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Title:
A HAIR CARE COMPOSITION
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2023/156497
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a hair care composition that provides the right balance of nourishment, manageability and feel to the hair as desired by the consumer. The invention provides hair care composition comprising 0.1 to 99.5wt% of hair conditioning emollient, the emollient comprising: Component A comprising: 1 to 50 wt% ester of undecylenic acid; and/or 10 to 50wt% ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; 10 to 40 wt% of Component B comprising ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid; and 5 to 40 wt% of Component D comprising a mixture of diheptyl succinate and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer.

Inventors:
BHARDWAJ KARTIK (NL)
DESAI DOLLY (NL)
GUDULKAR SUSMITA (NL)
GANGOPADHYAY MANISH (NL)
MATHUR SAURABH (NL)
MAURYA SUMAN (NL)
SERAI POOJA (NL)
SERRAO GODFREY (NL)
Application Number:
PCT/EP2023/053828
Publication Date:
August 24, 2023
Filing Date:
February 16, 2023
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
UNILEVER IP HOLDINGS B V (NL)
UNILEVER GLOBAL IP LTD (GB)
CONOPCO INC DBA UNILEVER (US)
International Classes:
A61K8/37; A61K8/31; A61Q5/00; A61Q5/12
Domestic Patent References:
WO2001095866A12001-12-20
WO2013092293A22013-06-27
Foreign References:
JP2009221143A2009-10-01
US20050053636A12005-03-10
Other References:
DATABASE GNPD [online] MINTEL; 20 May 2021 (2021-05-20), ANONYMOUS: "Hair + Body Intense Oil", XP055951114, retrieved from https://www.gnpd.com/sinatra/recordpage/8667513/ Database accession no. 8667513
DATABASE GNPD [online] MINTEL; 29 September 2020 (2020-09-29), ANONYMOUS: "CBD Calming Supreme Oil Scalp + Body", XP055902250, retrieved from https://www.gnpd.com/sinatra/recordpage/8113073/ Database accession no. 8113073
DATABASE GNPD [online] MINTEL; 1 July 2021 (2021-07-01), ANONYMOUS: "Repair Conditioner", XP093043203, retrieved from https://www.gnpd.com/sinatra/recordpage/8825985/ Database accession no. 8825985
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
CHISEM, Janet (NL)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. A hair care composition comprising 0.1 to 99.5wt% of hair conditioning emollient, the emollient comprising: a. Component A comprising: i. 1 to 50 wt% ester of undecylenic acid; and/or ii. 10 to 50wt% ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; b. 10 to 40 wt% of Component B comprising ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid; and c. 5 to 40 wt% of Component D comprising a mixture of diheptyl succinate and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer.

2. A hair care composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises 0.01 wt% to 50 wt% of suitable base.

3. A hair care composition according to claims 1 or 2, wherein in the Component A (i) and (ii), the ester of undecylenic acid is a heptyl ester, i.e. , heptyl undecylenate.

4. A hair care composition according to anyone of the preceding claims from 1 to 3, wherein in the Component A (ii) the ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present in the ratio ranging from 1:8 to 1 :3.

5. A hair care composition according to anyone of the preceding claims from 1 to 4, wherein the Component B comprises a blend of ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

6. A hair care composition according to claim 5, wherein the ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid and mixture of alkanes in the Component B is present in the ratio ranging from: 1:1 to 2:1. A hair care composition according to anyone of the preceding claims from 1 to 6, wherein in the component B, the ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid is triheptanoin. A hair care composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 7, wherein the Component D comprises ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol blended with capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer. A hair care composition according to claim 8, wherein in the Component D the ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer is present in the ratio ranging from: 50:1 to 0.65:1. A hair care composition according to anyone of the preceding claims from 1 to 9, wherein in the Component D, the ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol is diheptyl succinate. A hair care composition according to anyone of the preceding claims from 1 to 10, wherein the composition comprises 0.01 to 50% of mineral oil. A hair care composition according to claim 11 , wherein the mineral oil is liquid paraffin oil. A hair care composition according to any one of the preceding claims from 1 to 12, wherein the composition comprises 2 to 10 wt% of Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer. A hair care composition according to any one of the preceding claims from 1 to 13, wherein the composition is substantially free of silicone. A hair care composition according to any one of the preceding claims from 1 to 14, wherein viscosity of the hair care composition is in the range of 5 to 100 cP at 25°C.

