Wet wipe comprising a lotion
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a wet wipe with a high water content lotion that is gentle on the skin while effectively preventing microbial growth, particularly for use with infants, where increasing water content complicates meeting preservative system efficacy requirements.
Innovation Solution
A wet wipe with a substrate comprising 14.5% to 100% cotton and a lotion with 98% to 99.7% water content, including an organic acid and a pH buffering system, which provides a preservative system to inhibit bacterial, mold, and yeast growth without fragrance or perfume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the water content of the lotion is increased to make it gentler on the skin, then the mildness and skin compatibility is improved, but the preservative system efficacy against microbial growth deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the preservative system by using a combination of organic acids (benzoic acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid) at specific concentrations (0.01-0.5% each) along with a pH buffering system (citric acid and sodium citrate) to maintain pH between 3.0-6.0. This parameter optimization allows the high water content lotion (97-99.5%) to remain stable against microbial growth while maintaining skin compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite preservative system combining multiple organic acids (benzoic acid, sorbic acid, propionic acid) with a pH buffering system (citric acid-sodium citrate buffer). This composite approach provides synergistic effects where the combination of preservatives and buffer system together achieve reliable microbial protection in high water content lotions that individual preservatives could not achieve alone.
2Quantity of substance
If the water content of the lotion is increased to decrease chemical content, then the gentleness on skin is improved, but the microbial growth control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of preservative ingredients to achieve effective microbial control with minimal chemical content. The organic acids are used at low concentrations (0.01-0.5% each) and the pH is buffered to 3.0-6.0, which maximizes preservative efficacy while minimizing total chemical content in the high water content lotion.
Solution Approach 2:
The pH buffering system (citric acid and sodium citrate) acts as an intermediary that enhances the effectiveness of the organic acid preservatives. By maintaining the pH in the optimal range (3.0-6.0), the buffer system ensures that the organic acids remain in their active form, thereby improving microbial control without increasing the concentration of the preservative chemicals themselves.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the lotion is made 99% water to be extremely gentle, then the skin safety is improved, but the preservative system must work much harder to prevent microbial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the pH parameter within the narrow range of 3.0-6.0 using a citric acid-sodium citrate buffering system. This precise parameter control creates an environment that is naturally less favorable for microbial growth, thereby simplifying the overall preservative system while maintaining 99% water content and extreme skin gentleness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a localized favorable environment for preservative action by buffering the pH to 3.0-6.0 throughout the lotion. This localized optimization of pH conditions ensures that the organic acid preservatives work most effectively at this specific pH range, providing robust microbial protection in the 99% water content lotion without requiring complex preservative formulations.
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 solution effectively prevents microbial growth, ensuring the wet wipe remains effective and gentle on the skin, meeting preservative system requirements and maintaining a safe pH to protect against skin irritation from fecal and urine residues.
Implementation Method 1
the lotion comprises (a) from about 98.5% to about 99.5% water by weight of the lotion; (b) from about 0.055% to about 0.1% of an organic acid according to a HPLC test method described herein; and (c) a pH buffering system; wherein the lotion has a pH from about 3.5 to about 7; wherein the lotion has an Equivalence Value from about 30 to about 95; and wherein the lotion is devoid of fragrance and/or perfume
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a wet wipe including a substrate and a lotion. The substrate includes from about 14.5% to about 100% cotton. The lotion includes from about 98% to about 99.5% water and has an Equivalence Value from about 30 to about 95.