Transparent Hair Conditioner with Low Foam and High Conditioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hair conditioners struggle to provide transparent, high-conditioning benefits while minimizing foam and maintaining superior visual properties, as most transparent conditioners are either opaque or less effective in delivering conditioning benefits.
Innovation Solution
A transparent conditioning composition combining a cationic polymer with an ethoxylated anionic surfactant containing a high number of ethylene oxide groups, which achieves excellent visual attributes and minimal foam without compromising conditioning performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional benefit agents such as silicones are added to improve conditioning benefits, then conditioning performance is improved, but the composition becomes cloudy and discoloured
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters by using a cationic polymer with specific molecular weight (30,000 to 1,000,000) and high quaternary nitrogen groups (100 or more), combined with specific anionic surfactants and phosphate esters in controlled ratios (2:1 to 5:1), achieving transparency while maintaining conditioning benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite formulation combining cationic polymer (polyquaternium compound), anionic surfactants, and phosphate esters of fatty alcohols in specific proportions, creating a multi-component system that achieves both transparency and conditioning performance that single ingredients cannot provide
2Reliability
If dispersed lamellar gel phase is used to improve detangling benefits, then conditioning effectiveness is improved, but the composition becomes opaque
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameter by using a soluble cationic polymer instead of dispersed lamellar gel phase, and controls the molecular weight and charge density to achieve both transparency and detangling effectiveness through molecular-level interaction rather than phase separation
3Reliability
If traditional conditioner formulations are used to provide thick consistency and yield stress, then rheology and conditioning benefits are improved, but foam is generated during use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surfactant structure parameters by using ethoxylated anionic surfactants with high ethylene oxide content (10-30 EO groups) and controls the ratio of anionic surfactant to phosphate ester (2:1 to 5:1), which reduces foam generation while maintaining the thick, desirable rheology through polymer-surfactant complex formation
Data Source
AI summary
An aqueous conditioning composition comprising: i) 0.1 to 2 of a cationic conditioning polymer; ii) 0.1 to 5 of an anionic surfactant comprising EO groups, with a degree of ethoxylation of from 3 to 15; wherein the composition has a transparency such that the turbidity is lower than 1 cm-1, as measured using a UV/vis spectrophotometer and applying the equation Turbidity = (2.3 x A/L), where A is the absorbance measured from the sample at 750 nm and L is the path length, typically 1.0 cm; and wherein the composition has a maximum foam height of 10 ml, as measured by diluting 1g composition with 9 g of water and adding to a 100ml graduated cylinder with an internal diameter of 29 mm and a starting volume (V1) recorded; the cylinder then being stoppered and vigorously shaken vertically for 10 seconds, followed by a 60 second rest after which the height of the foam is measured visually to the nearest 5ml graduation; and the starting volume of solution (V1) is subtracted from this value; provides transparency, low foaming and conditioning benefits to hair.