Description:
A HAIR CARE COMPOSITION

Technical Field

The invention relates to a hair care composition. The invention more particularly relates to a hair care composition that is substantially free of silicone. The hair care composition of the present invention provides the right balance of nourishment, manageability and feel desired by the consumer which is comparative to the silicone-based hair serums.

Background of the invention

People, especially in tropical countries like those in the South Asian region regularly use hair oils to provide nourishment and health to their hair. Traditionally, vegetable oils like coconut oil, mustard oil and/ or sesame oil are used. This habit of oiling the hair with oils, in the temperate countries, is not common as they consider hair oils to be sticky and believe that oils impede the manageability of their hair. Rather, the people in the temperate regions use shampoos to wash their hair and hair conditioners to provide the desired feel and manageability to the hair.

The present inventors have been working on providing the right balance of nourishment, manageability and feel such that hair oils could be better used by the traditional consumers while non-users or infrequent users start to use hair oils on a regular basis for these benefits, so that one product is able to provide all users with most of the desired benefits.

WO0195866 A1 (Unilever) discloses a hair oil comprising blend of (i) 1% to 95%, by weight of a first oily component which is one or more glyceride fatty esters and (ii) 5 to 90% by weight of a second oily component which is one or more hydrocarbon oils of average carbon chain length less than 20 carbon atoms. While this composition does provide some nourishment and manageability, it does not disclose use of silicone oil which along with the mineral oil and vegetable oil at the narrow range of concentration claimed is able to provide superior sensorial properties. JP2009221143 A (Shisheido Co LTd.) discloses a hair cosmetic composition providing excellent floss, smooth touch, moist and dry feeling to the hair. The application provides a hair composition with 1 to 15wt% vegetable oil, a volatile oil, a high molecular weight dimethylpolysiloxane, and dimethylpolysiloxane containing a hydroxyl group, a polyoxyethylene group and/or a polyoxypropylene group. It was found that high molecular weight silicone oils like dimethylpolysiloxane, and dimethylpolysiloxane containing a hydroxyl group, a polyoxyethylene group and/or a polyoxypropylene group were not compatible with the vegetable oils and were found to separate out during storage.

US20050053636A1 (Von Der Techt et al.) discloses a cosmetic or dermatological care oil having 90 to 99.5 wt% of a mineral oil and/or ester oil and from 0.5 to 10wt% by weight of a wax. The application further discloses that the ester oil may include triglyceride oil.

WO 2013/092293 A2 (Unilever), the invention relates to a hair oil composition that provides the right balance of nourishment, manageability and feel to the hair as desired by the consumer. The present inventors have found that using a combination of mineral oil, vegetable oil and cetyl dimethicone, in a selected concentration range is able to provide all of the desired benefits and additionally superior sensorials. The invention discloses a hair oil comprising blend of a. 70 to 88% of a mineral oil; b. 6 to 22 % of a vegetable oil; and c. 2 to 8% of cetyl dimethicone. While this composition does provide some nourishment and manageability, it uses of silicone oil along with the mineral oil and vegetable oil to provide superior sensorial properties.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide for a substantially silicone free hair care composition that provides the desired nourishment while ensuring that the hair is not too sticky and feels smooth and manageable to the consumer.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide for a hair care composition that provides the desired nourishment while ensuring that the hair is not too sticky and feels smooth and manageable to the consumer which is comparable to hair serums comprising silicones. Summary of the Invention

According to the first aspect of the present invention there is provided hair care composition comprising 0.1 to 99.5wt% of hair conditioning emollient, the emollient comprising: a. Component A comprising: i. 1 to 50 wt% ester of undecylenic acid; and /or ii. 10 to 50wt% ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; b. 10 to 40 wt% of Component B comprising ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid; and

5 to 40 wt% of Component D comprising a mixture of diheptyl succinate and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer.

According to another aspect of the invention the hair care composition of the invention is delivered through a dispenser comprising a container comprising the composition, and a dispensing nozzle capable of being attached to a pump. Detailed description of the invention

These and other aspects, features and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims. For the avoidance of doubt, any feature of one aspect of the present invention may be utilized in any other aspect of the invention. The word “comprising” is intended to mean “including” but not necessarily “consisting of’ or “composed of.” In other words, the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive. It is noted that the examples given in the description below are intended to clarify the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to those examples per se. Similarly, all percentages are weight/weight percentages unless otherwise indicated. Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description and claims indicating amounts of material or, physical properties of materials and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word “about”. Numerical ranges expressed in the format "from x to y" are understood to include x and y. When for a specific feature multiple preferred ranges are described in the format "from x to y", it is understood that all ranges combining the different endpoints are also contemplated.

