Two-Step Oxidative Hair Dyeing for Multi-Tonal Highlights

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current hair coloring methods require multiple steps to achieve multi-tonal colors, with 'highlights' and 'lowlights,' making the process time-consuming and frustrating, especially for home users who need to color the entire hair before applying additional bleaching or darkening agents.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a two-step oxidative hair coloring process where a pre-treatment agent with developer and coupler oxidation dye precursors is applied for a short duration, followed by a second agent containing oxidizing agents, allowing for simultaneous creation of 'highlights' or 'lowlights' in a single dyeing step, without the need for additional bleaching or darkening steps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional multi-step hair coloring methods are used to achieve multi-tonal colors with highlights and lowlights, then the desired natural-looking multi-tonal coloring result is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires multiple separate steps including initial coloring, bleaching, and darkening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-tonal coloring resultVSAvoidcoloring process time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate hair coloring steps (initial coloring, bleaching, and darkening) into a single integrated composition and application step. The composition contains both oxidation dye precursors for coloration and lightening agents for highlights/lowlights, allowing all multi-tonal effects to be achieved simultaneously in one process rather than through sequential separate applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates lightening agents and oxidation dye precursors into the initial coloring composition itself, performing the lightening action preliminarily during the first coloring step. This eliminates the need for subsequent separate bleaching steps, as the highlights and lowlights are created during the initial application rather than requiring corrective steps afterward.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If separate bleaching or darkening steps are applied after initial coloring to create highlights or lowlights, then the multi-tonal effect is achieved, but the process becomes frustrating and requires correction of the essential color-changing step

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-tonal coloring effectVSAvoidcoloring process simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of initial coloring, highlights creation, and lowlights creation into a single composition and application step. The composition simultaneously provides coloration through oxidation dye precursors and lightening through incorporated lightening agents, eliminating the need for separate corrective steps and making the process straightforward for home users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal coloring composition that performs multiple functions simultaneously: it colors the hair, creates highlights through lightening agents, and creates lowlights through selective application or darkening components. This single multi-functional composition replaces the need for multiple specialized products and steps, greatly simplifying the operation for consumers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If oxidation dye precursors and lightening agents are combined in a single composition applied in one step, then the coloring process becomes faster and simpler, but the ability to achieve vivid, wash-fast, and UV-resistant coloration must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoloring process efficiencyVSAvoidcoloration durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent carefully controls the parameters of the combined composition, including the types and concentrations of oxidation dye precursors, lightening agents, and coupling agents. By optimizing these chemical parameters, the patent ensures that the simultaneous action of coloring and lightening produces vivid colors with excellent wash-fastness and UV resistance, matching the durability of traditional multi-step processes despite the simplified single-step application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

Enables immediate multi-tonal coloring results with 'highlights' or 'lowlights' after a single dyeing step, reducing the time and effort required compared to traditional methods, while ensuring vivid, wash-fast, and UV-resistant colorations.

Implementation Method 1

oxidation dyes are used. These dyes typically contain oxidation dye precursors, known as developers and couplers, which react with oxidizing agents or atmospheric oxygen to form the actual dyes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Implementation Method 2

If substrates are to be lightened or even bleached, the coloring pigments are usually decolorized oxidatively using appropriate oxidizing agents, such as hydrogen peroxide

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidative decolorization: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentEP2961486B2Multitonal one-step process on hair dyeing
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 HENKEL KGAA

AI summary

The invention relates to methods for the oxidative dyeing of keratin fibres, in which a cosmetic agent (A) is applied to said fibres and is left to react for a duration of between 30 seconds to 30 minutes, a cosmetic agent (B) is then applied to the keratin fibres which continues to react with the agent (A) and both agents (A) and (B) are left to react for a duration of between 5 to 45 minutes, the agents (A) and (B) are then removed by rinsing. Said methods enables vivid and natural multi-tonal dyes with highlights or lowlights to be obtained when the agent (A) (a1) does not contain any developer-type oxidation dye precursors, (a2) contains one or more coupler-type oxidation dye precursors, (a3) has a pH-value of between 8.0 to 12.0, and the agent (B) (b1) contains one or more oxidation dye precursors, (b2) contains one or more oxidation agents and (b3) has a pH-value of between 8.0 - 12.0.