts of vegetable oils are incorporated to provide conditioning benefits, then conditioning properties (ease of detangling, softness, shine) are improved, but foaming properties and transparency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a specific solubilizer (polyethylene glycol distearate) as an intermediary substance to enable the incorporation of high amounts of vegetable oils (0.3-10% wt) into the cleansing composition without compromising transparency or foaming properties. The solubilizer acts as a mediator that allows oil and water to coexist in a transparent formulation while maintaining conditioning benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters by selecting specific surfactants (sultaine-based surfactants like cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine) and specific solubilizers with particular HLB values and molecular structures. This parameter optimization allows the formulation to achieve both high vegetable oil content and maintained foaming/transparency properties.
2Reliability
If high amounts of vegetable oils are incorporated to provide conditioning benefits, then conditioning properties are improved, but viscosity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The polyethylene glycol distearate solubilizer serves as a mediator that controls the interaction between vegetable oils and the aqueous phase, preventing excessive viscosity increase even at high oil concentrations (0.3-10% wt). The solubilizer creates a stable microemulsion structure that maintains appropriate flow properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite formulation system combining sultaine surfactants, polyethylene glycol distearate solubilizer, and vegetable oils in specific proportions. This composite approach allows the formulation to achieve conditioning benefits from high oil content while the surfactant-solubilizer matrix controls viscosity.
3Power
If conventional surfactant systems are used for cleansing, then washing power is improved, but damage to keratinous materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surfactant type parameter from conventional aggressive surfactants to sultaine-based surfactants (amphoteric surfactants with isoelectric point around pH 6-7). This parameter change maintains effective cleansing power while reducing damage to hair and skin proteins, as sultaine surfactants are milder and less disruptive to keratin structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite surfactant system combining sultaine surfactants with vegetable oils and solubilizers. This composite approach creates a synergistic effect where the surfactant provides cleansing power while the vegetable oil components provide conditioning protection, reducing overall damage to keratinous materials.
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 effectively conditions keratinous materials with improved ease of detangling, softness, and shine without a greasy feel, while maintaining acceptable foam quality and transparency.
Implementation Method 1
a) one or more vegetable oil(s), in an amount of at least 0.3 pbw relative to the total weight of the composition, b) from about 1 pbw to about 40 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a surfactant system comprising at least one sultaine surfactant, c) at least 0.1 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a non-ionic thickener which is a polyether endcapped by fatty acid esters, and d) at least 0.1 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a non-ionic solubilizer which is a mono- or poly-alkyl or alkenyl ester of an alkoxylated fatty acid
Implementation Method 2
b) from about 1 pbw to about 40 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a surfactant system comprising at least one sultaine surfactant
Implementation Method 3
c) at least 0.1 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a non-ionic thickener which is a polyether endcapped by fatty acid esters
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cosmetic cleansing composition comprising at least: a) one or more vegetable oil(s), in an amount of at least 0.3 pbw relative to the total weight of the composition, b) from about 1 pbw to about 40 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a surfactant system comprising at least one sultaine surfactant, c) at least 0.1 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a non-ionic thickener which is a polyether endcapped by fatty acid esters, and d) at least 0.1 pbw, relative to the total weight of the composition, of a non-ionic solubilizer which is a mono- or poly-alkyl or alkenyl ester of an alkoxylated fatty acid.