By “Hair care composition” as used herein, is meant to include a composition for application to the human hair to provide nourishment for proper health of hair.

Additionally, on application of the composition, the hair should be manageable i.e. does not get tangled, should not be too sticky and the hair should feel smooth and silky to the touch. Such a composition has been invented by the present inventors by a selective combination of ingredients in specific ranges of concentrations.

It is generally seen that ‘leave on’ hair care compositions have to balance between the parameters such as providing smoothness and manageability to hair and at the same time not be very oily so as to leave a sticky effect in hair. A good solution was found to this problem with Silicone based hair care serums/compositions, however silicone is not a chemical ingredient, and may have side effects. Though it gives the hair the illusion of shine, but it is due to the fact that cuticle layer of hair is sealed and light reflects off the hair. Though it is a good product for managing hair but for proper hair nourishment and for hair that shine with good health it is important to use ingredients which are substantially silicone free.

Silicone may weigh the hair down, making it limp, lifeless, and, with time, dull. It prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft and becomes like a magnet for dirt and other ingredients. Therefore, the long-term effects may outweigh the short-term benefits of silicones as a hair care ingredient as over time it will attract more buildup on the hair. With time it may dry the hair out because it may not allow in the conditioner to hydrate the hair, may end up sitting on the surface. Due to lack of moisture, the hair may become brittle and could lead to frizz and breakage. Therefore, it was an object of the present invention to include and preferably replace synthetic ingredients in a hair-care composition or a hair smoothening serum which gives comparable results as that of silicone-based serums but is substantially free of silicones.

The composition of the present invention is substantially free of silicone and derivatives as hair conditioning and smoothening agents and more preferably ‘essentially free’ of silicone and derivatives as hair conditioning and smoothening agents, and most preferably ‘completely free’ of silicone and derivatives as hair conditioning and smoothening agents. The term ‘substantially free’ means that less than 1 wt% of the of silicone and derivatives as hair conditioning and smoothening agents in the composition. Likewise, ‘essentially free’ means that less than 0.01 wt% and ‘completely free’ means less than 2.0x1 O' 6 wt% of the of silicone and derivatives as hair conditioning and smoothening agents in the hair care composition.

The present inventors have found that using a combination of silicone alternates in a selected concentration range is able to provide all the desired benefits and additionally superior hair sensorial which are usually provided through silicones.

Hair Care Composition

The present invention provides hair care composition comprising 0.1 to 99.5wt% of hair conditioning emollient, the emollient comprising: a. Component A comprising: i. 1 to 50 wt% ester of undecylenic acid; and/or ii. 10 to 50wt% ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; b. 10 to 40 wt% of Component B comprising ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid; and c. 5 to 40 wt% of Component D comprising a mixture of diheptyl succinate and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer. It is preferred that the hair care composition further comprises 0.01 wt% to 50 wt% of suitable base.

It is preferred that the ester of undecylenic acid is a heptyl ester, i.e., heptyl undecylenate.

It is preferred that the ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present in the ratio ranging from 1:8 to 1:3.

It is preferred that the Component B comprises a blend of ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

It is preferred that the ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid and mixture of alkanes is present in the ratio ranging from: 1:1 to 2:1.

It is preferred that the component B, the ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid is triheptanoin.

It is preferred that the Component D comprises ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol blended with capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer.

It is preferred that the ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer is present in the ratio ranging from: 50:1 to 0.65:1.

It is preferred that the Component D, the ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol is diheptyl succinate.

It is preferred that the composition comprises 0.01 to 50% of mineral oil, more preferably the mineral oil is liquid paraffin oil.

It is preferred that the composition comprises 2 to 10 wt% of Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer. It is preferred that the viscosity of the hair care composition is in the range of 5 to 100 cP at 25°C.

Component A

The compositions of the present invention comprise Component A, which comprises (i) ester of undecylenic acid; and/or (ii) ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

It is preferred that Component A is present in the range of 0.1 to 80 wt%, more preferably 0.5 to 75 wt% and most preferably 1 to 70 wt% of the weight of the hair composition.

It is preferred that the compositions of the present invention comprise at least 50 wt% of Component A, preferably at least 45 wt% and most preferably at least 40 wt% of the total weight of the hair composition.

It is preferred that the compositions of the present invention comprise at most 78 wt% of Component A, preferably at most 75 wt% and most preferably at most 72 wt% of the total weight of the hair composition.

It is preferred that when the Component A (ii) ester of undecylenic acid is in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present, the ester of undecylenic acid and mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present in the ratio ranging from 1:8 to 1 :1, more preferably in the range of 1:7 to 1:1.5 and most preferably in the range of 1:6 to 1 :1.8.

It is preferred that when the (ii) ester of undecylenic acid is in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, the ester of undecylenic acid is preferably present in the range of 20 to 35wt%, more preferably in the range of 25 to 35 wt% and most preferably in the range of 28 to 33wt% by weight of the mixture. It is preferred that in the mixture, alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present in the range of 65 to 80wt%, more preferably in the range of 65 to 75 wt% and most preferably in the range of 67 wt% to 72wt% by weight of the mixture. It is preferred that when Component A comprises (i) ester of undecylenic acid without ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, the ester of undecylenic acid is present at least 80wt%, preferably 85wt%, 90 wt%, 92wt%, 93wt%, 94wt%, 95wt%, 96wt%, 97wt%, 98wt%, 99wt% and most preferably 100wt% of the weight of Component A.

It is preferred that when Component A comprises (i) ester of undecylenic acid without ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, the ester of undecylenic acid is present preferably at least 0.01wt%, more preferably at least 1wt%, at least 2wt%, at least 4 wt% at least 5wt%, at least 8wt%, and most preferably at least 10wt% of the weight of total weight of the composition.

It is preferred that when Component A comprises (i) ester of undecylenic acid without ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, the ester of undecylenic acid is present preferably at most 50wt%, more preferably at most 48wt%, at most 45wt%, at most 43 wt% at most 40wt%, at most 38wt%, at most 35wt%, at most 33wt%, at most 30wt%, at most 28wt%, and most preferably at most 25wt% of the weight of total weight of the composition.

It is preferred that (i) ester of undecylenic acid without ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, the ester of undecylenic acid is present preferably in the range of 0.01 to 50wt% of the total weight of the composition, more preferably 1 to 50wt%, further preferably 5wt to 45wt% and most preferably 10 to 40wt% by weight of the composition.

It is preferred that when Component A comprises (ii) ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, without any additional independently occurring ester of undecylenic acid; the ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present at least 80wt%, preferably 85wt%, 90 wt%, 92wt%, 93wt%, 94wt%, 95wt%, 96wt%, 97wt%, 98wt%, 99wt% and most preferably 100wt% of the weight of Component A. It is preferred that when Component A comprises (ii) ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, without any additional independently occurring ester of undecylenic acid; the ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present preferably at least 10wt%, more preferably at least 12wt%, at least 15wt%, at least 17 wt% at least 18wt%, and most preferably at least 20wt% of the weight of total weight of the composition.

It is preferred that when Component A comprises (ii) ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, without any additional independently occurring ester of undecylenic acid; the ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present preferably at most 50wt%, more preferably at most 48wt%, at most 45wt%, at most 43 wt% at most 40wt%, at most 38wt%, at most 35wt%, at most 33wt%, at most 30wt%, at most 28wt%, and most preferably at most 25wt% of the weight of total weight of the composition.

It is preferred that when Component A comprises (ii) ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, without any additional independently occurring ester of undecylenic acid; the ester of undecylenic acid in combination with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present preferably in the range of 10 to 50wt%, more preferably 15 to 45 wt% and most preferably from 20 to 40wt% of the weight of the composition.

It is preferred that the ester of undecylenic acid is an ester produced by reaction of heptyl alcohol and undecylenic acid to give heptyl ester, i.e. , heptyl undecylenate.

Component B

The compositions of the present invention comprise Component B, which comprises ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid. It is preferred that Component B is present in the range of 10 to 40 wt% of the weight of the hair composition, more preferably 15 to 35 wt% and most preferably 20 to 35 wt%.

It is preferred that the compositions of the present invention comprise at least 5 wt% of Component B, preferably at least 6 wt% and most preferably at least 7 wt% of the total weight of the hair composition.

It is preferred that the compositions of the present invention comprise at most 20 wt% of Component B, preferably at most 15 wt% and most preferably at rnostlO wt% of the total weight of the hair composition.

It is preferred that the Component B comprises a blend of ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain and preferably the ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid and mixture of alkanes is present in the ratio ranging from: 1:1 to 2:1, more preferably in the range of 1.2 to 1.8 and most preferably in the range of 1.3 to 1.7.

It is preferred that the blend of ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid is preferably present in the range of 50 to 70wt%, more preferably in the range of 55 to 67 wt% and most preferably in the range of 55 to 65wt% of the mixture. It is preferred that in the mixture, alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain is present in the range of 30 to 50wt%, more preferably in the range of 35 to 45 wt% and most preferably in the range of 37 wt% to 45wt%.

It is preferred that Component B comprises at least 80wt% blend of ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid with mixture of alkanes with 13 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, preferably 85wt%, 90 wt%, 92wt%, 93wt%, 94wt%, 95wt%, 96wt%, 97wt%, 98wt%, 99wt% and most preferably 100wt% of the weight of Component B.

It is further preferred that the ester of glycerin and heptanoic acid is triheptanoin. Component D

The compositions of the present invention comprise Component D, which comprises ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol. It is preferred that the Component D further comprises Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer. It is preferred that ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol is blended with Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer.

It is preferred that the ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer is present in the ratio ranging from: 50:1 to 0.65:1, more preferably in the range of 50:1 to 0.85:1 and most preferably in the range of 50:1 to 1 :1.

It is preferred that in the blend of ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer, the ester of succinic acid is present in the range of 38 to 99wt%, more preferably in the range of 40wt% to 99 wt% and most preferably in the range of 43 to 98.5 wt% of the total weight of Component D.

It is preferred that in the blend of ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol and capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer; the capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer is present in the range of 1 wt% to 62wt%, 1.5 wt% to 60wt%, 3 to 58wt% and most preferably in the range of 5 wt% to 40wt% of the total weight of Component D.

It is preferred that Component D is present in the range of 5 to 60 wt% of the weight of the hair composition, more preferably 5 to 55 wt%, furthermore preferably 5 to 40wt% and most preferably 7 to 30 wt%.

It is preferred that the compositions of the present invention comprise at least 5 wt% of Component D, preferably at least 7 wt% and most preferably at least 8 wt% of the total weight of the hair composition.

It is preferred that the compositions of the present invention comprise at most 60 wt% of Component D, preferably at most 55 wt% and most preferably at most 23 wt% of the total weight of the hair composition. It is preferred that Component D comprises at least 80wt% of ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol blended with capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer, preferably 85wt%, 90 wt%, 92wt%, 93wt%, 94wt%, 95wt%, 96wt%, 97wt%, 98wt%, 99wt% and most preferably 100wt% of the weight of Component D. It is preferred that the ester of succinic acid and heptyl alcohol is diheptyl succinate.

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

The compositions of the present invention may optionally comprise additional Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, preferably added in a non-blended form. When the composition of the present composition comprise Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, it is preferably present in amount ranging from 2wt% to 10 wt%, more preferably in the range of 3wt% to 9wt% and most preferably in the range of 3.5wt% to 8.5wt% of the total weight of the hair care composition.

Mineral Oil

The composition of the present invention may comprise mineral oil. When mineral oil is present, it is preferred that it is present in the range of 0.01 to 50% of mineral oil, more preferably in the range of 0.01 to 40 and most preferably in the range of 0.01 to 35. The mineral oil preferably comprises light liquid paraffin oil (LLPO). The mineral oil preferably has a kinematic viscosity in the range of 2 to 30 cSt, more preferably 2 to 20 cSt at 40 °C.

Suitable Base

It is preferred that the composition comprises a suitable base, preferably in the range of 0.01 wt% to 50 wt%. The base could be aqueous or oil medium. It is highly preferred that the base is of oil medium. It is preferred that the oil base having a viscosity in the range of 25 to 75 cP at 30 °C are preferably used in the composition of the invention.

The hair care composition of the invention may include an emulsifier. When present the emulsifier is in an amount less than 2wt%, preferably less than 1wt%, still preferably less than 0.5wt%. In an optimal embodiment emulsifier is absent. The hair care composition of the invention may include water. When present, water is in an amount less than 10wt%, preferably less than 5wt%, more preferably less than 2wt% and most preferably less than 1wt%. In an optimal embodiment water is absent.

The oil base content in the hair oil composition could be more than 95wt%, preferably more than 98wt% and still preferably more than 99wt%.

Additionally, the hair care composition of the invention may comprise certain other beneficial ingredients like sunscreen agents, vitamins, antioxidants, colorants, perfumes, conditioners, preservatives. Sunscreen which may be included in the composition preferably are those of the UVA organic sunscreen or UVB organic sunscreen classes. Preferred sunscreens are 4-tert.-butyl-4'-methoxydibenzoylmethane (sold commercially as Parsol 1789) and I or octyl methoxy cinnamate (commercially available as Parsol MCX). A preferred antioxidant is butyl hydroxy toluene (BHT). Suitable colourants may be included a preferred one being lycopene.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of nourishing hair comprising the step of applying a composition of the invention on the desired hair surface.

The hair care composition of the invention may be delivered to the consumer in a bottle, jar, tube or sachet. The dispensing orifice may preferably be provided with a suitable nozzle for controlled dispensing of the contents of the dispenser. When a nozzle is provided, it is preferred that the dispenser is provided with an appropriate closure on the nozzle for closing the outlet when desired. Alternately, a preferred aspect of the invention provides for a dispenser comprising a container comprising the hair care composition of the invention, and a dispensing nozzle capable of being attached to a pump. The pump on such a dispenser is preferably hand actuated.

The invention will now be illustrated by way of the following non-limiting examples.

Example 1 : Hair care composition of the invention

A hair care composition as per the invention was prepared by mixing the following ingredients listed in Table -1. The hair care composition of the present invention is prepared by mixing all ingredients as per the desired composition. The Components A to D were imported from Index, Philadelphia, USA.

Table - 1 :

This composition was tested in a consumer panel to oil their hair and it was reported that the consumers experienced excellent sensorial feel in terms of feel and manageability.

Further they reported that they perceived their hair to be strong and had fewer hair fall.

Example 2: Details of evaluation for Consumer benefits

Hair breakage and smoothness are standard industry tests done to assess the performance of Hair Care products using HLCR (Hair Life-cycle Combing Rig) and TA (Texture Analyzer) instruments respectively. Shinometer was used to take shine measurements. Indian hair swatches procured form a reputable global source was used as substrate to perform the tests. HLCR is used to measure ease of combing hair and the consecutive amount of hair breaking during combing. Similarly, TA is used to measure the smoothness of hair.

A brief process of experiment is as below:

Objective of the Example was to compare the performance on dry hair of the composition of the present invention prepared according to Example 1, Table 1 (Substantially silicone free); with marketed silicone-based serum. All the set of hair switches were washed with non-conditioning shampoo with dosage of 0.1 g/g of hair switch. The switches were left to dry overnight at 20°C and 50% Relative Humidity. A syringe was pre-filled a with the (0.02g/g hair) serum. The switch was laid down flat on a clean tray and the serum (0.02g/g hair) was applied evenly along the length of the switch using butter paper. The serum was gently massaged into the hair, ensuring complete and even coverage of the entire switch. When the serum was rubbed thoroughly, the switch was combed 60 times with the NARROW teeth of a Matador Sawcut No4 comb. Each side was combed 30 times, by alternating from front to back. This ensures that the serum is distributed evenly along the length of the switch. After 30 mins the readings were taken.

Hair Strength & Smoothness Test Results

Table 2:

TEXTURE ANALYSIS DATA

The data in Table 2 indicate that as compared to non-Conditioning shampoo the Frictional energy of the switches treated with silicone based marketed Serums I and II is considerably low due to the emollient and conditioning effect of Silicone. However, it was a surprising finding that the composition of the present invention provided even better results, even though the compositions were substantially free of silicone. Table 3:

HAIR BREAKAGE DATA

The data in Table 3 show that as compared to non-conditioning shampoo the hair breakage seen in the switches treated with silicone based marketed Serums I and II is considerably low due to the emollient and conditioning effect of silicone. However, it was a surprising finding that the composition of the present invention provided even better results, even though the compositions were substantially free of silicone.

Table 4:

SHINE ANALYSIS DATA The data in Table 4 show that as compared to the hair shine measured in the switches treated with the composition of the present invention provided better results than the results of silicone based marketed Serums I and II.